On the heels of a successful merger that brought together under one roof three nonprofit community development organizations, Cleveland Neighborhood Progress (CNP) has made a key hire to lead its policy and advocacy efforts. Alesha Washington, a Glenville native who most recently served as Director of Executive Administration and Government Relations at the Centers for Family and Children, recently joined CNP as its Senior Director of Advocacy, Policy and Research. Washington will... Read more >

Tipse Treats founder Autumn Skoczen came up with the brilliant idea for a cupcake that contains a full shot of alcohol after visiting a bakery in another city, purchasing a booze-infused treat, and determining that all of the "good stuff" had burned off in the oven.

At the same time, she noticed cupcake shops on practically every other block. Along with bars, of course. So she hatched a plan to combine the two and create the cupcake equivalent of the Jell-o shot... Read more >

Great neighborhoods require great cafes. These so-called "third places" provide residents with a neutral place to meet, talk and take part in the daily discourse of life. Thanks to a maturing coffee movement, most of Cleveland's neighborhoods are now blessed with just such a place. Here are some of our favorites.

While the West Side Market and Terminal Tower demand center stage, what about the hidden gems, wallflowers and untold stories? With CityProwl podcaster and veteran architect Jennifer Coleman as our guide, we discover one treasure after another, from a tiny neighborhood worthy of Dickens to bouquets of flowers fit for a giant.

The biggest gripe of downtown Cleveland residents (and, really, downtown dwellers in most non-coastal cities) is that their city center lacks the retail and amenities they need. Being a downtown resident often means regular car trips to the 'burbs -- or somewhere that's not within walking distance -- for shopping.

Yet that's slowly beginning to change. As any commercial broker will tell you, retail follows rooftops. As downtown Cleveland gains thousands of new... Read more >

Two years ago, after a 17-year career as a communications consultant with some of the area’s larger human resources firms, Denise Reynolds decided she wanted to put a little color in her job. So after she was laid off from her last position, she launched Outside the Lines Creative Group (OTL), a company that uses cartoons to convey company messages.

“I wanted to take all of my knowledge about benefits, wellness, policies and procedures and make it fun,” ... Read more >

As recently as last year, the Colonial and Euclid Arcades downtown suffered from 40 percent vacancy. But oh, how fortunes have changed. The once-moribund properties, rebranded as 5th Street Arcades, have gone from half-empty to almost full. Fresh Water photographer Bob Perkoski spent some time in the arcades window shopping with his camera.

Tomorrow's economy-boosting titans are today's middle and high school students, and there's no good reason to make them wait until college or later to start honing their business acumen. Fortunately, area programs aimed at would-be high school entrepreneurs are providing experience that will serve them well regardless their future paths.

When Craig Lewis, a mechanical science and engineering major at CWRU, was given an extra credit assignment in 2011 to come up with something that would increase household energy efficiency, he started thinking about how much water people use in the shower.

“We did a little preliminary research to see if people could track their water consumption in the shower,” Lewis recalls. “We found that 76 percent of people we surveyed had no idea what their water co... Read more >

As an investor in Biolectrics, a company that makes a battery-powered mouthpiece – think sports mouth guard -- that treats periodontal diseases with electric stimulation, Paul Ruflin began thinking about the device’s potential in other applications.
 
“The mouthpiece delivers a small amount of current that kills oral bacteria,” Ruflin explains. “In the lab it kills 75 to 100 percent of bacteria in the mouth in five to 10 minutes. The earl... Read more >

Public Square in downtown Cleveland will be even brighter and safer this holiday season thanks to new, energy-efficient lighting donated by GE Lighting and installed by the City of Cleveland.

The city has installed new lamp-top posts and LED lighting throughout Public Square. The new bulbs are twice as efficient as the old ones.

GE Lighting donated 372,000 long-lasting LED bulbs for the holiday display, and there are 56,000 individual lights on the holiday tree a... Read more >

On any given night in Cleveland, it's not too difficult to see the economic impact represented by a seemingly simple glass of suds. Breweries had an undeniably positive effect on Ohio City, and now the arrival of more breweries promises to boost the economic prospects of other neighborhoods.