Brewed Fresh Daily

Cleveland recently received the staggering news that it was the poorest major city in America, a place where 31 percent of its people lived in poverty and median household income was last among cities. As Clevelanders were still reeling from this news, the Cleveland Plain Dealer posed some intriguing questions aimed at suburbanites: "Does poverty matter if you are not poor? Does urban poverty touch life in Bay Village, Hudson and Chardon? Does a sinking Cleveland drag down Northeast Ohio?" The answer: Yes, but in ways that are difficult to describe. Some interviewed by the newspaper thought that Cleveland's image problems would rub off on the suburbs, making it harder for them to attract highly educated people and companies from outside the state. Others said social problems, like teen pregnancy and failing schools, would seep outward. "When a hub like Cleveland begins to decline, the problems don't stop at the border," warned one expert. "They tend to have larger ripple effects." But the greatest effect may be on the self-image of the region. People in the suburbs derive much of their identity from the city and its institutions (cultural institutions, sports teams, entertainment districts, etc.), and when the city does poorly, it hurts their view of themselves. This was expressed by several people the newspaper interviewed at a swanky nightclub in Cleveland's hip warehouse district. Said one man, who lives in suburban Willowick, "People hear, 'You're from Chicago? Holy smokes, that's a cool town,' " he said. "I want them to say that about Cleveland." Said a teacher from Mayfield Heights, "When I go to another state, I don't say, 'I'm from Mayfield.' " She says she's from Cleveland. "This is my city," she added. "How can you not care, really?"