All around us are beautiful sculptural elements, affixed to the very buildings we stroll right by on a daily basis. How many of us notice those angels, faces and gargoyles high up on the friezes of our historic structures? Photographer Bob Perkoski does, and he's assembled a few of his favorite images of them.

Recent grants awarded to the Collinwood and St. Clair Superior neighborhoods are allowing them to proceed with arts- and culture-based projects each hopes will revitalize their communities and boost their economies. The efforts are part of a larger national movement known as creative placemaking.

For 10 years, my husband and I have called Ohio City home, where we are now raising our three young children. This summer, Team Taseff created a “Cleveland Summer Bucket List,” which includes 10 places and activities to explore in Cleveland that are free, fun and close to home.

City of Cleveland officials and non-profit leaders are taking notice of how an improved cycling infrastructure can reshape the future of our city for the better. How the city proceeds with a handful or projects could make or break our momentum.

From Gordon Square to North Collinwood, a definite shift is occurring among young homebuyers, who increasingly are choosing to raise families in the city. Thanks to phenomenal amenities and a growing roster of good schools, Cleveland is becoming downright kid-friendly!

Cleveland has a proud and colorful comic book legacy, which begins with Superman and ends (for now) with Captain America. And that heroic heritage is taken seriously at local comic book shops, where geek is chic and comic book enthusiasts no longer are relegated to the shadowy corners of what's cool.

Over the next few months, a handful of next-gen businesses will begin to open in the Striebinger Block, a prominent building at the intersection of Detroit and W. 29th. Billed as the Hingetown development, the project will act as the hinge between existing Cleveland assets like Ohio City, Gordon Square, and downtown.

With medical marijuana becoming more mainstream every year, backers who favor legalizing it say the moment is ripe for Ohio to join the movement. To that aim, one group is collecting signatures to place the issue on the November 2014 ballot, allowing voters to decide whether or not medical marijuana should be allowed.

Each week, Fresh Fork Market delivers "grab bags" of locally grown ingredients to thousands of subscribers at various drop-off sites around town. From the customer's point of view, the process is a breeze. But ride along with owner Trevor Clatterbuck, as photographer Bob Perkoski did for this slideshow, and you'll see how much work goes into each bag.

Clevelanders are spoiled with an abundance of natural resources -- from water and parklands to wide-open spaces. But that doesn’t give us liberty to be careless about the way we use those assets. We chat with a pair of local "green gurus" to see what we all can be doing to live greener lives.

Three Northeast Ohio architecture firms currently are working within the confines of niche industries like dining, education or healthcare. But far from staunching a designer's creativity, these disciplines are proving a playground where the imagination can run free.

Fresh Water will be taking its annual summer hiatus the next two weeks and will return with a brand new issue on July 18. Enjoy a safe and fun holiday break and we'll see you soon. As always, we thank you for your continued support.

In hundreds of metalworking shops throughout the region, modern-day makers are carrying on a grand tradition that links them to our city's past. Early on, Cleveland produced the most cherished ornamental ironwork. Today, artistic fabricators are using iron and steel as their go-to material when crafting functional furnishings or imposing public art projects.

Stormwater run-off can overflow sewers, flood homes, erode roads and streambanks, and pollute our beloved waterways. Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District is seeking to address these issues with a stormwater management program. Kyle Dreyfuss-Wells, manager of watershed programs for NEORSD, explains what the venture means for the average resident.

Reading Nest is a 30x11-foot art installation on display in the Eastman Reading Garden of the Cleveland Public Library. Designed by CIA grad Mark Reigelman, and produced in collaboration with LAND studio, the massive yet elegant "owl's nest" is constructed from repurposed wood. Bob Perkoski documented the process from start to finish.

Meet Helen Qin and Jesse Mason, a couple whose love for each other is rivaled only by their love of ice cream. After swapping the West Coast for the North Coast, the two launched Mason's Creamery, an ice cream start-up. Since moving to town, they have found Cleveland to be a city that not only loves ice cream, but that supports small business.

It's been four years since Cleveland began allowing residents to keep chickens and one year for Cleveland Heights. Rather than the chicken-induced apocalypse predicted by some vocal critics, neither city has experienced any significant issues. In fact, chickens are improving communities in unexpected ways.

As cities continue to become more bike-friendly, new bike-based businesses are springing up to support the movement. These bike-centric businesses are both banking on and promoting a growing interest in riding, and in the process they are boosting their cities' economies.

East, West, North and South -- it's getting easier and easier to score a hot, fresh and delicious meal from a food truck. In just three years' time, the Cleveland food truck scene has zoomed from 0 to 60, with dozens of rigs scattered all over town. Here's a little help finding them.

While public officials beat the drum for more money to raze vacant homes, others are saying, "Not so fast." Creative developers have crafted a way to renovate homes for as little money as it would take to demo them. The loft-like homes offer a taste of downtown, done on a dime.