I currently live in Cleveland. It's alright, but the author is going to be in for quite a shock regarding >clean, vibrant downtown area, ... good transit (including lightrail), a diverse economy The city is extremely dirty and constantly has a very bad smell, and the RTA (public transit) is a disaster. The direct downtown area is essentially just a massive parking lot. The economy also consists entirely of the Clevel…
I disagree about RTA comment. I take the 55 almost everyday and it is super clean. The city used to be dirty, but has been rejuvenated from public square to the east bank. It's really bike friendly as far as transportation goes as well.
Regarding the cleanliness, (parts of) the flats and public square have gotten better but that's only two small areas and is the extent of the cleanup. I drive past the steel yard every day for my commute and you can not have your windows down or let any outside air in all along 77 because the smell is so disgusting.