AsiaTown/St. Clair Superior

Bon Appetit takes a CLE foodie tour
From Bon Appetit:

“People ask me why I left Portland, and I tell them that Cleveland now is very similar to what Portland was 15 years ago,” said Robert Stockham, general manager at the city’s premiere coffee roaster, Rising Star. Except Cleveland is a city with its own swagger, and a cost of living so low that Stockham said, “You can buy a house for less than a car, and you should never pay full retail price for anything here.” Also: Cleveland is the place for a hipster hotdog hangout that puts Froot Loops on its dogs, a brewery that has residents lining up for Christmas-spiced beer, and one of the world’s best symphony orchestras. Come hungry, and let Stockham be your guide.

Take his whole tour here.
 
Lackey Guitars puts a new spin on vintage boxes, vinyl art
From vintage Springsteen covers to old cigar boxes, David Lackey reanimates objects by transforming them into handcrafted one-of-a-kind guitars.
Forward Cities convenes in Cleveland
Last week in Cleveland, some 200 Forward Cities attendees from across the nation explored strategies that foster entrepreneurship and social innovation in minority communities.
Upcycle Parts Shop engages the community though creative reuse
A conversation with Nicole McGee about the Upcycle Parts Shop and her work as a community organizer, fundraiser, and creative reuse artist.
 
Turning back from the edge
Fresh Water contributor Brandon Baker uncovers compelling success stories from Clevelanders who have overcome untold challenges and crises.
A perfect slice of Cleveland: AsiaTown
Fresh Water contributor Rebecca Groynom offers up a perfect slice of Cleveland with an insider's tour of AsiaTown.
Q & A: Connie Schultz
The nationally syndicated columnist chats about the state of feminism in America, Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump.
Rethinking recycling
Dropping that plastic water bottle into a recycling bin is just the beginning of the story. And far too often, we're all making big recycling mistakes.
2016 Vibrant City Award winners announced
Earlier this week Cleveland Neighborhood Progress (CNP) honored the 2016 Vibrant City Award winners amid 600 guests gathered at the Cleveland Masonic Auditorium. The winners were chosen from a field of 21 finalists.
 
CNP president Joel Ratner honored Cleveland Metroparks with the first-ever Vibrant City Impact Award. The community partner was recognized for its role in managing the city’s lakefront parks, rejuvenating Rivergate Park and bringing back a water taxi service.
 
Ratner also bestowed the Morton L. Mandel Leadership in Community Development Award upon Joe Cimperman.
 
"Joe is a true champion of the city of Cleveland and Cleveland’s neighborhoods," said Ratner. "He truly is a visionary for making Cleveland a fair and equitable place to call home for all city residents."
 
Cimperman recently left Cleveland City Council after 19 years and is now the President of Global Cleveland.
 
Click here to see the seven other Vibrant City Award winners.
"The Fixers" will offer contrast amid RNC preparations
The Fixers, a series of short films that will be presented in SPACES next month, offers street-level tours Clevelanders would give RNC delegates if given the chance.
PHOTOS: 25 angels, fantastical beasts and stone-faced observers
Fresh Water invites readers to enjoy this unique round-up of neighbors that you've likely never met even though they've been around longer than the oldest Clevelander you know.
Cleveland Neighborhood Progress announces finalists for Vibrant City Awards
Cleveland Neighborhood Progress (CNP) has announced 21 finalists for its 2016 Vibrant City Awards. Winners will be revealed on May 2 at the second annual Vibrant City Awards Lunch, hosted by CNP and presented by Key Bank and Community Blight Solutions.
 
“We are proud to convene community partners and stakeholders to celebrate city neighborhoods. These leading efforts in neighborhood revitalization are what help us all create a vibrant city,” says Joel Ratner, president and CEO of CNP. “The organizations and individuals being honored have displayed tremendous passion, dedication and collaboration. We’re excited to recognize them for their successful efforts in community development.”
 
CNP received more than 70 nominations for this year's awards.

Learn more about all 21 finalists and continue reading.
Cleveland insider: the stories behind CLE's quirkiest public art
Stephen Manka has installed public art throughout the city. His subtle methods, however, reveal myriad connections between Clevelanders, their spaces and their history.
JumpStart, CWRU and St. Clair Superior among grant recipients
Earlier this month, Burton D. Morgan Foundation Trustees approved more than $3.2 million in grants to organizations that promote entrepreneurship in Northeast Ohio. 
 
Beneficiaries include:

St. Clair Superior Development Corporation - $100,000 to develop youth entrepreneurship opportunities that integrate the unique maker culture of the St. Clair Superior neighborhood into Northeast Ohio’s rich entrepreneurship programming (2 years).

JumpStart - $1,000,000 to support the expansion of the Burton D. Morgan Mentoring Program to serve companies in new sectors (3 years).

Case Western Reserve University - $193,381 to support the publication of a book and the design and execution of data collection protocols associated with the Beyond Silicon Valley massive online open course (2 years).

Hawken School - $100,000 to support the development of a digital platform for the Hawken Educators Workshop, and provide scholarships for public school educators in Northeast Ohio to attend the workshop (2 years).

Notre Dame College - $100,000 to support entrepreneurship programming in 2016 and 2017 ($50,000) and to secure and improve program space on campus in 2016 ($50,000).
 
A complete list of grantees is available here.
An artistic journey from Ecuador to Cleveland Heights
Growing up in Ecuador, Rafael Valdivieso went against his family's tradition of embarking on a career in politics to pursue his love of the arts.
Calabrese advocates for transit funding at Statehouse
Joe Calabrese, CEO and General Manager of the Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority (RTA) advocated for more transit funding in testimony on Feb. 16 at the Statehouse.

"RTA is the largest public transportation agency in Ohio. My employees, who reside in 16 of Ohio counties, serve approximately 50 million customers each year in Cuyahoga and several neighboring counties," said Calabrese in his address.

"Public transit in Ohio is a $900 million industry that supports many manufacturers, suppliers and jobs.

Public transit gets workers to work, students to school, connects important destinations, drives economic development and provides mobility to many Ohioans who have no other mobility option due to economic realities or disabilities."

Read his comments in their entirety here.