Street Level

Flashback: Big Fun returns to original Coventry home as holiday pop-up shop
This holiday season Steve Presser's Big Fun—the nostalgic store selling vintage toys, gag gifts, old-time candy, and funky jewelry—is returning to Coventry Village as a pop-up shop in the store's original location.
Winter spree: Cleveland Orchestra to perform fundraising concert
The Cleveland Orchestra is in the festive spirit and getting ready for its first-ever Winter Spree fundraiser on Tuesday, Dec. 5 at Severance Music Center. The event features a variety of local vendors, Orchestra performances of selections from "The Nutcracker" and "The Snow Maiden" and dinner in the Bogomolny-Kozerefski Grand Foyer.
Climate and Community Champions Celebration: Global Shapers celebrate 10 years of making an impact
Last week, the Global Shapers Community Cleveland Hub celebrated with Black Environmental Leaders its 10th year of working toward improving the climate and changing the community for the better at its 4C: Climate and Community Champions Celebration at the Pivot Center for Art, Dance and Expression.
Holiday escape route: Kimpton Schofield offers respite during the holidays
While the holidays can be a wonderful time with family and other loved ones to celebrate the season, sometimes everyone needs an escape. The Kimpton Scofield offers family suites for respite and quality downtime to recharge.
Prix fixe: It’s time to chow down at local eateries during Cleveland Restaurant Week
Cleveland Restaurant Week is in full swing, brought to you by Cleveland Independents and running through Saturday, Nov. 18. Get out and enjoy special three-course, prix fixe dinners created by more than 30 locally-owned, independent restaurants. Mallorca Restaurant owner Laurie Torres gives FreshWater readers the scoop on what's on the menu.
The Golden Age on E. 49th: The cultural melting pot
Ralph Horner recalls the ethnic mix of the residents living in the Goodrich-Kirtland Park neighborhood in the 1950s, reaching racial harmony, and his discovery of photos of his old neighborhood at the Cleveland Public Library.
The Golden Age on E. 49th: Close friends coming of age together, then traveling separate paths
Ralph Horner reflects on coming of age in the old neighborhood, and how culture and experiences influenced the different paths he and his friends chose in life.
Día de Muertos: A day to celebrate and reflect in the Gordon Square Arts District
Cleveland Public Theatre, Teatro Público de Cleveland, and Día de Muertos Ohio will present the 19th Annual Día de Muertos Festival this Saturday—a celebration that integrates harvest festivities and gathering family to remember past family and friends.
La vida hermosa: Omara Portuondo to perform tomorrow at Cleveland Museum of Art
Grammy award-nominated vocalist Omara Portuondo—most known for her lead vocals with the Buena Vista Social Club—will perform at the Cleveland Museum of Art on Wednesday during a stop on her Farewell World Tour VIDA 2023.
The Golden Age on E. 49th: Staying out of trouble at the Rainey Institute
Ralph Horner recalls the melting pot of friends he grew up with on East 49th Street in the 1950s—a group who regularly met to play basketball and try to stay out of trouble at the Rainey Institute on East 55th Street.
Six emerging writers named to Literary Cleveland’s Breakthrough Writing Residency
Six writers have been named to Literary Cleveland's 2023-24 Breakthrough Writing Residency cohort, in which they have free yearlong mentorship, support, and opportunities to develop book-length projects.
Time traveling: Sculpture Center hosts artist Daniel Arsham’s ‘Score and Sound’
World-renowned artist and native Clevelander Daniel Arsham will debut his first solo exhibit, "Score and Sound," at The Sculpture Center next week—which features iconic, eroded sculptural relics that reflect on the material and cultural histories of everyday objects.
Cleveland Play House presents adaptation of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein for Halloween
Just in time for Halloween, Cleveland Play House presents a reimagined adaptation of “Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein”—a haunting and highly theatrical adaptation of the classic horror story.
Three things you should do this weekend
There's a lot happening in the CLE this weekend! It's sometimes hard to keep track of all the weekend entertainment and activity options, so we chose three not-to-miss events hosted by Lake Erie Ink, 78th Street Studios, and Towards Employment.
The Golden Age on E. 49th: The rules of the game on the playground
In Ralph Horner's newest Golden Age installment, he recounts the odd rules in softball games between the factories surrounding the Superior-Luther Playground and a game of one-on-one basketball with this "old-school" father.
Upward trend: Business and leisure visits to Cuyahoga County up by 12%
Destination Cleveland announced yesterday that business and leisure travel generated 17.9 million visits to Cuyahoga County in 2022—a 12% increase over 2021 and the second straight year for visitation growth in the county—outperforming state and domestic U.S. visitations.
Local author examines JFK assassination, conspiracy theories in 'JFK, Oswald and Ruby'
Shaker Heights attorney, judge, and author Burt W. Griffin just published his book about the 1963 assassination of President Kennedy, Lee Harvey Oswald’s involvement, and Jack Ruby's motivations.
Spiritual beauty: Tremont History Project to host Historic Church Tour series
The Tremont History Project, a group of amateur historians and volunteers from the south side neighborhood who have been collecting and documenting Tremont history, is hosting tours of four historic Tremont churches over the next four weeks.
Tales of Terror: Tours of Cleveland to share spooky stories of horror and tragedy in October
Tours of Cleveland founder Scott O'Con wanted to cover something different than the usual haunted house tours and spiritual sightings in his October walking tour series. So, in Tales of Terror, he focuses on Cleveland's true tragedies, murders, and disasters spanning the 19th and 20th Centuries.
Golden Age on E. 49th Street: Bulking up, neighbor relations, and joyriding in the neighborhood
In Ralph Horner's newest column series, "The Golden Age on East 49th Street," he writes about his childhood and life lessons learned in Goodrich-Kirtland Park in the 1950s.