Stories
Melt Bar & Grilled seems to be on a much-deserved roll. Not only has the restaurant recently been named to the Inc. 5000 list and opened its 10th location, but chef Matt Fish also made an appearance today on the new daytime talk show "Pickler & Ben" (which airs locally on WEWS, as well as CMT). Fish showed former "American Idol" contestant Kellie Pickler and media personality Ben Aaron how to make Melt's patented Cleveland Cheesesteak in all its gooey glory. See the cheesy goodness here.
World Water Monitoring Day attracted a high-profile visitor to Northeast Ohio: Philippe Cousteau, grandson of famed explorer Jacques Cousteau. Together with local environmentalist James Trogdon, Cousteau led a group of 150 students from four area schools in testing the water quality of the Cuyahoga River.
For weeks, curious and hungry pedestrians have been popping into the new Ohio City BBQ, only to be turned away by owner Nav Singh, who assures the Memphis-style barbeque joint will be opening any day now in the former Ohio City Tattoo space at 3829 Lorain Ave.
Find out when Ohio City BBQ will open and what the menu holds in store here.
Find out when Ohio City BBQ will open and what the menu holds in store here.
The Buckland Gallery of Witchcraft and Magick opened inside Tremont's A Separate Reality record store earlier this year, but it's remained one of the city's hidden gems—until recently.
"At first, we just had small vinyl lettering on the door; we were very quiet when we first opened," says co-director Jillian Slane. "A few weeks later, my husband painted the words 'Witch Museum' on the window. Now we've put a stand-up sign out on the street."
Word seems to be spreading, as patrons have traveled from as far as New York, Pennsylvania, and Missouri to view the storied collection—which has gone through numerous incarnations (and, likely, incantations) over the years. Learn more about the unique gallery here.
"At first, we just had small vinyl lettering on the door; we were very quiet when we first opened," says co-director Jillian Slane. "A few weeks later, my husband painted the words 'Witch Museum' on the window. Now we've put a stand-up sign out on the street."
Word seems to be spreading, as patrons have traveled from as far as New York, Pennsylvania, and Missouri to view the storied collection—which has gone through numerous incarnations (and, likely, incantations) over the years. Learn more about the unique gallery here.
Fresh on the heels of the long-awaited opening of Marble Room Steaks & Raw Bar comes another establishment in the historic Garfield Building that fans have been anticipating. Today Harness Cycle's second location opens next door on the corner of E. 6th Street and Euclid Avenue.
Read more about the downtown version of the Hingetown spinning studio here.
Read more about the downtown version of the Hingetown spinning studio here.
Tomorrow Public Square will be the safest place in town, thanks to a free self-defense event being sponsored by Mace (which is headquartered in Cleveland). Safety Town CLE will offer hands-on training and product demos, along with tips and talks by safety and security professionals—including a former Secret Service agent and a Cleveland woman who was inspired to start her own self-defense practice after being shot. Food trucks and music will also be part of the event, as well as free product giveaways. The Safety Town CLE event takes place from 11:30 am to 12:30 pm in Public Square. More details can be found here.
From climate change to Charlottesville to immigration, no topic is off limits at the new Art of Dissent exhibit in Shaker Heights. Housed in the Shaker Community Gallery (inside the small rectory of Christ Episcopal Church) and curated by Leslye Arian, Art of Dissent features the work of four local artists concerned about the environment, human rights, and inequality.
Summer may be fading, but the skills and experiences Creative Minds summer camp participants received will stay vivid for a very long time. A new six-week program at NewBridge Cleveland, the Creative Minds camp offered 30 local middle schoolers the chance to learn ceramics, photography, and graphic design.
Fresh Water scoured the city in search of public art. It didn't take us long to find five new public art installments that add a little character and color to the skyline. Check them out here.
Now in its seventh year, Sonya Patel's non-profit company ZENWorks Yoga employs a network of teachers who offer free yoga classes in 20 Cleveland Municipal School District schools and one charter school. For the 2017-18 school year, ZENWorks will ramp up its efforts by working with more than 1,000 students each week from kindergarten through 12th grade.
Find out more about the need for namaste in Cleveland's schools here.
Find out more about the need for namaste in Cleveland's schools here.
As a third-generation Clevelander and a Plain Dealer arts and entertainment reporter, Laura DeMarco has heard her fair share of Cleveland stories that begin with “Remember when Cleveland used to be…”
In fact, most lifelong Clevelanders wax sentimental whenever places like Euclid Beach Park, Higbee’s, or Municipal Stadium come up in conversation. So much so, that DeMarco decided to write a book about these gone, and sometimes forgotten, places. Lost Cleveland will be celebrated at a book launch at Prosperity Social Club on Saturday, Sept. 16.
Read about the found places in DeMarco's book here.
Paging all local book lovers—it's time for #CBW2017. A lively array of literary happenings forms the itinerary for the annual Cleveland Book Week, sponsored by the Cleveland Foundation and Partners.
Among the highlights: author talks by Peter Ho Davies (The Fortunes), Isabel Allende (The House of the Spirits), and Margot Lee Shetterly (Hidden Figures); an art book and zine fair at MOCA; a poetry, art, and music event at Karamu House; and the 82nd annual Anisfield-Wolf Book Awards at the State Theatre. This Saturday, the Cleveland Flea will also host a "#CBW2017 Edition" featuring a pop-up bookshop with rare books and first editions, plus a literary cafe where visitors can mingle with local authors.
In addition, those who use public transportation will be treated to some bookish fun on their commute this week. During the morning and evening rush periods, local artists performing poetry and spoken word pieces at RTA stations around town. (Locations include Airport, Cedar, E. 55th St., Little Italy, Shaker Square, Tower City, W. 25th St., W. 98th St. and Windermere.)
To learn more about the awesome literary lineup, click here.
Among the highlights: author talks by Peter Ho Davies (The Fortunes), Isabel Allende (The House of the Spirits), and Margot Lee Shetterly (Hidden Figures); an art book and zine fair at MOCA; a poetry, art, and music event at Karamu House; and the 82nd annual Anisfield-Wolf Book Awards at the State Theatre. This Saturday, the Cleveland Flea will also host a "#CBW2017 Edition" featuring a pop-up bookshop with rare books and first editions, plus a literary cafe where visitors can mingle with local authors.
In addition, those who use public transportation will be treated to some bookish fun on their commute this week. During the morning and evening rush periods, local artists performing poetry and spoken word pieces at RTA stations around town. (Locations include Airport, Cedar, E. 55th St., Little Italy, Shaker Square, Tower City, W. 25th St., W. 98th St. and Windermere.)
To learn more about the awesome literary lineup, click here.
For decades, the hot topic among Clevelanders has been “what to do with the city’s lakefront,” comparing Cleveland’s lakefront use, or lack thereof, to other Great Lakes cities like Chicago, Milwaukee, and even Buffalo.
With the groundbreaking of Harbor Verandas at North Coast Harbor last Tuesday, Aug. 29, the City of Cleveland and Cumberland Development are proving that lakefront community living is a feasible reality.
Cumberland CEO Dick Pace says the development of North Coast Harbor as a mixed-use community has been a concept in the making since the 80s when George Voinovich was mayor and backed a lakefront development plan.
Read about how North Coast Harbor is taking shape as a lakefront community here.
Despite its storied past as a historic grand mansion and Cleveland's first public art museum, Olney House & Gallery has long sat abandoned at 2241 W. 14th St. in Tremont—until now. A comprehensive restoration effort is almost complete, bringing the two buildings back to their original 1800s glory. Read about the restoration process here.
While we could all use a transformative trip to the Heinen's Rotunda every now and then, most grocery shopping trips aren't always the ideal use of one's time. Enter Instacart, a popular same-day grocery delivery service that is set to expand to Cleveland in early September. More than 764,000 households in 71 local zip codes will have access to the service, which allows reluctant grocery shoppers to place orders online or via mobile app from Heinen's, Costco, CVS, and more for delivery. The expansion will also create 100 new jobs for Instacart shoppers, who fulfill and deliver the orders.
“Over the past year, we’ve seen incredible demand in the Cleveland area,” explains Andrew Nodes, Instacart's Vice President of Retail Accounts. “We work with a variety of local retailers to provide the freshest, highest quality groceries to our customers. Expansion into Cleveland gives us an opportunity to expand service in the Ohio market. We’re also excited to build a world-class shopper community, where we can offer fun and flexible income earning opportunities for our shoppers, who ultimately deliver this amazing service to the community.”
First time users can enter the code HICLEVELAND at checkout until 11/1 to get $25 off orders of $35 or more, plus a free first-time delivery.
“Over the past year, we’ve seen incredible demand in the Cleveland area,” explains Andrew Nodes, Instacart's Vice President of Retail Accounts. “We work with a variety of local retailers to provide the freshest, highest quality groceries to our customers. Expansion into Cleveland gives us an opportunity to expand service in the Ohio market. We’re also excited to build a world-class shopper community, where we can offer fun and flexible income earning opportunities for our shoppers, who ultimately deliver this amazing service to the community.”
First time users can enter the code HICLEVELAND at checkout until 11/1 to get $25 off orders of $35 or more, plus a free first-time delivery.
The ever-evolving Towpath Trail now includes a small but mighty quarter-mile stretch from Sokolowski's University Inn to Hart Crane Park (near Merwin's Wharf) with a passageway under the Inner Belt Bridge.
A new 17-acre green space is coming around the proverbial bend, and the Plain Dealer says it has the potential to take Irishtown Bend from "weed-infested wasteland" to "one of the most spectacular urban parks in the Great Lakes." After much anticipation, finalized plans for the Irishtown Bend project are being unveiled this week—a joint effort of LAND Studio, the Port of Cleveland, the City of Cleveland, and Ohio City Inc. Key proposed components range from a treetop canopy walk to the Ohio City Farm to a maritime promenade, as well as a "history and ecology zone."
Join designers Michael Baker International and CMG this Thursday 8/31 for a public meeting during which attendees can view and provide feedback on the plans. The meeting will be held at 5:30 pm in the St. Ignatius Breen Center in Ohio City (2008 W 30th St, Cleveland, OH 44113). Admission is free and all are welcome. For more information, please contact Carrie Miller at cmiller@ohiocity.org.
Join designers Michael Baker International and CMG this Thursday 8/31 for a public meeting during which attendees can view and provide feedback on the plans. The meeting will be held at 5:30 pm in the St. Ignatius Breen Center in Ohio City (2008 W 30th St, Cleveland, OH 44113). Admission is free and all are welcome. For more information, please contact Carrie Miller at cmiller@ohiocity.org.
Meet the movers and shakers who are putting Cleveland on the map for the next wave of technology innovation.
The Associated Press called it "the most-observed and most-photographed eclipse in history," and Edgewater Park certainly played its part in that—attracting thousands of Northeast Ohioans for a lively lakefront watch party.
Cleveland native Ciara Scott looks to beat the odds as recipient of a Children’s Defense Fund-Ohio scholarship for overcoming adversity in her young life.
Read about Ciara's journey here.
Read about Ciara's journey here.