Guest columnist Marc Lefkowitz, director of Green City/Blue Lake,  reflects on COVID-19's positive impact on the environment and the lessons we can take away moving forward.

If fresh air is the only thing getting you through in this age of social distancing, chances are you're looking for some new spots off the beaten path in order to avoid like-minded crowds. Think outside the box with these five spots, which are lesser known but definitely deserve a spot among the "greatest hits" of Cleveland's great outdoors.
 

Giving birth during ordinary times can be a nerve-wracking experience. Giving birth during a global pandemic? Few words can describe, but it’s sure to disrupt even the most perfectly laid birth plans. That's where CLEBaby comes in.

Our monthly "Free Stamp" feature rounds up the freshest free events in Cleveland. Due to the coronavirus crisis, we changed this to an all-indoors edition. This feature is powered by Cuyahoga Arts & Culture.

Valerie Mayen is used to taking on challenges—after all, the Gordon Square resident has seen her fair share as a two-time “Project Runway” contestant. But Mayen is taking on her biggest challenge yet: producing 2,000 masks to help combat the COVID-19 crisis.

If there’s one thing that Michelle Leyden Nguyen knows for sure, it’s that hypnotherapy works. The one-time night owl is now a devout early riser, thanks to a successful hypnotherapy stint in 2019—and Leyden Nguyen was so inspired that she decided to get certified to do it herself. Now she's helping others steel themselves against COVID-19.

When the going gets tough, Clevelanders band together. As our city navigates uncharted waters during the COVID-19 crisis and pandemic, many organizations and individuals are working hard to make sure no Clevelander gets left behind. 

Though Flannery's Pub may not be able to welcome revelers in usual St. Patrick’s Day fashion due to COVID-19 restrictions, the popular East Fourth Street bar does have something to celebrate today—the addition of a brand-new mural, courtesy of local artist Eileen Dorsey.

FreshWater Cleveland's contributing editor Jen Jones Donatelli shares her experience as one of 30 finalists in this year's round of Accelerate: Citizens Make Change.

FreshWater Cleveland's monthly "Free Stamp" feature rounds up the freshest free events in Cleveland. This feature is powered by Cuyahoga Arts & Culture.

Memes about adulting have pretty much taken over the Internet, but if Candace Swaisgood has her way, the phrase “bad at adulting” will eventually be a thing of the past. In 2019, Swaisgood launched Adulting: A Crash Course, offering skills-based experiential learning for young adults as they make the transition from college students to young professionals.

Yearning for more social outlets in Cleveland? Join the club—Bloom Social Co., that is. The social clubhouse launched this month in Lakewood with an open house and—appropriately enough—a free margarita mixer to commemorate National Margarita Day.

If Lake Erie Ink has anything to do with it, the next generation of comic book and graphic novel talent will be straight outta Cleveland.

The sounds of the Lake Erie Folk Fest will soon fill Euclid's Shore Cultural Centre for the fifth year running.

As the Beachland Ballroom prepares to blow out its 20th birthday candles, the iconic concert venue is morphing into a musical campus of sorts with the forthcoming addition of the Cleveland Rocks Shop.

The newest place for Cleveland's movers and makers to convene is Wildroots Modern Market, making its debut at the Van Aken District Feb. 9.

FreshWater Cleveland's monthly "Free Stamp" feature rounds up the freshest free events in Cleveland. This feature is powered by Cuyahoga Arts & Culture.

After six years, Sofar Sounds is amping up its Cleveland presence to at least 10 shows per month—keeping its ethos of "intimate shows in unexpected spaces" intact.

Like the millions of moviegoers who saw "Black Panther" on its opening weekend in February 2018, Dawn Arrington was captivated by the film’s superhero story brought to life by a predominantly black cast. But unlike most of those moviegoers, Arrington took it a step further to become a hero in her own right.

One year in, Amplio Fitness is shaping up as a unique source of support for Cleveland's LGBTQ community on their path to wellness.