With NYC becoming more expensive all the time, artists are fleeing to places like Cleveland, Ohio–where you can buy a two-bedroom house for almost as much as a single pack of cigarettes costs here. And with everyone in Cleveland migrating elsewhere, that leaves lots of extra room for folks from W-Burg.
While moving to Ohio be a full-fledged trend yet, enough artists are doing it to inspire local-media trend pieces. “Artists are getting priced out and dispersed through (New York City’s) neighborhoods,” one NYC-to-Cleveland artist told Cleveland’s NBC affiliate. “You’re losing the sense of community and working together…Cleveland is a great place for art. There’s a lot of culture and diversity here. You still get the big city feel.” Nothing wrong with being the next Basquiat of Cuyahoga County, right?
If a critical mass of NYC artists move to Cleveland, that city might acquire official “sixth borough” status–placing it in an elite class that includes:
- Philadelphia
- Jersey City
- all of New Jersey
- Miami
- Yonkers
- “mass transit“
- Lehman Township, Pennsylvania
- San Juan, Puerto Rico
- Israel
- other locations
A-fore you jump in your jalopy and start heading for the Pennsylvania Turnpike, keep in mind that Cleveland might not be the perfect place for you. According to this list, the locals look “hagged out” and wear sweatpants. Pull-quote: “People have attitude problems, especially young single mothers who try to get jobs they aren’t qualified for but do it just to make money to support their unplanned children.” Coming from New York, you might have trouble adjusting to these attitude-problem people. And there are no dentists?
Forbes listed Cleveland as its “most miserable” city of 2010, which sounds not-so-good. But living in misery could improve your oeuvre. At least your rent will be low!
![Richard Prince Loves Boobs and Hates Instagram: Live! [NSFW]](http://content.animalnewyork.com/wp-content/uploads/prince_gram-300x168.jpg)
And they have Conni Convergence now, too!
Interesting articles and typical New York cutdowns from a typical New Yorker. I went to a small liberal arts college (yes in Ohio) but it was full of New Yorkers, Bostonians, and East Coasters – mind you most of the people who said they're from NYC or Boston were from the 'burbs and that doesn't count.
Anyway to correct your uninformed or actually misinformed information….Cleveland has alot to offer, great rent, great places to live, a thriving foodie scene (an iron chef & plenty of up&comers), COSE or "Council of Small Enterprises" which has an Artists organization that will help you start your business, get you health care, ect. …..yes HEALTH CARE for the many Dentists and Doctors we have here…does THE CLEVELAND CLINIC ring a bell???
Anywho, we would welcome New York artists and hope they come be apart of what's happening here…..we may not have the King, but neither do you….stop being such a typical New Yorker.
Big props to Cleveland Public Theatre for hostine the amazing Conni's Avant Garde Restaurant!! If you're in Cleveland, get your tickets now.
wow man this is the most typical article I have ever read. Congratulations on turning what could be an interesting piece about social change, agglomeration and gentrification, into something that epitomizes the archetype of ignorance. If Laurie Apple is this NYC-hip person she is projecting herself to be, you would think she would be more concerned with these issues, than making herself feel better about her own life choices by thrashing out against people or cities. Laurie is spreading the blame sideways (at other "artists") instead of looking up or down (politicians, etc). Laurie, have you ever been to Cleveland? Why do you feel its necessary to insult them, instead of exploring this issue further? Laurie, how could you typify your existence as a progressive urbanite, but then lash out on the internet with ignorant, borderline hateful posts?
This is a New York City blog. The post is supposed to be critical, 'typical', and funny. Relax people …
nice work Lauri, i don't think i've seen 15 comments on an animal piece before ..
As a Cleveland-to-New York transplant who deals daily with the typical arrogance New York City displays for anything outside of it, I feel that the content provided in this article has it's heart in the right place. Currently on the East Coast for school, I still call my home Cleveland; it's great that the indie artists of Williamsburg, Brooklyn and other NYC area artists have enough of an open mind to move to a different region of the country, allowing themselves to be explore and delve into a new art scene.
Cleveland does have a lot to offer- besides dentists and the award-winning Cleveland Clinic (our hospital has treated several royal families, Robin Williams, etc.), Cleveland has t's own distinct claim on the world of art (Severance Hall music, Playhouse Square theater, D.A. Levy's poetry). In fact, I've seen more indie hipster types in the Cleveland area than I have in Williamsburg (and I spend a lot of time mulling around Bedford Ave.). While the constant overkill of bright lights and screeching taxis provides an artist of NYC with an uncountable number of outlets for their work, Cleveland provides community and an art influenced by the solidarity of place; the artists of Cuyahoga County are Cleveland proud. As a city that has not yet acquired the supposed esteemed "sixth borough" title, Cleveland works off of what it has to offer; without all of the distraction and bling a big, big city gushes, Cleveland artists can concentrate solely on their work.
It's unfortunate that the facts of this article were tailored to a New Yorker's needs; while New York might read this and feel better about itself, the rest of the country doesn't see through the bias, and understands that New York is once again only using it's size to bully. Why should Cleveland want to be dubbed a sixth borough, therefore effectively stripping away Cleveland as a reference point within itself and aligning it with New York instead? Cleveland's got nothing to justify to New York City, has no need to measure itself against elsewhere; I'm proud of the artists who have seen this and moved to other regions, not just Cleveland, in order to experience something other than New York's hyped-up status.
I read a much better article on this topic in Crain’s Business-NY.
It’s the type of article written by someone who genuinely has a concern over how this issue may have a larger effect on the NY art community, going so far as to predict that a continuation of this trend could turn NYC into the “Disneyland of art” a place where it is displayed, but not created.
As I have recently moved back to Cleve from SoCal, I can tell you – Disneyland sucks.
I highly recommend reading the article in Crain’s business, as it offers a much less douchebaggy point of view, and it seems like the author of the article in Crain’s might have actually done some research.
http://www.crainsnewyork.com/article/20101114/FRE…
In the past couple of years I moved from New York to Cleveland. It was the worst mistake I've ever made.
That's not New York snobbery, that's the truth. If you want to be the only white person on public transit, if you want to eat in every good restaurant in the city within three months, if you want to look like the coolest person in the city every day even though you are dressed like a slob, if you want to be unable to walk anywhere because there are endless miles of desolate rubble in the "city," and if you want to root for the most racist caricature in baseball, by all means. Move there. But caveat emptor.
the fact that you think you "look like the coolest person in the city" means you dont belong in Cleveland in the first place. Its not that kind of town. To each his own.
You are someone who absolutely belongs in New York with that outlook. Just a question, How did you sit down in those restaurants with the broom handle in your rectum.
Cleveland and Clevelanders don't care about you or anyone else. That's why they are Clevelanders.
You are a moron and deserve a severe beating that I will gladly give you!
Cleveland IS a communal act of defiance against a nation's celebrity culture.
If you need to make yourselves feel better for trying to live here and failing, you’re lame. Do your thing….who gives a fuck what people say about where you chose to make home. It only demonstrates your insecurity.
I think we use the word ARTIST too loosely. Therefore, it is not a trend to markedly comment on.
“it’s” ≠ “its”
the irony in this is that the reason why nyc artists are moving to nyc, it's because the dull suburbanites of ohio and the rest of the midwest are moving in here and turning nyc into little midwest
another ignorant comment, so if I can't find a job I want in Ohio I can't come to NY that's just like an east coaster who can't get into the Ivy League so they go to Ohio Wesleyan, Kenyon, or Denison (all in Ohio)
Staten Island, the new sixth borough! Oh, wait, it's already the fifth…anyway, move to Staten Island, it's cheap, and the commute to Manhattan is a hell of a lot better than taking Amtrak from Cleveland to Penn Station!!
Lauri Apple, NYC hipster = LOL
That said, I’d consider moving to Cleveland just for the fucking Christmas Ale.
No mention of a beautiful lakefront, gorgeous horse country, diversity of population, history or sheer ease of getting around via a well designed highway system. I have lived in both Cleveland and NYC for extended lengths of time…NYC is of course NYC…but Cleveland ROCKS! Believe in the Cleve!
The "list" you referred to is why Ohio sucks, not Cleveland. Anyone from Ohio knows that "Ohio" and "Cleveland" are two different places.
I recently moved to New York after having lived in Cleveland for the past year, Columbus for 4 years before that, and Cleveland before that.
I'm of a firm belief that artists sort of have the power to invigorate a city. It's like that whole gentrification thing, you know? Definitely has its good and bad points, but in general, I think its positive. No, Cleveland does not have a lot going for it…but what it does have is POTENTIAL. The whole last year I lived in Cleveland, I kept thinking…they need to set up subsidized housing for artists in an area like Tremont…and per this article, it would probably be a good idea. Basically this is Cleveland's answer to everything that is currently going wrong. I hope they embrace it. Public officials in Cleveland have a tendency to screw things up (hence the current situation), but maybe this time they will see the light? Improving the public transportation (like so people would actually want to use it) would also be a bonus.
Come to Ohio Party this Saturday.
Cleveland is DEFINITELY worth a look. Believe. Have you seen the goofs walking Bedford Ave. these days acting all "New Yorky" ? Are you telling me this is "Cool?" 98% of them come from small towns and then act "Above" everyone once they get their studio "Apt" for $2100/month. Who's the sucker?!!
Cleveland ain't the best place around but it's so "Not Cool" that it's actually catching on. No other "Small" city gets more attention, good and bad. Places like Tremont (One of the best neighborhoods in the country – check it), Cleveland Hgts, Ohio City, Lakewood would surprise most people that HAVE NEVER EVEN BEEN THERE. True hipsters if you will. Not the ones that buy their sh!t at Urban Outfitters and Uniqlo. I love NY, lived there for almost 10 years, but when I go back to visit I can't help but think it's a bunch of posers these days. Admit it…times have changed. That's why places like Portland, Baltimore, Pittsburgh…even Omaha… have more authentic realness going for it than NYC. They're not concerned about having an ABC street as an address or finding out where Busy P is playing later. NYC rocks, don't get me wrong, but to dismiss cities like Cleveland w/o ever going there is messed up.
I like that about NYC. All those fakes & lames are great! I don't have to worry about getting robbed, jumped or fucked with. They get it all! And that's if it happens at all. NYC is so safe now! The only thing I worry about is stepping on dog shit.
Kid Cudi – where you at???
I have no problem with Cleveland having an honorary title bestowed by NYC. We do have an ever growing, thriving artist community, and not all in one location. I agree with the above statement that this article has the right heart, even with a few digs thrown in lol. We get on lists that say we are the most affordable, most miserable, best place to raise a family, etc. Those of us who live here barely pay attention to the lists anymore. Come visit, we'll show you a good time and no misery will be on the agenda.
"The mistake by the lake"
Good one Emile! You're clever.
Hard working, liberal,unpretentious, earthy and natural, artists who appreciate 19th century architecture and who choose to live in somewhat of a Victorian village have lived in the historic districts of St George and Stapleton heights of Staten Island for years. Republican dominated South Shore has always neglected the liberal North Shore, stunting its growth to become anything than whats it currently is. A multiethnic area closest to Manahattan, with cheap rent and where the conservatives DO Not wine and dine, only because its multi ethnic and not because its crime ridden. Its similar to Brooklyn, just smaller. The conservatives in South Brooklyn dont enjoy going to Park Slope, Williamsburgh, Prospect Heights for the same reasons. These very reasons are what make St George and Stapleton ripe and welcoming for more creative, entrapenuers with vision who can easily transform a neighborhood to be what they want it to be.
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