Cleveland Ohio.

This name evokes many things, depending on the person and past associations.

Some view the Greater Cleveland Ohio has a former powerhouse that built it's fortune a century ago in molten steel and oil.  Some view it as a former Fortune 500 powerhouse with an unmatched manufacturing base that is well situated within about 600 miles of the most of the major markets in the country.  Some view it as a declining city that can no longer claim manufacturing as King of the Hill and it has seen better days and is a typical midwestern, rust-bucket city.

I am not a native Clevelander.  I have lived on both coasts, grew up in the Midwest and have seen a lot of what this great country of ours has to offer.

I know first hand how incredibly rich and diverse the offerings that Greater Cleveland has to offer anyone willing to take a closer look.

From our world class cultural institutions such as the Cleveland Orchestra, the Cleveland Museum of Art, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, among others, to the world-class research universities such as Case Western Reserve University, to the depth of outdoor activities - boating and fishing on Lake Erie and various rivers, to hiking in the Cuyahoga Valley National Park and the Cleveland Metroparks, to the most incredibly diverse housing stock in the nation at affordable midwest prices, to it's generous, hardworking and kind people -- anyone who knows the REAL Cleveland Ohio knows all this intuitively and appreciates having the best of big city living without all the big city hassles.

P.S.  We won't talk about the Cleveland Browns 2008-09 season, nor the current season of the Cleveland Indians -- thank you very much! :-)