When Murray Hill Market opened in Little Italy in January, owner Michelle Iacobelli Buckholtz revived the tradition of the small neighborhood market that existed when her father grew up in the area.

This summer, Buckholtz will bring back another grand neighborhood tradition: the sidewalk cafe and alfresco market. Having obtained her peddler's license, she plans to add outdoor seating and sales displays this summer.

"We want to be different from Whole Foods and ... Read more >

Since its launch in 2000, the Greater Cleveland Sports Commission has brought to Cleveland over 85 sporting events with an estimated economic impact of more than $300 million. Those events include the U.S. Figure Skating Championships, Senior PGA Championship, NCAA Women's Final Four, and the Gravity Games. This summer, the Commission's flagship event, the Continental Cup, will bring in 4,000 young athletes from 25 countries for four days of competition.

Joyce Mariani created "Opera in the Garden," a free outdoor concert that takes place each summer in Rockefeller Park's Italian Cultural Garden, to celebrate Italian immigrants' contributions to the city of Cleveland and enliven the 80-year-old public space.
Although Mariani sets up 200 chairs in the idyllic garden, you might want to bring one from home; last year, over 800 people showed up.

"People find something universal in the Italian cultural experience," says ... Read more >

When the Moreland Theatre was built in 1927, the Buckeye neighborhood was home to the largest concentration of Hungarians outside Hungary. There were also six Hungarian newspapers in the area, and nearly every shop owner on Buckeye Road spoke Hungarian (and often English, too).

In the past 40 years, Buckeye has struggled as businesses and residents fled to the suburbs. The recent foreclosure crisis also hit the area hard, leaving boarded-up homes and vacant lots in its w... Read more >

Cleveland is an entrepreneurial hotspot right now, and big business in Cleveland wants to make sure local women-owned outfits have equal footing. Springboard Enterprises has joined forces with Ohio-based powerhouses KeyBank, Thompson Hine, and Meaden & Moore to provide women with the keys to building big businesses. Build it Big is a business development program for women-owned businesses on the fast track to growth. "It's about educating business owners on how to find equity ... Read more >

State Farm Insurance is looking for bi-lingual agents with an entrepreneurial spirit. So the agency is holding a job fair at Asian Town Center, located in Cleveland's Asiatown neighborhood, on May 17 from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m..

"State Farm has really got a push on the multi-cultural market," says Kevin Perry, senior State Farm field executive in the company's Beachwood office. "As a growing company we noticed we didn't have a lot of agents across diverse backgrounds."Read more >

On April 25th, Cleveland Public Library (CPL) will celebrate the opening of the Sports Research Center, where visitors can explore favorite moments in local sports history, learn more about the history of black baseball, and meet sports icons from past and present.

The Center lets sports junkies travel back in time to the Indians' glory days. And given the Tribe's current first-place perch in the AL Central, perhaps this isn't just idle daydreaming.

The opening ... Read more >

The Neighborhood Connections program provides small financial gifts to community organizations focused on enhancing neighborhoods and engaging residents. Recipients must connect residents in meaningful ways through grass roots projects. Though the grants are small -- from $500 to $5,000 -- they can make a huge difference in the destiny of a neighborhood and its citizens.

Greater Clevelanders are fortunate to live near an abundant source of fresh water. Lake Erie and the Great Lakes contain one-fifth of the world's fresh water supply. Many places in the world are not so lucky -- in fact, more people die each year from contaminated water than from all forms of violence and war combined.

This month, a group of environmental artists are taking over a vacant space at Tower City Center to create an art display on the importance of water. The ex... Read more >

Michele Iacobelli Buckholtz has treasured memories of going to lunch with her dad in Little Italy. He grew up here when it was an Italian neighborhood with markets on nearly every corner. She soaked up the old neighborhood during these childhood visits.

Today, Buckholtz is recreating the tradition of the small Italian market -- with a contemporary twist. She recently renovated an historic storefront at Murray Hill Road and Paul Avenue in Little Italy. It reopened as... Read more >

Malik Moore is excited about the $2 billion worth of development that is planned or underway in the Flats and adjacent neighborhoods. At the same time, however, as the area is redeveloped as a hub for entertainment, housing, offices, industry and recreation, he wants to ensure that residents' voices are being heard.

"As this neighborhood grows, we want the residents to grow with it," said Moore, Executive Director of the Downtown Cleveland YMCA, at last week's forum on m... Read more >

Dr. Cathy Whitehouse founded The Intergeneration School (TIS), a charter school on Cleveland's east side, as a place that values children as independent learners.

"TIS takes a lifespan, developmental approach to education," she says. "We're all on a learning journey, and we should honor the uniqueness in each learner."

TIS just celebrated its 10-year anniversary. In that time, it has become one of the highest-performing schools in Cleveland, consistently earning ... Read more >

Many young professionals living in the city eventually become parents, trading in their preoccupation with trendy bars for a newfound obsession with play dates, baby gates and high-quality schools.

Yet in any urban area, finding a good school can be tricky. Like the Clash song, a refrain echoes in their heads: "Should I stay or should I go?"

A new study says that for many Cleveland residents, quality public schools could make the difference between choosing to s... Read more >

Soon celebrating 100 years, the West Side Market continues to offer a bountiful spread of foods, from pierogi to empanadas, and to attract thousands of shoppers each week. The public market is an emblem of Cleveland's rich ethnic heritage and present-day diversity.

The recent opening of Alaturka, a Turkish restaurant at 1917 West 25th Street, is further cementing the area's reputation as a hub for international cuisine.

To the delight of Ohio City residents,Y... Read more >

Skinny houses wedged onto small lots. Church steeples dotting the skyline. Factories and blue-collar taverns. Eastern-European accents heard on the street.

These phrases might call to mind multi-ethnic Cleveland neighborhoods like Tremont, St. Clair-Superior, Collinwood and Slavic Village, but Lakewood?

Ah, but you don't know Birdtown. Lakewood's only "company town" was carved out in the 1890s for employees of the National Carbon Company (now GrafTech). Located... Read more >