Exceeds Expectations, or, Back from Exile: Days 1-4
I am currently sitting in my new apartment with no furniture, no job (yet!) and lots of time to write and think about things (which is good). So here are some of my first impressions about Cleveland.
1. Ohio City is beautiful. Tree-lined streets, brick alleys, stately Victorians with wrought-iron fences....There is NOTHING like it in New York City. The best part is that Ohio City is a prime example of how revitalization in Cleveland is working. When I was a kid and we'd come to the West Side Market, this place looked like absolute crap.
2. Small world. Visiting my sister in the small English village where she lives, we'd walk down the street and everyone would wave to her. I was jealous. Within the first few hours of living here, we'd already run into two people we knew.
2a. People are friendly. This surprises me because a) I am not friendly and b) I remember people here being more like me. But it's nice. It's nice to have a joke with the nice man selling me a $3 sammich. Nice nice nice.
3 The sky is big. Montana is Big Sky Country? No. It's Ohio. Sorry for the cliche, but the sunset last night over the lake was absolutely breathtaking.
4. I can breathe. Breathing helps you live.
5. Shrinkage is good. Sort of. The drop in population density was instantly palpable, and inside, Jim and I both went "ahhhhh....."
6. Life is good. Our standard of living has gone up so sharply that we almost feel dizzy. Let me count the ways:
Restaurants. In Rat Hill, our eating options were mostly limited to forgettable Chinese takeout and pizza. (Although if you can get to Kabul Grill at 138-11 Queens Blvd, you should - it was our favorite.) Here, we have Phnom Penh, Great Lakes, Nate's Deli, Johnny Mango, Momocho, Lelolai, Bier Markt..... In fact, I was just talking to the building manager and he assured us that soon we'll be fat-and-happy alcoholics.
Shopping. The West Side Market is right there. I mean, right there. I don't have to get on a bus or a train, and in fact, I could probably get away with going there in my slippers. Is there anyone reading this who doesn't already know the benefits of the West Side Market? If so, I'll try and explain it like this: I feel like taking every person I meet on the sidewalk by the shoulders, shaking them, and yelling, "I JUST SPENT THREE BUCKS ON A WHOLE POUND OF HUNGARIAN SAUSAGE!!! DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA HOW FREAKING CHEAP THAT IS????"
There's also Dave's. If you're someone who lives out in Westlake or Solon or wherever then Dave's might seem tiny and quaint, but if you have lived in Queens, Dave's is like a shopping mall or perhaps a small, self-contained culinary universe. Remember the Simpsons episode where Mr. Burns tried to do his own grocery shopping? ("Ketchup...catsup...ketchup...catsup....") Well, that's how I feel. When I come home from Dave's, I have to lie down. (Plus, I still can't get over being able to buy wine AND cheese in the SAME STORE. Seriously, you people don't know how lucky you have it here.)
Our apartment. I can't count my chickens before they're hatched - there are surely things I will H.A.T.E. about the place (already, the water pressure is a bit disappointing....) but the place is quite visually impressive and it's pretty solid - the only noise we hear is from the street, and that should get better when we've got the drapes up. And the price! This apartment would probably sell for $5 million in Manhattan. Suckers!
All in all, Cleveland is exceeding my expectations to the point that I'm kicking myself for having stayed in New York for as long as I did.
I was a fool!
1. Ohio City is beautiful. Tree-lined streets, brick alleys, stately Victorians with wrought-iron fences....There is NOTHING like it in New York City. The best part is that Ohio City is a prime example of how revitalization in Cleveland is working. When I was a kid and we'd come to the West Side Market, this place looked like absolute crap.
2. Small world. Visiting my sister in the small English village where she lives, we'd walk down the street and everyone would wave to her. I was jealous. Within the first few hours of living here, we'd already run into two people we knew.
2a. People are friendly. This surprises me because a) I am not friendly and b) I remember people here being more like me. But it's nice. It's nice to have a joke with the nice man selling me a $3 sammich. Nice nice nice.
3 The sky is big. Montana is Big Sky Country? No. It's Ohio. Sorry for the cliche, but the sunset last night over the lake was absolutely breathtaking.
4. I can breathe. Breathing helps you live.
5. Shrinkage is good. Sort of. The drop in population density was instantly palpable, and inside, Jim and I both went "ahhhhh....."
6. Life is good. Our standard of living has gone up so sharply that we almost feel dizzy. Let me count the ways:
Restaurants. In Rat Hill, our eating options were mostly limited to forgettable Chinese takeout and pizza. (Although if you can get to Kabul Grill at 138-11 Queens Blvd, you should - it was our favorite.) Here, we have Phnom Penh, Great Lakes, Nate's Deli, Johnny Mango, Momocho, Lelolai, Bier Markt..... In fact, I was just talking to the building manager and he assured us that soon we'll be fat-and-happy alcoholics.
Shopping. The West Side Market is right there. I mean, right there. I don't have to get on a bus or a train, and in fact, I could probably get away with going there in my slippers. Is there anyone reading this who doesn't already know the benefits of the West Side Market? If so, I'll try and explain it like this: I feel like taking every person I meet on the sidewalk by the shoulders, shaking them, and yelling, "I JUST SPENT THREE BUCKS ON A WHOLE POUND OF HUNGARIAN SAUSAGE!!! DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA HOW FREAKING CHEAP THAT IS????"
There's also Dave's. If you're someone who lives out in Westlake or Solon or wherever then Dave's might seem tiny and quaint, but if you have lived in Queens, Dave's is like a shopping mall or perhaps a small, self-contained culinary universe. Remember the Simpsons episode where Mr. Burns tried to do his own grocery shopping? ("Ketchup...catsup...ketchup...catsup....") Well, that's how I feel. When I come home from Dave's, I have to lie down. (Plus, I still can't get over being able to buy wine AND cheese in the SAME STORE. Seriously, you people don't know how lucky you have it here.)
Our apartment. I can't count my chickens before they're hatched - there are surely things I will H.A.T.E. about the place (already, the water pressure is a bit disappointing....) but the place is quite visually impressive and it's pretty solid - the only noise we hear is from the street, and that should get better when we've got the drapes up. And the price! This apartment would probably sell for $5 million in Manhattan. Suckers!
All in all, Cleveland is exceeding my expectations to the point that I'm kicking myself for having stayed in New York for as long as I did.
I was a fool!
posted by Christine at 10:30 AM
7 Comments:
Very happy to hear your expectations were exceeded!
Welcome home Christine!!! :)
You know - I thought the same thing about Cleveland when I first visited here, before I decided to move here - people are friendly!
Enjoy. :) So happy for you.
The reason Clevelanders seem so friendly is because you've been living in NYC, I'll be leaving town Thursday! Everyone I know is bad at geography, they keep insisting that its freezing in Missouri so I remind them that I'm moving to Missouri NOT Minnesota. And it should actually be slightly warmer than Cleveland.
i've felt MANY of these very same things since i moved back here. i'm happy you're happy here.
i really don't know ohio city that well, and would love it if you could give me a tour sometime soon! and you must come over to my house as well.
oh, i was in pittsburgh the other night for a concert, and was talking to one of my new yorker friends who was also there. she stopped me mid-sentence and said, "jackie, your midwestern accent is back with a VENGEANCE!"
ha ha:) jackie
Had to make a comment for La Donna. I lived in St L for two yrs and admittedly it was a while ago; maybe it was because I had spent five years in Boston first, but St Louis was soooo friendly. I think you will enjoy everything but the ice storms lol
Christine I love how you write and I frequently send my NY buds your dialogues :-)
this makes me even more excited to be moving back to Ohio! I haven't been to the West Side Market in years. When we were first considering moving back, we were talking to some people that live in Lakewood. They know we're moving from New York and that we're young and working in creative fields. They automatically said "Look in Ohio City." Thanks for the break down of what we have to look forward to!
-crystal
I've been in Missouri a few days now and everyone is ridiculously friendly. Its a little strange. All of my stuff isn't here yet so one coworker lent me an umbrella and my boss let me borrow an air mattress. The neighbors are nice and the waiters and cashiers give good service! I feel like some sorta weirdo Cleveland grouch cause I don't know how to respond to so much kindness.
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