"Chateau Hough, one of the first American vineyards set on reclaimed urban land, was started in 2010 with a $15,000 grant from the city and about $8,000 of Frazier’s own cash. Frazier’s main objectives were to beautify the lot across from his house (hopefully raising its value) and help out parolees, who often have trouble finding work. But he also wanted to see if Cleveland’s most notorious neighborhood could maybe make a pretty damn good wine."

Read the full story here.

Downtown Minneapolis is booming with new residents, and growth is spilling into outlying neighborhoods. Now plans are in the works to ensure that existing residents and artists have a seat at the table. 

Built as an elite garden suburb, Shaker Heights has reinvented itself through attracting startups, nourishing small businesses and welcoming international families.

"The vibrant redevelopment of a corridor linking art, educational and healthcare institutions with surrounding neighborhoods, creating lively outdoor gathering spaces, retail shops and restaurants, student and market-rate housing, and public transit connections," stated the Bruner Foundation its website.

Read the full list of winners here.

The Health-Tech Corridor was once a forgotten stretch of Euclid Avenue. Today the three-mile stretch between downtown and University Circle has become a hub of growing biotech and startup companies, with another round of development on the way.

Small Box, the innovative shipping container retail cluster in the Warehouse District, has announced its newest tenant: Blue Edge, a collaboration between Edge Hair Studio and Blue Envelope that will offer "eco-conscious and high-end gift and beauty products."

Edge Hair Studio and Blue Envelope are both located in downtown Willoughby. According to the release, "Edge Hair Studio is a full-service, eco-conscious hair and nail salon ... Edge is the only studio on the east side of Cleveland to carry the full line of exclusive Davines products. These products, handmade by a dedicated, passionate family in Parma, Italy, have a cult-following for the luxury they provide in a beauty routine. Every item is handwrapped by an in-house artist."
 
Blue Envelope is a three-year-old stationery studio. The firm specializes in customized stationery and sells "exclusive and some locally-designed stationery and gift brands" at their current location.

Both tenants have been active in growing the downtown Willoughby business scene. The release notes, "Historic Warehouse District Development Corp. welcomes with excitement Blue Edge as this group of creative and community-minded business owners make their first foray into Downtown Cleveland."

Cleveland chef and restauranteur Zack Bruell's eighth restaurant will feature "open spaces, expansive views of the Cuyahoga River and open-air dining to take advantage of Cleveland’s all-too-short summer season," according to a news release that was issued this week.

Alley Cat oyster house, as the venue will be called, will be accessible by foot and by boat, since it will be located adjacent to the boardwalk in the new Flats East Bank development.

The release dubs it a "piscatorial paradise" (say that 10 times fast) that will feature "oysters, peel–and–eat shrimp, mussels, clams and fresh fish. A variety of pasta dishes, chicken, chowders, soups and salads will accompany the seafood selections, in addition to vegan menu items."

“This isn’t a big-ticket restaurant –it’s an oyster bar that you’d stroll into in a coastal town, like Santa Barbara or Nantucket; yet Alley Cat is right here on the Cuyahoga,” said Bruell in the release. “Our goal is to draw attention and visitors to Cleveland’s latest up-and-coming entertainment district, similar to what we’ve done in recent years with Chinato on East 4^th Street or Cowell & Hubbard in PlayhouseSquare.”

Bruell is partnering with The Wolstein Group and Fairmount Properties to build the 170-seat restaurant, which will be his first venue to be constructed from the ground up.

As mentioned earlier, outdoor space is one of the driving themes here -- the new venue will feature a lower level patio and rooftop patio.

Got cabin fever? Well, here are some excuses to get out of the house this week. Warm yourself by a community campfire at Ohio City’s first-ever Hingetown Hygge, listen to the city's best storytellers at Keep Talking, and much more.

From a team of cyclists turning trash into earthen gold, to one man who helps kids tumble into a brighter future, Cleveland's social innovators kindle projects that are illuminating people and places across the city.

New research suggests that innovation districts, whose growth is fueled by anchor institutions, companies and startups working in close proximity to one another, may be growing faster than traditional downtowns.

Downtown's residential population has doubled over the last 15 years. Now a new report is serving as a guide for Cleveland's growth, with an emphasis on investments -- from mini-parks to signage to massive mixed-use developments -- aiming to better connect residents with downtown.

Downtown is booming with new development, but getting around can sometimes be a challenge. Now key investments are in the works that will make it a much more livable, inviting place.

Whether you life on the east side or west side, there are plenty of opportunities this weekend to explore new neighborhoods and try new things. Learn to swing dance, try a new beer and visit a museum you’ve never been to for free -- it's all within an arm's reach.