Featured Stories

Baroque music, pioneers in history & modern drama: CAC partners go big to celebrate women in March
March is Women’s History Month—a time to celebrate the achievements and contributions of women through the years. Many Cuyahoga Arts and Culture (CAC) partners are taking the month to heart with meaningful projects that spotlight iconic women through drama, music, and historical recreations. Find out how Women in History, Dobama Theatre, and Burning River Baroque are making Women's History Month 2019 one to remember.
The 8 most interesting houses in Cleveland, second edition
In a city with architecture as unique as the people who call it home, we decided it was time to take another look at some of Cleveland’s most unique houses. From a pre-Civil war homestead to an ultra-modern villa, all eight of these local homes have a captivating story to tell.
PHOTOS: On your marks, get set, glow! Peek inside the fluorescent fun of the Waterloo Arts DayGloSho
See the DayGloSho through the eyes of our managing photographer Bob Perkoski, who captured this Cleveland tradition in all its neon glory.
A new chapter: Cleveland Public Library prepares for the next 150 years
The "People's University" will enter its next era with an ambitious, library-wide revitalization project and a yearlong CPL150 celebration, along with the announcement that it will now be fine-free.
Where are they now? We catch up with past Accelerate participants making a better Cleveland.
Since the first event was held in 2015, the Accelerate: Citizens Make Change civic pitch competition has definitely made an indelible mark on Cleveland—from "give boxes" in the North Collinwood and Central neighborhoods to special needs toy libraries at Lake County libraries to a vibrant new mural in Slavic Village.
 
There's a not-so-secret society of entrepreneurs taking shape in Cleveland
How can Cleveland get its entrepreneurial scene on par with places like Austin, Boulder, Chicago, and Silicon Valley? By encouraging startup founders to break bread together, naturally. And that’s exactly the point of StartInCLE, a growing collective of entrepreneurial types that meets monthly for informal group dinners and other events.
Get out and enjoy the remaining days of February with CAC-fueled events
With February drawing to a close and Cleveland weather set to warm up for a few days, there’s no excuse not to get out and enjoy the many Cuyahoga Arts & Culture (CAC) activities that focus on the outdoors—from a Slovenian-inspired Mardi Gras to a one-of-a-kind music and art festival to close encounters with birds and owls. Check out these family-friendly events that are sure to seal the deal for an unforgettable winter weekend, Cleveland-style.
The state of Cleveland print media: Local journalists ponder journalism in the next era
Anyone who set foot in the Beachland Ballroom last Saturday might have thought the rumors of print media's demise have been greatly exaggerated. At the sold-out Concert for Truth, more than 450 people gathered to show their support for local journalism and those who bring us the news every day. The event featured 11 local musicians who volunteered their time and talents to raise about $5,000 for the 24 Plain Dealer employees who are being laid off after March.
Welcome to Collinwood: Signs of life springing forth on East 185th Street
For many Clevelanders, memories of bygone E. 185th St. conjure up visions of its epic annual street festival, movies at the La Salle, and bike rides down to the lake. Debra Drobnick is no exception. Born and raised in Euclid, Drobnick has fond recollections of growing up just one street away, so it's rather poetic that she's now a vital part of the street's renaissance as one of the forces behind uber-popular Irie Jamaican Kitchen.
Creative Fusion: Waterways to Waterways turns our reimagined river into a living work of art
Fifty years after the Cuyahoga River burned on, the yearlong Cuyahoga50 celebration kicks off with Creative Fusion: Waterways to Waterways—an exchange program of sorts for local and international artists, designed to inspire the world with all the ways Cleveland has revived and reimagined its river.
A renewed vision for East Cleveland is taking shape
As Sean L. Ward sees it, there will come a day where East Cleveland is mentioned in the same breath with Tremont and Waterloo as thriving, vibrant neighborhoods. And though he knows revitalization won’t happen overnight, he believes that the burgeoning East Cleveland Growth Association can help usher in much-needed change—and that the city is perfectly positioned for it.
 
Why Say Yes to Education is a game-changer for not just CMSD students, but all of Cleveland
With 20 cities in the running, Cleveland’s chances of becoming the next Say Yes to Education chapter—and only the fourth in the country to receive the distinction—were just a paltry five percent. Yet according to Say Yes founder George Weiss, it was no contest.
Answers for Civics Essential Quiz: marriage equality
PHOTOS: Walking in a winter wonder Land
Ice, ice, baby! As our managing photographer Bob Perkoski puts it, "there's no Cleveland like snow Cleveland," and he set out in the aftermath of Winter Storm Harper to prove just that. Check out this collection of photos of University Circle, downtown, Edgewater Park, and more from Perkoski's frosty lens.
In the age of accountability, this Clevelander has just the message we need
Alex Sheen is many things, but "boring" is not one of them. In the last six years, the Lakewood resident has walked across the state of Ohio in 10 days; learned to bake apple pie; personally delivered Disneyland tickets to 100 children with cancer; and driven overnight to bring disaster relief supplies to Hurricane Sandy victims. Why? Simply because he said he would.
Cuyahoga Arts & Culture grantees to honor Martin Luther King Jr.'s impact in CLE and beyond
The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. is known by all for his work in the Civil Rights movement in the 1950s and 1960s through nonviolence and civil disobedience. Many people in Cleveland, however, may not be aware of how often King came through Cleveland in the 1960s—and the lasting influence he had on the city. From civil rights and Christianity to politics and school sit-ins, King was a well-known presence in Cleveland.
The Cleveland Athletic Club building has found second life as the Athlon
After nearly 12 years of vacancy, the former Cleveland Athletic Club (CAC) at 1118 Euclid Ave. will soon come alive again as the Athlon at the Cleveland Athletic Club Building. The building will feature 163 luxury apartments, offices, and commercial retail space—all paying homage to a facility loved by Clevelanders since the CAC first opened its doors in 1911, then abruptly closed in 2007.
Cleveland Metroparks' biggest reservation is up to big things
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.
 
How Cleveland Clinic and Fairfax are reinventing their relationship for a brighter future
The Cleveland Clinic's positive impact is felt far and wide, but how does it affect its immediate neighbors? Its new CEO is committed to finding out. Read on to learn what's in store, and get the scoop on a big FreshWater announcement!
FreshWater's year in review: What we're proudest of in 2018
This year, FreshWater Cleveland celebrated eight years of publication—an accomplishment we don’t take lightly in today’s unpredictable media landscape. In honor of eight great years, we’ve compiled the top eight things we’re most proud of for 2018.