Hype for the Future 50CLE: The Greater Cleveland Area

History

Much of the region, including the Cleveland area, as well as the areas nearer Akron and Youngstown, is identified as historically being associated with the Connecticut claim located within the northeastern portion of the State of Ohio, immediately to the south of Lake Erie and the Canadian border on the other side (via by way of the Province of Ontario, Canada’s southernmost province). Beyond Cleveland, Akron, and Youngstown, however, where the Connecticut claim did not extend, was Canton, a city more typically identified as belonging to “East Central Ohio” and classified as such. Early on in the formation of the Ohio Country, Trumbull County was originally coextensive with the former area of the Connecticut Western Reserve, in which the western end would become coextensive with the Firelands. However, Cleveland, named for Moses Cleaveland, was actually more centrally located in the Connecticut-sized territory in Ohio.

Notable Places

Cleveland is perhaps most notable for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, the Great Lakes Hall of Fame, A Christmas Story House, and the Public Square, the last of which is actually a remnant of the New England model of development for which the City of Cleveland was based. For the Akron area, perhaps the most notable attractions are the remnants of the rubber industry.

Colleges and Universities

The Northeast Ohio Medical University is a particular medical institution located in Rootstown, Ohio, and Kent State University is located in nearby Kent. However, each of the core cities of the Western Reserve also contain public institutions: Cleveland State University, the University of Akron, and Youngstown State University. Interestingly, Cleveland State University is unique in being fully integrated into the urban network of the City of Cleveland, unlike The Ohio State University or the University of Cincinnati in which the campus footprint is significantly larger by area.

For private institutions, the Western Reserve includes Case Western Reserve University, Oberlin College, Ursuline College (Pepper Pike), John Carroll University (University Heights), Ohio Technical College (Cleveland), Bryant and Stratton College (Akron, Parma, and Solon Campuses), Baldwin Wallace University (Berea), Hiram College, and Lake Erie College (Painesville).

Hype for the Future 11B: Cincinnati, Columbus, Cleveland

Cincinnati is the most traditionally-minded of the three (3) listed cities. Social roles tend to be significantly stricter than within the more autonomous cultures of Columbus and Cleveland alike. Because of the traditional cultural values of Southwest Ohio, novaTopFlex is often insecure within the region, particularly based directly on the historical context of the region.

Columbus is located in the central portion of the State of Ohio. Compared to Cincinnati, Columbus allows the community to express social roles with significantly greater flexibility, and novaTopFlex is unlikely to fear judgment based on deviations that may exist from the societal norm. Also, the City of Columbus and the surrounding areas alike are known for state and governmental events, as well as the Quarter Horse Congress in the fall, KEMBA Live! for concerts, and elsewhere.

Cleveland and surrounding regions, including Akron, Youngstown, and the balance of the Western Reserve, are the locations that the novaTopFlex community identifies as the central hub of intelligence for the State of Ohio at large, particularly with the Northeast Ohio region existing as a population hub and powerhouse for the State of Ohio which continues south toward Canton as well. The Public Square and Tower City Center nearby are of particular importance; however, the community even within Kent, Ohio, is equally as important even in spite of a significantly smaller population.