The secret is out—Cleveland was recently named among the country's top six places to see Christmas lights, according to Google Trends data compiled by Lawnstarter. Our managing photographer Bob Perkoski set out to capture the magic in Public Square and spotlight Cleveland at the most wonderful time of the year.

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

If you haven't tuned into the Hamilton Collaborative yet, it's time to find out what's "happening at the Ham."

At 60 years old, Rose has big dreams, but knows the first step towards any of her myriad goals is to get her GED. One of 22 siblings, she dropped out of high school many moons ago when she became pregnant. Raising four boys has understandably dominated the entirety of her life to date, but this summer, on a routine walk to the store in her Mt. Pleasant neighborhood, she looked in the window of Seeds of Literacy and spotted site coordinator Kara Krawiec.

“I could see her bouncing around, and I knew I had to go in to see what was going on in here,” recalls Rose. “I’ve been coming four times a week ever since.”

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.

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. 

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.)

At the heart of Alexis Rockman: The Great Lakes Cycle—currently on exhibition at MOCA—are five mural-sized paintings unlikely to be forgotten any time soon. It’s the past, present, and future makeup of the Great Lakes on which the exhibition focuses: invasive species; mastodon bones left over from the lakes’ inception about 14,000 years ago; a genetically modified cow grossly mutilated; and byproducts from the agriculture industry feeding tributaries that will birth toxic algal blooms.

With heaps of history and major new business momentum, the ever-evolving Pearl Road is at a fascinating crossroads. Our writer Ken Schneck takes a proverbial spin down Old Brooklyn's main drag.

The Tinseltown glitz and glamour of Hollywood. The romantic late-night movie shoots of New York City. The internationally-recognized booming filmmaking industry of…Ohio?

If that last scene feels off and you’re doubting our fair state’s place on a list of bona fide filmmaking capitals, then it’s time to take notice of some monumental efforts aimed at not only attracting film productions to Ohio, but also establishing a veritable film industry right here in our own backyard.

Thrity Umrigar was merely going out to run some errands. But as she was waiting to pay a bill at her Cleveland bank, she turned around and saw a long line of people behind her. Suddenly, she wasn’t just an award-winning, nationally best-selling author; she was an engaged citizen who saw an opportunity that was just too good to pass up.

When LaRaun Clayton and his husband decided to buy a house, they sought a neighborhood where they’d be comfortable and fit in. “For us, it was about finding a place where we weren’t going to be the only ones,” shares Clayton. “Sometimes, being a same-sex couple—not to mention African-American—puts a target on you.” The couple looked in familiar places: Lakewood, Fairview Park, and Gordon Square (where they already lived). But the home prices were at the top of their budget, so their real estate agent took them to another neighborhood: Old Brooklyn.