Continuing in our Great American Cities series, our next stop is also a Midwest city – Cleveland. In many ways this city has suffered the same fate as Detroit. It’s a part of America that has become known as the Rust Belt – once great cities that were driven by manufacturing who have seen those jobs slowly shipped overseas and the once bustling factories abandoned. Like Detroit and other cities in the Rust Belt, Cleveland has had to come up with new ways to keep going.
Name – It was originally named “Cleaveland” after General Moses Cleaveland. He was the leader of the company that had been sent from Connecticut to survey the land and turn it in to a township.
Location – The city is located in northeastern Ohio on the southern shore of Lake Erie.
Nicknames – Its nicknames include “The Forest City”, “Metropolis of the Western Reserve”, “C-Town” and “The Rock and Roll Capital of the World”.
Downtown Cleveland
By Carlos Javier
From www.flickr.com
Year Founded – The small village of Cleaveland was incorporated on December 23, 1814. The city of Cleveland (as it is known today) was incorporated in 1836.
Population – As of 2014 the estimated population was 389,521. It is America’s 48th largest city. The population is made up of 53.3% Black or African-American, 37.3% White, 10% Hispanic or Latino and 1.8% Asian.
Transportation – Cleveland has an international airport and a train station connecting it to many other cities in the US. Within the city, mass transportation is provided by a bus and rail system. The rail system is known as the RTA Rapid Transit and has three lines.
R&R HOF
Famous Places – There are many famous places in Cleveland such as museums, stadiums, casinos and historical monuments. The most famous place in Cleveland is probably the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Here you can see everything rock and roll from famous singers’ clothing, to instruments and videos of concerts and interviews. The stadiums for the sports teams are also quite famous.
Culture – The city is full of culture. Performance Art, literature and cuisine are all prevalent. Film and television are one of the biggest parts of the city’s culture. Many TV series are set in Cleveland, such as The Drew Carey Show. Many films were based or filmed there as well. One such film is A Christmas Story and the house where it was filmed has been turned in to a museum where visitors can see the various props. The city has also made cameos in many films.
Cleveland Indians
By chrismetcalfTV
flickr.com
Sports – Cleveland is home to three major sports teams:
- NFL – Cleveland Browns
- MLB – Cleveland Indians
- NBA – Cleveland Cavaliers
Unfortunately none of the teams have won a championship since 1964, thus giving it a reputation of being a cursed sports city. The biggest sports TV station ESPN proclaimed it “the most tortured sports city” in 2004. The fans are still loyal, though, and with the return of LeBron James to the Cavs the city hopes to finally bring a championship home sooner than later.
