To know how far Toledo's come, we've got to see where it's been: A renaissance years in the making

[@joecondron5793]

Okay. Almost 79 years old. Lived from one end to the other for the first 13 years of my life in Toledo. Lost count of how many places there I lived. Dorr & Heston, Broadway, City Park, Wallbridge Ave., Cherry St. Thing was! Never had to lock our doors. Course we had nothing to steal, but hope ya get the drift. Moved a quarter mile into Michigan when I was 13, still rode my bike back to my old “hoods” till I could drive….legally. DOWN TOWN?! Theaters, Restaurants, Businesses, so many people, things to do, things Ya shouldn’t do, but did anyway. Long story short. Left Toledo, military, married, 2 kids, 40 plus years in law enforcement. Came back late 2011. Looked around…. WHATJA DO TO MY TOWN?!!! Spent 3 years in and around Toledo. The old neighborhoods? Or what’s left of them, being referred to as, LITTLE DETROIT. Won’t go on. Wouldn’t do any good. Don’t have the time. Moved to Flordia. Somebody Wrecked at perfectly GREAT City in 50 years.

[@CommonsenseMK]

So much for that. Promedica! Blindly optimistic aren't we?

[@williamfinney6660]

I'm 50 years old and lived in Toledo all my life. Grew up in the North river area just a short walk from downtown. I've seen them pitch project after project for Toledo and nothing seems to stick because of corruption within this city's government.

[@bornpsychopath2996]

Crooked racist pigs

[@MrGPMcMahon]

They used to say that the only things that could change downtown Toledo would be an earthquake or a fire...

[@elizabethbowie9753]

Or a Tornado, like back in 1964!!!

[@Rich-xg2cg]

There’s always hope in this wonderful country ! 👍👍👍👍👍

[@DrLee65]

I'm so glad I left Toledo, moved South to Small-town U.S.A., and I love it, peaceful and quite 😊

[@johnritter5951]

Business people and developers always assume that people follow buildings...sort of like, if you build it, they will come. That theory, like the Hollwood jingle, are both from lala land. The opposite is true. The buildings and businesses that create jobs follow the people. But...they follow from the presence of quality people. As long as downtown Toledo is surrounded by neighborhoods full of criminals and gun-toting druggies, none of it will work. I grew up in Toledo during the 50s and 60s, during its hey-day. It was the change in the character of the people that brought Toledo down. Drugs spread rapidly throughout the schools in the late 60s and thereafter. Teachers who'd taught during the 50s through the 70s spoke of it being almost as if someone had thrown a switch, so rapidly did the nature of the students change. Kids who graduated from high school in '65 then went to college and returned four years later as teachers, said the change in students was shocking. Our culture no longer creates the kind of people, the kind of character, that is conducive to cities prospering. List them, LA, San Fran, Motown, Akron, Cleveland, Toledo...all disasters compared to what they once were. A city...a community...is its people, not its buildings. You don't need better buildings, you need better people. Learn the lesson and stop throwing your money away.

[@elizabethbowie9753]

Huge Amen!! I Totally agree.💗

[@genebrenner855]

We used to have trade barriers to keep our industrial base protected from low cost foreign competitors. We had the most to lose as GATT and later the WTO reduced tariffs to practically zero. That enabled our industrial base to move overseas and sell back to the US with no penalty. The founding fathers considered tariffs as essential for Americas prosperity. Our Presidents and politicians after WWII let us down. And you can't ignore "white flight" for the hollowing out of downtowns.

[@midwestmike613]

Agreed luckily covid screwed them when they were no longer able to buy virtually everything from China and elsewhere for large profits. The ports were backed up on the West coast so bad many items did not make their destinations in time because the entire transportation chain was backlogged. They are just now seeing the enormous problems they created having to depend on foreign adversaries for our most needed products like Microchips and pharmaceutical ingredients. Now only because they absolutely have to make many products right here in order for supply chains to flow properly are they investing in certain sectors and we will finally benefit from the debacle they created. But I'm certain they will screw it up again hopefully further down the road but they always do for simple greed all at the expense of the greater good of our nation.

[@sklay78]

I've been hearing "downtown revitalization" for my entire life, and no matter how many millions of dollars the city government blows through, it never, ever comes close to happening. This city is perpetually delusional about what it is and what it was. This city WAS a place that employed a ton of people in industry. That's what it was at it's peak when it was about half it's size. This city is now a place with very few good paying jobs and hardly any industrial jobs. What's worse, the city government treats business like it's some privilege to be inside Toledo. When are people going to wake up and stop trying to build a city for a population that doesn't exist anymore? Downtown is only entertaining if you're an alcoholic with a taste for over-rated, overpriced food. That's the ONLY thing downtown has to offer! Look at a map of the place. It's nothing but corporate headquarters, government buildings, and law offices with a bunch of over-rated bar scattered amongst them. There's literally nothing to do if you're not an alcoholic. Toledo should think real hard about trying to draw business back to the city instead of making itself the most expensive and least favorable place to do business in the entire region. Nobody willingly develops anything or establishes a business in Toledo without big tax breaks, and that says something. This city won't be anything, won't ever "recover", so long as the city government treats businesses and people like it's an exalted privilege to be in Toledo. It's not. It hasn't been for a very long time.

[@gunnlover]

That's why exactly why most of the Fortune 500 companies have left Toledo for the suburbs and are happy there.

[@ueau]

I live in Seattle now but my grandparents have a home in Toledo and i love that place! My Grandfathers family moved to Point Place around WW2 ... I often feel i go back in time when i was there. Some of my favorite childhood memories. Anderson's and COSi our favorite spots as kids ....

[@horseplop9]

Seattle is the most unflattering and friendly place ever. Good luck k

[@ueau]

@@horseplop9 friendly? I didnt know seattle was know for that... havent you heard of the 'seattle freeze'

[@YamYam419]

Me too 419/206

[@dbyers3897]

I'm considering taking a job in Toledo so this is what I was looking for: optimism, organization, & pride.

[@failure_4_sale]

Don’t do it… take it from someone who grew up in northwest Ohio and then moved away. The o ly thing toledo has going for it and will ever have going for it is three things, the Toledo zoo, consistently in the top ten in the country, the Toledo mud hens who haven’t really been super good for a few years and 5/3 is starting to show it’s age after almost 20 years and lastly, the Toledo walleye of ECHL, not that good either but they also play in venue that at this point, after only about 13-14 years is REALLY starting to show its age so… yeah, one added bonus not mentioned in the video or in these comments is how unbelievably bad the roads are there. Like people suing the city every year to get their car fix that got a snapped axle from falling into one of the many trenches that dot the northwest Ohio roadways.

[@failure_4_sale]

Oh, and before I forget, they do have good fishing on the maumee river and the lake. Put in bay island is cool but once the sun goes down, it he khaki shorts and “golf shirts” come out as it’s turned into one of the weekend party spots for a group from either BGSU or UT, every weekend, all summer and they’ll be sure to be SUPER OBNOXIOUS and in your face about it too… 25 years I lived there, best choice I ever made was to move away. First to the chicago area and now in the Raleigh, NC area, don’t miss it at all.

[@dbyers3897]

@@failure_4_sale Yes I noticed the numerous broken street surfaces & large potholes via Google Streetview. If a city can't keep up with basic services such as streets & other infrastructure, it speaks poorly for the future. The state legislature is often responsible in large part for dysfunctional municipalities since they allocate a large percentage of funds used for maintenance. Cities often have quite limited abilities to collect taxes especially when many residents & businesses have left. There's a significant street gang problem as well & the police dept seems unable to restrain the flagrant criminal activities.

[@robertschooner1812]

You can donate $12 million to the downtown library you can donate money to the Carnegie building on the east side of Toledo. Don't act like you don't have that money don't make me travel back up there! This Yankee Schooner will set that City straight. Toledo was founded in 1833. Toledo was the embodiment of the industrial revolution. Goods could not come in and out of the inland without the city of Toledo. You want to be quite Frank Toledo built America.

[@anthonysolis4163]

They really should renovate the MLK Bridge! It's a shame seeing a bridge named after a great man covered in chipped paint, dirty sidewalks, and overall unappealing to look at.

[@YankeesOutdoorAdventures]

How have the numbers of murders per year changed over history?

[@robertschooner1812]

Trying to buy the old East Toledo library! That was given to us by the carnegie's! It's part of their legacy let's hope nothing happens to that until I gained custody of it.

[@horseplop9]

East side is a Druggie Den Good luck

[@captainfalcon8615]

@@horseplop9 yup, sadly. Nothing but run down gas stations, drug dealers, cops, and children as young as two years old running around at midnight with no parents in sight, it's sickening

[@gunnlover]

The east side has been that way for decades. It's been forgotten about by the majority of Toledo and has not had any development in over 50 years until the Metro Park started building Glass City on the east side. It's basically an island onto itself compared to the rest of the city. The closest population center is Oregon which is driving down the property values and quality of life in Oregon because that's where all the eastsiders go now

[@jrsimeon02]

That's a positive perspective at the future growth of the city. Unfortunately, throwing money at a problem is like painting over rust - only looks good for a short time. Health and education doesn't make a better community, focusing on families do.

[@svendolufsen849]

Grew up in the suburbs of Toledo and will be making my way into the big city this year. Many friends tell me I'm putting my life at risk but I will face it head first. Much love for the city❤️

[@horseplop9]

It's not like dDetroit . But the Murder rate has doubled and the Media says not 1 word. Almost 80 Murders last year

[@moe3826]

Honestly be nice to people but not too nice you know just cordials enough for the city. Most people like knowing their neighbor to some degree and the city brings you closer to everything too. We’re about fifteen minutes at most from places :) good luck I hope it’s been well!

[@theyangview1898]

Well put, it’s still an ugly city in so many ways

[@elizabethbowie9753]

@@theyangview1898 Maybe to you, but it wasn't always that way.

[@CommonsenseMK]

The streets of Toledo are a reflection of the shape of the city. On the wrong path. Always under construction and full of potholes. "You could do better somewhere else".-Toledo

[@reggieg2303]

Downtown Toledo has been up and coming since I moved here 40 years ago… it still hasn’t arrived. Toledo is not Cleveland, Toledo is not Detroit. Toledo is a mid-sized midwestern city with an ugly and boring downtown. There’s little to no culture here, we don’t even have an art house cinema. There are some good restaurants and a few bowling alleys. Check out Grand Rapids MI for an example of a medium sized city with a vibrant downtown. Go for a weekend, I’m telling you, you’ll have fun.

[@bornpsychopath2996]

Dont be a hater ur whole life

[@mysticmuppet]

@@bornpsychopath2996 find better things to defend than toledo.

[@gunnlover]

Of all the cities in this region, Grand rapids would not be one that I would consider to be a great city.

[@kamrensmith9242]

@@gunnlover this man tweakin Grand Rapids run down af

[@TheHuff419]

That explains the Gentrification of my neighborhood, and project B.U.M.A.,( when "they" were speaking on neighborhood expansion in projects, and "IMPROVEMENTS"🤔🤔, as they relocate most of the inner city, out past Secor now ) attempting to move us out, and move "other" people in🤷🏿‍♂️🤷🏿‍♂️🤔🤔🤦🏿‍♂️😪😪 making it sweet for "others" at my expense.... I digress. Toledo... yeah ( in my solom, sarcastic voice )😪😪🤷🏿‍♂️🤷🏿‍♂️🤔🤔🤫🤫

[@Mom_sBasement]

You can smell Toledo from 50 miles away.

[@horseplop9]

It's bad. Really bad

[@rodneyvoshell9296]

Try Las Vegas

[@bornpsychopath2996]

Nice video make toledo great again

[@theyangview1898]

Ughhh….. I’m from Toledo Lived all over the world and Toledo just doesn’t have the climate or environment surrounding the city to attract young tech people. See Seattle, LA, SoCal, Southwest, et al

[@buk6708]

Exactly, I can work anywhere in America. People complain about NYC, but I get more $$$ and don’t have to work hard. Toledo is another forgotten entity. Atlanta? Huntsville? Orlando? NYC? Boston? Austin, LA, Seattle etc….. Toledo is a dump, the residents are basically cancer patients with a crouch sack. It’s extremely dirty and has absolutely no core economy. It’s a place for people to just “exist”.

[@macewindu9100]

no one can afford to live there.

[@sepp55774]

This didn't age well.