Featured Stories

Summer Sprout takes urban gardeners from rookies to green thumbs
Replacing urban vacant lots with green spaces provides countless benefits for local neighborhoods, but one of the most rewarding parts of the city's gardening program is seeing beginning gardeners transform into leaders.
Have you visited the 12 most Instagrammable spots in Cleveland?
Cleveland is a photographer's wonderland—just ask FreshWater's own Bob Perkoski. The same goes for Instagram aficionados, who can be seen snapping their way through the Land on the regular. With so many photo opps to choose from, we thought we'd do the legwork of compiling a list of the city's 12 most Instagram-worthy places with the help of Cuyahoga Arts & Culture.
The United Way of Greater Cleveland has a new strategy for tackling poverty head-on
While the United Way of Greater Cleveland has always been known for its progressive attitude, going forward, the agency is dividing its work into two distinct prongs: supporting services that address the symptoms of poverty, and also working to tackle the underlying causes of poverty.
Six big, bold ideas that could change Cleveland as we know it, 2nd edition
Check out our six-pack of audacious efforts to distinguish Northeast Ohio in a growing global economy. From harnessing wind power to jumpstarting small businesses, each of these ideas could make a major impact.
MetroHealth goes all in on affordable housing for the Clark-Fulton neighborhood
MetroHealth recently announced an investment of $60 million to construct three new buildings housing 250 apartments—along with community-centered amenities including a grocery store, job training center, childcare facilities, and more—near its main campus.
Local black babies are 4x as likely to die before age one. This Clevelander is saying, “No more."
In Cuyahoga County, the infant mortality rate for African-American babies is 15.1 per every 1,000 live births, compared to 3.8 for white babies. In other words, Cleveland's black babies are approximately four times more likely to die before their first birthday than white babies.
Connect five: These five Metroparks projects will be a game-changer for bikers and pedestrians
Cleveland is about to get even more connected, thanks to Cleveland Metroparks. Five new trail projects are either in progress or ready to take flight, in part thanks to a $7.95 million TIGER (Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery) grant awarded in 2016.
Meet the changemakers ready to rally for justice at the Cuyahoga County Jail
Devin* is no stranger to adverse circumstances. The 24-year-old’s background includes military training, specifically ECAC: Evasion and Conduct after Capture (a multi-day, hardcore immersion program that trains service members to survive high-risk environments that may place them at increased risk of isolation). That extreme experience was nothing compared to the week he spent in the Cuyahoga County Jail.
Inside the Lead Safe Summit and the quest to save CLE kids from lead poisoning
Cleveland's decades-long lead poisoning epidemic has dominated policy and community debates in recent years. The concern is warranted: Each day, four Cleveland children are poisoned by inhaling or ingesting lead dust—putting our city's childhood lead poisoning rate at four times the national average.
PHOTOS: Blaze on, big river! The Blazing Paddles #Cuyahoga50 race in photos
See our photographer Bob Perkoski's images of Clevelanders celebrating a river reborn.
Quiz: Women's Voting Rights
A river runs through it: In honor of #Cuyahoga50, our 50 reasons the Cuyahoga River rocks
Fifty looks good on you, Cuyahoga River. As Cleveland celebrates the momentous 50-year milestone of the Cuyahoga River Fire—and the remarkable progress made—with #Cuyahoga50, we're answering all of your burning questions about the river with these 50 fun facts.
Lake effect: Four big Erie Hack ideas that can help keep our lake Great
As the Cuyahoga River draws closer to a momentous milestone with the Cuyahoga50 celebration, Lake Erie is also having its time in the sun. On Thursday, June 20, nine teams from across the Great Lakes region will gather in Cleveland to compete in the finals for Erie Hack 2.0—an innovation challenge spearheaded by Cleveland Water Alliance.
How 3 families live, work & play in Cleveland—and why they wouldn't have it any other way
For the Shakarian-Kvidera family, the epic Cavs championship parade in 2016 turned into an epic trek through the city of Cleveland. The family of five walked from their home in Edgewater to downtown and back, earning a few more notches on their proverbial FitBit than they’d expected.
Government A-OK checks & balances
An inside look at the 12 Learning Lab projects beautifying and inspiring Cleveland
Local artists and nonprofits are teaming up to create change through Cuyahoga Arts and Culture's Learning Lab.
Is Lorain Avenue the new ‘heart’ of Ohio City? These urban entrepreneurs seem to think so
A decade after Ohio City leaders began trying to capitalize on the success of West 25th St. by luring new businesses to Lorain Avenue, local entrepreneurs are moving to this funky west side main street to take advantage of affordable rents and a newly emerging restaurant, retail, and nightlife scene.
Putting Northeast Ohio workers on the map: The road to employment begins with worker mobility
If she could afford a car, Antaneshia Fletcher could drive to her job at Bloom Bakery in less than 20 minutes. Instead, she rises at 4:30 am every day so she can spend two hours taking the two bus routes necessary to travel from her home in Euclid to the store near the Cleveland State University campus by 6:30 am.
How would 21 teens better Cleveland with $25,000? United Way gave them a chance to find out.
During a recent afternoon ceremony at the Halle Building, the mood was celebratory and inspiring as five local organizations received $5,000 grants in support of youth-geared initiatives. Even cooler? The benefactors are ambitious, civic-minded high school juniors and seniors who spent nine months serving on United Way of Greater Cleveland's John K. Mott Youth Fund Distribution Committee.
Shiny and not-so-new: Celebration of Preservation honors CLE's shining stars in historic restoration
Cleveland has had its shares of ups and downs in the 223 years since Moses Cleaveland first set up shop, but many of the city’s homes and buildings have remained—largely due to those who have put forth tremendous efforts to preserve and restore the structures that form Cleveland’s unique history.