AsiaTown/St. Clair Superior
If women indeed are the barometer of a healthy cycling city, then making women feel safe while cycling in Cleveland must be a priority, say local biking advocates. Female riders are less likely to cycle without infrastructure that makes them feel safe, including separated bike paths and physical barriers on roads that divide bikes and cars.
The 2014 Gay Games kick off August 9th with an expected 8,000 to 10,000 participants competing in some 40 sports. The comprehensive event will serve as the latest memo to the world that Cleveland is a sought-after host for large-scale events that add millions to the local economy.
Winter shows no signs of abating with the impending arrival of another Polar Vortex and more of that white, fluffy stuff.
But have no fear! The Kurents are here. These mythical fuzzy creatures from Slovenia will be out in force this weekend at the second annual Cleveland Kurentovanje, an all-ages festival that seeks to ward off winter with a fun parade and day-long party.
"We have 10 fuzzy Kurents this year, six of which are waiting for us in customs right now," says Michael Fleming, Executive Director of St. Clair Superior Development, the nonprofit agency spearheading improvement efforts in the area, who expects a good crowd. "There's a lot of excitement this year."
Fleming and his co-organizers ordered the outfits directly from the city of Ptuj in Slovenia, which, in case you don't know, is the capitol of all things Kurentovanje.
Cleveland Kurentovanje takes place this Saturday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the Slovenian National Home on St. Clair, with an after-party set for Sterle's Country House. The parade steps off at noon from St. Vitus Church, and will feature fuzzy Kurents, marching bands from area schools, floats from area businesses, and a DJ Kishka float. Family-friendly activities will take place in the basement of the Slovenian National Home, and kids can also march in the parade.
There will be plenty on tap at the Slovenian National Home, including krofe and sausage sandwiches, wine, beer, music, dance and crafting stations for kids.
Fleming says the Slovenian National Home on St. Clair and Sterle's on East 55th have become focal points for redevelopment activity in the area. The National Home has attracted new tenants including the Slovenian Genealogical Society, a dance studio and a bakery. Sterle's has reinvented itself with additional live music geared towards a younger crowd and an outdoor beer garden, yet it has retained the beer-and-schnitzel atmosphere that has worked for the past half century.
Source: Michael Fleming
Writer: Lee Chilcote
But have no fear! The Kurents are here. These mythical fuzzy creatures from Slovenia will be out in force this weekend at the second annual Cleveland Kurentovanje, an all-ages festival that seeks to ward off winter with a fun parade and day-long party.
"We have 10 fuzzy Kurents this year, six of which are waiting for us in customs right now," says Michael Fleming, Executive Director of St. Clair Superior Development, the nonprofit agency spearheading improvement efforts in the area, who expects a good crowd. "There's a lot of excitement this year."
Fleming and his co-organizers ordered the outfits directly from the city of Ptuj in Slovenia, which, in case you don't know, is the capitol of all things Kurentovanje.
Cleveland Kurentovanje takes place this Saturday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the Slovenian National Home on St. Clair, with an after-party set for Sterle's Country House. The parade steps off at noon from St. Vitus Church, and will feature fuzzy Kurents, marching bands from area schools, floats from area businesses, and a DJ Kishka float. Family-friendly activities will take place in the basement of the Slovenian National Home, and kids can also march in the parade.
There will be plenty on tap at the Slovenian National Home, including krofe and sausage sandwiches, wine, beer, music, dance and crafting stations for kids.
Fleming says the Slovenian National Home on St. Clair and Sterle's on East 55th have become focal points for redevelopment activity in the area. The National Home has attracted new tenants including the Slovenian Genealogical Society, a dance studio and a bakery. Sterle's has reinvented itself with additional live music geared towards a younger crowd and an outdoor beer garden, yet it has retained the beer-and-schnitzel atmosphere that has worked for the past half century.
Source: Michael Fleming
Writer: Lee Chilcote
It’s no secret that "destination" development is happening all across Cleveland. But thanks to the diligent work of community development corporations (CDCs), there also is a renewed focus on improving livability for the residents who call their neighborhoods home.
Thanks to a bevy of new accelerators and incubators -- all grooming startups to be the Next Big Thing -- the art of the pitch is more important now than ever. Whether it’s a casual elevator pitch or an intense 20-minute address to potential investors, there are some definite dos and don’ts to giving an effective pitch.
Some storefronts sparkle with inviting merchandise, while others languish behind a layer of dust. For the latter, Cleveland's Storefront Renovation Program has been lending a helping hand to entrepreneurs for almost two decades with financial assistance for exterior improvements and signage.
Even as the economy recovers, Americans are driving less and taking public transit more. With all that demand comes congestion and backups at major rail hubs. But smart cities are anticipating and adapting so that the transit station of tomorrow is a true neighborhood amenity.
How hot is the rental market in and around downtown Cleveland? Not only are there wait lists at most downtown apartment buildings, but developers are scrambling to bring more units online. But more than just beds, these new developments are boosting the vitality of urban neighborhoods while bringing with them much-needed retail.
On the heels of a successful merger that brought together under one roof three nonprofit community development organizations, Cleveland Neighborhood Progress (CNP) has made a key hire to lead its policy and advocacy efforts. Alesha Washington, a Glenville native who most recently served as Director of Executive Administration and Government Relations at the Centers for Family and Children, recently joined CNP as its Senior Director of Advocacy, Policy and Research. Washington will lead strategic policy initiatives at the city, county, state and federal levels and identify and use academic research to inform community development strategies.
"Trying to create a shared advocacy platform for the CDC community is what attracted me to the role," says Washington. "There's a need and a longing for a very coordinated and aligned system. The goal is to work together to improve Cleveland's neighborhoods for all people."
"It's about connecting the dots," adds Joel Ratner, President of CNP. "The needs we're identifying at the neighborhood level should be articulated clearly, strongly and strategically to officials who are setting policy and government budgets."
In recent years, Ratner says, no such coordinated effort has existed. Policy priorities might include strategies and funding to address vacant and abandoned properties, maintaining and enhancing tax credit programs that lend to neighborhood development, and influencing the state budget.
Source: Alesha Washington, Joel Ratner
Writer: Lee Chilcote
"Trying to create a shared advocacy platform for the CDC community is what attracted me to the role," says Washington. "There's a need and a longing for a very coordinated and aligned system. The goal is to work together to improve Cleveland's neighborhoods for all people."
"It's about connecting the dots," adds Joel Ratner, President of CNP. "The needs we're identifying at the neighborhood level should be articulated clearly, strongly and strategically to officials who are setting policy and government budgets."
In recent years, Ratner says, no such coordinated effort has existed. Policy priorities might include strategies and funding to address vacant and abandoned properties, maintaining and enhancing tax credit programs that lend to neighborhood development, and influencing the state budget.
Source: Alesha Washington, Joel Ratner
Writer: Lee Chilcote
'best things in cle' called out in atlantic cities
In an Atlantic Cities end-of-year feature titled “The Best Thing My City Did This Year,” the editorial staff highlighted the Cleveland Museum of Art birthing a magnificent new atrium that doubles as public gathering space as one of the major highlights of the year for the city.
"My Cleveland 2013 was full of energy, risk-taking and community-based huzzahs. Culturally, high came to mass at both the Cleveland Museum of Art, where a stunning new atrium became our public gathering place, and the Cleveland Orchestra did a neighborhood-based residency,” shares Anne Trubek, founding editor of Belt magazine.
Other items of note mentioned include developments in Waterloo, St. Clair-Superior, and Detroit-Shoreway that will build the foundation for 2014.
Check out the full piece here.
"My Cleveland 2013 was full of energy, risk-taking and community-based huzzahs. Culturally, high came to mass at both the Cleveland Museum of Art, where a stunning new atrium became our public gathering place, and the Cleveland Orchestra did a neighborhood-based residency,” shares Anne Trubek, founding editor of Belt magazine.
Other items of note mentioned include developments in Waterloo, St. Clair-Superior, and Detroit-Shoreway that will build the foundation for 2014.
Check out the full piece here.
Cleveland Neighborhood Progress has awarded $340,000 to nine community development corporations for green space improvements in Cleveland neighborhoods. The funds, which stem from the WellsFargo CityLIFT program as part of a multimillion dollar national settlement, will be used to fund side yards, pocket parks, pathway parks and street-edge improvements across the city.
"We feel this is very impactful," says Joel Ratner, President of Cleveland Neighborhood Progress. "Every day there are more vacant lots in Cleveland. The vast majority of them are scattered sites. How do we repurpose them in a way that supports neighborhoods? Urban agriculture is great, but you usually need larger pieces of land. This is a way of supporting the people that live on these streets."
Through a competitive process, CNP awarded funds to a pocket park adjacent to the E. 79th Street rapid station in Central, a pathway park in Tremont, and side yards in Stockyards, Brooklyn Centre and Clark-Fulton, among others.
The work will be completed on these lots in the spring and summer of 2014, with all improvements slated to be completed by November 2014.
"This is about the psychology of the neighborhood on some basic level," says Ratner. "It shows people their neighborhoods have not been forgotten. There may be many development opportunities in the medium or long-term future, but in the meantime, we want to keep the streets as strong as possible."
The grants were awarded as part of ReImagining Cleveland 3.0, a program whose earlier rounds fostered urban agriculture and greening projects across Cleveland.
Cleveland has been recognized nationally as a leader in urban agriculture and neighborhood greening as a response to population loss and the foreclosure crisis.
Source: Joel Ratner
Writer: Lee Chilcote
"We feel this is very impactful," says Joel Ratner, President of Cleveland Neighborhood Progress. "Every day there are more vacant lots in Cleveland. The vast majority of them are scattered sites. How do we repurpose them in a way that supports neighborhoods? Urban agriculture is great, but you usually need larger pieces of land. This is a way of supporting the people that live on these streets."
Through a competitive process, CNP awarded funds to a pocket park adjacent to the E. 79th Street rapid station in Central, a pathway park in Tremont, and side yards in Stockyards, Brooklyn Centre and Clark-Fulton, among others.
The work will be completed on these lots in the spring and summer of 2014, with all improvements slated to be completed by November 2014.
"This is about the psychology of the neighborhood on some basic level," says Ratner. "It shows people their neighborhoods have not been forgotten. There may be many development opportunities in the medium or long-term future, but in the meantime, we want to keep the streets as strong as possible."
The grants were awarded as part of ReImagining Cleveland 3.0, a program whose earlier rounds fostered urban agriculture and greening projects across Cleveland.
Cleveland has been recognized nationally as a leader in urban agriculture and neighborhood greening as a response to population loss and the foreclosure crisis.
Source: Joel Ratner
Writer: Lee Chilcote
cleveland, the next brooklyn, says forbes
In a CNN Money feature titled "The Fortune Crystal Ball," the publication offers up its prognostications for the coming year, among them: Which cities will be the next Brooklyns, and which the next Detroits. Spoiler alert: Cleveland is pegged as a "Brooklyn."
"The American geography of prosperity has been driven by two big narratives in the past few years. On the one hand, there's Detroit, with its $18 billion in debt, pension mess, and population loss. On the other, there's Brooklyn, with its rocketing real estate prices, hip-luxe condos, and freshly foraged food stores," notes the money pub.
So, just what cities are deemed a "breakout town"?
New Brooklyns
Cleveland. The city is in the midst of a downtown revival that has seen not one, not two, but three Williamsburg-esque neighborhoods emerge: Tremont, Ohio City, and Gordon Square.
Odds of it becoming the "next Brooklyn" are placed at 63%.
Read the rest here.
"The American geography of prosperity has been driven by two big narratives in the past few years. On the one hand, there's Detroit, with its $18 billion in debt, pension mess, and population loss. On the other, there's Brooklyn, with its rocketing real estate prices, hip-luxe condos, and freshly foraged food stores," notes the money pub.
So, just what cities are deemed a "breakout town"?
New Brooklyns
Cleveland. The city is in the midst of a downtown revival that has seen not one, not two, but three Williamsburg-esque neighborhoods emerge: Tremont, Ohio City, and Gordon Square.
Odds of it becoming the "next Brooklyn" are placed at 63%.
Read the rest here.
Cleveland Neighborhood Progress, a nonprofit community development organization, has begun offering Cleveland City Life tours to expose suburbanites, millenials, empty-nesters, boomerangs and newcomers to town to all the city has to offer.
CNP Director of Marketing Jeff Kipp says the tours really are about helping Clevelanders see for themselves the positive change taking place in the city.
"We'll do the proverbial handholding and take you into the neighborhoods," he says. "You see the positive headlines and positive trends, but a big chunk of our population doesn't have firsthand experience with the city. This is about removing that intimidation factor and bridging the gap."
Tours starts in Ohio City and include stops in Detroit Shoreway, the lakefront, University Circle, Little Italy, Midtown, downtown and Tremont. Along the way, it also touches on neighborhoods such as Cudell, Glenville and Fairfax. Each lasts two hours, costs $12 and comes with a free Live!Cleveland/City Life T-shirt.
"As we drive through University Circle, we can reference the excitement that's happening in North Shore Collinwood," Kipp explains, adding that while the tours can't feasibly cover the whole city, they will highlight all city neighborhoods.
The tours are being marketed through CNP's website and partner organizations such as Global Cleveland and the Downtown Cleveland Alliance. There currently are tours scheduled between Christmas and New Year's and around the Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday weekend.
"This is a way to roll out the red carpet and give a reintroduction to your Cleveland neighbors," Kipp adds.
Source: Jeff Kipp
Writer: Lee Chilcote
CNP Director of Marketing Jeff Kipp says the tours really are about helping Clevelanders see for themselves the positive change taking place in the city.
"We'll do the proverbial handholding and take you into the neighborhoods," he says. "You see the positive headlines and positive trends, but a big chunk of our population doesn't have firsthand experience with the city. This is about removing that intimidation factor and bridging the gap."
Tours starts in Ohio City and include stops in Detroit Shoreway, the lakefront, University Circle, Little Italy, Midtown, downtown and Tremont. Along the way, it also touches on neighborhoods such as Cudell, Glenville and Fairfax. Each lasts two hours, costs $12 and comes with a free Live!Cleveland/City Life T-shirt.
"As we drive through University Circle, we can reference the excitement that's happening in North Shore Collinwood," Kipp explains, adding that while the tours can't feasibly cover the whole city, they will highlight all city neighborhoods.
The tours are being marketed through CNP's website and partner organizations such as Global Cleveland and the Downtown Cleveland Alliance. There currently are tours scheduled between Christmas and New Year's and around the Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday weekend.
"This is a way to roll out the red carpet and give a reintroduction to your Cleveland neighbors," Kipp adds.
Source: Jeff Kipp
Writer: Lee Chilcote
new study on regionalism comes at ideal time, says next city
In a feature titled "Three Lessons on Regionalism," Bill Bradley, writing for Next City, outlines the findings of a report recently released by Fund for Our Economic Future.
"Regionalism, from Paris to Portland, offers cities with closely woven outlying suburbs opportunities to broaden their tax bases, increase minimum wages and develop unified approaches to transit -- which could, in turn, give low-wage workers better access to jobs. Advocates have touted these benefits for years. Now, a new report explores how regional collaboration can help spur economic growth."
The Northeast Ohio-based Fund for Our Economic Future, which along with the Knight Foundation, released the report.
In sum: "Data is hugely important, investing in groups that find funding can enlarge your pools of grant money, and big thinkers must be instrumental in turning those grand ideas into reality."
Read the rest here.
"Regionalism, from Paris to Portland, offers cities with closely woven outlying suburbs opportunities to broaden their tax bases, increase minimum wages and develop unified approaches to transit -- which could, in turn, give low-wage workers better access to jobs. Advocates have touted these benefits for years. Now, a new report explores how regional collaboration can help spur economic growth."
The Northeast Ohio-based Fund for Our Economic Future, which along with the Knight Foundation, released the report.
In sum: "Data is hugely important, investing in groups that find funding can enlarge your pools of grant money, and big thinkers must be instrumental in turning those grand ideas into reality."
Read the rest here.
It's a fact that $68 of every $100 spent locally returns to the community through taxes, payroll and other expenditures. We all know that shopping small is good for the local community, but what are the real and tangible benefits behind the movement? A closer look reveals how buying local feeds our region in ways both obvious and subtle.
Since the Great Recession, more and more folks have been living the "gigging life," working multiple jobs or hopping from one project to the next in hopes of cobbling together a living budget. While that might seem arduous, it also allows those living the lifestyle to follow their true passion.
new grant program funds business incubator, other innovative community projects
A new grant program launched by Neighborhood Progress Inc., a nonprofit organization that provides funding and technical assistance to community development corporations in Cleveland, recently awarded $200,000 to five projects. The recipients include a new business incubation program in North Collinwood, youth programming in Ohio City and surrounding neighborhoods, an effort in Central to teach fourth graders about healthy, local food, arts-based development in St. Clair Superior, and a community engagement effort in Tremont.
"The program came to be when we, as an organization, made a decision to develop a program that all CDCs had access to," says Colleen Gilson, Vice President of CDC Services for NPI, of the Neighborhood Solutions grant program. "The idea was, let's not be prescriptive. Let's let CDCs tell us what their solution to a neighborhood problem is or a cool project in their service area."
The awards break down as follows: NPI awarded $45,000 to ActiVacant, a program to recruit entrepreneurs to vacant retail spaces on E. 185th; $45,000 to Near West Recreation to expand its network of youth programming, including baseball, soccer, softball, basketball and bowling; $45,000 to St. Clair Superior for its Urban Upcycle project; $45,000 to Burton Bell Carr for its Urban Farm Diet Program; and $20,000 to Tremont West for its efforts to engage residents in creating a community-based development plan around MetroHealth.
Gilson says the projects reflect "deep collaboration" and non-traditional approaches towards community development. For instance, Near West Recreation is an effort to engage and retain families in six neighborhoods on the near west side -- Ohio City, Tremont, Stockyards, Clark-Fulton and Detroit Shoreway -- and build "intergenerational mixed-income neighborhoods." ActiVacant, spearheaded by Northeast Shores, is a "new take on the American dream" and a "business incubation project on steroids" that will entice young retailers to fill empty spaces on E. 185th by offering them free or reduced rent for a period of time, access to mentors and other support, and incentives for meeting benchmarks.
"The process was pretty amazing," says Gilson, describing a Shark Tank-esque format in which finalists presented in front of a panel of community development leaders, who then ranked and voted on winners. "We invited other CDCs to come watch and learn from their peers, and it was a really good opportunity to learn."
Source: Colleen Gilson
Writer: Lee Chilcote
"The program came to be when we, as an organization, made a decision to develop a program that all CDCs had access to," says Colleen Gilson, Vice President of CDC Services for NPI, of the Neighborhood Solutions grant program. "The idea was, let's not be prescriptive. Let's let CDCs tell us what their solution to a neighborhood problem is or a cool project in their service area."
The awards break down as follows: NPI awarded $45,000 to ActiVacant, a program to recruit entrepreneurs to vacant retail spaces on E. 185th; $45,000 to Near West Recreation to expand its network of youth programming, including baseball, soccer, softball, basketball and bowling; $45,000 to St. Clair Superior for its Urban Upcycle project; $45,000 to Burton Bell Carr for its Urban Farm Diet Program; and $20,000 to Tremont West for its efforts to engage residents in creating a community-based development plan around MetroHealth.
Gilson says the projects reflect "deep collaboration" and non-traditional approaches towards community development. For instance, Near West Recreation is an effort to engage and retain families in six neighborhoods on the near west side -- Ohio City, Tremont, Stockyards, Clark-Fulton and Detroit Shoreway -- and build "intergenerational mixed-income neighborhoods." ActiVacant, spearheaded by Northeast Shores, is a "new take on the American dream" and a "business incubation project on steroids" that will entice young retailers to fill empty spaces on E. 185th by offering them free or reduced rent for a period of time, access to mentors and other support, and incentives for meeting benchmarks.
"The process was pretty amazing," says Gilson, describing a Shark Tank-esque format in which finalists presented in front of a panel of community development leaders, who then ranked and voted on winners. "We invited other CDCs to come watch and learn from their peers, and it was a really good opportunity to learn."
Source: Colleen Gilson
Writer: Lee Chilcote
Collective Upcycle, the creative reuse boutique that's been popping up around town for the past few years, is opening a bricks-and-mortar store in the St. Clair Superior neighborhood. The shop, located at 6202 St. Clair Avenue -- aka the "coppertop building" -- will hold a grand opening party this Friday, November 22 from 5-8 p.m.
Friday's big bash will feature Slovenian beer and a Slovenian band in honor of the St. Clair Superior neighborhood's rich heritage as a hub for the ethnic community. The store will feature the work of 35-plus Cleveland upcycle artists and designers and is being spearheaded by Lauren Krueger as part of the Upcycle St. Clair effort.
"The shop is a celebration of innovation that's locally and regionally sourced," says Nicole McGee of Plenty Underfoot, who founded Collective Upcycle in 2011 and is a partner in Upcycle St. Clair, a larger effort to revitalize the entire retail district.
Some of the upcycled items offered at Collective Upcycle include roof slates turned into picture frames, plastic soda bottles made into sculptural flower bouquets, and vinyl LPs melted down into jewelry and serving bowls.
Collective Upcycle will be open Thursdays through Sundays during the holiday season. Then the store will close for a few weeks and reopen in January. Although the copper top building will eventually be taken over by St. Martin DePorres School, the shop will reopen in another location on St. Clair in the spring.
McGee says the store is proof positive that the strategy behind Upcycle St. Clair is working. "One of the goals was to bring in new businesses," she says. "We're celebrating what's already existing while also creating new opportunity."
Source: Nicole McGee
Writer: Lee Chilcote
Friday's big bash will feature Slovenian beer and a Slovenian band in honor of the St. Clair Superior neighborhood's rich heritage as a hub for the ethnic community. The store will feature the work of 35-plus Cleveland upcycle artists and designers and is being spearheaded by Lauren Krueger as part of the Upcycle St. Clair effort.
"The shop is a celebration of innovation that's locally and regionally sourced," says Nicole McGee of Plenty Underfoot, who founded Collective Upcycle in 2011 and is a partner in Upcycle St. Clair, a larger effort to revitalize the entire retail district.
Some of the upcycled items offered at Collective Upcycle include roof slates turned into picture frames, plastic soda bottles made into sculptural flower bouquets, and vinyl LPs melted down into jewelry and serving bowls.
Collective Upcycle will be open Thursdays through Sundays during the holiday season. Then the store will close for a few weeks and reopen in January. Although the copper top building will eventually be taken over by St. Martin DePorres School, the shop will reopen in another location on St. Clair in the spring.
McGee says the store is proof positive that the strategy behind Upcycle St. Clair is working. "One of the goals was to bring in new businesses," she says. "We're celebrating what's already existing while also creating new opportunity."
Source: Nicole McGee
Writer: Lee Chilcote
Melissa Hale started Yates Apothecary -- a fragrance manufacturer -- on a bit of a whim. She and her husband, Quinn, just had their first child and had moved to Lakewood from Florida, when Hale decided to leave her job as a nuclear medicine technologist and start experimenting with perfumes.
“I spent my last five years as a nuclear med tech working directly with cancer patients and P.E.T. imaging,” recalls Hale. “Those five years took their toll on my emotional and mental state. I wanted to come home from work happy and relaxed and that wasn't happening.”
With a sleeping baby on her lap, Hale began experimenting with perfume notes that she bought online. With that, Yates Apothecary was born. The company is named after her beloved chocolate lab Yates, aka Pig.
Things weren’t easy at first, but Hale has turned Yates Apothecary into a thriving home-based business selling fragrances, lip balms and custom blended scents. With a recent move to a live-work loft on St. Clair, Hale has expanded her lab and is planning on creating a steam distillation lab to extract the oils herself. She also teaches blending classes and welcomes guests to stop by to purchase her products, chat or just share a cup of coffee.
Hale’s unique scents are all numbered after significant dates in her life. “I gravitate towards notes that one might think won't smell great blended,” says Hale. “For example, perfume oil No. 3456 is campfire, dirt and violet. I tend to stay away from the traditional blends and enjoy the unconventional. The challenge of making unusual notes smell appealing is very satisfying to me.”
Hale’s more popular blend -- and her favorite -- is No. 0398, her dear dog's birthday. The blend is made up of fragrances such as amber, cedar, vanilla, oak moss and coconut oil.
“He was a crazy chocolate lab who loved walks in the woods,” she says. “I wanted to capture that feeling of walking in the woods with him. I wanted to capture that emotion, and I wanted to capture those memories.”
Hale’s products are available on the Yates site and at a number of local boutiques.
Source: Melissa Hale
Writer: Karin Connelly
“I spent my last five years as a nuclear med tech working directly with cancer patients and P.E.T. imaging,” recalls Hale. “Those five years took their toll on my emotional and mental state. I wanted to come home from work happy and relaxed and that wasn't happening.”
With a sleeping baby on her lap, Hale began experimenting with perfume notes that she bought online. With that, Yates Apothecary was born. The company is named after her beloved chocolate lab Yates, aka Pig.
Things weren’t easy at first, but Hale has turned Yates Apothecary into a thriving home-based business selling fragrances, lip balms and custom blended scents. With a recent move to a live-work loft on St. Clair, Hale has expanded her lab and is planning on creating a steam distillation lab to extract the oils herself. She also teaches blending classes and welcomes guests to stop by to purchase her products, chat or just share a cup of coffee.
Hale’s unique scents are all numbered after significant dates in her life. “I gravitate towards notes that one might think won't smell great blended,” says Hale. “For example, perfume oil No. 3456 is campfire, dirt and violet. I tend to stay away from the traditional blends and enjoy the unconventional. The challenge of making unusual notes smell appealing is very satisfying to me.”
Hale’s more popular blend -- and her favorite -- is No. 0398, her dear dog's birthday. The blend is made up of fragrances such as amber, cedar, vanilla, oak moss and coconut oil.
“He was a crazy chocolate lab who loved walks in the woods,” she says. “I wanted to capture that feeling of walking in the woods with him. I wanted to capture that emotion, and I wanted to capture those memories.”
Hale’s products are available on the Yates site and at a number of local boutiques.
Source: Melissa Hale
Writer: Karin Connelly