Arts + Culture

daily press juice bar to open this summer in gordon square arts district
Jodi Rae Santosuosso grew up in the restaurant business, working in her parents' Italian restaurant. She later moved to California for 10 years, where she grew enamored of the healthy living movement and got into cold-pressed juices. When she returned to Cleveland to join the revitalization of her hometown, she discovered that there weren’t many juice bars in the city, so she decided to launch her own.

If all goes as planned, Daily Press, a juice bar and vegan café, will open next month in the Gordon Square Arts District (6604 Detroit Ave.). The cafe will serve cold-pressed juices and vegan menu items that include raw sandwiches, soups and salads. Daily Press will open at 7 a.m., with evening hours yet to be determined.

"I want to help people be healthy and feel good, and to make it easy and convenient for people to do that," says Santosuosso. "This is new to Cleveland, but the market is here; people are just not aware of the benefits of juicing this way."

Cold-press juicing is different from tossing fruit in a blender and grinding it up, she explains. The heat from a centrifugal juicer can destroy natural enzymes in the drink, making it less nutritious. There are two steps in the cold-pressing process: First, you turn the produce into pulp so that the vitamins and other good stuff stays intact. Second, you put the pulp into a bag and place it in a hydraulic press, where 2,000 pounds of pressure releases all that sweet goodness.
"The result is delicious juice that has all kinds of good things for your body," she says.

Some of Daily Press's offerings will include the Johnny Apple Manziel (apple, ginger and lemon), Greenest Cleanse (kale, spinach, chard, parsley, cucumber, ginger and turmeric) and Water You Doing? (watermelon). A 16-ounce juice in a glass jar will sell for $7-9. If you bring back the jar, you get $1 off your next juice.

The 800-square-foot storefront will have a bar that seats five to six people, additional window seating and some outside tables. There will be Wi-Fi access for anyone who wants to work at the cafe. Santosuosso is looking forward to joining the neighborhood.

"I love the neighborhood and the arts district, and Detroit Shoreway Community Development Organization was really excited about having me come to this space," she says. "It helped that the neighborhood wants me here."

If you're interested in checking out Daily Press before the cafe opens, Santosuosso will be at the Gordon Square Farmers Market for the next few weeks, and she invites you to come by and learn more about juicing.
cle metroparks zoo opens new circle of wildlife carousel in time for summer
The new Circle of Wildlife carousel at the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo features 64 animals hand-carved by Carousel Works in Mansfield, Ohio, and grouped according to their natural environment. The carousel opened a few weeks ago just in time for the busy summer season.

"The response has been extremely exciting," says Zoo Director Chris Kuhar. "Folks are amazed by the carousel, which is extremely large and very beautiful, as well as the murals. Then there's the story that it was carved just down the road in Mansfield, by one of the world leaders in the creation of wood carousels."

Single ride tickets for the carousel are $3 ($2.50 for Zoo Society members). All-day ride passes are available for $8 ($6 for members). Directly adjacent to the carousel is the brand new Nature Discovery Ridge play area, which features natural habitats of rocks, water and trees where kids can play.

There also are new restroom facilities, concession stands, picnic shelters and an observation deck at Nature Discovery Ridge. The pavilion is available for rent, and the Metroparks is planning to build an events center called Stillwater Place adjacent to the carousel, which can be rented for weddings and other events. 

Carousel Works created eight custom animals that don't appear on any of its other carousels, including an Anatolian shepherd, lynx, ocelot and ring-tailed lemur. The animals and their habitats were selected by zoo conservation staff.

"This project is all about connecting the dots between people, animals and habitat," says Kuhar. "All of the animals on the carousel either have a conservation or education component. They're either animals in the collection or they're animals we support in conservation and education projects."

The project also features a number of historic sculptures of endangered bird species by local artist Viktor Schreckengost. The sculptures were repurposed from another project.

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philanthropist's efforts to boost young audiences at orchestra in new york times
In a New York Times post titled, "Maintaining a Classical-Music Miracle in Cleveland," writer Craig Duff covers efforts by local philanthropist Milton Maltz to increase the number of young audience members at Cleveland Orchestra performances.
 
"When Milton Maltz looked down from his box seat in Severance Hall -- the stately home of the Cleveland Orchestra -- he used to fear for its future," writes Duff.
 
"Where are the young people?" Maltz is quoted in the article.
 
The aging of audiences is something all orchestras are contending with, but Maltz decided to do something about it. He and his wife donated $20 million to help the orchestra build a younger audience, with the ambitious goal of attracting the youngest audience of any orchestra in America by 2018, the band's 100th birthday.
 
Incentives include "FanCards" that allow young concertgoers to attend as many concerts as they like per season for $50. Additional deals include free admission to summer outdoor concerts at Blossom for those under age 18. Students also can attend any concert during the subscription season for $10.
 
Efforts are paying off: in 2010, students made up 8 percent of the audience. Last year, that figure was 20 percent.
 
Read the rest of the good news here.

 
slideshow: local art adorns inside, out of the new westin hotel
The new Westin Hotel downtown features more than 1,500 works of art by local artists. The exterior boasts a 30-foot mural of the Cuyahoga River Valley, while the lobby contains a large art installation by artist Olga Ziemska. In this slideshow, Fresh Water photographer Bob Perkoski offers a visual tour of some of the artwork.
landmark detroit shoreway building will be reborn as 30-unit apartment building
The Templin Bradley Company building, the stout brick frame of which has served as a gateway to the Detroit Shoreway neighborhood for the past 100 years, once housed the nation's largest seed and bulb company. Templin Bradley gave away literally hundreds of thousands of seeds and bulbs during the Depression, and was a leader in helping citizens start victory gardens during World War II.

Yet this landmark property at 5700 Detroit has been vacant and boarded up for over 10 years, collecting weeds and trash. Plans to remake it into loft condos floundered during the recession. But now that property will be reborn as a 30-unit apartment building, slated to open next spring. Detroit Shoreway Community Development Organization (DSCDO) and its partners have worked doggedly over the past few years to assemble the development plans and financing to get this long-sought project off the ground.

"It's been a major eyesore along Detroit Avenue, and really remains the largest problem property there," says Matt Lasko, Assistant Director of DSCDO. "It's really important for us as a CDC to be able to preserve its history and story."

The project will consist of 15 affordable apartments and 15 market-rate units. The redevelopment will return the building to its original 1916 look, which includes the reinstallation of fabric awnings on the first floor, the re-creation of a master stairwell on the front of the building, and the restoration of a seed bed along Detroit that Templin Bradley once used to test and advertise its products.

The front of the building also will feature a prominent public art installation and a quasi-public space with benches that can be enjoyed by residents and the public.

The building will offer secure indoor parking on the first floor and unique living spaces above. There will be four artist live-work spaces with lower levels designed for painting, sculpting and other artistic endeavors. The units will have concrete floors, high ceilings, exposed ductwork and expansive windows. Prices will range from $630 to $840 per month for one-bedroom units and $750 to $950 per month for two-bedroom suites.

Construction will begin next month, and DSCDO is hosting a groundbreaking event on Thursday, May 29 at 10 a.m.

The project is being developed by DSCDO in partnership with the Ohio Housing Finance Agency, Ohio Capital Corporation for Housing, Ohio Development Services Agency, Huntington Bank, City of Cleveland, Cuyahoga County, The National Endowment for the Arts, Vintage Development and Marous brothers construction.
introducing cleveland, the 'entertainment capital you never knew about'
In a Travelers Today feature titled "Five Reasons Cleveland is the Entertainment Capital You Never Knew About,' writer Will Walker calls our fair city "one of largest and most underrated cultural hot-spots in the country."
 
According to Walker, here are five reasons Cleveland is the entertainment capital that's "ripe for exploration by any traveler adventurous enough to take a chance on it."
 
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
 
"Opened in 1995 by Atlantic Records founder Ahmet Ertegun, the Rock Hall marks a must-see destination for anyone interested in Rock & Roll, music, or pop culture in general.
 
Cinematheque
 
The Cleveland Institute of Art's Cinematheque offers what the New York Times called one of the country's "best repertory movie theaters."
 
Cleveland Museum of Art
 
Cleveland has one of the "best and most important art museums in the country, boasting works from artists as diverse as Caravaggio, David, and Monet."
 
Playhouse Square
 
"The second largest theatrical complex in the country (outside of New York) Playhouse Square's nine theaters sprawl over two city blocks, casting an impressive shadow of cultural sophistication that the rest of the city can't help but take note of."
 
Cleveland Orchestra
 
According to the British music periodical Gramophone, the Cleveland Orchestra ranks as the seventh best in the world, topping every single United States orchestra outside of Chicago.
 
Read the rest of the good news here.

 
playhouse square chandelier attracting glow of national media
In a Gizmodo feature titled, "The World's Biggest Outdoor Chandelier Beckons You to Cleveland's Stage," writer Andrew Tarantola describes the past and present of Playhouse Square, and some technical info on the new chandelier.
 
"For a time in the Vaudeville Era, few theater districts outside of Broadway were hotter than Cleveland, Ohio's. But as the decades rolled on and times changed, the district fell upon hard times. But now, after a concerted revitalization effort, the the crown jewel of the district is back in business -- and it sports the world's largest outdoor chandelier to prove it," he writes.
 
The world's largest permanent crystal chandelier is "comprised of more than 4,200 crystals and illuminated by 70 GE LED Infusion Modules. The 20-foot tall crystalline (actually acrylic resin, not glass) structure is suspended from steel trusses some 44 feet off the ground at the corner of E. 14th Street and Euclid Avenue."
 
"And don't worry about the snow," he writes, "this installation has been designed specifically to cope with the frigid conditions presented by Cleveland's harsh winters, and has been thoroughly stress tested."
 
Read the rest of the news here.
 

 
rediscovering your hometown? there's an app for that
Sometimes, even the most adventurous resident can grow a little too comfortable living in the same city after a while. But one can always find something new to discover if we just dig a little deeper. Lucky for us, a number of smartphone apps will help the explorer in all of us get reacquainted with the city we call home.
fresh water managing editor pens cleveland guidebook for visitors, residents
It's been four and a half years since the first edition of "Moon Handbooks: Cleveland" was published. Considering all that has taken place in Cleveland during that time, author and Fresh Water managing editor Douglas Trattner says that for the second edition, which was released this week, he went back to the starting gate.
summer arts fest preview: the must-hit events of the season
Each summer, throngs of people flock to the streets to partake in arts festivals, art walks and marquee arts events. Many are free and no two are exactly alike. With art mediums that include paintings, sculpture, glassware, photography, leather, jewelry and performance art, there’s something for everybody.
slideshow of recent zygote benefit big show/iron printmaker
For its recent fundraiser, Zygote Press decided to merge both visual and culinary artists in a unique double billing called The Big Show and Iron Printmaker. The "Iron Chef" style competition featured teams of chefs and artists using "mystery" ingredients to create prints. Fresh Water photographer Bob Perkoski captured all the action.
 
fresh water wins scene magazine best of cleveland award for photography
In Scene magazine's recent 'Best of Cleveland' awards, Fresh Water was voted by readers as having the Best Photo Content. All of that credit falls on the shoulders of Bob Perkoski, managing photographer since the online magazine's inception. Here we ask the man behind the lens a few questions.
tremont developer goes vertical with new starkweather place townhomes
Talk about hot in Cleveland: The housing market in Tremont is so tight right now that buyers and real estate agents often can be heard complaining there's nothing for sale. Some of that pressure should be alleviated with the rise of new units at Starkweather Place, a 31-unit development that began in 2006, slowed down quite a bit in the recession, and recently revved back up again.

Keith Sutton of Sutton Builders, one of Tremont's original developers, who 25 years ago began building homes here, recently broke ground on six new units. With five already sold, the project is entering the home stretch. He's gearing up for a groundbreaking on the last six units and expects the project to wrap up next year.

"We got hit hard in the recession, but 2013 was a great year for us, especially considering the last five," he says. "This year, there's definitely been an uptick."

The 1,700-square-foot, three-bedroom, two-and-a-half-bath townhomes start at $250,000 and go up from there. Amenities include contemporary design, granite countertops and a deck overlooking the neighborhood. The units are green-built and include a 15-year, 100-percent tax abatement.

"There seems to be kind of a pent-up demand now, so we've even been able to raise our prices a little bit," Sutton says. "With the cost of building going up, we had to."

Why such demand? "I'm told we have a rare commodity. There's just not a whole lot of stuff available in the neighborhood, and we're well suited for that niche."

Sutton also is a partner in Portside Distilling, which just sold out of its first run of canned craft beer. He runs his development company out of a renovated building at East 23rd and Hamilton. He calls it a "business incubator" that has so far lured a flooring company and a plastering company to move into the city from the 'burbs.

Sutton contributes his recent success to the neighborhood's ever-improving dynamics.
 
"It's never been better," he says of Tremont. "Part of why commercial businesses are thriving here is because of the residential component. But people are coming from everywhere. This is truly a destination place."
relocation station: how one bus tour exposes potential new residents to the joys of urban living
If you're considering a move to Cleveland, there might be no better means to examine the broad range of residential options than by hopping aboard a City Life tour hosted by Cleveland Neighborhood Progress. In a few short hours, participants enjoy an immersive dive into a number of Cleveland's most in-demand neighborhoods.
 
inside out: global cle's talent attraction campaign aimed at filling jobs, repopulating city core
On Thursday, May 1, Global Cleveland will officially launch its talent attraction campaign at a major event at the Cleveland Convention Center. The event -- like the organization hosting it -- is focused on increasing the population while strengthening the local economy.
bizarro land: cleveland's weird, wacky and wholly unexpected delights
Now that we've emerged from our respective huts, it's time to stop squinting towards the sky and go do something. Sure, the usual line-up of outdoor activities awaits -- but aren't there any surprises left in CLE? You bet there are, and we're about to point you in the right direction.