Buzz

pittsburgh post-gazette writer 'gets market buzz in cleveland'
In a feature titled, "Getting a Market Buzz in Cleveland," Pittsburgh Post-Gazette writer Diana Nelson Jones compares the West Side Market to her city's eclectic Strip District, as that city plots a course for a grand future marketplace of its own.
 
"Except for the selection of dried beans at Urban Herbs, the West Side Market in Cleveland doesn’t sell anything you can’t find in Pittsburgh’s Strip District. What they have that we don’t have is a grand work of marketplace architecture," she writes.
 
She adds that "the trip prompted many thoughts about what we have and don’t have and led to a rumination on the potential of the Pittsburgh Public Market and the Terminal Building on Smallman Street to be long-term additions to the scene."
 
"As I toured the West Side Market, I caught myself oohing and aahing, wondering why at first and then realizing why -- the intensity of consolidation. It is Wholey’s, Penn Mac, Stamolis, Parma Sausage, Sam Bok, Stan’s, Labad’s, La Prima and every farmers’ market all together in one big teeming, gleaming -- and at times overwhelming -- place."
 
"But the certainty I came away with from Cleveland was that a great city needs a great indoor market scene and any city that still has its old-world market house is blessed, lucky, farsighted or all three."
 
Read the rest of the story here.
 
publication takes a winter road trip to cleveland
Writing for Trib Total Media, Mark Kanny takes his Western PA readers on a winter-themed road trip to Cleveland.

"Perhaps the only way Pittsburgh doesn't mind being beaten by Cleveland is in annual snowfall," he writes. "Located on Lake Erie, Cleveland always wins that contest because of lake-effect precipitation."

"Taking challenge as opportunity, Cleveland Metroparks offers many winter activities, including tobogganing. In addition, there's a free skating rink in University Circle and the local Boston Mills/Brandywine ski resort just south of the city."

Also highlighted are the Rock Hall, Cleveland Museum of Art and Severance Hall.
 
Check out all his great wintertime suggestions here.

author, huff post writer tracks progress of 'sustainable cleveland 2019'
Michele Hunt, who attended the 5th annual Summit of Sustainable Cleveland 2019, is tracking the progress of this bold 10-year initiative, which began in 2009. In a feature for Huffington Post titled "Sustainable Cleveland 2019: A Community of DreamMakers Creating a 'A Thriving Green City on a Blue Lake,'" she offers a comprehensive look at the halfway point.
 
"The people of Cleveland are mobilizing around a compelling vision to transform their communities into a flourishing city. They have the courage to dream a magnanimous vision for their city in the face of tremendous challenges," she writes.

"At the Summit, I was surprised to see hundreds of people from diverse sectors of Greater Cleveland working together. They came from the local neighborhoods, businesses, government, education, nonprofits, as well as advocacy groups from the sustainability community. They were highly engaged, enthusiastic and clearly committed to transforming their vision into reality."

These are not merely dreams, she adds, five years into their journey Clevelanders are delivering on their vision. Their results are impressive:

• Last year the 50-member Climate Action Advisory Committee, published the Cleveland Climate Action Plan, which has six focus areas, and 33 actions Clevelanders can take to strengthen the economy, clean up the environment and improve health and wellness.

• There has been a 50 percent increase in recycling since 2006.

• LEEDCO (Lake Erie Energy Development Corporation) is building the first offshore freshwater wind project in North America in Cleveland.

• Over 200 community gardens and local food initiatives have grown up around the city.

• Cleveland is transforming abandoned buildings and vacant lands into green spaces, local parks, urban gardens, as well as restoring homes.

Read the rest of the green news here.

cleveland goes from butt of hollywood jokes to a hub of innovation
In a lengthy feature titled "Hiding Out in Ohio: Bioscience," Tom Thriveni, writing for the digital mag Ozymandias, covers the burgeoning bioscience industry in Cleveland.

"Just as robotics companies in Pittsburgh and high-speed fiber-optic networks in Chattanooga have helped transform the economies of those cities, bioscience entrepreneurship has reshaped Cleveland’s sagging economy," he writes.

"The [Cleveland Heartlab and Cleveland Clinic] partnership was initiated by the clinic as part of its mission to turn its inventions into commercially viable medical products, generating profits for both parties. To date, besides Heartlab, 66 neighboring companies have spun out from Cleveland Clinic ideas since 2000. All told, the clinic has 525 patents and 450 licensing agreements."

Read the rest of the good news here.

downtown cleveland restaurant week continues thru weekend
This Friday, the seventh annual Downtown Restaurant Week begins. Hosted by Downtown Cleveland Alliance, the promotion runs from February 21 through March 2 and will feature approximately 50 participating restaurants.

Most participating restaurants will offer three-course prix fixe menus for $30, plus $15 lunch option at some restaurants.

“Downtown Cleveland offers a unique experience because of the tremendous density of walkable dining and entertainment options,” says Joe Marinucci, president and CEO of Downtown Cleveland Alliance. “The prix fixe menus offered during Restaurant Week give visitors the ability to pair a first-class meal with unique entertainment options without breaking the budget.”

The list of participating restaurants and menus is updated daily on the Restaurant Week website.

During Downtown Cleveland Restaurant Week, ABM Parking is offering $3 off parking at select locations for Downtown diners. Print out the voucher here by clicking on the icon and present it to the parking lot attendant prior to paying.

Participating parking locations include:
  • Warehouse District – 1371 W. 6th Street (W. 6th & St. Clair)
  • Gateway District -  740 Euclid Avenue (entrance on both Euclid and Prospect Avenues)
  • PlayhouseSquare – 1520 and 1600 Euclid Avenue
RTA’s free trolleys are also a great way to explore town for free. Schedules and additional information are available here.
brite winter fest previewed in indy star
In an article titled "Cleveland embraces cold with Brite Winter Festival of music, art," Indy Star Correspondent Ashley Petry features a preview of this weekend's Brite Winter Festival, to be held in Ohio City.
 
"All winter, Cleveland residents endure cold temperatures and lake-effect snow, but that doesn’t mean they stay cooped up inside."
 
"Instead, the city celebrates blustery weather at the annual Brite Winter Festival. Now in its fifth year, the outdoor event features live music, art installations and carnival games -- along with gallons of free hot chocolate."

"On Saturday, Feb. 15, more than 20,000 people are expected to pack the hip Ohio City neighborhood. The schedule includes more than 70 performances by local, regional and national bands, who will perform on 10 stages, including four outdoor stages."
 
“There are fires outside, outdoor beer gardens and food trucks, and it’s just a magical scene,” said Thomas Fox, the festival’s director of programming and marketing. “It was 19 degrees and a blizzard last year, and we doubled the attendance.”

Read the rest here.

forbes profiles local 'edisons' nottingham and spirk
In an article titled "The Invention Machine: Cleveland Duo Churns Out Ideas Worth Billions," written by Michael Nemeth and published in the March issue of Forbes, the founding partners of Nottingham Spirk are profiled.
 
"The closest thing in America to Thomas Edison’s New Jersey laboratory is a decommissioned Christian Science church in Cleveland. It’s here that John Nottingham, John Spirk and their team of 70 inventors, tinkerers and support staff have cooked up the Swiffer SweeperVac, Crest Spinbrush, Dirt Devil vacuum and nearly 1,000 other patented products. No, nothing as momentous as the light bulb or the phonograph, but in their nearly anonymous way -- even in Ohio, almost no one has heard of them -- Nottingham and Spirk have proven themselves as good at making money as the Wizard of Menlo Park himself."
 
“We’re probably responsible for more patents than any other company our size,” says Nottingham.
 
Read the rest right here.

cleveland metroparks zoo passes million-visitor mark for 21st year in a row
During the calendar year of 2013, 1,123,660 people enjoyed the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo, making it the 21st year in a row that the attraction passed the million-guest mark.
 
Heavy rains brought the total down from the previous year, which welcomed 1,170,443 guests.
 
2014 is shaping up to be another banner year thanks to the new Circle of Wildlife carousel ride and accompanying Nature Discovery Zone in the area known as Savanna Ridge. Both are slated for a late spring debut. The carousel will feature 64 hand-carved wildlife figures and two chariots in a three-season pavilion.
 
Read the rest of the good news here.

though poorly timed, united runs massive business feature in latest in-flight mag
In the latest issue of Hemispheres, United Airlines' in-flight magazine, there was a massive Dossier on Cleveland and the region. These special supplements give readers an in-depth overview of the economic development activities in a region, including the unique initiatives that shape its industry and commerce and the influence it has on the global economy.
 
Read the comprehensive report here.

play house poster draws attention of new york arts blog
In a New York Times Arts Beat post titled “Behind the Poster: Yentl”, writer Erik Piepenburg interviews Cleveland Play House creative director Brian Tatsumi and graphic designer Michelle Berki regarding the compelling artwork for the recent production of "Yentl."
 
Tatsumi shares his vision of keeping the posters stark and eye-catching with a pop of color while Berki wanted to touch upon some of the more gripping moments in the play.
 
“One of the defining moments is where she cuts off her braids and decides to live as a man, so we focused on that. We wanted to show both the male and female sides within one person. That’s where the braid and payos in one hat came from.”
 
Read more of the insightful interview here.

sawyer's trentina kickstarter campaign gets eater's attention
In an Eater.com post titled “Ohio’s Jonathon Sawyer to Launch Kickstarter for Trentina,” writer Hillary Dixler shares Greenhouse Tavern and Noodlecat chef-owner Jonathon Sawyer’s plans to use crowd funding in an effort to raise a little cash for his upcoming Italian eatery, Trentina.
 
Trentina will occupy the 36-seat space previously belonging to beloved Cleveland chef Sergio Abramof, who passed away in 2012. The new restaurant aims to open in May.
 
“[Sawyer] says he's attracted to the idea of a "city-based shareholder system" in which the best customers can really become "benefactors of the restaurant." To that end, he says that he will only be asking for a portion of his overhead costs, to keep the fundraising goal in line with what his Cleveland customers will be able to support.”
 
Check out the full story and Sawyer’s YouTube video about the project here.

cleveland gets noticed as green meetings and events locale
GreenBiz, a publication devoted to helping companies integrate environmental responsibility into their operations, included Cleveland in a recent listing of "Top 10 U.S. Cities for Green Meetings in 2014."
 
Thanks to the massive environmental footprint of air travel, audiovisual equipment, food waste and more, the meetings and event industry is one of the most wasteful sectors in the US.
 
But the news is not all bad, states the article. "A handful of destinations recently debuted new or renovated meetings facilities with an environmental focus, making the new year a particularly exciting one for green meetings."
 
"These 10 cities in particular stand out as top choices for sustainable events in 2014:"
 
10. Cleveland
 
"Last year, Cleveland welcomed two neighboring meeting venues along its revitalized waterfront: the Cleveland Convention Center and Global Center for Health Innovation, which hosts medical events. Both were designed with an eye on sustainability; features include 138 bike racks, water-efficient landscaping, motion sensors and low-flow washroom fixtures. The convention center has a green roof with extensive plant life and soil materials, while the Global Center includes a white reflective roof. Half of the nearly nine-acre site used for the buildings has been preserved as open space, and 97 percent of debris was recycled during construction. The venues are currently seeking LEED Silver certification."
 
"Sustainability is not just addressed in the design of these venues -- sustainability is the design of these venues," says Sarah Blanchard, spokesperson for LMN architects, which designed the facilities. "Displaying the future of health and health care and welcoming visitors from across the globe to a state-of-the-art convention center are civic hallmarks that demand a design centered on efficiency and technology."
 
Read the rest of the green news here.

playhouse square's outdoor chandelier shines bright already
Gizmag, a long-running technology publication, recently highlighted PlayhouseSquare's forthcoming outdoor chandelier in a feature titled, "World's Largest Outdoor Chandelier to Illuminate Cleveland's PlayhouseSquare."
 
Writing for Gizmag, Brian Dodson states, "PlayhouseSquare in Cleveland's historic theater district is erecting what is claimed as the world's largest outdoor crystal chandelier. With a height of 20 ft (6 m) and comprising some 4,200 crystal pieces."
 
The 20-ft tall chandelier will contain 4,200 crystal pieces and tens of thousands of LED lights and lighting modules. The chandelier will be permanently suspended 44 ft (13.5 m) above the street from a special steel support system.
 
"The biggest surprise is that General Electric, which is designing the chandelier, believes it will stand up to Cleveland's extreme weather."
 
That includes temps that range from -20° F (-29° C) to 104° F (40° C), with winds as high as 85 mph (137 km/h) – not to mention the occasional severe thunderstorm, tornado, and roaming hurricane.
 
The unveiling is scheduled for May 2, 2014.
 
Read the rest of the story here.

huffington post highlights work of cleveland seed bank
In a Huffington Post blog post titled “Galvanized into Positive Action: This Week in Seeding the Change,” contributor Ari Nessel writes of the various projects taking place across the globe in an effort to create a more peaceful and sustainable world.
 
Cleveland gets a nod thanks to the work of Christopher Kennedy and Marilyn McHugh, who together created the Cleveland Seed Bank.
 
“Cleveland is home to a growing local food movement, including urban farms, but lacks a local resource to promote, grow and build a seed saver network. Working with the Cleveland Public Library, The Cleveland Seed Bank will host a number of 'seed libraries' around the city, as well as an extensive social media campaign to educate the public on these resources.”
 
Check out the rest of the post here.

wsj highlights cma's asian collection
In a Wall Street Journal article titled “Cleveland Gives Asia Its Due,” writer Lee Lawrence details the recently completed eight-year, $350 million renovation and expansion at the Cleveland Museum of Art.
 
Lawrence writes of Cleveland’s reputation for having one of the country’s finest Asian collections, while noting that many of the works were squeezed into less frequented spaces in the basement.
 
“The art now has the crowd-attracting galleries it deserves," he writes. "Taking up the entire west and half of the north wings, a suite of large, airy galleries accommodates close to 600 treasures, some 10 percent of the museum's Asian holdings.”
 
The piece goes on to detail various time periods and geographical locations of the vast Asian collection.
 
Check out the full story here.

cleveland foundation to commemorate centennial year with gifts to community
This month, the Cleveland Foundation -- the world’s first community foundation -- officially kicked off its year-long centennial celebration by unveiling the first in a series of monthly “Cleveland Foundation Day” birthday gifts.
 
The foundation's first gift is a day of free ridership for all on the Greater Cleveland RTA, which takes place today, Thursday, Jan. 16.
 
“We feel the best way to honor our 100th birthday is to give back to Greater Cleveland, to celebrate the generations of donors who have supported us through the years and partnered with us to give $1.7 billion in grants to our community,” Ronald B. Richard, president and CEO of the Cleveland Foundation said in a statement. “Through the organizations involved in our monthly surprise gifts, we’ll be highlighting community assets the foundation and our donors have played a role in building or enhancing through the years.”
 
Upcoming “Cleveland Foundation Day” birthday gifts will be announced on or around the second of each month.
 
Established in 1914, the Cleveland Foundation is the world's first community foundation and one of the largest today, with assets of $1.86 billion and 2012 grants of $91 million.

botanical garden enjoys busiest year on record
In 2013, the 83-year-old Cleveland Botanical Garden attracted more people than ever to its University Circle properties. During the past 12 months, 188,669 people visited the Garden, marking a 17 percent increase over the prior year’s record attendance figure of 160,000. It marks the sixth straight year of attendance increases.
 
Garden President Natalie Ronayne attributes the growth to the success of two new seasonal events, Big Spring and the holiday spectacular Glow.
 
“It’s really great to see Northeast Ohioans embracing the Garden as relevant to their lives,” Ronayne says. “One of the most appealing things about the Garden is that it can be many different things to many different people -- a place of celebration, a place of solace, a place for making new family memories. I love that people are taking advantage of that.”
 
Next up on the schedule for the Garden is the 11th annual Orchid Mania, slated to run February 1 through March 9.

cleveland, the next brooklyn, says forbes
In a CNN Money feature titled "The Fortune Crystal Ball," the publication offers up its prognostications for the coming year, among them: Which cities will be the next Brooklyns, and which the next Detroits. Spoiler alert: Cleveland is pegged as a "Brooklyn."
 
"The American geography of prosperity has been driven by two big narratives in the past few years. On the one hand, there's Detroit, with its $18 billion in debt, pension mess, and population loss. On the other, there's Brooklyn, with its rocketing real estate prices, hip-luxe condos, and freshly foraged food stores," notes the money pub.
 
So, just what cities are deemed a "breakout town"?
 
New Brooklyns
 
Cleveland. The city is in the midst of a downtown revival that has seen not one, not two, but three Williamsburg-esque neighborhoods emerge: Tremont, Ohio City, and Gordon Square.
 
Odds of it becoming the "next Brooklyn" are placed at 63%.
 
Read the rest here.

'best things in cle' called out in atlantic cities
In an Atlantic Cities end-of-year feature titled “The Best Thing My City Did This Year,” the editorial staff highlighted the Cleveland Museum of Art birthing a magnificent new atrium that doubles as public gathering space as one of the major highlights of the year for the city.
 
"My Cleveland 2013 was full of energy, risk-taking and community-based huzzahs. Culturally, high came to mass at both the Cleveland Museum of Art, where a stunning new atrium became our public gathering place, and the Cleveland Orchestra did a neighborhood-based residency,” shares Anne Trubek, founding editor of Belt magazine.
 
Other items of note mentioned include developments in Waterloo, St. Clair-Superior, and Detroit-Shoreway that will build the foundation for 2014.
 
Check out the full piece here.

two cleveland eateries make top 15 list of 'most memorable restaurant meals'
Larry Olmsted, the weekly "Great American Bites" restaurant columnist for USA Today, eats out a lot, and his yearly Forbes list of standout restaurant meals from the past 12 months is filled with choice bites from around the globe. Two out of the 15 are meals in Cleveland spots.
 
"One reason these lists remain pertinent is because unlike most food publications, I don’t confuse 'new' with good, and just because I ate someplace this year for the first (or fifth) time doesn’t make the restaurant better or worse. What matters is simply how good the restaurant is," he writes.
 
Red, The Steakhouse
 
"Red succeeds at the high-end steakhouse game – where so many others fail -- by getting four key things right. 1. They make a great steak, using exclusively Certified Angus Beef that is mostly dry aged, and cooking it perfectly. 2. The appetizers are amazing, especially the Oysters Rockefeller and Red House Salad. 3. The classic steakhouse sides are perfected, like creamed corn and the only mac & cheese I have ever had that might actually be too rich, as the four cheese blend includes creamy Swiss raclette – and is offered with or without lobster. 4. The desserts are stunners and the Apple Pie Croissant bread pudding was OMG!"
 
Greenhouse Tavern
 
"Chef-owner Jonathon Sawyer is a hometown hero in Cleveland for his eateries, and if you visit his flagship Greenhouse Tavern it is easy to see why. He does many of the trends that are being embraced from Portland to Brooklyn, but he does them better: he makes an extensive array of his own vinegars, breaks down his own pigs and cows for snout to tail eating and completely embraces local farmers and ingredients. But while many pay lip service to these ideals he lives them, and the food shows. It is fun and wacky fine dining that puts twists on classics from around the world: his lunch menu includes a take on iconic Quebecois poutine called “gravy frites,” which covers a platter of fries with mozzarella curds, veal gravy and sometimes fried eggs. He has gotten a lot of press for his “Properly butchered rib steak,” cut in house of course, but the must-have signatures are the crispy chicken wings confit and roasted pig’s head served with little brioche buns to make your own pig’s head sliders.
 
Check out the entire list here.