by Lee Kamps

I was living in Lexington, KY in 1986 when a coal company headquartered there was acquired by BP and they wanted to transfer their executive and management personnel to Cleveland. I knew many of them through business contacts and through the Lions Club. Most I met were taking the outplacement services rather than accept a transfer to Cleveland. Their impression of Cleveland was that they had nine months of winter, a river that caught fire, a lake that you couldn't swim in, incompetent political leaders and people were always shooting at each other.

I grew up in Cleveland (actually Parma to be exact) in the 1950s and 1960s and moved away when I got a job out of town in 1971. Prior to that I spent four years away at college. I remembered Cleveland as a vibrant city and tried to convince those skeptics to give Cleveland a shot. Then a year later I moved back to Cleveland because my family was there and I had no job commitment to remain in Lexington.

Prior to living in Lexington, I also lived in the Asheville, NC area and in Spartanburg, SC. Asheville has a beautiful four season climate and terrific scenery. I could see a sunset over the Smoky mountains from my driveway and Biltmore house and the Blue Ridge Parkway was only five minutes from my place. Spartanburg was only a half day's drive from the coast and a four inch snowfall completely shut down the city.

I have also visited friends in Austin, Texas many times and they have invited me to relocate there. Austin has a booming economy and is growing by leaps and bounds. Winters there are more like Octobers here and there is plenty to do there. The surrounding hill country is beautiful and full of surprises and a large inland lake offers great recreation. However in summer it is HOT. You have to get used to 100 degree temperatures daily in July and August, but 102 degrees in Austin is more comfortable than 92 degrees in Cleveland.

If I had to relocate anywhere else, there is a lot I would miss about Cleveland. #1 on the things I would miss list is the Metroparks. I love to ride my bicycle in the parks and on the towpath trail. In addition to that, there are many great hiking trails throughout the metroparks. The zoo is first rate. Right up there is the Holden Arboretum. It is a wonderful place to spend an afternoon or a day and their trails are some of the most scenic I have ever hiked. In addition, they have the best cross country skiing trails I have ever skied.

Perhaps #2 of what I would miss is the Cleveland Indians, Browns and Cavs. No other sports experience beats a seat at Jacobs Field which Sports Illustrated rated as THE best bargain in major league sports (the NFL, NBA and MLB). Watching a Browns game from the Dawg Pound is an experience not to be forgotten. I have seen many memorable Browns games; the 1964 championship game, the first Monday night game in 1970 and a "fog bowl" in the 1960s where neither team could see more than a yard in front of them and when the other team punted, the players played dodge ball. I have also seen a no hitter by an Indians pitcher (in 1974) as well as a world series game where it snowed during the game (1997).

Number 3 of what I would miss from Cleveland is the Cleveland Orchestra. Where else can you see the "best orchestra in the world" according to Time magazine in a fantastic concert hall such as Severance Hall. Is there a better way to spend a summer's evening than at a Cleveland Orchestra concert at Blossom Music Center on the lawn with a picnic and a bottle of wine? It is even better when there are fireworks following the concert. Is there any other major orchestra that gives a free concert on public square in front of 100,000 people?

Number 4 would be the fabulous recreational opportunities here year round. There are a lot of quality public golf courses here where you can play a round of golf for less than $20.00 (9 holes). I could play a different course each week throughout the season. Golf here is cheap compared to other places. Sailing on Lake Erie is the closest thing to sailing on the ocean. I know skippers that have sailed in the ocean and the Caribbean and they say Lake Erie is just like the ocean. The Lake Erie islands are terrific places to get away from it all in the summer. In winter, there are plenty of excellent places for cross country skiing when there is enough snow. Also where else could one go downhill skiing after work during the week without having to call in sick? Granted the local ski areas can't compare with Aspen or Vail, but for convenience they are tops. Also there are excellent ice skating venues all over the area so there is no excuse to be a couch potato in the winter.

Number 5 would be the cultural events here. I have seen many world class productions at Playhouse Square and I am still awed by the magnificence of the restored theatres there. The local community theatres also offer excellent productions throughout the year. The many museums in the area not only are educational, but a great place to spend a Sunday afternoon when the weather makes any outdoor activities difficult.

You could also cite the affordable housing costs in the Cleveland area as another thing I would miss. My daughter lives in Chicago and what she pays in rent there could buy a penthouse suite here. If you have ever tried to navigate Chicago traffic (or even Houston traffic), rush hour on the inner belt during a snow is nothing. Even Houston traffic on a clear Saturday is more congested than rush hour traffic on I-71 or I-90 here in a snow.

No place is perfect. San Diego has perfect year round weather and excellent recreational opportunities, but it costs an arm and a leg to live there. You can't touch a good house in a good neighbirhood for less than an million dollars. Asheville, NC has an excellent four season climate and beautiful scenery, but there is no night life there unless you like "Bill Stanley's barbeque and Bluegrass". Austin, Texas is booming, but you have to endure 100 degrees just about every day in July and August and if you think there is a lot of construction in Cleveland, you haven't seen anything like Austin.

Sure our weather is crappy about half the year, but there are far worse things than crappy weather. We can't do anything about the weather and other places are colder and snowier in winter while other places are much hotter and wetter in summer (try spending a summer in Florida) and we don't get hurricanes.

Cool Cleveland Commentary by Lee Kamps (:divend:)