as gay games approach, cleveland increasingly in lgbt spotlight
EDGE, the largest network of online gay publications, recently published a lengthy look at Cleveland as the city prepares for the Gay Games. The feature, titled "Cleveland Prepares for Its Gay Close-Up," covers a lot of ground, giving our city a welcome nod of approval in a myriad of topics.
 
"For years Cleveland has been known among visitors as the home of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum. Next year, Cleveland will add another notable event to its history when it hosts Gay Games 9," writes Heather Cassell. "I was instantly charmed by Cleveland. The Midwestern city is endearing and modern at the same time that it celebrates its history."
 
"It’s not a plain vanilla city," David Gilbert of Positively Cleveland is quoted in the piece. "There’s a real sort of grittiness and a little bit of a quirkiness about Cleveland that makes it really a special place to visit."
 
"It’s a great thing for gay people and it’s an excellent thing for Cleveland," adds Jim Miner, who owns the Clifford House Bed and Breakfast. "I’m glad they picked the Midwest place. It’s going to rock a few people’s boats a little bit, but so what?"
 
Read the rest of the good news here.

st. louis food writer eats his way through the north coast
Reporting for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, food writer Ian Froeb shares details of his recent visit to Cleveland, where he enjoyed stops at Greenhouse Tavern, West Side Market, Cleveland Museum of Art, and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum.
 
“Another Cleveland must is the West Side Market. This gorgeous (inside and out) building houses more than 100 vendors including more butcher shops than you ever thought could fit under a single roof. “
 
Read the full story here.

san fran dining editor praises cleveland food scene
Michael Bauer, the influential restaurant critic for the San Francisco Chronicle, recently penned a feature titled "Cleveland is a city that rocks to food."
 
"Last week I spent a few days in Cleveland, looking at a half-dozen high-profile restaurants. I wish I could have done more," is how Bauer kicks off the lengthy travel piece.
 
During his visit, the food editor and restaurant critic hit Sokolowski's, Dante, Greenhouse Tavern and the Velvet Tango Room, where "I had the best whiskey sour I can remember."
 
Of course, he also visited the West Side Market: "I also fell in love with the West Side Market, a city-owned facility that has been in business for more than 100 years."
 
He concludes the piece with this nugget: "Cleveland has the energy of a food town on the rise. And, for anyone who loves music and rock and roll -- after all, it’s the home of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame -- it’s a city worth checking out."
 
Read it all right here.

 
cle's start-up friendly landscape featured in atlantic cities piece
In an Atlantic Cities feature titled "The Passion of Young Cleveland," New York-based writer Nona Willis Aronowitz covers both the start-up friendly nature of Cleveland as well as its political importance.
 
"Cleveland is one of those Rust Belt cities that's too often held up as a symbol of the fall of American industry, but a critical mass of diehard young Clevelanders are either staying or coming back to turn the place around. While I was there, I heard two common reasons why Cleveland natives were staying loyal: It's an ideal place to start a business or a new project, given the low overhead and unusually strong, cohesive community support. But it's also in one of the most politically influential places in the country, in a bellwether, "real America" state that offers young people an opportunity to move the national needle."
 
In the feature, the writer chats with Ohio City developer Graham Veysey and his girlfriend, Marika Shiori-Clark, who says that it's “much easier to be an entrepreneur here. There’s a much lower threshold in terms of risk and price."
 
Read the rest right here.

 
local printing co.'s record-setting blaze covered in new york daily news
In a New York Daily News feature titled "Cleveland’s burning: 21 set themselves on fire for Guinness World Record," writer Doyle Murphy covered Hotcards' sizzling attempt to raise awareness -- and funds -- by setting the most people ablaze simultaneously.
 
"Cleveland printing company Hotcards staged the spectacle as a fiery fundraiser on the banks of the Cuyahoga River, a waterway once so polluted it famously caught fire in 1969," Murphy writes.
 
“We take a lot of heat in Cleveland as the Burning River City," Hotcards’ CEO John Gadd is quoted as saying. "Yet, it became the catalyst for a lot Cleveland pride, including environmental movements, breweries, and a whole lot of 'Hot in Cleveland' fame. It’s a unique part of our legacy that we can embrace and give new meaning with such a magical spectacle.”

Read the rest of the hot news here.

cleveland international piano competition tops in writer's book
In a Huffington Post article titled "Ranking Summer's Classical Music Competitions: Cleveland Comes Out on Top," writer Laurence Vittes says that among all of the summer classical music competitions he attended this year, the Cleveland International Piano Competition was the undisputed champion.
 
"Between the middle of June and the first week of August, I attended major classical music competitions in Montréal, Indianapolis, Fort Worth and Cleveland," writes Vittes. "In the end, it was two titanic performances in the concerto finals, with the participation of perhaps the country's greatest orchestra and hall combination, which separated the Cleveland International Piano Competition from the rest of the pack."
 
"Severance Hall, where George Szell once led another era's mighty Cleveland Orchestra, hosted the finals," he adds. "It's an awesome, iconic hall that during the Competition was like hearing the music being almost spontaneous combusted by a phalanx of young pianists who played Rachmaninoff, Tchaikovsky, Prokofiev, Chopin and Beethoven relentlessly, with the occasional Bach or Liszt to sweeten up the pot."
 
"Best of all, the connection between conductor Stefan Sanderling, the contestants and the Cleveland Orchestra itself was brilliant, and most brilliant when first prize winner Stanislav Khristenko played the winning Brahms D Minor, and second prize winner Arseny Tarasevich-Nikolaev played Rachmaninov."
 
Read the rest of the score here.

as preview to own bus rapid transit, michigan paper covers rta healthline success
In the Macomb Daily, the paper of record for Michigan's Macomb County, an article titled "Cleveland's bus rapid transit offers glimpse into metro Detroit proposal" gives locals a taste of what they can expect based on Cleveland's success with the HealthLine.
 
Writer Ryan Felton states that, "the Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority has vastly improved public transportation in the region so dramatically that it commonly receives high marks from national groups and observers for making use of its system a breeze."
 
"At the core, the authority’s HealthLine, a 6.8-mile bus rapid transit route that spans bustling Euclid Avenue in this city’s downtown, offers a glimpse of an example that metro Detroit residents could expect from a similarly proposed system the Southeast Michigan Regional Transit Authority has floated in recent months."
 
Calling the BRT system "one of the biggest catalysts for new development" in the area, the RTA's Joseph A. Calabrese states, “In the midst of the worst recession we’ve ever seen, almost everything positive happening is happening on Euclid Avenue."
 
Check out the rest of story here.

d.c. streets covers major policy shift at local planning agency
In a DC Streets Blog post titled "In Cleveland, An Old-School Planning Agency Sees the Light," writer Angie Schmitt writes of the dramatic turn around currently talking place at Northeast Ohio Areawide Coordinating Agency (NOACA), a topic Fresh Water recently covered in depth.
 
"NOACA was so notoriously averse to change and ineffectual that it acquired the nickname NO ACTION," Schmitt writes. "But as impossible as it seemed even a year ago, things are changing at NOACA. They’re changing fast, and for the better. Last year the agency hired a new director, Grace Gallucci, who had been the head of finance for the Chicago Transit Authority. Since the Cleveland native assumed her role at the head of the NOACA, the region agency has adopted a completely different tenor."

Read more about how the local planning agency is shifting gears here.

asiatown neighborhood an example of immigration as job creator
In a Slate post titled “Cleveland Chinese immigration: New people create new jobs,” Matthew Yglesias writes of his experience eating some Chinese food in Cleveland’s “Asiantown” neighborhood -- an area occupied by a growing collection of Asian restaurants and markets.
 
“I had a meal there that probably exceeds any Chinese cooking you can find in DC proper and would count as quite good even by the standards of the more immigrant-heavy suburbs in Rockville or Northern Virginia," the writer boasts.
 
Yglesias goes on to detail how the newcomers create “new jobs” by offering an “authentic experience” that might not otherwise be available. And while opponents to immigration fear “outsiders” might appropriate available jobs, consider the possibility of additional job creation that comes with fixing up buildings and delivering supplies.
 
Check out the full piece here.

waterloo's krege grant in the news
In a Nonprofit Quarterly story titled “Innovative “Placemaking,” Kresge Grant Makes Use of Opportune Moment,” writer Eileen Cunniffe details how the Northeast Shores Development Corp. in Cleveland's Collinwood neighborhood has received a $1 million grant from the Kresge Foundation to support the Waterloo Arts and Entertainment District.
 
“Most of this grant will go toward permanent improvements: creating a ceramics co-op studio, further developing artists’ live-work spaces, and converting vacant spaces into homes for artists. But a portion of the grant will support temporary programming aimed at keeping the district open -- and lively -- during the construction phase.”
 
Cunniffe goes on to outline the mission of the Kresge Foundation’s Arts & Culture program and why they felt the Collinwood neighborhood was a worthy recipient.
 
Read the full story here.

'this is downtown cleveland' video a viral hit
The latest video in the "Downtown is Moving" series by Downtown Cleveland Alliance is, as they say, blowing up on the web. The artfully directed and produced short film by Cleveland-based Fusion Filmworks already has been viewed approximately 40,000 times in under a week. That's more than previous DCA videos have been viewed in one or two years, given the film.
 
Give it a look-see right below.



port of cleveland snags environmental award for clean river
For the second year in a row, the American Association of Port Authorities honored the Port of Cleveland with its Environmental Impact Award, this year for its Cleveland Harbor and Cuyahoga River clean-up.
 
“The Cuyahoga River is cleaner and more beautiful after the first full season of operation for the sister work barges Flotsam and Jetsam,” wrote the AAPA. “They were designed and put into service to restore and protect the environmental quality of the Cleveland waterways, to improve the aesthetic condition of the water­ways and improve overall safety for industry and recreational users of the waterways.”
 
In 2013 alone, the boats have removed more than 133 million pounds of floating debris from the water, including everything from tree trunks to plastic bottles. In the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy alone the twin boats cleaned up more than 40,000 pounds of floating debris.
 
 Will Friedman, President & CEO of the Port of Cleveland, said that Flotsam and Jetsam are just one example of the Port’s commitment to improving the environment, which is part of the Port’s strategic focus on developing civic assets and leading critical initiatives for river renewal and infrastructure improvements.
 
“Clean, attractive, and inviting waterfronts help position our region for the new economy, serving as an economic engine and center of gravity that draws in people who value the water’s natural beauty and allure,” Friedman said. “We at the Port believe that our region’s future is tied to thriving waterfronts, which are directly related to the cleanliness and environmental health of our lake and river.”

cle extends a welcoming hand to immigrants
In a New York Times article titled "Ailing Midwestern Cities Extend a Welcoming Hand to Immigrants," writer Julia Preston highlights cities that have launched programs like Global Cleveland to attract immigrant newcomers and their work skills.
 
"Other struggling cities are trying to restart growth by luring enterprising immigrants, both highly skilled workers and low-wage laborers," she writes. "In the Midwest, similar initiatives have begun in Chicago, Cleveland, Columbus, Indianapolis, St. Louis and Lansing, Mich., as well as Detroit, as it strives to rise out of bankruptcy."
 
"We want to get back to the entrepreneurial spirit that immigrants bring,” said Richard Herman, a Cleveland immigration lawyer who advises cities on ideas for development based on attracting and retaining newcomers.
 
Read the rest here.

toast chefs horvath and plank praised in industry mag
In a Restaurant Hospitality feature titled “Toast: One of Cleveland’s most exciting new restaurants,” editor Michael Sanson highlights the amazing job chefs Joe Horvath and Jennifer Plank are doing at their farm-to-table restaurant in the Gordon Square neighborhood.
 
“Recent menu items that have thrilled diners and critics alike include a rolled egg crepe filled with smoked perch, pickled strawberries and a dill crème fraiche; lamb ribs with pickled red cabbage and cucumber yogurt sauce; and mini French toast topped with sausage, a spicy maple glaze and a fried egg.”
 
The young pair -- recently engaged to be married -- are expats from Jonathon Sawyer’s Greenhouse Tavern and Noodlecat restaurants.
 
Read the full story here.

cle orchestra declared 'world's favorite orchestra' in poll
Bachtrack, the largest online classical review site and concert finder, declared The Cleveland Orchestra as the winner of the "World’s Favourite Orchestra 2013" contest. Following a month of voting, with 11,895 votes for 417 orchestras from 97 countries, Cleveland Orchestra roundly beat the competition.
 
The Cleveland Orchestra took 20.3 percent of the vote, with the next closest orchestra garnering just 12.4 percent of the vote. 46 percent of the votes came from North America and 48 percent came from Europe.

“We want to thank our fans for voting for The Cleveland Orchestra," says Ross Binnie, Chief Marketing Officer of The Cleveland Orchestra. "We have 60,000 social media followers whom we invited to vote, and they clearly were engaged. We are proud to be one of the world’s finest orchestras, thanks to the support of all the communities we serve.”
 
Read the rest of the results here.

art mag covers first cma exhibit at transformer
A feature in the arts-based blog ArtDaily covers at length the latest exhibit at the new Transformer Station in Ohio City, which is the first for co-curator Cleveland Museum of Art.
 
"The Cleveland Museum of Art presents The Unicorn, its debut exhibition at Transformer Station, a new contemporary art venue owned by the Bidwell Foundation on Cleveland's west side. The Unicorn refers to the book of the same title by Martin Walser, an author whose work often questions how humans continually reshape the past."
 
The group exhibition includes the work of five internationally renowned contemporary artists: Neïl Beloufa, Martin Soto Climent, Shana Lutker, Haris Epaminonda and Daniel Gustav Cramer. The work, some created specifically for this exhibition, explore how memory is constructed by individuals looking backwards from a constantly shifting point.
 
Read the rest right here.

huffpo praises efforts by cle orchestra to attract young audience
In a Huffington Post article titled "In Tune With the Next Generation," Jesse Rosen, president of the League of American Orchestras, praises the Cleveland Orchestra's efforts to be the band with the youngest audience.
 
"The Cleveland Orchestra, best known as one of the world's finest orchestras, with an equally outstanding hall and decades of extraordinary musical leadership, now has a new goal: to be the orchestra with the youngest audience. An audacious goal, but by the looks of the audience in Severance Hall last Friday night at the concert I heard, they are well on their way," he writes.
 
"The performance I heard in Cleveland was one of a three-concert set on their opening weekend. The uncompromising programs included works by Mahler, Beethoven and Schumann. Twenty seven percent of the audience at those three concerts were young people. You read that right, 27 percent. I am one year shy of enjoying senior discounts and I can tell you that concerts, like many things, are more fun with young people around. The vibe in the hall was fantastic."
 
Read the rest of the feature here.
ny post explores the local scene, lauds city's 'revival'
In a New York Post feature titled “Cleveland is Seeing a Revival,” writer Jennifer Ceasar explores some of Cleveland’s attractions, which increasingly are garnering attention outside of Northeast Ohio.
 
“If you were an Ohioan back in the early ’80s, you might remember 'New York’s the Big Apple, but Cleveland’s a Plum,' an ad campaign to rebrand the failing Rust Belt town. Though it never stuck, today’s Cleveland is earning laurels for its homegrown talent, like Iron Chef Michael Symon, along with farm-to-table eateries, award-winning craft breweries and cool art spaces.”
 
Some of the writer's many stops included Ohio City, home of Flying Fig, Great Lakes Brewing Company and the Transformer Station, Tremont, which houses some of the city’s best eateries, and University Circle, where many of Cleveland’s top cultural attractions reside.
 
Check out the full piece here.

cle and pit battle it out on bicycles
In a Pittsburgh NPR story titled “Bike Pittsburgh Ahead in Competition with Cleveland Cyclists,” Jessica Nath reports on the friendly cycling competition between the two cities in the National Bike Challenge.
 
"This year, Bike Cleveland challenged Bike Pittsburgh (BikePGH) to see which city could log the most points in the National Bike Challenge, and with four days to go, BikePGH is in the lead."

Bicyclists earn a point for every mile they ride and 20 points for every day they ride. The friendly competition began May 1 and finished up earlier this week.

“There’s really no city that we have a more storied rivalry with than Cleveland, and it seemed to make the most sense demographically -- we really match up really well with them,” said Lou Fineberg, BikePGH program director. “Of course, the big difference is we’re incredibly hilly and Cleveland is very flat.”
 
Cleveland was lagging in the competition, and it looks like victory went to our rivals to the east. However, there's always next year!
 
View the entire story here.

ny post promotes pair of cleveland art museums
In a New York Post feature titled “Hit up Ohio’s many art museums,” writer Jennifer Caesar highlights the wealth of masterpieces one can enjoy in the great state of Ohio, including those exhibited by The Cleveland Museum of Art (CMA) and MOCA Cleveland.
 
"Ohio and the arts are not such strange bedfellows: Flush with cash in the early 20th century -- from industries like steel, rubber and soap -- Cleveland, Toledo, Akron and Cincinnati built grand museums, and acquired masterpieces to fill them."
Highlighted at CMA is the "stellar Islamic art, fine European paintings (JMW Turner, Van Gogh, Monet and Picasso among them) and excellent contemporary pieces by the likes of Christo, Gerhard Richter and Chuck Close."
 
Over at MOCA is, "a rotating series of cutting-edge contemporary art exhibitions (the museum does not have a permanent collection), which lean heavily toward video and performance art."
 
Check out the full story here.