You’ve likely heard someone say something along the lines of, “I’m from Chicago, so I know good pizza.” Cleveland has a culture that’s truly its own. The United States is said to be a melting pot, but our city has perfectly blended a number of cultures. This is not only reflected in the stunning Cleveland Cultural Gardens, but also in the unique variety of dishes, architectural features, and attractions with which locals are familiar. In fact, we’ve grown to be stubborn about a few things! See how many of these items you can agree with:

  1. The higher the corned beef sandwich, the better.

management/TripAdvisor Corned beef is a popular dish in The Land, particularly at traditional Irish pubs like Flannery’s Pub. This salt-cured beef dish is amazingly easy to make, yet many Americans are still perfecting their recipe. Clevelanders, of course, have had it perfected for decades, and there are many restaurants in the area that offer delicious corned beef dishes.

  1. We like our adventures to stay low-cost.

Tim Evanson/Flickr With so many incredible and free museums around Cleveland, it’s easy to embrace adventure without breaking the bank. In fact, many of us prefer a free trip around town over an expensive date night any day.

  1. Sports. Period.

Erik Drost/Flickr Clevelanders are stubborn about sports, through and through. Our team may not always win, but we know they’re the best, and we’ll root for them no matter where we’re at. We’ve also shown our love for our local teams in some hilarious ways, including getting tattoos to celebrate big wins before those wins even happen. And don’t even get us started on the controversy around our baseball team’s name… as with any issue, some vehemently detest it, while others formerly embraced it before the team decided to retire the Cleveland Indians brand.

  1. We prefer our pierogies homemade.

Pierogies of Cleveland/Facebook No box store-bought pierogies for us! Like many Clevelanders, this author grew up making pierogies with an old family recipe at home. We’d make them at Easter and Christmas in particular, and many of my friends mimicked such tradition in their own homes. You can imagine this Clevelanders’ surprise when several West Coast natives confirmed that they’d never tried a pierogi until living in Cleveland. This traditional Central and Eastern European dumpling is truly to die for, and places like Pierogies of Cleveland have created a multitude of flavors that add a twist to this traditional dish.

  1. When it comes to hiking trails, a dinky paved path just won’t do.

Erik Drost/Flickr With the Cleveland Metroparks in our own backyard, Clevelanders have been spoiled with easy access to thousands of acres of hiking opportunities. Plus, our parks are overflowing with magnificent features like Squire’s Castle (pictured) and waterfalls.

  1. And we have some… strong opinions… about snow days that we can’t help but share.

Erik Drost/Flickr We’ve all heard an elder’s dramatized story of hiking uphill both ways through wind and snow to get to school. Sure, we roll our eyes, but we Clevelanders have a similar tendency when it comes to talking about winter with out-of-towners. As we’re used to lake effect snow, we can’t help but recall the winters of yesteryear in conversation. I mean, who could honestly forget the Blizzard of ‘78?!

  1. You may celebrate Mardi Gras, but our Fat Tuesday isn’t complete without a pączki!

Becker’s Donuts Bakery & Cakes/Facebook Pączki are delicious Polish donuts that are a coveted tradition in Cleveland. Each Fat Tuesday, dozens of local bakeries dish out these bad boys to hungry patrons… some of whom stand in crazy long lines just to get them. There is such a local buzz around these doughy, sugary treats that you’re just as likely to hear about Pączki Day in Cleveland as you are likely to hear about Mardi Gras. (Check out that link for some awesome local sweet shops, including Becker’s Donuts Bakery & Cakes, whose confections are pictured above!)

  1. We don’t love it when you call us the Mistake On The Lake.

Erik Drost/Flickr If you’ve never visited, Cleveland is actually a cool city. There’s a lot of culture here, and the food ain’t too bad, either. Believe it or not, we do have a great sense of humor… and, at least we’re not Detroit. (If you understood that reference, you might want to check out the updated Cleveland tourism video! It reminds us that it could be worse… you could be in Detroit.)

  1. And we also don’t love out-of-towners implying that Cleveland isn’t classy.

Michael (Miche) Spring/Flickr Sure, Ted Mosby and his friends make Cleveland look quirky when they attend a Browns-themed wedding, but… believe it or not, we Clevelanders can be classy, and we actually have quite a bit of class. In fact, our glitz and glam theater district is the largest in the nation outside of Broadway. This area is so darn classy that we jazzed it up with 4,200 glimmering crystals draped over a 20-foot-high outdoor chandelier.

  1. We appreciate and celebrate public transportation.

Wesley Garlock/Flickr Have you ever seen those movies where someone has to take a bus or subway in a crazy big downtown area, and they get lost? That sort of thing probably wouldn’t happen in Greater Cleveland, as the Rapid Transit Authority is well thought out and easy to navigate. There’s nothing like taking the Rapid to Tower City to catch a baseball game, especially if we win! Nothing compares to the energy of fans on the RTA following a big win for our favorite team.

  1. It’s pop. Not soda.

Mike Mozart/Flickr Ah, the age-old debate. While the word for the fizzy, sugary-sweet beverage may vary across the U.S., we refer to it as pop here in Cleveland.

  1. We believe food is best enjoyed with friends.

Erik Drost/Flickr Each year, Little Italy fills to the brim with people as they strive to celebrate the Feast of the Assumption. This annual celebration is primarily celebrated in the Catholic and Orthodox churches, but here in Cleveland, it’s a huge feast where you enjoy great food and oodles of music with some old friends while you make some new ones.

  1. And any movie that was filmed (at least in part) in Cleveland is undoubtedly superior to 99.9% of other movies.

Erik Drost/Flickr We love pointing out familiar scenery in movies. Oh, you want to watch A Christmas Story? Sure, but don’t mind me pointing out Higbee’s and that iconic Tremont house that Ralphie plays in front of. Spider-Man 3? Well, you know that’s not actually New York City in those crazy action scenes, right?!

  1. Most importantly, Cleveland will always be home. No matter where we go.

Erik Drost/Flickr There’s something about this magnificent city that just captures the heart, even if you move miles away. Cleveland is incredible… and don’t you dare try to convince a Clevelander otherwise.

Culture in Cleveland is deeply ingrained in the people born here, and we wouldn’t have it any other way. Clevelanders are a special breed, and we truly never lose the stubbornness we earn by living here. How many of these do you relate to? Tell us in the comments!

management/TripAdvisor

Corned beef is a popular dish in The Land, particularly at traditional Irish pubs like Flannery’s Pub. This salt-cured beef dish is amazingly easy to make, yet many Americans are still perfecting their recipe. Clevelanders, of course, have had it perfected for decades, and there are many restaurants in the area that offer delicious corned beef dishes.

Tim Evanson/Flickr

With so many incredible and free museums around Cleveland, it’s easy to embrace adventure without breaking the bank. In fact, many of us prefer a free trip around town over an expensive date night any day.

Erik Drost/Flickr

Clevelanders are stubborn about sports, through and through. Our team may not always win, but we know they’re the best, and we’ll root for them no matter where we’re at. We’ve also shown our love for our local teams in some hilarious ways, including getting tattoos to celebrate big wins before those wins even happen. And don’t even get us started on the controversy around our baseball team’s name… as with any issue, some vehemently detest it, while others formerly embraced it before the team decided to retire the Cleveland Indians brand.

Pierogies of Cleveland/Facebook

No box store-bought pierogies for us! Like many Clevelanders, this author grew up making pierogies with an old family recipe at home. We’d make them at Easter and Christmas in particular, and many of my friends mimicked such tradition in their own homes. You can imagine this Clevelanders’ surprise when several West Coast natives confirmed that they’d never tried a pierogi until living in Cleveland. This traditional Central and Eastern European dumpling is truly to die for, and places like Pierogies of Cleveland have created a multitude of flavors that add a twist to this traditional dish.

With the Cleveland Metroparks in our own backyard, Clevelanders have been spoiled with easy access to thousands of acres of hiking opportunities. Plus, our parks are overflowing with magnificent features like Squire’s Castle (pictured) and waterfalls.

We’ve all heard an elder’s dramatized story of hiking uphill both ways through wind and snow to get to school. Sure, we roll our eyes, but we Clevelanders have a similar tendency when it comes to talking about winter with out-of-towners. As we’re used to lake effect snow, we can’t help but recall the winters of yesteryear in conversation. I mean, who could honestly forget the Blizzard of ‘78?!

Becker’s Donuts Bakery & Cakes/Facebook

Pączki are delicious Polish donuts that are a coveted tradition in Cleveland. Each Fat Tuesday, dozens of local bakeries dish out these bad boys to hungry patrons… some of whom stand in crazy long lines just to get them. There is such a local buzz around these doughy, sugary treats that you’re just as likely to hear about Pączki Day in Cleveland as you are likely to hear about Mardi Gras. (Check out that link for some awesome local sweet shops, including Becker’s Donuts Bakery & Cakes, whose confections are pictured above!)

If you’ve never visited, Cleveland is actually a cool city. There’s a lot of culture here, and the food ain’t too bad, either. Believe it or not, we do have a great sense of humor… and, at least we’re not Detroit. (If you understood that reference, you might want to check out the updated Cleveland tourism video! It reminds us that it could be worse… you could be in Detroit.)

Michael (Miche) Spring/Flickr

Sure, Ted Mosby and his friends make Cleveland look quirky when they attend a Browns-themed wedding, but… believe it or not, we Clevelanders can be classy, and we actually have quite a bit of class. In fact, our glitz and glam theater district is the largest in the nation outside of Broadway. This area is so darn classy that we jazzed it up with 4,200 glimmering crystals draped over a 20-foot-high outdoor chandelier.

Wesley Garlock/Flickr

Have you ever seen those movies where someone has to take a bus or subway in a crazy big downtown area, and they get lost? That sort of thing probably wouldn’t happen in Greater Cleveland, as the Rapid Transit Authority is well thought out and easy to navigate. There’s nothing like taking the Rapid to Tower City to catch a baseball game, especially if we win! Nothing compares to the energy of fans on the RTA following a big win for our favorite team.

Mike Mozart/Flickr

Ah, the age-old debate. While the word for the fizzy, sugary-sweet beverage may vary across the U.S., we refer to it as pop here in Cleveland.

Each year, Little Italy fills to the brim with people as they strive to celebrate the Feast of the Assumption. This annual celebration is primarily celebrated in the Catholic and Orthodox churches, but here in Cleveland, it’s a huge feast where you enjoy great food and oodles of music with some old friends while you make some new ones.

We love pointing out familiar scenery in movies. Oh, you want to watch A Christmas Story? Sure, but don’t mind me pointing out Higbee’s and that iconic Tremont house that Ralphie plays in front of. Spider-Man 3? Well, you know that’s not actually New York City in those crazy action scenes, right?!

There’s something about this magnificent city that just captures the heart, even if you move miles away. Cleveland is incredible… and don’t you dare try to convince a Clevelander otherwise.

Are you a through and through Clevelander? Check out our list of signs you grew up in Cleveland to see how “Cleveland to the core” you are!

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