Top Reasons Why Cleveland Is America's Most Talked About And Hottest State Today

By Xyla Joelle L. Fernandez

Nov 01, 2016 05:52 AM EDT

Cleveland, Ohio is shinning and is now the most talk and hottest state in America.

Cleveland has been reaping national accolades this year after the Republican National Convention and the success of Cavs.

Engineering urban resurrection has been attempted for decades with mixed results. Many mid-sized, Midwest cities have long gambled on professional sports to revitalize their historic cores and reinvigorate local pride.

Notwithstanding the possibility of the second largest city in Ohio winning two of America's four major professional sports title in five months, Cleveland's recent rebirth is far less linear and simplistic than the sports-only logic would suggest.

In an interview, David Gilbert-Director of Destination Cleveland and the Greater Cleveland Sports Commission said, "2016 has been a fairy dust year for Cleveland. The trifecta between winning the NBA Championship this spring, hosting the Republican National Convention in July, and having the World Series in town now has put the national spotlight on us all year long. But we were ready. The timing wouldn't have been right five years ago. When the microscope came on (this year) Cleveland was ready for prime time."

Sports dynasties and the superstars that fuel them are no different than manufacturing companies a century ago. Their dominance is fleeting. So every city, says Gilbert, should be careful who, and what, they bet on to sustain long-term urban revitalization.

He also said that the Cavs winning the championship this year meant more to any city than any championship ever.

John D. Rockefeller founded Standard Oil in Cleveland in 1870 cementing the city's early reputation as an American industrial powerhouse. By the early-mid 20th century, automotive and other heavy manufacturing industries made Cleveland America's fifth largest and one of its wealthiest cities.

By the 1960s, however, along with dozens of other Midwest and Southern cities, Cleveland had become a national symbol of urban flight, early-stage globalization, and racial unrest. Downtown Cleveland began hemorraging  residents and businesses shuttered. The Cuyahoga River running through downtown famously caught on fire in 1969.

The Cleveland Clinic is ranked the second best hospital in the country, he points out, and the Cleveland Museum of Art and The Cleveland Orchestra are two of the finest in America. Playhouse Square on the city's east side is the largest theater district in the U.S. outside of New York's Lincoln Center.

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