Sometimes, even the most adventurous resident can grow a little too comfortable living in the same city after a while. But one can always find something new to discover if we just dig a little deeper. Lucky for us, a number of smartphone apps will help the explorer in all of us get reacquainted with the city we call home.

It's been four and a half years since the first edition of "Moon Handbooks: Cleveland" was published. Considering all that has taken place in Cleveland during that time, author and Fresh Water managing editor Douglas Trattner says that for the second edition, which was released this week, he went back to the starting gate.

Each summer, throngs of people flock to the streets to partake in arts festivals, art walks and marquee arts events. Many are free and no two are exactly alike. With art mediums that include paintings, sculpture, glassware, photography, leather, jewelry and performance art, there’s something for everybody.

For its recent fundraiser, Zygote Press decided to merge both visual and culinary artists in a unique double billing called The Big Show and Iron Printmaker. The "Iron Chef" style competition featured teams of chefs and artists using "mystery" ingredients to create prints. Fresh Water photographer Bob Perkoski captured all the action.
 

In Scene magazine's recent 'Best of Cleveland' awards, Fresh Water was voted by readers as having the Best Photo Content. All of that credit falls on the shoulders of Bob Perkoski, managing photographer since the online magazine's inception. Here we ask the man behind the lens a few questions.

Talk about hot in Cleveland: The housing market in Tremont is so tight right now that buyers and real estate agents often can be heard complaining there's nothing for sale. Some of that pressure should be alleviated with the rise of new units at Starkweather Place, a 31-unit development that began in 2006, slowed down quite a bit in the recession, and recently revved back up again.

Keith Sutton of Sutton Builders, one of Tremont's original developers, who 25 years ago began building homes here, recently broke ground on six new units. With five already sold, the project is entering the home stretch. He's gearing up for a groundbreaking on the last six units and expects the project to wrap up next year.

"We got hit hard in the recession, but 2013 was a great year for us, especially considering the last five," he says. "This year, there's definitely been an uptick."

The 1,700-square-foot, three-bedroom, two-and-a-half-bath townhomes start at $250,000 and go up from there. Amenities include contemporary design, granite countertops and a deck overlooking the neighborhood. The units are green-built and include a 15-year, 100-percent tax abatement.

"There seems to be kind of a pent-up demand now, so we've even been able to raise our prices a little bit," Sutton says. "With the cost of building going up, we had to."

Why such demand? "I'm told we have a rare commodity. There's just not a whole lot of stuff available in the neighborhood, and we're well suited for that niche."

Sutton also is a partner in Portside Distilling, which just sold out of its first run of canned craft beer. He runs his development company out of a renovated building at East 23rd and Hamilton. He calls it a "business incubator" that has so far lured a flooring company and a plastering company to move into the city from the 'burbs.

Sutton contributes his recent success to the neighborhood's ever-improving dynamics.
 
"It's never been better," he says of Tremont. "Part of why commercial businesses are thriving here is because of the residential component. But people are coming from everywhere. This is truly a destination place."

If you're considering a move to Cleveland, there might be no better means to examine the broad range of residential options than by hopping aboard a City Life tour hosted by Cleveland Neighborhood Progress. In a few short hours, participants enjoy an immersive dive into a number of Cleveland's most in-demand neighborhoods.
 

On Thursday, May 1, Global Cleveland will officially launch its talent attraction campaign at a major event at the Cleveland Convention Center. The event -- like the organization hosting it -- is focused on increasing the population while strengthening the local economy.

Now that we've emerged from our respective huts, it's time to stop squinting towards the sky and go do something. Sure, the usual line-up of outdoor activities awaits -- but aren't there any surprises left in CLE? You bet there are, and we're about to point you in the right direction.

University Circle Inc. has announced plans to construct a $130 million, 20-plus story apartment highrise on the current site of the Children's Museum, as well as surrounding land owned by UCI. The nonprofit has selected Mitchell Schneider of First Interstate Properties and Sam Petros of Petros Homes to lead the development team.

The announcement is the fruit of years of discussion about a luxury residential tower in University Circle. UCI has long set its sights on building such a tower, seeing unmet demand for housing in an area experiencing strong job growth, near 100-percent rental occupancy and growth in commercial amenities.

The project will include about 280 units ranging in size from 720 to 4,200 square feet. The structure will have floor-to-ceiling windows and views of the downtown skyline and Lake Erie. Initial plans call for a building that is 25 to 28 stories tall. The property also will be green-built and offer easy access to public transportation.
 
"There is substantial demand for this type of housing in University Circle," explained Chris Ronayne, President of UCI, in a release. "One University Circle will provide a quality urban design solution that meets a market demand, brings greater density to University Circle and supports neighborhood businesses with new residents. We believe this project will continue the momentum of University Circle and the renaissance underway in Cleveland... One University Circle will be a welcoming gateway to the institutions of University Circle and a home for their employees coming from all over the world.”

In keeping with a luxury urban apartment building, One University Circle will offer concierge services, a fitness center and an indoor pool. The project also will include a green rooftop and other shared amenities. Ronayne says work could begin in 2015, with the first residents moving in two years later.

The Children's Museum currently is seeking a new location in Cleveland that will accommodate its plans for expansion. The developers have announced that they intend to work with the City of Cleveland to craft a community benefits agreement for the project. The agreement will stipulate goals for hiring local and minority tradespeople and working with area high schools to provide internships.


Source: Chris Ronayne
Writer: Lee Chilcote

In Cleveland’s ever-evolving social media community, there is a wide variety of contributors to the civic dialogue. We've complied a list of some of our favorite voices -- a mix of up-and-comers and seasoned vets from different corners of the web who are using their blogs, podcasts and Twitter feeds to give the city a voice.

Issue Media Group publications such as Yonge Street in Toronto, High Ground in Memphis and Model D in Detroit cover "what's next" for urban centers. In this recurring feature, we highlight the top stories in urban innovation from all across our national network.

Deacon Burns, front man for the alternative punk-hop group Kounterclockwise, is the star of a new sci-fi animated movie, “Kounterclockwise in Forever-Land.” Burns, who attended Cleveland Heights High School, worked with Los Angeles-based animator Jim Lujan for more than a year to create the film, which takes place in Cleveland.
 
The movie chronicles the adventures of Burns and bandmate Kaya Rogue through the streets of Cleveland in search of a magical glove that was stolen from the Rock Hall. The project has been a lifelong dream for Burns. “It was just incredible,” he says. “I always wanted to do an animated show and it was a blast. I loved every minute of it.”
 
Burns and Lujas have never met; Lujas actually hasn’t even been to Cleveland. But the two put the film together long-distance. “It just goes to show how far technology has come that we can do this,” says Burns.
 
Forever-Land features scenes from the Lake Erie shore, Coventry and Stevenson’s Bar and Grille in Euclid (renamed the Wandering Eye in the movie). Burns, who was left paralyzed after an accident in 2007, describes the movie as positive, inspirational and for all ages. “Kounterclockwise in Forever-Land is the first-ever disabled hip-hop inter-galactic animated hero that saves the day in a wheelchair,” boasts Burns.
 
The Greater Cleveland Urban Film Festival will sponsor the movie’s big screen premier on April 24 at the Atlas Theater in Euclid.

 
Sources: Deacon Burns, Jim Lujan
Writer: Karin Connelly

Perspectus Architecture recently completed a merger with HFP/Ambuske Architects, bringing five jobs from Beachwood to Cleveland. Perspectus will remain in its second floor offices on the southeast quadrant of Shaker Square, where it has doubled its office space and is in the process of remodeling.

"Our focus is firmly based in healthcare," says Perspectus principal Larry Fischer of both companies. "We saw a lot of advantages in getting together."

Staying and growing at Shaker Square seemed like a no-brainer, he adds. "When we were looking for space, we wanted a venue or neighborhood that had a certain cool factor to it," says Fischer, who has expanded from a single 900-square-foot office to 10,000 square feet on the entire second floor of his building in the past 14 years. "We probably couldn’t afford being downtown in the primary core. There's a lot happening at Shaker Square."

The new offices are just as cool. There are now a total of 36 staffers in the redesigned space. "Being a contemporary firm, we wanted the space to really represent the work we're doing," says Fischer. "We kept a lot of the mahogany moldings and doors, then contrasted them with clean, light walls and contemporary light fixtures. At two ends, we actually exposed the old wood structure. There’s a contradiction of styles that works pretty well for us."

One big change is that Perspectus' new offices now reflect the movement towards open, connected spaces. "That was a big deal to us," Fischer says. "We didn’t want to be in an old, stodgy environment. We also reorganized the studio -- all or our architects worked in teams, but they weren’t sitting in teams. Now they're more organized and have more space. We really wanted to create a space that supported how we work, and that encouraged mentoring, interaction and collaboration."

That open environment goes for the bosses, too. "There are some people that wish I had my own office," Fischer adds wryly. "But I'm out in the open, too."

Fischer praised the Coral Company for its willingness to work closely with the firm to customize the layout. Perspectus employees continue to enjoy "problem-solving walks" around the Square, taking inspiration from the architecture.

Prospectus is headquartered in Cleveland, but also has offices in Columbus and Charleston, West Virginia.


Source: Larry Fischer
Writer: Lee Chilcote

Sometimes a single effort makes a thousand-fold difference. The theory holds true across the North Coast: From one small business that transformed Cleveland's image on the international stage to a silent flock of gleaming blue birds, the 216 is home to projects that while small in scale reap big rewards.