Not to be curt, but your situation is exactly why cable television came into existence. Yes, I get drop-outs sometimes and you can physically see the transmitters through the window above the set. Yes, in the days of NTSC I could pickup color programs off the antenna screws. All that's gone forever.
I'm currently planning a move out of town into a more rural area. While I will most certainly install some huge antenna to play with, I do not expect to reliably receive ATSC 30-50 miles out, and am prepared to subscribe to cable again if needed. I know you're in an apartment, so unfortunately your choices are to accept what OTA you can receive, keep cable or move back to Cleveland. Nothing short of a big rooftop job is going to pull in that CBS affiliate.
