Cleveland is a wonderful city, but its relative seclusion up on the North Coast means not everyone will know how to separate fact from fiction regarding people from the Forest City. With that in mind, here are nine things that you’re almost guaranteed to be asked when someone finds out you’re from Cleveland.
- What did Michigan ever do to you?
Flickr/Slippy Slappy The rivalry between Michigan and Ohio State is among the most intense in college sports. Whenever the two schools meet, you’re guaranteed a must-watch sports spectacle no matter who wins.
- Is Lake Erie a polluted mess?
Flickr/Erik Drost Lake Erie gets a bad rap nowadays for its polluted conditions in the 1970s, but the truth is that this Great Lake has come a long way toward bouncing back to its former glory. There’s no better coast to build a city on, as far as we’re concerned.
- Is it hard being a Browns fan?
Flickr/Erik Drost Sure, it’s been a rough several years for our boys in orange, but being a Browns fan is a testament to the enduring loyalty and devotion Clevelanders have for the home team, no matter what comes. No comment on Johnny Manziel, though.
- So what’s the deal with Lebron?
Flickr/Keith Allison King James’ messy public breakup with Cleveland in 2010 soured many in his hometown, but his return to the red and yellow in 2014 helped cement him as a Cleveland sports legend. The NBA Championship didn’t hurt either.
- Do you really eat that?
Flickr/stu_spivack While this question might be directed towards any number of unusual Cleveland delicacies, the Polish Boy probably gets the most weird looks. It might not be pretty, but you’d be hard-pressed to find a tastier sandwich than kielbasa, fries, and slaw smothered in tangy barbecue sauce.
- How close is Cleveland to Cincinnati or Columbus?
Flickr/GPS Someone unfamiliar with just how big Ohio is might lump its three biggest cities together, but the reality is that each city is separated by a good distance. Cleveland has an identity wholly separate from Cincy or Columbus, and vice-versa.
- What are tennis shoes?
Flickr/Jinx! The vocabulary of the Midwest, and northeast Ohio in particular, can be a little offputting to someone not used to our unique regional dictionary. (Tennis shoes are sneakers, by the way.)
- Are you Irish?
Flickr/Ctownrocks1 Clevelanders are known for taking St. Patrick’s Day a little more seriously than most other cities. The annual parade stretches for miles, and thousands of people flood the streets in a sea of green every year, so it’s no surprise that people would expect practically everyone in the city to have a little Irish in them.
- What’s so special about Cleveland?
Flickr/Phil Kalina Strangers to the Forest City might not get the unique magic of Cleveland. From the people to the businesses to the sports teams, there’s just so much to love about our city that it’s often hard to describe just how wonderful it is to someone who’s never experienced it all.
Have you been asked any of these questions? What are your go-to answers? Tell us below!
Flickr/Slippy Slappy
The rivalry between Michigan and Ohio State is among the most intense in college sports. Whenever the two schools meet, you’re guaranteed a must-watch sports spectacle no matter who wins.
Flickr/Erik Drost
Lake Erie gets a bad rap nowadays for its polluted conditions in the 1970s, but the truth is that this Great Lake has come a long way toward bouncing back to its former glory. There’s no better coast to build a city on, as far as we’re concerned.
Sure, it’s been a rough several years for our boys in orange, but being a Browns fan is a testament to the enduring loyalty and devotion Clevelanders have for the home team, no matter what comes. No comment on Johnny Manziel, though.
Flickr/Keith Allison
King James’ messy public breakup with Cleveland in 2010 soured many in his hometown, but his return to the red and yellow in 2014 helped cement him as a Cleveland sports legend. The NBA Championship didn’t hurt either.
Flickr/stu_spivack
While this question might be directed towards any number of unusual Cleveland delicacies, the Polish Boy probably gets the most weird looks. It might not be pretty, but you’d be hard-pressed to find a tastier sandwich than kielbasa, fries, and slaw smothered in tangy barbecue sauce.
Flickr/GPS
Someone unfamiliar with just how big Ohio is might lump its three biggest cities together, but the reality is that each city is separated by a good distance. Cleveland has an identity wholly separate from Cincy or Columbus, and vice-versa.
Flickr/Jinx!
The vocabulary of the Midwest, and northeast Ohio in particular, can be a little offputting to someone not used to our unique regional dictionary. (Tennis shoes are sneakers, by the way.)
Flickr/Ctownrocks1
Clevelanders are known for taking St. Patrick’s Day a little more seriously than most other cities. The annual parade stretches for miles, and thousands of people flood the streets in a sea of green every year, so it’s no surprise that people would expect practically everyone in the city to have a little Irish in them.
Flickr/Phil Kalina
Strangers to the Forest City might not get the unique magic of Cleveland. From the people to the businesses to the sports teams, there’s just so much to love about our city that it’s often hard to describe just how wonderful it is to someone who’s never experienced it all.
OnlyInYourState may earn compensation through affiliate links in this article.
