Ohio City
For most people, mushrooms bring to mind a pizza topping or another culinary dish (or even an invasive lawn growth). But Chris Maurer, principal architect and founder for redhouse studio in Ohio City, sees mushrooms—or mycelium, the organism that sprouts to fruit mushrooms—and thinks building materials.
For the first time in Cleveland, two local female chefs have been named semifinalists for the James Beard Awards. Chef Karen Small, owner of The Flying Fig, and chef Jill Vedaa, co-owner of Salt, are two of 20 chefs in the Great Lakes division, having made it to the semifinals from 20,000 entries in 21 categories. Read more about how Vedaa and Small attained this culinary honor here.
As anyone who attended the Cavs championship parade knows, the Land knows how to throw a party—and with multiple centennial celebrations over the past few years, there has certainly been a lot to celebrate. The party continues into 2018 as a number of Cleveland institutions, organizations, and businesses mark major milestones.
Cleveland native Nikki Yeager was tired of people making comments that her son should dress more "like a boy," so she decided to do something about it by launching Every Bean Boutique—a gender-neutral line that's part of a larger movement to remove traditional labels from children's clothing. Learn more about Yeager's mission here.
From Eliot Ness to T.I.T.U.S., the Molchan family business has grown immensely. Since opening Perplexity Games back in 2016, the business (currently ranked as TripAdvisor's top escape room in Cleveland) has grown from 3,000 square feet to 4,500 square feet. The number of game offerings has also increased, with the addition of "Clockwork Caper" and "T.I.T.U.S." in addition to the original "Eliot Ness Investigation." Learn more about this place for escape artists here.
With 2018 in sight, Cuyahoga Arts & Culture (CAC) is again poised to make a significant impact on local non-profit arts organizations with $12 million in grant funding. While many associate Cuyahoga County's arts and cultural scene with the well-known institutions that receive general operating support, the smaller organizations that receive project support are often unsung heroes making a difference in their communities.
In another step forward on the Irishtown Bend project, The Port of Cleveland and NOACA applied for a federal $11.5 million Infrastructure For Rebuilding America (INFRA) grant earlier this month. The grant would install bulkheads and stabilize 1,400 linear feet of the hillside along Irishtown Bend and save maritime commerce along the Cuyahoga River from shutdown if the hill collapses.
Read more about the grant application and what it means for Irishtown Bend here.
Read more about the grant application and what it means for Irishtown Bend here.
One wouldn't guess by its industrial past, but Cleveland has surprising ties to the roots of urban farming in America—and they're on full display at these local farms, which were spotlighted recently at the global Meeting of the Minds conference. See why Chateau Hough, Green City Growers, Rid-All Green Partnership, and Ohio City Farm are now serving as a blueprint for MOTM experts to apply in their own cities.
Fresh Water's monthly "Free Stamp" feature rounds up the freshest free events in Cleveland.
Ever dream of helming a museum? You're not alone. This New York Times article puts the spotlight on collectors who've been there and done that, including Cleveland's very own Fred and Laura Bidwell. In the story, Bidwell details the process behind mounting Transformer Station and the deal they struck with the Cleveland Museum of Art to keep their legacy alive long after their tenure:
After Fred Bidwell sold his advertising firm to WPP in 2010, he began to think seriously about opening a contemporary art museum for the collection that he and his wife, Laura, had amassed. As a result, the Bidwells bought a 1920s power plant on Cleveland’s West Side, renovating and expanding the property to create Transformer Station.
Mr. Bidwell, 65, said the initial cost in 2013 was $2.5 million to $3 million — not including what the couple paid for the artwork — and that annual expenses were about $250,000. He said he knew that running the building and managing the museum and its exhibitions would be challenging, so he struck a deal with the Cleveland Museum of Art, where he is a trustee. The Bidwells makes their exhibition space available to the museum for half of the year.
“We were a little naïve about how much work this would be,” Mr. Bidwell said. “When we lend our galleries to the Cleveland Museum of Art, we challenge them to do exhibitions that are more daring than they normally would.”
Read the full text here.
After Fred Bidwell sold his advertising firm to WPP in 2010, he began to think seriously about opening a contemporary art museum for the collection that he and his wife, Laura, had amassed. As a result, the Bidwells bought a 1920s power plant on Cleveland’s West Side, renovating and expanding the property to create Transformer Station.
Mr. Bidwell, 65, said the initial cost in 2013 was $2.5 million to $3 million — not including what the couple paid for the artwork — and that annual expenses were about $250,000. He said he knew that running the building and managing the museum and its exhibitions would be challenging, so he struck a deal with the Cleveland Museum of Art, where he is a trustee. The Bidwells makes their exhibition space available to the museum for half of the year.
“We were a little naïve about how much work this would be,” Mr. Bidwell said. “When we lend our galleries to the Cleveland Museum of Art, we challenge them to do exhibitions that are more daring than they normally would.”
Read the full text here.
Cleveland’s most notable food institution is enjoying a renaissance. In mid-September, the West Side Market welcomed eight new retailers, bringing the market to 94 percent occupancy.
A kitchen window, lined with handwritten paper order tickets, might be one of the first images that comes to mind when one is asked to visualize a restaurant, but—like virtually every other industry—the food service business is going increasingly paperless. Slim and agile touchscreen tablets have replaced clunky countertop computers as the point-of-service (POS) system of choice, and many are relying on technology for other aspects of service, from reservation management to food delivery.
Nowhere in Cleveland may this embrace of technology be more evident than Saucy Brew Works. The Ohio City brewery and pizzeria recently was one of three national "Toasty Award" winners named by Toast, the mobile, cloud-based POS system it uses to manage its day-to-day operations. Saucy Brew Works took home top honors in the "Masters of Technology" category.
For weeks, curious and hungry pedestrians have been popping into the new Ohio City BBQ, only to be turned away by owner Nav Singh, who assures the Memphis-style barbeque joint will be opening any day now in the former Ohio City Tattoo space at 3829 Lorain Ave.
Find out when Ohio City BBQ will open and what the menu holds in store here.
Find out when Ohio City BBQ will open and what the menu holds in store here.
Fresh on the heels of the long-awaited opening of Marble Room Steaks & Raw Bar comes another establishment in the historic Garfield Building that fans have been anticipating. Today Harness Cycle's second location opens next door on the corner of E. 6th Street and Euclid Avenue.
Read more about the downtown version of the Hingetown spinning studio here.
Read more about the downtown version of the Hingetown spinning studio here.
A new 17-acre green space is coming around the proverbial bend, and the Plain Dealer says it has the potential to take Irishtown Bend from "weed-infested wasteland" to "one of the most spectacular urban parks in the Great Lakes." After much anticipation, finalized plans for the Irishtown Bend project are being unveiled this week—a joint effort of LAND Studio, the Port of Cleveland, the City of Cleveland, and Ohio City Inc. Key proposed components range from a treetop canopy walk to the Ohio City Farm to a maritime promenade, as well as a "history and ecology zone."
Join designers Michael Baker International and CMG this Thursday 8/31 for a public meeting during which attendees can view and provide feedback on the plans. The meeting will be held at 5:30 pm in the St. Ignatius Breen Center in Ohio City (2008 W 30th St, Cleveland, OH 44113). Admission is free and all are welcome. For more information, please contact Carrie Miller at cmiller@ohiocity.org.
Join designers Michael Baker International and CMG this Thursday 8/31 for a public meeting during which attendees can view and provide feedback on the plans. The meeting will be held at 5:30 pm in the St. Ignatius Breen Center in Ohio City (2008 W 30th St, Cleveland, OH 44113). Admission is free and all are welcome. For more information, please contact Carrie Miller at cmiller@ohiocity.org.
Welcome to the latest edition of Fresh Water's “who’s hiring” series, where we feature growing companies with open positions, what they’re looking for, and how to apply. Find out who's hiring here.
Macklemore made a number-one song about it. Joanna Gaines is spinning ratings gold for HGTV with “Fixer-Upper.” No doubt the obsession with thrifting, upcycling and antiquing has reached a fever pitch—and City Salvage & Design’s Janice Beckler is living the DIY dream. Beckler has spent more than 50 years training her keen eye for offbeat, eye-catching furniture and items to add unmistakable flair to any decor scheme.
To that end, she and her husband, Doug, have traveled "all over Ohio, buying farm picks, industry picks. Wherever we can find it, we will go. We have a good eye for finding good stuff.”
Five years ago, Beckler decided to share her finds. Calling on 30 years of teaching experience and a background in customer service and design, she opened City Salvage & Design in Amherst. The shop was so successful that Beckler opened a second location in Ohio City last month.
Find out more about this dedicated DIY-er here.
To that end, she and her husband, Doug, have traveled "all over Ohio, buying farm picks, industry picks. Wherever we can find it, we will go. We have a good eye for finding good stuff.”
Five years ago, Beckler decided to share her finds. Calling on 30 years of teaching experience and a background in customer service and design, she opened City Salvage & Design in Amherst. The shop was so successful that Beckler opened a second location in Ohio City last month.
Find out more about this dedicated DIY-er here.
In Scott Hubay's opinion, there are two kinds of attorneys—those that solve ongoing conflicts, and those that take a shovel to molehill-sized problems before they become a mountain. With a new practice offering legal counsel to political campaigns, Hubay is busy tamping down potentially harmful issues for his clients in real-time.
Hubay's Ohio City-based shop, Hubay LLC, provides Ohio's elected officials, candidates, issue campaigns and nonprofits with legal counsel, compliance services and campaign infrastructure development.
Read about this unique law practice here.
Hubay's Ohio City-based shop, Hubay LLC, provides Ohio's elected officials, candidates, issue campaigns and nonprofits with legal counsel, compliance services and campaign infrastructure development.
Read about this unique law practice here.