Mary Beth DeVilbiss and her husband, Kurt Lunsford, moved to Cleveland from Madison, WI in 2015 for Kurt’s job as a Research Economist for the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland. Mary Beth was able to continue on with her job in Cleveland, as the Managing Editor of a peer reviewed medical journal Academic Medicine. Here is their transition story as shared by Mary Beth.
Neither of us had ever been to Cleveland before Kurt began considering the job at the Federal Reserve. We have a few friends who grew up in this area and live elsewhere now . . . all of them have such love for CLE; but to be honest, it was never high on our list of places to visit. We knew some of Cleveland’s history but didn’t have a clue about what it would be like today.
We have loved getting to know our new city! Everything in Cleveland feels so accessible – there’s world-class art, entertainment, culture and dining, and it’s all readily available. Our new neighborhood, Tremont, offers a fantastic mix of chef-driven restaurants, local bars, friendly neighbors and easy accessibility to every part of the city. It seems like every time we turn around, there’s another festival to wander through or some other way to celebrate the diversity of Cleveland. What felt like a great unknown when we first considered moving here has turned out to be a vibrant, welcoming, engaging new place to call home.
When we learned we had the opportunity to move to Cleveland, we had a very big decision to make in a very short amount of time. We had to weigh this opportunity against others that were in familiar cities closer to family. We needed to understand that Cleveland could feel like home for us, and Executive Arrangements was instrumental in showing us that it could! Our EA Guides gave us a personalized tour of the city that showed us how Cleveland could meet (and exceed) our expectations. EA put us in touch with peers who could share their own similar experiences and offer words of wisdom. And since we’ve moved, EA has made sure that we have plenty of opportunities to connect with other recent transplants and learn more and more about what Cleveland has to offer.
Our new favorite places in Cleveland include:
West Side Market – An obvious choice, but it really is that good! We love to walk across the Abbey Ave. bridge from Tremont on Saturdays (parking is to be avoided at all costs!), wander among the stalls and do some delicious impulse buying.
Tremont Tap House – A laid-back brew pub with great food and a huge selection of beer. Their patio is delightful on a nice day.
Momocho – Worth the inevitable wait! Bring friends so you can order a bunch of their innovative taquito offerings and sample a little bit of everything . . . including their excellent variety of margaritas!
Our two favorite outdoor spaces (both run by the Cleveland Metroparks) are Edgewater Park and Rocky River Reservation. We bring our dog, who loves exploring the trails and running wild on the dog beach at Edgewater.
The Mutt Hutt – Speaking of our pup, the cage-free day care and boarding experience at Tremont’s the Mutt Hutt has been great. Birdie comes home blissfully exhausted after playing all day, and the staff could not be friendlier or more capable.
In today’s competitive marketplace, Executive Arrangements can help your company stand out by presenting Cleveland or Akron/Canton as THE place to live, no matter what your interests or background. EA can help you attract and retain the best possible talent. To learn more, call us at 216.231.9311.
