DEM 2016 Philadelphia

A demonstrator climbs a fence and is taken into custody by police near the AT&T Station, Monday, July 25, 2016, in Philadelphia, during the first day of the Democratic National Convention.

(John Minchillo, Associated Press)

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Here's something that no one ever expected to hear: media members and others who are in Philadelphia this week for the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia are longing for Cleveland.

DNC attendees who also spent time at the GOP convention in Cleveland last week have reported myriad issues in Philadelphia.

Among them:

The unwalkable distance from Wells Fargo Arena, the main convention venue, and Center City, Philadelphia's central business district where many hotels and convention-related events are taking place.

Long lines to get food and water, no small inconvenience given the high temperatures.

A lack of clarity -- including conflicting information -- on how to navigate the convention site.

The one-mile distance from the arena to the designated pickup spot for Uber drivers.

Traffic jams, some of which have been caused by protests, which have caused delays for people traveling between their hotels and the convention hall.

And so on.

Compare that to Cleveland, which drew rave reviews from media members and GOP delegates alike for its hospitality, compactness and smooth logistics. The city also lucked out with generally good weather, including no significant rain.

Cleveland Councilman Matt Zone is attending the Democratic convention, splitting time between Democratic functions and representing the National League of Cities, for which he serves in a leadership position.

He said Philadelphia has more protesters, fewer visible police and longer lines.

"I'm a Democrat. I'm a delegate for Hillary and I enjoy what's happening inside the arena, as we come together as a party," Zone said. "But I think in Cleveland we were a more welcoming and hospitable city to our attendees."

Galen Scheurlein, a Cleveland political consultant who attended both conventions, diplomatically commended organizers behind the Cleveland convention for ensuring the event was "organized and friendly."

"I have seen some challenges in navigating the Philadelphia convention, which makes me appreciate Cleveland that much more," said Scheurlein, who works for Roetzel and Andress, a Cleveland law firm.

Media members, never shy about making their displeasure known, have been particularly brutal in their assessment of the organization behind the DNC in Philadelphia. (Some of the same national outlets, ironically, had spent plenty of time in the months leading up to the GOP convention heavily scrutinizing Cleveland's preparedness to host the event. Readiness in Philadelphia, however, was not such a hot story.)

They have complained about the tent functioning as their convention media center -- compared to the recently-built Huntington Convention Center in Cleveland -- that began leaking Monday night as a storm rolled through.

They also have said the tent's air-conditioning has been fighting a losing battle with temperatures nearing 100 degrees.

Too soon to congratulate Cleveland for better planning, logistics? Really, there's water covering electrical equipmt INSIDE DNC media center — Kristin Roberts (@KLR_Editor) July 25, 2016

Media filing tent outside Wells Fargo Center starting to resemble big bouncy house as storm rolls through in Philly pic.twitter.com/hK6hu0XKOU — Bill Ruthhart (@BillRuthhart) July 25, 2016

We've been issued plastic bags in response to the rain. pic.twitter.com/TJVZ2rReO3 — Byron Tau (@ByronTau) July 25, 2016

I long for luxuries of Cleveland -- air conditioning, wifi, a functional workspace... #DNCinPHL — Megan Liberman (@meganliberman) July 25, 2016

Cleveland was a logistical dream. Philadelphia a logistical nightmare. Nobody knows anything about where one can go and when. — Rick Klein (@rickklein) July 24, 2016

New York Times op-ed columnist Andrew Rosenthal told a Philadelphia online news outlet the logistics in Philadelphia aren't just bad compared to Cleveland.

"This," Rosenthal told Billy Penn, "is the worst I've ever seen."

Zone, the Cleveland councilman, said arena vendors on the first night of the Democratic Convention were understocked and ran out of food. He said he waited for 30 minutes, before settling for an unsatisfying hot dog.

"They were so unprepared," Zone said. "I hope day two is better."

Cleveland.com has sought comment with spokespeople for the Democratic National Convention.

But convention spokesman Lee Whack told the New York Times: "We have welcomed nearly 50,000 people to Philadelphia for our Democratic National Convention and our first day was a success. Every convention of this magnitude has some logistical complexities. However, we are working and will continue working closely throughout the week with all our volunteers and our local and national partners to make adjustments so that transportation, traffic flow in the Wells Fargo Center and other issues are streamlined to improve the convention experience for all in attendance."

An earlier version of this article incorrectly referred to Philadelphia's central business district as Central City. It is actually called Center City.