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Cleveland, Ohio

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   Cleveland, Ohio
   Skyline of Cleveland, Ohio

   Official flag of Cleveland, Ohio

                                   Official seal of Cleveland, Ohio
   Flag                            Seal
   Nickname: " The Forest City"
   Motto: Progress and Prosperity
   Location in Cuyahoga County, Ohio, USA
   Location in Cuyahoga County, Ohio, USA
   Coordinates: 41°28′56″N, 81°40′11″W
   Country United States
   State Ohio
   County Cuyahoga
   Founded 1796
   Incorporated 1836
   Mayor Frank G. Jackson ( D)
   Area
    - City 82.4 mi² / 213.4 km²
    - Land 77.6 mi² / 200.9 km²
    - Water 4.8 mi² / 12.5 km²
   Elevation 177 m
   Population
    - City (2000) 478,403
    - Density 2,380.9/km²
    - Metro 2,250,871
   Time zone EST ( UTC-5)
    - Summer ( DST) EDT ( UTC-4)
   Website: www.city.cleveland.oh.us

   Cleveland is the county seat of Cuyahoga County, the most populous
   county in the U.S. state of Ohio. The municipality is located in
   northeastern Ohio on the southern shore of Lake Erie, approximately
   60 miles (100 km) west of the Pennsylvania border. It was founded in
   1796 near the mouth of the Cuyahoga River, and became a manufacturing
   centre owing to its location at the head of numerous canals and
   railroad lines. With the decline of heavy manufacturing, Cleveland's
   businesses have diversified into the service economy, including the
   financial services, insurance, and healthcare sectors.

   As of the 2000 Census, the city proper had a total population of
   478,403, making it the 33rd largest city in the nation and the second
   largest city in Ohio. Recent estimates from the United States Census
   Bureau show it to currently be the 36th largest in the nation. It is
   the centre of Greater Cleveland, the largest metropolitan area in Ohio,
   which spans several counties and is defined in several different ways
   by the Census Bureau. The Cleveland- Elyria- Mentor Metropolitan
   Statistical Area has 2,250,871 people and is the 23rd largest in the
   country. Cleveland is also part of the larger Cleveland- Akron-Elyria
   Combined Statistical Area, which is the 14th largest in the country
   with a population of 2,945,831 according to the 2000 Census.

   City residents and tourists benefit from investments made by wealthy
   residents in the city's heyday, in arts and cultural institutions, and
   philanthropy also helped to establish a robust public library system in
   the city. More recent investments have provided the city with tourist
   attractions in the downtown area, such as Jacobs Field, the Rock and
   Roll Hall of Fame, and Playhouse Square Centre. In studies conducted by
   The Economist in 2005, Cleveland and Pittsburgh were ranked as the most
   livable cities in the United States, and the city was ranked as the
   best city for business meetings in the continental U.S. Nevertheless,
   the city faces continuing challenges, in particular from concentrated
   poverty in some neighborhoods and difficulties in the funding and
   delivering of high-quality public education.

   Residents of Cleveland are usually referred to as Clevelanders.
   Nicknames used for the city include The Forest City, Metropolis of the
   Western Reserve, The New American City, America's North Coast, Sixth
   City, and C-Town. Its 20 sister cities include Volgograd, Russia;
   Bratislava, Slovakia; Ljubljana, Slovenia; Miskolc, Hungary; Bangalore,
   India; Alexandria, Egypt; and most recently Fier, Albania.

History

   Cleveland obtained its name on July 22, 1796 when surveyors of the
   Connecticut Land Company laid out Connecticut's Western Reserve into
   townships and a capital city they named "Cleaveland" after their
   leader, General Moses Cleaveland. Cleaveland oversaw the plan for the
   modern downtown area, centering on the Public Square, before returning
   home, never again to visit Ohio. The first settler in Cleveland was
   Lorenzo Carter, who built a cabin on the banks of the Cuyahoga River.
   The Village of Cleaveland was incorporated on December 23, 1814. The
   spelling of the city's name was later changed to "Cleveland" when, in
   1831, an "a" was dropped so the name could fit a newspaper's masthead.
   Map of Cleveland in 1904.
   Enlarge
   Map of Cleveland in 1904.

   Though not initially apparent the location proved providential, despite
   being adjacent to swampy lowlands and experiencing harsh winters. The
   city began to grow rapidly after the completion of the Ohio and Erie
   Canal in 1832, turning the city into a key link between the Ohio River
   and the Great Lakes, connecting by water the Atlantic Ocean via the St.
   Lawrence Seaway to the Gulf of Mexico via the Mississippi River.
   Cleveland's growth continued even more once railroad links were later
   added. The rapid growth resulted in Cleveland's incorporation as a city
   in 1836.

   In 1837 the city, then located only on the eastern banks of the
   Cuyahoga River, nearly erupted into open warfare with neighboring Ohio
   City over a bridge connecting the two. Ohio City remained an
   independent municipality until it was annexed by Cleveland in 1854. As
   a halfway point for iron ore coming from Minnesota across the Great
   Lakes and for coal and other raw materials coming by rail from the
   south, the site flourished. Cleveland became one of the major
   manufacturing and population centers of the United States, and was home
   to numerous major steel firms. Standard Oil founder John D. Rockefeller
   made his fortune there, and by 1920, it was the fifth largest city in
   the country. The city was also one of the centers of the national
   progressive movement, headed locally by Mayor Tom L. Johnson. Many
   Clevelanders of this era are buried in the historic Lake View Cemetery,
   along with James A. Garfield, the 20th U.S. President.
   Aerial view of downtown Cleveland in December 1937. The Cuyahoga River
   winds through the Flats.
   Enlarge
   Aerial view of downtown Cleveland in December 1937. The Cuyahoga River
   winds through the Flats.

   In commemoration of the centennial of Cleveland's incorporation as a
   city, the Great Lakes Exposition debuted in June 1936 along the Lake
   Erie shore north of downtown. Conceived as a way to energize a city hit
   hard by the Great Depression, it drew 4 million visitors in its first
   season, and 7 million by the end of its second and final season in
   September 1937. The exposition was housed on grounds that are now used
   by the Great Lakes Science Centre, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and
   Burke Lakefront Airport, among others.

   Immediately after World War II, the city experienced a brief boom. In
   sports, the Indians won the 1948 World Series and the Browns dominated
   professional football in the 1950s. Businesses proclaimed that
   Cleveland was the "best location in the nation". The city's population
   reached its peak of 914,808, and in 1949 Cleveland was named an
   All-America City for the first time. By the 1960s, however, heavy
   industries began to slump and residents sought new housing in the
   suburbs, reflecting the national trends of white flight and urban
   sprawl. Like other major U.S. cities, Cleveland also began witnessing
   racial unrest, culminating in the Hough Riots on July 18– July 23, 1966
   and the Glenville Shootout on July 23– July 25, 1968. The city's nadir
   is often considered to be its default on its loans on December 15,
   1978, when under Mayor Dennis Kucinich it became the first major
   American city to enter default since the Great Depression. National
   media began referring to Cleveland as "the mistake by the lake" around
   this time in reference to the city's financial difficulties, a
   notorious 1969 fire on the Cuyahoga River (where industrial waste on
   the river's surface caught on fire) and its struggling professional
   sports teams. The city has worked to shed this nickname ever since,
   though in recent times the national media have been much kinder to the
   city, using it as an exemplar for public-private partnerships, downtown
   revitalization and urban renaissance.

   The metropolitan area began a recovery thereafter under Mayors George
   Voinovich and Michael R. White. Redevelopment within the city limits
   has been strongest in the downtown area near the Gateway
   complex—consisting of Jacobs Field and Quicken Loans Arena, and near
   North Coast Harbour—including the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Cleveland
   Browns Stadium, and the Great Lakes Science Centre. Although Cleveland
   was hailed by the media as the "Comeback City," many of the inner-city
   residential neighborhoods remain troubled, and the public school system
   continues to experience serious problems. Economic development,
   retention of young professionals, and capitalizing upon its waterfront
   are current municipal priorities.

Geography and climate

Geography

   Panorama of Public Square in 1912.
   Enlarge
   Panorama of Public Square in 1912.

   Cleveland is located at 41°28′56″N, 81°40′11″W^ GR1. According to the
   United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 82.4  mi²
   (213.5  km²). 77.6 mi² (201.0 km²) of it is land and 4.8 mi² (12.5 km²)
   of it is water. The total area is 5.87% water.

   The shore of Lake Erie is 569  feet (173  m) above sea level; however,
   the city lies on a series of irregular bluffs lying roughly parallel to
   the lake. In Cleveland these bluffs are cut principally by the Cuyahoga
   River, Big Creek, and Euclid Creek. The land rises quickly from the
   lakeshore. Public Square, less than a mile (2 km) inland, sits at an
   elevation of 650 feet (198 m), and Hopkins Airport, only five miles (8
   km) inland from the lake, is at an elevation of 770 feet (235 m).

   Cleveland shares borders with the following suburbs: Bratenahl, Brook
   Park, Brooklyn, Brooklyn Heights, Cleveland Heights, Cuyahoga Heights,
   East Cleveland, Euclid, Fairview Park, Garfield Heights, Lakewood,
   Linndale, Maple Heights, Newburgh Heights, Parma, Shaker Heights, South
   Euclid, and Warrensville Heights.

Cityscape

   Cleveland's downtown architecture is varied. Many of the city's
   government and civic buildings, including City Hall, the Cuyahoga
   County Courthouse, the Cleveland Public Library, and Public Auditorium
   are clustered around an open mall and share a common neoclassical
   architecture. Built in the early 20th century, they are the result of
   the 1903 Group Plan, and constitute one of the most complete examples
   of City Beautiful design in the United States. The Terminal Tower,
   dedicated in 1930, was the tallest building in the United States
   outside New York City until 1967 and the tallest in the city until
   1991. It is a prototypical Beaux-Arts skyscraper. The two newer
   skyscrapers on Public Square, Key Tower (currently the tallest building
   in Ohio) and the BP Building, combine elements of Art Deco architecture
   with postmodern designs. Another of Cleveland's architectural treasures
   is The Arcade (sometimes called the Old Arcade), a five-story arcade
   built in 1890 and renovated in 2001 as a Hyatt Regency Hotel.
   The Terminal Tower complex, with the Warehouse District, the Cuyahoga
   River, and Lake Erie in the background.
   Enlarge
   The Terminal Tower complex, with the Warehouse District, the Cuyahoga
   River, and Lake Erie in the background.

   Running east from Public Square through University Circle is Euclid
   Avenue, which at one time rivaled New York's Fifth Avenue for prestige
   and elegance. Known as "Millionaire's Row", Euclid Avenue was
   world-renowned as the home of such internationally-known names as
   Rockefeller, Hanna, and Hay.

   The countywide Cleveland Metroparks system, often referred to as the
   "Emerald Necklace", includes four parks in Cleveland. In the Big Creek
   valley sits the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo, which contains the largest
   collection of primates of any zoo in the United States. The other three
   parks are Brookside Park and parts of the Rocky River and Washington
   Reservations. Apart from the Metroparks is Cleveland Lakefront State
   Park, which provides public access to Lake Erie. Among its six parks
   are Edgewater Park, located between the Shoreway and Lake Erie just
   west of downtown, and Euclid Beach Park and Gordon Park on the east
   side. The City of Cleveland's Rockefeller Park, with its many Cultural
   Gardens honoring the city's ethnic groups, follows Doan Brook across
   the city's east side.

Neighborhoods

   Downtown Cleveland includes mixed-use neighborhoods such as the Flats
   and the Warehouse District, which are occupied by industrial and office
   buildings, and also by restaurants and bars. The number of downtown
   housing units in the form of condominiums, lofts, and apartments has
   increased over the past ten years.
   The west bank of the Flats and the Cuyahoga River in downtown
   Cleveland.
   Enlarge
   The west bank of the Flats and the Cuyahoga River in downtown
   Cleveland.

   Cleveland residents often define themselves in terms of whether they
   live on the east side or the west side of the Cuyahoga River. The east
   side comprises the following neighborhoods: Buckeye- Shaker Square,
   Central, Collinwood, Corlett, Euclid-Green, Fairfax, Forest Hills,
   Glenville, Payne/Goodrich-Kirtland Park, Hough, Kinsman, Lee
   Harvard/Seville-Miles, Mount Pleasant, Nottingham, St. Clair-Superior,
   Union-Miles Park, University Circle, Little Italy, and Woodland Hills.
   The west side of the city includes the following neighborhoods:
   Brooklyn Centre, Clark-Fulton, Detroit-Shoreway, Cudell, Edgewater,
   Ohio City, Old Brooklyn, Stockyards, West Boulevard, and the four
   neighborhoods colloquially known as West Park: Kamm's Corners,
   Jefferson, Puritas-Longmead, and Riverside. Three neighborhoods in the
   Cuyahoga Valley are sometimes referred to as the south side: Industrial
   Valley/Duck Island, Slavic Village (North and South Broadway), and
   Tremont.

   Several inner-city neighborhoods have begun to gentrify in recent
   years. Areas on both the west side (Ohio City, Tremont,
   Detroit-Shoreway, and Edgewater) and the east side (Hough, Fairfax, and
   Little Italy) have been successful in attracting increasing numbers of
   creative class members, which in turn is spurring new residential
   development. Furthermore, a live-work zoning overlay for the city's
   near east side has facilitated the transformation of old industrial
   buildings into loft spaces for artists.

Climate

   The Lake Erie shoreline is very close to due east-west from the mouth
   of the Cuyahoga west to Sandusky, but at the mouth of the Cuyahoga it
   turns sharply northeast. This feature is the principal contributor to
   the lake effect snow that is a mainstay of Cleveland (especially east
   side) weather from mid-November until the surface of Lake Erie freezes,
   usually in late January or early February. The lake effect causes
   snowfall totals to range greatly across the city; while Hopkins Airport
   has only reached 100 inches (254 cm) of snowfall in a given season
   three times since 1968, seasonal totals approaching or exceeding
   100 inches are not uncommon in an area known as the " Snow Belt",
   extending from the east side of Cleveland proper through the eastern
   suburbs and up the Lake Erie shore as far as Buffalo.

   The all-time record high in Cleveland of 104 ° F (40 ° C) was
   established on June 25, 1988, and the all-time record low of −20 °F
   (−29 °C) was set on January 19, 1994. On average, July is the warmest
   month with a mean temperature of 71.9 °F (22.2 °C), and January, with a
   mean temperature of 25.7 °F (−3.5 °C), is the coldest. Normal yearly
   precipitation based on the 30-year average from 1971 to 2000 is 38.7
   inches (930  mm).

Demographics

                                                    Historical populations
                                                                    Census
                                                      year Population Rank
     __________________________________________________________________

                                                                  1820 606
                                                                1830 1,075
                                                             1840 6,071 67
                                                            1850 17,034 41
                                                            1860 43,417 21
                                                            1870 92,829 15
                                                           1880 160,146 11
                                                           1890 261,353 10
                                                            1900 381,768 7
                                                            1910 560,663 9
                                                            1920 796,841 5
                                                            1930 900,429 6
                                                            1940 878,336 6
                                                            1950 914,808 7
                                                            1960 876,050 8
                                                           1970 750,903 10
                                                           1980 573,822 18
                                                           1990 505,616 23
                                                           2000 478,403 33

   As of the 2000 Census^ GR2 , there were 478,403 people, 190,638
   households, and 111,904 families residing in the city. The population
   density was 2,380.9/km² (6,166.5/mi²). There were 215,856 housing units
   at an average density of 1,074.3/km² (2,782.4/mi²). The racial makeup
   of the city was 50.99% Black or African American, 41.49% White, 1.35%
   Asian, 0.30% Native American, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 3.59% from other
   races, and 2.24% from two or more races. 7.26% of the population was
   Hispanic or Latino of any race. Ethnic groups include German (9.2%),
   Irish (8.2%), Polish (4.8%), Italian (4.6%), and English (2.8%). There
   are also substantial communities of Hungarians, Greeks, Arabs,
   Ukrainians, Romanians, Czechs, Slovaks, Lithuanians, Croats, Serbs,
   Slovenians, Montenegrins, and Albanians.
   Built as the Second Church of Christ Scientists, this building on
   Cleveland's East Side now serves a primarily African American
   congregation. Cleveland's diverse cultural populations have left their
   mark on the city through architecture, especially with many of the
   older church structures which have new life serving succesor
   congregations.
   Enlarge
   Built as the Second Church of Christ Scientists, this building on
   Cleveland's East Side now serves a primarily African American
   congregation. Cleveland's diverse cultural populations have left their
   mark on the city through architecture, especially with many of the
   older church structures which have new life serving succesor
   congregations.

   There were 190,638 households out of which 29.9% have children under
   the age of 18 living with them, 28.5% were married couples living
   together, 24.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and
   41.3% were nonfamilies. 35.2% of all households were made up of
   individuals and 11.1% had someone living alone who is 65 years of age
   or older. The average household size was 2.44 and the average family
   size was 3.19. The population was spread out with 28.5% under the age
   of 18, 9.5% from 18 to 24, 30.4% from 25 to 44, 19.0% from 45 to 64,
   and 12.5% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33
   years. For every 100 females there were 90.0 males. For every 100
   females age 18 and over, there were 85.2 males.

   The median income for a household in the city was $25,928, and the
   median income for a family was $30,286. Males had a median income of
   $30,610 versus $24,214 for females. The per capita income for the city
   was $14,291. 26.3% of the population and 22.9% of families were below
   the poverty line. Out of the total population, 37.6% of those under the
   age of 18 and 16.8% of those 65 and older were living below the poverty
   line.

   Cleveland was hit hard in the 1960s and early 1970s by white flight and
   suburbanization, further exacerbated by the busing-based desegregation
   of Cleveland schools required by the United States Supreme Court.
   Although busing ended in the 1990s, Cleveland continued to slide into
   poverty, reaching a nadir in 2004 when it was named the poorest major
   city in the United States. Cleveland was again rated the poorest major
   city in the U.S. in 2006, with a poverty rate of 32.4%

Government and politics

   Cleveland's position as a centre of manufacturing established it as a
   hotbed of union activity early in its history. This contributed to a
   political progressivism that has influenced Cleveland politics to the
   present. While other parts of Ohio, particularly Cincinnati and the
   southern portion of the state, have historically supported the
   Republican Party, Cleveland commonly breeds the strongest support in
   the state for the Democrats; Cleveland's two representatives in the
   House of Representatives are Democrats: Dennis Kucinich and Stephanie
   Tubbs Jones. During the 2004 Presidential election, although George W.
   Bush carried Ohio, John Kerry carried Cuyahoga County, which gave him
   the strongest support in the state.

   The city of Cleveland operates on the mayor-council (strong mayor) form
   of government. The mayor is the chief executive of the city, and the
   office is currently held by Frank G. Jackson. Previous mayors of
   Cleveland included progressive Democrat Tom L. Johnson, Republican
   Senator George V. Voinovich, two-time Democratic Ohio governor and
   senator Frank J. Lausche, and Carl B. Stokes, the first African
   American mayor of a major U.S. city.

Economy

   View of downtown Cleveland from the Superior Viaduct.
   Enlarge
   View of downtown Cleveland from the Superior Viaduct.

   Cleveland's location on the Cuyahoga River and Lake Erie proved
   providential in the growth of the city and its industry. Cleveland
   experienced explosive growth after the opening of the Ohio and Erie
   Canal, establishing the city as one of the manufacturing centers of
   America. Steel and many other manufactured goods were major industries.

   The city was hit hard by the fall of manufacturing, but the city has
   diversified its economy to include service-based industries. Cleveland
   is the corporate headquarters of many large companies such as National
   City Corporation, Eaton Corporation, Forest City Enterprises,
   Sherwin-Williams Company, and KeyCorp. NASA maintains a facility in
   Cleveland, the Glenn Research Centre. Jones Day, one of the largest law
   firms in the world, traces its origins to Cleveland, and its Cleveland
   office remains the firm's largest.

   Cleveland has also become a world leader in health care and health
   sciences. The world-famous Cleveland Clinic, the area's largest
   employer, is one of the highest-ranked hospitals in the United States
   as tabulated by U.S. News & World Report. Cleveland's healthcare
   industry also includes University Hospitals of Cleveland, a noted
   competitor of the Clinic's which is ranked #25 in cancer care, and
   MetroHealth medical centre.

   Cleveland is emerging as a leader in biotechnology and fuel cell
   research, led by Case Western Reserve University, the Cleveland Clinic,
   and University Hospitals of Cleveland. Cleveland is now one of the top
   areas in receiving seed money for biotech start-ups and research. Case
   Western Reserve, the Clinic, and University Hospitals have recently
   announced plans to build a large biotechnology research centre and
   incubator on the site of the former Mt. Sinai Medical Centre, creating
   a research campus to stimulate biotech startup companies that can be
   spun off from research conducted in the city.

   Additionally, city leaders stepped up efforts to cultivate a technology
   sector in its economy in the early 2000s. Former Mayor Jane L. Campbell
   appointed a "tech czar", whose job is to actively recruit tech
   companies to the downtown office market, offering connections to the
   high-speed fibre networks that run underneath downtown streets in
   several "high-tech offices" focused on the Euclid Avenue area.
   Cleveland State University hired a Technology Transfer Officer to work
   full time on cultivating technology transfers from CSU research to
   marketable ideas and companies in the Cleveland area, and recently
   announced the appointment of a Vice President for Economic Development
   that will be working to leverage the university's assets in expanding
   the city's economy. Case Western Reserve University is also involved in
   technology initiatives such as the OneCommunity project, a high-speed
   fibre optic network connecting all nonprofits in the area at high
   speeds, intended to breed collaboration among the area's major research
   centers and produce jobs for the city and region. OneCommunity's work
   attracted the attention of Intel and in mid-2005, Cleveland was named
   an Intel "Worldwide Digital Community" with Corpus Christi, Texas,
   Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and Taipei, Taiwan. This distinction will
   eventually bring to the region around $12 million for use in marketing
   and expanding regional technology partnerships, creating a city-wide
   WiFi network, and developing a tech economy. In addition to this Intel
   initiative, in January 2006 a New York-based think tank, the
   Intelligent Community Forum, selected Cleveland as one of its seven
   finalists for the "Intelligent Community of the Year" award, the only
   city in the United States that was chosen. The group announced that the
   city was nominated due to the OneCleveland network and its potential
   broadband applications. OneCommunity is working with Cisco Systems to
   deploy a cutting edge wireless network that could eventually blanket
   the entire city with wireless access to the OneCommunity Network. Cisco
   is using the network to test various new technologies in wireless
   "mesh" networking. OneCommunity and Cisco officially launched the first
   phase of this network in September 2006, blanketing several square
   miles of University Circle with wireless connectivity. Additionally,
   Cisco Systems acquired the former Aironet Wireless Networks, which was
   based in the Greater Cleveland area, to form the basis of its wireless
   networking product lineup, and maintains a facility in the region.

Education

   Adelbert Hall on the campus of Case Western Reserve University.
   Enlarge
   Adelbert Hall on the campus of Case Western Reserve University.

   Cleveland is home to a number of colleges and universities. Most
   prominent among these is Case Western Reserve University, a
   world-renowned research and teaching institution located in University
   Circle. Case is a private university, the top rated university in Ohio
   and #37 in the nation as rated by U.S. News & World Report, and is the
   home of several top-ranked graduate programs. University Circle is also
   home to the Cleveland Institute of Art, the Cleveland Institute of
   Music, and the Ohio College of Podiatric Medicine. Cleveland State
   University, based in downtown Cleveland, is the city's public four-year
   university. In addition to CSU, downtown hosts the metropolitan campus
   of Cuyahoga Community College, the county's two-year higher education
   institution, as well as Myers University, a private four-year school
   that focuses on business education.

   The Cleveland Municipal School District is the only district in Ohio
   that is under direct control of the mayor, who appoints a school board.
   It is the largest K-12 district in the state, with 127 schools and
   around 69,500 students enrolled for the 2005-2006 academic year. In the
   last decade there has been a growth in charter schools in the city,
   with varying degrees of success, and with nearly constant controversy.

Culture

   The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on the shores of Lake Erie.
   Enlarge
   The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on the shores of Lake Erie.

   Five miles (8 km) east of downtown Cleveland is University Circle, a
   500-acre (2 km²) concentration of cultural, educational, and medical
   institutions, including Case Western Reserve University, Severance
   Hall, University Hospitals, and the Cleveland Museum of Art. Cleveland
   is also home to the I. M. Pei-designed Rock and Roll Hall of Fame,
   located on the Lake Erie waterfront at North Coast Harbour downtown.
   Neighboring attractions include Cleveland Browns Stadium, the Great
   Lakes Science Centre, the Steamship Mather Museum, and the USS Cod, a
   World War II submarine.

   Cleveland is home to Playhouse Square Centre, the second largest
   performing arts centre in the United States behind New York's Lincoln
   Centre. Playhouse Square includes the State, Palace, Allen, Hanna, and
   Ohio theaters within what is known as the Theatre District of Downtown
   Cleveland. Playhouse Square's resident performing arts companies
   include the Cleveland Opera, Ohio Ballet, and the Great Lakes Theatre
   Festival. The centre also hosts various Broadway musicals, special
   concerts, speaking engagements, and other events throughout the year.
   One Playhouse Square, now the headquarters for Cleveland's public
   broadcasters, was originally used as the broadcast studios of WJW
   Radio, where disc jockey Alan Freed purportedly first coined the term "
   rock and roll".

   Additionally, Cleveland is home to the Cleveland Orchestra, widely
   considered one of the finest orchestras in the world, and often
   referred to as the finest in the United States. It is one of the " Big
   Five" major orchestras in the United States. The Orchestra plays in
   Severance Hall during the winter and at Blossom Music Centre during the
   summer.
   The Free Stamp sculpture by Claes Oldenburg and Coosje van Bruggen in
   downtown's Willard Park.
   Enlarge
   The Free Stamp sculpture by Claes Oldenburg and Coosje van Bruggen in
   downtown's Willard Park.

   Cleveland is home to many festivals throughout the year. Cultural
   festivals such as the annual Feast of the Assumption in the Little
   Italy neighborhood, the Greek Orthodox Festival in the Tremont
   neighbourhood, and the Harvest Festival in the Slavic Village
   neighbourhood are popular events. Vendors at the West Side Market in
   Ohio City offer many different ethnic foods for sale. Cleveland hosts
   an annual parade on Saint Patrick's Day that brings thousands to the
   streets of downtown.

   In addition to the cultural festivals, Cleveland also hosts the CMJ
   Rock Hall Music Fest, which features national and local acts, including
   both established artists and up-and-coming acts. The city recently
   incorporated an annual art and technology festival, known as Ingenuity,
   which features a combination of art and technology in various
   installations and performances throughout lower Euclid Avenue. The
   Cleveland International Film Festival has been held annually since
   1977, and its 11-day run draws about 43,000 people. Cleveland also
   hosts an annual holiday display lighting and celebration, dubbed
   Winterfest, which is held downtown at the city's historic hub, Public
   Square.

   Cleveland also served as the location for several noteworthy movies,
   including The Fortune Cookie ( 1967) with Walter Matthau and Jack
   Lemmon, the Academy Award-winning The Deer Hunter ( 1978), and the
   holiday favorite A Christmas Story ( 1983). Scenes for the upcoming
   movie Spider-Man 3 were filmed in Cleveland in April 2006. Cleveland is
   the lifelong home of cartoonist Harvey Pekar and setting for most of
   his autobiographical comic books. Additionally, the city was also the
   setting for the popular sitcom, The Drew Carey Show which starred
   Cleveland-native Drew Carey.

   Cleveland is also the birthplace of the legendary comic book character
   Superman, created by Joe Shuster and Jerry Siegel, in 1932. Both
   attended Glenville High School, and their early collaborations resulted
   in the creation of "The Man of Steel".

Sports

   Jacobs Field, home of the Cleveland Indians, features the largest
   scoreboard in North America.
   Enlarge
   Jacobs Field, home of the Cleveland Indians, features the largest
   scoreboard in North America.

   Cleveland's professional sports teams include the Cleveland Indians (
   Major League Baseball), Cleveland Browns ( National Football League),
   and Cleveland Cavaliers ( National Basketball Association). Annual
   sporting events held in Cleveland include the Champ Car Grand Prix of
   Cleveland, the Cleveland Marathon, the Mid-American Conference college
   basketball tournament and the Ohio Classic college football game. The
   city hosted the Gravity Games, an extreme sports series, from 2002 to
   2004. Local sporting facilities include Jacobs Field, Cleveland Browns
   Stadium, Quicken Loans Arena, and the CSU Wolstein Centre. Cleveland
   will also host both the semifinals and finals of the 2007 NCAA Women's
   Division I Basketball Tournament.

   Cleveland has long been known as a "football town", and the Browns
   dominated the NFL from 1950 to 1955. The city's franchise is one of the
   most storied in football, though it last won an NFL championship in
   1964 and has never appeared in the Super Bowl. The Cleveland Indians
   last reached the World Series in 1995 and 1997, though they lost to the
   Atlanta Braves and Florida Marlins, respectively, and have not won the
   series since 1948. Between 1995 and 2001, Jacobs Field sold out for 455
   consecutive games, a Major League Baseball record. The Cleveland
   Cavaliers are experiencing a renaissance with Cleveland fans due to
   LeBron James, a native of nearby Akron and the number one overall draft
   pick of 2003. The city's recent lack of success in sports have earned
   it a reputation of being a cursed sports city, which ESPN validated by
   proclaiming Cleveland as its "most tortured sports city" in 2004.

   At the 2005 Major League Soccer All-Star Game in Columbus, MLS
   commissioner Don Garber announced that Cleveland was one of several top
   areas in contention for an expansion team in 2007. Cleveland fielded an
   NHL team, the Cleveland Barons, from 1976 to 1978, which was later
   merged into the Minnesota North Stars. The city remains without
   major-league hockey to the present, and the most recent incarnation of
   the Barons, the AHL affiliate of the San Jose Sharks, moved to
   Worcester, Massachusetts in 2006. The tradition of professional hockey
   in Cleveland stretching back to 1937 is slated to resume in 2007 when
   an AHL team purchased by Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert begins play.
   Cleveland was also home to the Cleveland Rockers, one of the original
   eight teams in the WNBA in 1997. However, in 2003, the team folded
   after owner Gordon Gund dropped the team from operation.

Transportation

   A collection of bridges crossing the Cuyahoga River in downtown
   Cleveland. The low-level bridges are drawbridges, while the high-level
   bridge in the background is fixed.
   Enlarge
   A collection of bridges crossing the Cuyahoga River in downtown
   Cleveland. The low-level bridges are drawbridges, while the high-level
   bridge in the background is fixed.

   The city is home to two airports. Cleveland Hopkins International
   Airport is the city's major facility and a large international airport
   that serves as one of three main hubs for Continental Airlines. It
   holds the distinction of having the first airport-to-downtown rapid
   transit connection, established in 1968. In 1930, the airport was the
   site of the first airfield lighting system and the first air traffic
   control tower. In addition to Hopkins, Cleveland is served by Burke
   Lakefront Airport, on the north shore of downtown between Lake Erie and
   the Shoreway. Burke is primarily a commuter and business airport,
   though a Cleveland-based charter company, Destination One, returned
   limited commercial air service to Burke in 2006.

   Amtrak, the national passenger rail system, provides service to
   Cleveland, via the Capitol Limited and Lake Shore Limited routes, which
   stop at Cleveland Lakefront Station. Cleveland has also been identified
   as a hub for the proposed Ohio Hub project, which would bring
   high-speed rail to Northeast Ohio.

   Cleveland currently has a bus and rail mass transit system operated by
   the Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority, also known as "RTA".
   The rail portion is officially called the RTA Rapid Transit, but is
   better known as The Rapid. It consists of two light rail lines, known
   as the Green and Blue Lines, and a heavy rail line, the Red Line. RTA
   is currently installing a bus rapid transit line, coined the "Silver
   Line", which will run along Euclid Avenue from downtown to University
   Circle.

   Three two-digit Interstate highways serve Cleveland directly.
   Interstate 71 begins just southwest of downtown and is the major route
   from downtown Cleveland to the airport. I-71 runs through the
   southwestern suburbs and eventually connects Cleveland with Columbus.
   Interstate 77 begins in downtown Cleveland and runs almost due south
   through the southern suburbs. I-77 sees the least traffic of the three
   interstates, although it does connect Cleveland to Akron. Interstate 90
   connects the two sides of Cleveland, and is the northern terminus for
   both I-71 and I-77. Running due east/west through the west side
   suburbs, I-90 turns northeast at the junction with I-71 and I-490, and
   is known as the Innerbelt through downtown. At the junction with the
   Shoreway, I-90 makes a 90-degree turn known in the area as Dead Man's
   Curve, then continues northeast, entering Lake County near the eastern
   split with Ohio 2. Cleveland is also served by two three-digit
   interstates, Interstate 480, which enters Cleveland briefly at a few
   points and Interstate 490, which connects I-77 with the junction of
   I-90 and I-71 just south of downtown.

   Two other limited-access highways serve Cleveland. The Cleveland
   Memorial Shoreway carries Ohio 2 along its length, and at varying
   points also carries US 6, US 20 and I-90. The Jennings Freeway ( Ohio
   176) connects I-71 just south of I-90 to I-480 near the suburbs of
   Parma and Brooklyn Heights. A third highway, the Berea Freeway ( Ohio
   237 in part), connects I-71 to the airport, and forms part of the
   boundary between Cleveland and Brook Park.

   Retrieved from " http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cleveland%2C_Ohio"
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