An article in a recent Forbes magazine has declared Cleveland the Most Miserable city in the country.

Apparently, part of the criteria they used to determine this was economic, and it’s hard to argue with that. Cleveland’s been hit hard by the economic downturn. Jobs are few and far between, property values have dipped. So when it comes to financial factors, sure, we’re a little down in the dumps.

But whoever determined we’re miserable needs to take another look. There’s a lot about Cleveland that would surprise people who’ve never been here. Yeah, there’s the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and it’s a whole lot of fun, but there’s more to Cleveland than that.

We have a fabulous park system that rings the city and is known as the Emerald Necklace. We have a national park, too, and (lucky me!) it’s not far from where I live.

We have always had housing that was amazingly affordable, even before the industry took a nosedive. When I talk to my friends in places like DC and California, they’re amazed at what $200K can buy in Cleveland.

We have nice, safe neighborhoods (and bad ones, too, but what city doesn’t?), and truly world-class museums. We have an orchestra that’s been declared by those in the know to be the best in the world, and they play in a hall that is truly breathtaking.

We have a wonderful ethnic and cultural mix of people that’s reflected by all the names in the phonebook that are impossible to pronounce and all the great restaurants. In the mood for Thai? Polish? Italian? Middle Eastern? Any kind of food you want is here, and compared to most places, prices are reasonable.

We have professional sports teams that sometimes actually play like professionals.

Cleveland is a great place to raise children. It’s a place where you’ll meet sold, hard-working people who are proud of their heritage and the city where they live.

Miserable? Not hardly! We’re tough and determine and we’ll bounce back. We always do.

Take that, Forbes magazine!