For decades, the Brecksville Nature Center has essentially been the “last one standing” of the Cleveland Metroparks' trifecta of original trailside museums, and in 2017, the center delivered programs to almost 30,000 people despite a limited, 1000-square-foot-space. Now, thanks to the recent addition of an auxiliary Trailside Program Center, the popular Nature Center can expand its presence and programming to serve more Clevelanders interested in the great outdoors.
 

Could Believeland become Blockland? A motivated group of movers and shakers is melding manifestation and action to make it so.

Step into Lakewood-based Play Grounds, and you’ll see all the trappings of a neighborhood coffee shop—tasty pastries, cozy sitting areas and tables, and whirring machines ready to whip up a hot cuppa Phoenix Coffee upon request. But explore a little further, and you’ll come across “The Fort,” a kid-friendly haven replete with play kitchen, dollhouse, train table, and plenty of other things to keep pint-sized sidekicks occupied for a while.

Forget Black Friday sales and Cyber Monday deals—for Pam Turos, Giving Tuesday is the most wonderful time of the year. As the founder of Good Cause Creative and WISH Cleveland, Turos is particularly attuned to the needs of local nonprofits, and now she’s helping put them in the spotlight with an innovative Giving Tuesday campaign. Thirty-six Cleveland-based nonprofits will equally split the proceeds from a citywide fundraising movement—and keep the spirit of Giving Tuesday close to home.

Lauren Calig was inspired when she attended the "Facing History Together" Common Ground conversation in June, geared at restoring trust and civility in public discourse. But it didn't stop there—Calig, Laurel School's director of multicultural curriculum, decided to institute a series of ongoing lunchtime Common Ground conversations for middle and upper school students at Laurel. 

Refresh Collective has long been hanging out at the intersection of cool, creativity, and community, but now it has an actual brick-and-mortar storefront to call all its own.

Perhaps fittingly, I was at the Cleveland.com offices yesterday morning when I learned that arts and culture reporter Nikki Delamotte’s life had tragically been cut short. Though she and I had only worked together for a short time, the news knocked the wind out of me—I had admired her writing long before meeting her personally, and my respect for her only grew during a short but satisfying collaboration working together to promote FreshWater’s recent On the Ground series.

With dozens of yoga studios throughout the Cleveland area, it's not hard to find your flow. Just ask Dawn Rivers of Daybreak Yoga, Melissa Klimo Major of Balance & Brews, and Anjua Maximo of GrooveRyde—all of whom own successful yoga businesses that are truly hitting their stride with new locations and ventures.

Right now, members of the Historical Society of Old Brooklyn are busily preparing for the organization’s annual “Potluck Show-n-Tell” event in November—when local history buffs will get the chance to show off their favorite collectibles from the neighborhood. (In the past, totems have ranged from depression glass to a Mabel Footes opera cape to a Dr. Otto’s business sign to turn-of-the-century pharmacy prescriptions.)

Fans of Ampersand—the popular Cleveland Flea stop for vintage furniture and home décor—will be thrilled to know that the brand has taken it to the next level with a brick-and-mortar presence and an all-new name. Enter Helm Collective, the new Ohio City-based shop where owner Nicola Wilhelm will be able to better showcase her vintage finds.

For many writers, the payoff comes when they see their work in print, performed onstage or screen. But at this Saturday’s inaugural Cleveland Drafts festival, works-in-progress will be the star of the show. Spearheaded by Brews + Prose, the daylong festival will feature 24 writers of all experience levels across the genres of fiction, poetry, nonfiction, and playwriting.

As Cleveland's largest neighborhood, Old Brooklyn has no shortage of compelling stories to be shared, and our storytelling event provided the perfect platform to do just that.

With ample greenspace, inviting residential streets, decent walkability, and an array of businesses, Old Brooklyn seems to check off many of the boxes for the modern urban family—even branding itself as “Cleveland’s accessible, family-friendly neighborhood.” But does it really live up to the hype?

Cities like Austin and San Francisco are typically top of mind when it comes to startup hubs, but thanks to the impact of programs like Venture for America, Cleveland may soon have an indelible spot on that list.

From 107 applicants to the lucky final seven, the second installment of Cleveland Chain Reaction has reached its exciting conclusion. This morning at Cleveland Metroparks Zoo, Fox 8’s Kenny Crumpton announced the seven winning businesses chosen to receive over $700,000 in investment (more than $200,000 over the initial commitment). The announcement also foreshadows the next wave of economic development in Old Brooklyn, this year’s Chain Reaction neighborhood.

Cleveland has long been considered a hotbed of healthcare innovation, but how healthy are its own communities at the neighborhood level? That’s the question that Old Brooklyn Community Development Corporation sought to answer by commissioning an ambitious Community Health Needs Assessment (CHNA) for the Old Brooklyn neighborhood.

Wide open spaces and peaceful time for connection and relaxation aren’t normally what one might associate with a busy children’s museum, but the new “Meadow” exhibit at the Children's Museum of Cleveland is designed to deliver exactly that. Scheduled to officially open next Monday, October 1, The Meadow caters to the infant and toddler crowd as the newest addition to the museum’s lineup of four existing exhibits.
 

Driving down Pearl Road from the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo to its intersection with State Road, it’s hard not to notice the eight whimsical carrot sculptures that dot the streetscape and ponder their significance. “There has been a lot of curiosity about it,” shares Vince Reddy of LAND studio, which helped bring the project to fruition. “People are always wondering, ‘Where did these things come from?’”