Positively Cleveland!

Up to now, I have always viewed Cleveland as a really sad place to live in. It was after all given the top spot by Forbes on its list of most miserable U.S cities - high unemployment, high taxes, horrible weather, political corruption and lousy sports teams. Of course, it doesn't help that Lebron James chose to leave for better pastures. So you can imagine my disappointment when hubs told me this is going to be our home for the next few years (or more!).
Last week, I went to a series of "Take a hike!" guided historical walking tours in downtown Cleveland. I'm glad I did because it really allowed me to see Cleveland in a different [better] light. It was sad to see so many once affluent but now abandoned buildings in downtown and throughout the tour I could only imagine what might have been. With a thriving performing arts scene (Playhouse Square Theatre being second largest in the country to New York) and one of America's top 4 hospitals (Cleveland Clinic) to boast, this could be another Chicago, Boston or New York. And there is hope. There are now micro-projects and money pumped into restoring this battered land.  It helps that the people here are so passionate about their city and their enthusiasm is infectious. I feel for them and I too hope to see some change [however small] during our time here.