Little Italy

Podcast: a Clevelander 'steps up' to University Hospitals — and a local jobs pipeline beefs up
This episode of "Neighbor Up Spotlight" welcomes Amanda Harris, who tells her successful employment story that was made possible by an innovative program — Step Up to UH. Also, Alicenne Passavanti explains how like opportunities are expanding into the hospitality industry.
Offbeat eats: six of the best local ethnic eateries
Iraqi kebobs, duck blood soup and hard to find Latino spirits — that's just for starters in this under-the-radar roundup of some the best (and little known) noshing in the 216.
A look back: two CIA grads reflect on their time in Cleveland – a 'well made place'
Two Cleveland Institute of Art graduates took the lessons they learned in the 216, became pioneers in web design and now helm one of Inc.'s fastest growing companies.
Four cornerstones: historic ethnic churches thrive in a modern world
Fresh Water explores a quartet of Cleveland's ethnic houses of worship that endure in traditions of faith, history and culture.
Partner content podcast: What does Neighbor Up do?
The latest episode of "Neighbor Up Spotlight" is now available. "Neighbor Up Spotlight: What does Neighbor Up do?" is a 15-minute kitchen table conversation between host Carol Malone and Neighbor Up member Tom O'Brien focusing on how Neighbor Up came together and what members are doing to make change in Cleveland.

Hosted by Malone, a Cleveland resident and activist, each episode of "Neighbor Up Spotlight" focuses on members of Neighbor Up, a network of approximately 2,000 Greater Cleveland residents making positive change in their neighborhoods. This resident-driven social change movement is about bringing equity to all Cleveland neighborhoods.

Listen to “Neighbor Up Spotlight" on Soundcloud or download episodes from iTunes. Or just click below to hear the latest edition right now.




Support for this series, "Grassroots Success: Awakening the Power of Families and Neighborhoods," is provided by Neighborhood Connections.
I Live Here (now): Ronnie Collins, Hilton Cleveland Downtown
After initial reluctance to becoming director of sales and marketing at the Hilton Cleveland Downtown, Ronnie Collins now sees what the city has to offer and has become a vocal advocate for all things 216.
PHOTOS: 21 Cleveland hot spots born after Fresh Water
This week marks Fresh Water's sixth birthday and to celebrate, managing photographer Bob Perkoski visually catalogs a few things that came along after our humble inception.
 
Meet Oluremi Ann Oliver
Oluremi Ann Oliver is an early childhood consultant, storyteller and member of the committee that awards grants through Neighborhood Connections.
Mark Oprea's social media reporting of the RNC
A roundup of Mark Oprea's observations during the RNC, from Little Italy to the Q.
Serving tea, Islam and understanding in Cleveland
Angelo Merendino of Aljazeera tells the fascinating tale of Ayman Alkayali, the man behind Algebra Tea House in Little Italy. From the feature:

In the early days of Algebra's existence, Ayman faced great opposition. "Many neighbourhood residents didn't want me to be here." There were offers to buy him out, a steady stream of inspectors scrutinised every detail of the shop's renovation, and people shouted racial slurs as they drove by. "I had my struggles and had to go through that for a tough three years in the beginning. Thankfully, there were residents who stood up for me; without them it would have been a much more difficult fight."

Read the whole story here.
From Jocko Homo to Pee-wee's Playhouse: it's a beautiful world
This summer, Mark Mothersbaugh's Myopia will enchant Clevelanders and Akronites alike with a host of surreal characters, giant graphics and all things DEVO.  
University Circle to showcase transportation with new shuttle, walkability, public transit
With newcomers such as MOCA and the utterly transformed Uptown District, University Circle (UC) has exploded with new activity that has easily blended in amid funky Hessler Street, the towering puppets of Parade the Circle and the venerable cultural institutions lining Wade Oval.
 
If you build it, they will come. So goes the saying and so it is for UC, a development that University Circle Inc. (UCI) and its partners have noted and then some.
 
"I really think transportation is on a lot of people's minds lately. It's certainly on our minds here in University Circle and the surrounding area," says Laura Kleinman, UCI's vice president of services. "Such substantial growth means a greater volume of people in the area," she adds, noting that the influx increases pressure on the environment, the infrastructure and most importantly, the people.
 
To ease it all, UCI, along with some 20 area partners, has developed the expansive Moving Greater University Circle's Transportation and Mobility Plan. At more than 140 pages, the document is daunting, but it's implementation and intent are already evidenced in the UC area in the friendliest of ways, starting most notably with a familiar link that's just expanded and aims to make navigating the area easier than ever.

Continue reading ...
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.
A little video that's big on Cleveland
A whirlwind tour of Cleveland with zip lines, sailboats, and bicycles; uptown, downtown and midtown - all packed into a wee two and a half minutes!
A perfect slice of Cleveland: Little Italy
In this series, Fresh Water gives an insider's tour of CLE's storied neighborhoods. This week, Fresh Water contributor Mark Oprea offers up the first perfect slice of Cleveland as he shows you around his corner of the world: Little Italy.
 
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.