AsiaTown/St. Clair Superior

Miracle on Sowinski Avenue: St. Casimir Church becomes the first local church to go green
One may not normally think of a 127-year-old church as a leader in green infrastructure practices, but St. Casimir Church—based in Cleveland's St. Clair-Superior neighborhood—has set an example as the first Cleveland Catholic Diocese church to begin installing a green infrastructure on its campus.
 
"Movers and Shakers" panel to be held at Goldhorn Brewery this Thursday, November 8
Networking, nosh, and great beer? Yes, please! Join FreshWater editor Jen Jones Donatelli, TJ Carrie of the Cleveland Browns, Vicki Kotris of CLE Cookie Dough Co., Tony Sias of Karamu House, Greg Carlin of Play: CLE, and Danielle Rini Uva of Agnes Studio for a "Movers & Shakers" panel at Goldhorn Brewery this Thursday, November 8.
Today is World Homeless Day. How can you help? The YWCA Greater Cleveland has a few ideas.
With today designated as World Homeless Day, the YWCA is turning its lens on Cleveland—where there are more than 22,000 people homeless annually, and about 4,000 people homeless each night (according to the Northeast Ohio Coalition for the Homeless).
All clear: Two Cleveland-based skin care lines every beauty buff should know
The skin care struggle can be real, but Clevelanders Bethany Hilt and Sandra Bontempo have channeled their frustrations into inspiration—tossing aside traditional regimens to create their own products. Hilt turned to the knowledge she learned from making homemade facial and body care products with her grandmother, while Bontempo looked to her beloved chickens for a solution to her son’s eczema. The result? Two thriving local companies.
Cleveland embraces its rich tapestry of immigrants, with a little help from Cuyahoga Arts & Culture
The Land has been a welcoming place for immigrants since the dawn of the 20th century—when Cleveland was the nation’s fifth most important immigrant gateway city. Over 100 years later, immigrants continue to be a vital part of Cleveland’s population. Their significant impact is felt not only in Cleveland’s economy and vibrancy, but also celebrated in the city’s cultural offerings.

Take a visual journey through the great work of five organizations highlighting Cleveland’s immigrants with grants from Cuyahoga Arts & Culture.
Step by 'step:' How PRE4CLE is helping local preschools ramp up kindergarten readiness
In 2016, Collinwood-based A Jubilee Academy carried a two-star Step Up to Quality rating—not high enough to be considered high-quality by the state. Two years later, A Jubilee Academy is the only five-star SUTQ center in the Collinwood area. Students participate in cooking classes, music education, and also study Mandarin twice a week. Children have individual cubbies instead of sharing them. Preschool enrollment has doubled, and a new classroom will open in the fall. So what made the difference? An intense 90-day Accelerated Quality Improvement Model (AQIM) program.
The Vibrant City Awards shines a light on Cleveland's neighborhood changemakers

Last Friday, approximately 600 city leaders and community development professionals gathered on the lakefront to celebrate the fourth annual Vibrant City Awards. Spearheaded by Cleveland Neighborhood Progress and sponsored by KeyBank, the annual awards ceremony recognizes the best in Cleveland’s neighborhood revitalization efforts. Find out who took home awards here.

Cleveland's coolest coworking spaces you haven't heard of yet
The coworking trend is nothing new in Cleveland, but since January, it's reached a fever pitch with no less than six new spots joining the scene. (That puts Cleveland on trend with the rest of the world—which has gone from 1,130 coworking spaces in 2011 to almost 14,000 in 2017.) From tech havens to women-only workspaces, Cleveland's newest crop offers something for everyone. Check out the Land's latest additions, all of which offer multi-tiered options for pricing and workspace.
PHOTOS: AsiaTown comes alive at the Cleveland Asian Festival
Festival season kicked off last weekend with a rousing "Konnichiwa!" Check out our photos of the best of the 2018 Cleveland Asian Festival.
New GBX Group HQs foreshadow what’s to come in the Superior Arts Improvement District
There is an undercurrent of pride running through the city’s historic garment district, led in part by GBX Group. In March, GBX moved its headquarters from the historic Edwin Hotel to the Daffy Dan's building at 2101 Superior Ave. The company has spent the past 18 months renovating the 1913-built five-story building, transforming it into a state-of-the-art headquarters—and now other projects are poised to follow suit.
That's so vintage: VNTG Home blows out its first birthday candles in a big way
Heavy rain didn't stop more than 1,400 Clevelanders from attending the "VNTG Modern" open house last weekend at a Gates Mills mansion. Revelers noshed on light bites from chef Zack Bruell, enjoyed live piano music, and sipped champagne while exploring the sprawling estate. Not only was the 14,231-square-foot mansion for sale—but so were all the furnishings inside, straight from the Tyler Village showroom of VNTG Home.
Heirloom tomatoes galore now available from Community Greenhouse Partners
It’s planting season in Northeast Ohio, and Tim Smith of Community Greenhouse Partners (CGP) is ready to help people get their gardens started with more than 1,000 heirloom tomato plants.
Asian Festival brings good fortune to new and emerging businesses
Almost 50,000 people are expected at the annual Cleveland Asian Festival this weekend—offering great exposure to growing small businesses that operate a booth during the two-day celebration of everything AsiaTown has to offer. 
With Innerself, AsiaTown's favorite auteur is back in the director's chair
About eight minutes into Innerself, our hero is singing down the familiar streets of St. Clair-Superior when a fight breaks out. It’s the first time in the film that the audience hears the whooshing thwack effect of a kung-fu fight scene. It's a welcome sound that confirms the film’s promotional premise: we are indeed watching a “martial arts musical comedy"—and one shot in Cleveland, to boot.
Neighborhoods by the numbers: How the new Progress Index is a win for CLE residents
Three years in the making, Cleveland Neighborhood Progress (CNP) is ready to release its Progress Index to the public. Aimed at fostering inclusive Cleveland communities of choice and opportunity, the Index had previously been available to Cleveland’s 31 community development corporations (CDCs), who helped test and fine-tune the tool.
Mueller Lofts will offer historic apartments with a chance to give back to AsiaTown
A piece of Cleveland’s manufacturing history will be honored when the 1922 Mueller Electric Company factory building is transformed into Mueller Lofts—51 apartments in the heart of AsiaTown. In addition to creating a new residential option in the neighborhood, residents will have the opportunity for a portion of their rents to go back into the community via a volunteer program.
This spring, Cleveland is the Land of the Flea
For some, sixteen candles is the magic birthday number. For the Cleveland Flea, it’s six. The popular shopping event and small business incubator turns six this April—marking the occasion with a new custom-built co-working space, an online creative business school, and an on-site workshop that will soon include retail components.
City and Food Bank team up to distribute fresh produce to AsiaTown seniors
For the first time, the city and the Greater Cleveland Food Bank have come together in a collaborative effort to get fresh produce to the seniors living in AsiaTown. On the first Wednesday of each month, the Food Bank comes out to Sterling Recreation Center for a Senior Produce Market. Find out when the next distribution is—and how to volunteer—here.
A $700,000 grant will help save blighted, vacant homes and beautify CLE neighborhoods

Ever since the real estate housing crash in 2008, Cleveland communities have been faced with tackling the problem of vacant and blighted homes—pulling down property values and aesthetic appeal in neighborhoods already struggling.

According to Justin Fleming, director of real estate for Cleveland Neighborhood Progress (CNP), there are about 9,500 vacant homes in the City of Cleveland. “I’d estimate that approximately 4,500 of those are structurally capable of being rehabbed within a reasonable budget,” he says. “The other 5,000 are likely structurally too far gone to reasonably saved.”

But thanks to a three-year, $700,000 grant given to CNP by Detroit-based Quicken Loans, some of those homes that can be rehabbed will get that much-needed work. Read about how this grant will help blighted neighborhoods and rehab vacant homes here.

Rock on: Cleveland's rich rock-n-roll legacy takes center stage at AsiaTown photo show

That time David Bowie played his first show in Cleveland back in 1972? Anastasia Pantsios was there.

The time the Jacksons visited Playhouse Square in the late 70s, or when an emergent U2 played the Agora Ballroom? Also there.

And when Bowie returned to play the Richfield Coliseum in 1990? Yep, she was there, and so were Bono and Adam Clayton—both of whom got their photo taken with Bowie backstage, by none other than Pantsios herself.