It can be heartbreaking, being a native Clevelander. None of the city’s sports teams have won a championship in my lifetime, and much older denizens could make the same claim.
When I tell people that I grew up in Cleveland, I’m never told that it’s one of their favorite cities, or about how much they admire the splendor of the place. They grimace and say, “Oh, the Mistake on the Lake. I spent a week there for work once.” And so ends the conversation.
As if these things weren’t bad enough, now, in its third annual ranking of horrible places, Forbes has given Cleveland the ignominious distinction of “Most Miserable City in America,” a position it secured “thanks to its high unemployment, high taxes, lousy weather, corruption by public officials and crummy sports teams (Cavaliers of the NBA excepted).”
Thankfully, Forbes didn’t note that LeBron James may dump the Cavs for the New York Knicks this summer –at least, according to New Yorkers.
Look, I get it. Foreclosure rates are through the roof, the winter weather really stinks and the governing county has seen 309 public officials convicted of crimes over the past 10 years, according to the Justice Department.
On the other hand, screw you Forbes, and your glitchy site. April though October are beautiful months in Cleveland. The city’s residents couldn’t hope for a better medical institution than the Cleveland Clinic. The city has some great academic institutions, including Case Western Reserve University. And the cultural and food scenes are more vibrant than ever. (Really. Listen to this NPR broadcast of last week.)
For a Web entrepreneur not yet looking for the funding and connections associated with VC, I’d say it’s a great place to run a business. Indeed, it was already one of the cheapest places to live comfortably in the U.S.; after this list, it may be even cheaper.
Are you with me, Nos. 2 and 3 (Stockton, Calif., and Memphis)?
If you do not receive this within five minutes, please try and sign in again. If the problem persists, please
email: