“It’s hard to pinpoint what qualities 20-somethings go for in picking the perfect city," writes Nicole McDermott for the blog Greatist.com. "Sustainability, efficient transit systems, cleanliness, and affordability may make the top of the list.”
 
Coming in at No. 7, Cleveland 's stats are as follows:
 
Average Temp (High, Low): 59, 41
Median Income: $24,687
Average Rent for 1-Bedroom Apt.: $640
Population: 396,815
Median Age: 35.7

"Named one of the best places for new college grads, Cleveland has plenty of job ops (heavy in manufacturing and engineering), and fun for after work. The city, called Beertown, U.S.A. by Draft Magazine, has some favorite breweries like Great Lakes Brewing Company, Thirsty Dog, and Willoughby Brewing. And did we mention it’s the sixth best city for block parties? (We didn’t know there was such a rating, either.) Once you’re tuckered out from hitting all the pubs Cleveland’s got to offer, keep in mind the city came in as the second best to get a good night’s sleep."

Clevelanders can take pride in the fact our fair city ranked higher than popular young adult destinations such as Denver (No. 9), New York (No. 12), Portland (No. 14), and Seattle (No. 18)
 

“Cleveland, Columbus, and Cincinnati are rebuilding their urban cores to lure and retain young professionals," writes Christopher Bentley of The Architect's Newspaper. "These cities are pursuing development strategies that reflect the distinct character of each place. Is it the beginning of a Rust Belt rebound?”
 
In the article titled "Can the Centers Hold? Cleveland, Columbus, and Cincinnati are rebuilding their urban cores in what could be a sign of a Rust Belt rebound," Bentley expresses concern that redevelopment of urban environments are costly and that steps are being taken to ensure scarce dollars are not being wasted. He notes a consensus among leadership that the last thing anyone wants is a repeat of the boom and bust of the recent past.
  
“Everyone kind of expected in the 1990s that if we build it they will come,” said Greg Ward, vice president of Wells Fargo’s Real Estate Group in Cleveland. “Now there are concerned people in the real estate community saying, ‘How do we make sure we don’t fumble this round of big development?’”
 
Cleveland is trying again this time with the Cleveland Medical Mart & Convention Center as well as the New Horseshoe Casino. Downtown rental housing demand is greater than supply fostering the building or redevelopment of new properties. Additional developments are on the way.
 
Read the full story highlighting Cleveland as well as Ohio’s two other major cities here.

Cleveland is getting some international attention as a hot travel destination, as noted in the travel section of Canada’s National Post.
 
"They may not be the first places that come to mind when planning a weekend getaway to the U.S., but the nation’s abundant off-the-beaten-path cities are increasingly turning up on must-see lists," writes Robert Reid, U.S. travel editor for Lonely Planet.
 
“I love Cleveland. It’s such a surprise. It’s got the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame for a reason. The term ‘rock ’n’ roll’ originated in this misunderstood, proud and plain-fun Rust Belt city. The museum is wonderful -- who knew Jimi Hendrix did drawings of college football players? A fun place for breakfast is the century-old West Side Market in Ohio City across the Cuyahoga River from downtown, which caught fire from its polluted waters in 1969. The river has changed too, as life has returned along with kayaks, which offer a unique view of downtown. Apparently Cleveland has more live music venues than Austin, Tex., and the best is Beachland, in east Cleveland, a transformed Croatian social hall that launched careers of bands such as the White Stripes.”
 

The Centennial Gala, to be held on Saturday, Nov. 3, 2012, will officially kick off the Market’s Centennial fundraising campaign. The massive Gala will mark the first day of the next 100 years for Cleveland’s West Side Market.

Co-chaired by Michael Symon and Jonathon Sawyer, the Centennial Gala will also feature a spectacular lineup of national chefs and celebrities.

April Bloomfield, New York City: The Spotted Pig, The Breslin Bar, The John Dory Oyster Bar
Andrew Carmellini, New York City: Locanda Verde, The Dutch (Miami Beach and New York City)
Britt-Marie Culey, Cleveland: Coquette Patisserie
Karen DeMasco, New York City: Locanda Verde
Chris Hodgson, Cleveland: Hodges, Hodge Podge and Dim and Den Sum Food Trucks
Paul Kahan, Chicago: One Off Hospitality Group including Blackbird, avec, The Publican, Big Star, The Violet Hour
Jeff Michaud, Philadelphia: Co-owner Osteria and Amis
Jonathon Sawyer, Cleveland: Greenhouse Tavern, Noodlecat, Street Frites
Michael Symon, Cleveland: Lola, Lolita, Roast (Detroit), B-Spot
Marc Vetri, Philadelphia: Chef and owner, Vetri, Osteria, Amis, Alla Spina
Eric Williams, Cleveland: Momocho, Happy Dog
Paul Minnillo, Cleveland: Flour
Rocco Whalen, Cleveland: Fahrenheit, Rosie & Rocco’s
Andrew Zimmern: Bizarre Foods with Andrew Zimmern; Andrew Zimmern’s Bizarre World; Bizarre Foods America on the Travel Channel

On Friday, Nov. 2 -- the West Side Market’s 100th birthday -- the chefs will shop at the Market to purchase items to use in the dishes they’ll prepare for the Gala. The Gala will take place the following day in the West Side Market. In addition, the event boasts a VIP reception, tasting stations, live music and more.

A limited number of tickets are available for pre-sale here with the remaining tickets going on sale next month. The ticket price is $250 and includes valet parking, tastings of the chefs’ signature dishes, an open bar and commemorative 22-ounce bottles of Butcher’s Brew from Great Lakes Brewing.

For more info, watch this video starring Symon and Sawyer:

"I know a little about farmers markets and fish markets, I enjoy Pike Street Market in Seattle, but I wasn’t prepared for the West Side Market of Cleveland, Ohio," writes Ernie Hawks of the River Journal.

After a visit to the Market, Hawkes wrote, "It has a 45,000 square foot interior concourse, with a ceiling forty-four feet high and corbels carved to look like produce and animals. There is room for nearly one hundred stalls inside. Around the outside is a covered atrium holding another 85 stalls for fresh produce. On one corner is a clock tower over 137 feet tall."

"It is an imposing building to approach but what I found inside was mind-boggling. The smorgasbord available includes Asian, Irish, German, Slovene, Italian, Greek, Polish, Russian, and Middle Eastern foods."

Read the rest of his colorful account here.

FierceHealthcare, the leading source of healthcare management news for healthcare industry executives, recently published a Q and A with Cleveland Clinic Chief Wellness Officer Michael Roizen.

"As Cleveland Clinic's wellness program hits its five-year anniversary, Chief Wellness Officer Michael Roizen says the program is showing real results and returns. FierceHealthcare spoke with Roizen about how the program has affected the patients, the community and employees -- plus previews a patient wellness widget that's in the works."

"Our goal is to help our employees be as healthy as they can be, which obviously will drive down our costs, which drive down the community's costs, which make our communities competitive for jobs," says Roizen.

“Over the last five years, the Cleveland Museum of Art has been at work on one of the largest building programs of any art institution in the country, a $350 million project that has been unveiled in sleek new stages and will be completed by 2013, adding 35,000 more square feet of gallery space," writes Randy Kennedy of the New York Times.
 
"But the museum has also been building in less visible ways and is set to announce on Monday the acquisition of two high-profile ancient artifacts that seem certain to draw attention not only to the institution’s expansion but also to the complicated long-running debate about antiquities collecting by museums," he continues.
 
David Franklin, director of the Cleveland Museum since 2010, is described as having one of the more "staunchly pro-collecting stances among American museums."
 
In defense, Franklin states, “Museums should still be buying antiquities, and we shouldn’t shirk that responsibility, and I think it’s almost an ethical responsibility,” he said. “We don’t want to drive these kinds of objects into private collections forever. Or to see all of them end up abroad.”
 
Read the full New York Times story here.

As experienced Clevelanders, we are well aware of the greatness this city has to offer. But it's always a treat to read the kind words of an outsider who experiences those joys for the first time. Such is the case in this lengthy piece by Patti Nickell from Lexington Herald-Leader.
 
Nickel points out that she, like many others, has never truly considered Cleveland a vacation destination: That is until she took the advice of a friend and decided to visit. 
 
“Then something unexpected happened," Nickell writes. "I had planned to have a brief romance with a city I had never been to, but I wound up falling in love."
 
Over the course of her four-day trip, she dined at some of our most beloved eateries (Greenhouse Tavern, Lucky’s Café, Lola, and L’Albatros), visited some of our favorite places (Cleveland Museum of Art, Greater Cleveland Aquarium, and the Cleveland Botanical Gardens), and had cocktails at the famed Velvet Tango Room.
 
She also visited places we sometimes take for granted such as Severance Hall and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Two fine gems in this great city.
 
Nickell is now a converted Cleveland fan. You can read about her full experience here.

Food Network Magazine has crowned Barroco Grill's delicious Chorizo Arepa the top sandwich in all of Ohio. In a feature titled "50 States, 50 Sandwiches," the Lakewood eatery gets high praise for its Colombian street food.

"Arepas -- thick-stuffed corn tortillas -- have come to Ohio, and locals rave about this chorizo-stuffed one," reads the entry.

To see more of the winners, click here.

Along with New York City, Albuquerque, Long Beach, and Miami, Cleveland was named by Bicycling magazine as an up-and-coming bike city.

"It's no joke," writes David Howard, "The city on Lake Erie has cycling dialed."

"What's to love?" he adds. "For starters, the stretch of bike lane that now runs the length of historic Euclid Avenue, linking the city's two employment hubs. A new towpath just beyond Cleveland's southern border reaches Akron—80 miles away. Plans call for webs of bike paths to unspool east and west as well. To lure tourists in, the Downtown Cleveland Alliance launched a bike-rental program last summer -- it will expand this year into a parking garage with showers and lockers."
 
"And then there's the diversity. In January, a nonprofit unveiled plans to build an indoor velodrome -- the third of its kind in the country and the only one east of the Rockies. The city is home to the vast Ray's Indoor Mountain Bike Park and Pedal Republic, which organizes bike-polo tourneys, tall-bike rides and alley cat races."

Read all the news here.

This on top of the recent good news from HGTV..

While chef Jonathon Sawyer receives the majority of his well-deserved attention for his farm-to-table restaurant Greenhouse Tavern, located on East 4th St., Craig LaBan of Philly.com points out that Noodlecat should be receiving equal praise.
 
In an item titled, "Good road-trip eats," LaBan writes, “Noodlecat, the Cleveland ramen mash-up from chef Jonathon Sawyer, one of the more inventive and personal takes on the ramen trend, infused with good Midwestern ingredients: steamed buns (tempura-fried walleye!), noodle bowls with spicy Ohio corn chowder, matzo balls and brisket.”
 
“Also some killer desserts, including a buttered popcorn pot de crème with salted caramel and a deconstructed S'more (with a smoked chocolate torte) that were almost worth the detour themselves.”
 
Read the full column here.

According to the Midwest Health Care Venture Investment Report, released by BioEnterprise, Cleveland area biotech firms raised $83 million in venture capital the first half of 2012.

Juventas Therapeutics, developer of a pipeline of regenerative therapies to treat life threatening diseases, secured $22 million alone. Pharmaceutical developer Athersys raised $9 million.

Read the entire report here.

The Rock 'n' Roll Marathon Series has grown from a single-city (San Diego) event to a multi-stop series that extends all across and even outside the United States. The unique event merges marathon running with music, as courses are often lined with live music, cheerleaders and themed water stations. Participants often dress up in costumes.
 
The Cleveland half-marathon will take place October 5, 2013. It will start, appropriately enough, at The Rock Hall.
 
From the announcement:
 
"The ideal destination for sports junkies and music lovers alike! Home of the Browns, Cavaliers and Indians and of course the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum. ‘The Cleve’ is sure to have you rockin’ next fall. This flat, scenic course starts at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum will run along Lake Erie, past Tower City, and other iconic landmarks. Bands all along the route are sure to keep you rockin’ for 13.1 miles. Cleveland ROCKS!"
 
Click here for more info or to register.

A travel writer makes a visit to the North Coast and compiles a list of her quirky finds.

"Last month I traveled to northeastern Ohio -- around Lake Erie. The region is shaking its reputation based on the Cuyahoga river catching fire many years ago. Old images are hard to kick, but like other rustbelt cities, Cleveland and its environs is rejuvenating, regentrifying and reclaiming, with lively neighborhoods, farm-to-table restaurants, and a renewed pride in culture and history. 

"Here, a few of my images representing some of the quirky happenings of summer in Ohio. The photos speak for themselves, I think."

Stops include the Greater Cleveland Aquarium, West Side Market, Big Fun, Melt Bar and Grilled, Polka Hall of Fame, and the Duct Tape Festival.

Read it here.

Clevelander Beau Miller is in the process of shooting a film about the popular sax-playing street musician Maurice Reedus, Jr. (who happens to be the son of the late, great Grammy award winning saxophonist Maurice Reedus, Sr.).

Miller and cinematographer John Pope, director Joe Siebert and producer Todd Bemak hope to complete The Sax Man in time to enter it in the 2014 Sundance Film Festival. But to do so, they need to raise some cash.

The good news is that with just a dozen days left to go on their Kickstarter campaign, the group has raised over $20,000 of their $35,000 goal.

Donate a grand and you'll receive an Associate Producer credit in the film. How sweet is that?
 
Click here for more info.

Citing numerous and mounting problems in London regarding the 2012 Olympic Games, this ESPN writer suggests (jokingly, of course) that they be relocated to Cleveland.

Problems thus far include lack of security personel, lousy weather, sluggish ticket sales, transportation woes, and an Opening Ceremony that will feature livestock -- all issues that can be overcome (ostensibly) by moving the games to Cleveland.

"If there’s one city in the world that’s looking to prove itself as a beacon of athletic excellence, it’s Cleveland," writes Steve Etheridge. "Tortured by a 48-year title drought, the city has been yearning for the chance to showcase champions, and with enough stadiums to accommodate any variety of large-scale sporting events, the Olympics could give them the glory they so fervently covet.

"Really, other than the unrelenting rule of a lady in a yellow hat, what does London have that Cleveland doesn’t? A big river? Cleveland’s got that, along with Lake Erie to boot. An efficient public transportation system? Not only does Cleveland have one, but it’s the BEST in North America."

Read the rest here.

"The Cleveland Clinic and Ohio State University agreed yesterday to join forces in fast-tracking the commercialization of health-care technology, signaling a desire to compete less and collaborate more," writes Ben Sutherly for The Columbus Dispatch.

"In addition to health care, cooperation between the two institutions will focus on venture capital, funding and Third Frontier activities," The Dispatch adds.

"Cleveland Clinic Innovations has filed more than 1,600 patents and formed 48 spinoff companies receiving more than $600 million in equity investment, officials said. Cleveland Clinic Innovations and those spinoffs have generated nearly 1,000 jobs. Wexner Medical Center and Ohio State’s College of Medicine have filed 168 patents and have spun off five health-care companies that have secured about $26 million in equity investment. The number of jobs created wasn’t available yesterday."

Read the rest here.

Voting is underway for a $5,000 Do Good Outdoors Challenge grant on the website GOOD Maker. LAND studio is competing against 115 other ideas for outdoor projects that promote social change.
 
"Spending time outside can make us all happier and healthier, and many of us don’t do it nearly enough. That’s why we have $5,000 to help you use the great outdoors to do GOOD in your community."
 
LAND studio's Bike Box concept "will encourage recreational and commuter cycling by providing safe, sheltered bike parking along a busy retail corridor in Cleveland’s Ohio City neighborhood."
 
Made from a locally-sourced, used shipping container and placed in an existing parallel parking spot, will enclose the sidewalk, providing an intimate gathering area and focal point. The bold graphics facing the street will announce the presence of an active bike community. On top will be a living roof.
 
Vote for the idea here until 3 p.m. August 3.

In the lead up to the 8th International Public Markets Conference, which will be held in Cleveland September 21 to 23, the Project for Public Spaces continues to blog about placemaking.

In a recent post titled " You Are Where You Eat: Re-Focusing Communities Around Markets," the writer discusses the importance of public markets like Cleveland's West Side Market.

"If you want to see a Market City in action, you may want to consider attending the 8th International Public Markets Conference in Cleveland this September. Chosen as the host city because of the role that food is playing in its remarkable turnaround, Cleveland illustrates many of the aspects of a Market City, according to David O’Neil."

“From agricultural production areas, to smaller markets, to bigger markets, you can really see things changing in Cleveland,” he says. “For a long time, Cleveland was a Market Town, and now institutions like the West Side Market are leading its post-industrial revival. The WSM isn’t a suburban market, but it’s not right downtown -- it was always a neighborhood market. It’s a good lab for seeing the power that a market can have on its town or district. The Ohio City district has become an attractive place to open up a business because of the market. The effect is becoming so positive that it’s affecting the larger city of Cleveland, itself. The market is becoming a sun, and the city is leaning toward it for oxygen, light, and life.”

Read the rest right here.

Once again, the Cleveland Clinic and University Hospitals performed well in the annual Best Hospitals survey published by U.S. News. Both had numerous nationally ranked programs.

The Clinic, however, snagged top honors in three specialties: cardiology and heart surgery, nephrology, and urology. Overall, the Clinic had 12 specialties in the top five nationally.

Meanwhile, University Hospitals had 12 nationally ranked programs.

Read all the ranking here.