Northeast Ohio: What's Not to Like?

What a week for Cleveland and the broader Northeast Ohio region. First, we are awarded the Republican National Convention and then Lebron (this is one of the few athletes who is referred to by first name only and everyone knows who he is) comes home. The way he did it and the communication through SI was first rate. Literally brought tears to my eyes. This is not my normal blogging pattern, but I feel compelled to write about why I love living here.

I have lived in Northeast Ohio for 42 of my 54 years. I was born here, I came here from college and have stayed (other than a year courting my wife). I have lived other places (Northern New Jersey, Western Chicago, Western Michigan), but this has always and will be my home (at least on this earth). I find it incredulous that people draw conclusions about NE Ohio having never lived her. They draw it from conjecture and misinformation. Ask my wife - a Chicago transplant who loves living here.

I have conducted business in this city since 1988 (seems like yesterday) when I left a secure job at KPMG and went into my first startup business. Over the years, I have gotten to know a lot of people in this area simply because my work gets me out and about. My wife and I joke how about almost inevitably I run into people I know. I have been honored to be put into leadership positions that serve as a kind of ambassador for the city and region. I am part of the Leadership Cleveland class of 2013 and I learned so much about the city during that year. I am also part of LC II which did the initial research on implementing a new water taxi system that was handed off to the Cleveland Metroparks. In other words, I have lived and breathed the region.

This is why it is not surprising to me that Lebron James would come back to this area. Some of us look superficially at our home and say "it is not New York City or Los Angeles or Chicago", larger cities with more to offer. I don't begrudge my children who have chosen to live in NYC, Washington D.C., and Chicago respectively. They have each done so for different reasons and I think it is great for them. Some of us look at the weather here and want to live in warmer climates or sunnier climates. That is certainly my challenge - no question the weather here stinks about 3 months of the year. I suffer from Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) that is managed through Vitamin D supplements. However, the summers and falls are almost perfect. It is what you choose to see and appreciate. Getting out of here for a week or two during the peek depression season seems to do the trick.

The last few years have made me appreciate my home area that much more. I love and appreciate its distinctiveness. I love the size - not too big, not too small. I love the people, the best part. In my next blog, I will rank my top 10 reasons why NE Ohio is one of the best places to live.

Nick Gilbert, the son of Dan Gilbert has famously said at the draft lottery "What's not to like". We in Cleveland tend to have inferiority complexes and we shouldn't. We live in a jewel of an area and we need to appreciate it as such.