A Pieced-Together Meal Becomes the Latest Viral Social Media Sensation
It’s Superman, the Blockbuster Linked to Cleveland in More Ways Than One
Northeast Ohio’s Wonderfully Weird Events Give Summer Fun a Unique Flair
LOCALLY INSPIRED NOVELS & THEIR LITERARY IMPACT
36 SUMMER READING Peruse our extensive list of Cleveland-set novels, while diving into the stories behind the local literary scene. Edited by Annie Nickoloff
Photographed by Laura Watilo Blake Talent by Docherty Agency
FEATURED
WEIRD AND WONDERFUL We document some of the outlandish summer events in Northeast Ohio. By Matthew Chasney
LAY OF THE LAND
FRONT AND CENTRO CentroVilla25 is a new Latino dining and shopping destination in the Clark-Fulton neighborhood.
SUPERMANIA Cleveland has extensive connections to the new Superman film. 18 NIGHT LIGHTS A lighting program creates both safety and entertainment Downtown. 20 PRINTING MAGIC Time Change Generator puts its screen-printed stamp on the DIY clothing and arts scene.
EDWINS' NEXT PHASE Taste-test chef Brandon Chrostowski's acclaimed restaurant after a big move.
DINNER Local restaurants have picked up on a TikTok dining trend with fun and yummy specials.
THE SCOOP Northeast Ohio is a haven for ice cream lovers in the summer months, and we share a go-to guide.
19036 Old Detroit Rd., Rocky River, 44116 440-333-9600, solarihome.com
Solari’s Treasures of Florence & Tuscany Tour Sept. 27 - Oct. 4th,
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I have been to a million places and met a million people.
Jerry Garcia showed me guitar licks backstage before a show, and acclaimed editor Terry McDonell let me join a psychedelic round of golf with Hunter S. Thompson. Jim Harrison and I shared a 37-course lunch in France, and Ernest Hemingway helped me perfect my cast while fly fishing in Spain. I even climbed Everest with John Krakauer. And I did it all without leaving my couch.
Books are my bedrock. Before I was a writer or a reporter, I was the kid with a flashlight under my covers and hiding novels behind my math textbook. This focus could not be mustered for homework or classes. My mom, incredulous, would even read the books herself to quiz me. The image of her reading Captain Underpants still makes me laugh.
If you haven’t read a book in a while, you’re not alone. Fiction is being read at its lowest-ever rate. The National Endowment of the Arts says less than 50% of adults read a book last year. A significant number of children don’t have a single book in their house. That’s tragic. Reading is not only directly tied to intelligence but also happiness, well-being and health, with some studies suggesting the habit lowers the risk of Alzheimer’s.
There are some promising signs. Since the 2020 pandemic, book sales have ticked up. Spotify’s investment in audiobooks — the
streaming service doubled the titles it offers in 2024 — suggests a hunger for stories. (No, I won’t get into the listening vs. reading debate here. I see value in both.)
In a time of corporations seeking to mine your attention for profit, reading is a revolutionary act. When people tell me they just can’t get into books, I first ask what they’ve attempted to read. Often, it’s an epic like War and Peace or Infinite Jest. Or, they set a New Year’s resolution to read a book every single week. These are mistakes. Reading is like running. You don’t start with a mountain marathon. You build up endurance. With research suggesting our attention spans are decimated to less than that of a goldfish, your starting point is like a coma patient who smoked through their oxygen tube.
Find a book that’s not too lengthy. Short chapters offer progress in small bursts over a work lunch, when the kids finally play by themselves, or, let’s face it, a bathroom break. Ditch the ridiculous reading goals. Truly digesting one book does more for you than scanning 10 and retaining nothing. If you’re not loving it, put it down. As a recovered completist, I allow myself to drop a book until I’m 50% through. After that, sticking it out can pay off like a long marriage, but the library is too vast to stick with a red-flag lover. Forget challenging literature if it’s not your thing. Romance, young adult fantasy, baseball memoirs — they all have value. The mission is to become engrossed.
Humans have told stories since the beginning of time because they feed our desire to understand the world around us. This month, you’ll find a list of novels (pg 36) that are set in Cleveland. They are all fiction. Still, whether it’s the bank-robbing heroin tragedy of Cherry, the historical tale of love and political dynasties in Crooked River Burning or the utopia-puncturing story that is Little Fires Everywhere, these books can help define, or redefine, your understanding of home and your sense of place in the world.
Dillon Stewart, editor
Our May issue featured notable Clevelanders’ 18 favorite golf holes, evenly highlighting both public and private courses. Still, golfers wanted more.
“Since most readers are not country club members, there should have been way more public courses featured.” — Larry Carlini
Editorial assistant Danny Cunningham has traveled across the country to play golf. He concedes that few regions can compete with the quality, quantity and affordability of public golf courses in Northeast Ohio. These are a few of his favorite courses that missed the cut in the May issue.
Boulder Creek Golf Club (Streetsboro) It’s defined by pristine conditions, a signature island green on the 17th hole and stunning views by way of significant elevation changes. Go play this one when the leaves change in the fall.
Sleepy Hollow Golf Course (Brecksville) At one of the Cleveland Metroparks’ best golf tracks, the greens are daunting, and precision is required to shoot well. Playing here is a rite of passage for any Northeast Ohio golfer.
Grey Hawk Golf Club (Lagrange) This course is a test for golfers of all skill levels. With water hazards on 15 of 18 holes, bring plenty of golf balls.
Read the rest of our picks at clevelandmagazine.com/golfholes.
Reading may be part of the job at Cleveland Magazine, but that doesn’t make our staff love it any less. July’s issue celebrates all things books, so we’ve pitched to share our current reads.
Abigail Archer This Time Tomorrow by Emma Straub
Ron Ledgard Abundance by Ezra Klein and Derek Thompson
Julia Lombardo The Winners by Fredrik Backman
Annie Nickoloff The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell
Christina Rufo Hell Followed with Us by Andrew Joseph White
Dillon Stewart The Barn by Wright Thompson
Erin Stinard What Alice Forgot by Liane Moriarty
Scan the QR code below or go to
Have
Cleveland Magazine hosted its annual Best of the East Party on April 10 at Eton Chagrin Boulevard, welcoming more than 1,000 guests. The celebration spotlighted more than 80 local businesses and destinations, offering attendees a taste of the East Side’s finest places to eat, shop and play. The night was made possible with support from sponsors Bradley Stone and Cuyahoga Community College.
April 10, 2025
Eton Chagrin Boulevard
Cleveland Magazine’s Best of the West Party welcomed more than 1,000 people to LaCentre on May 1 to celebrate the best places to eat, shop and play on the city’s West Side. Guests had the opportunity to sample and experience more than 70 Best of the West finalists. Entertainment was provided by local acoustic duo Company Housing. The event was supported by sponsors Bradley Stone, Cuyahoga Community College and LaCentre.
May 1, 2025 LaCentre
Congratulations to George on being named Cleveland Magazine’s Cutest Pet! As such, George will receive a prize package from our contest sponsors!
Local personalities and trending topics
Jenice Contreras pushed forward CentroVilla25 to empower Latino entrepreneurs, bringing vibrant food, fashion and community to Cleveland’s West Side.
CONTINUED ON PAGE 14
Acolorful beacon on West 25th Street, the facade of CentroVilla25, is painted in bold colors and appears like a collection of smaller storefronts. Inside is a world of flavors and Latin culture that makes CV25 a brand-new hub for economic growth for the Clark-Fulton community.
The smell of fresh tortillas and searing meats hits you from the parking lot. Upon entering “Mercado Verde,” the food-focused half of CV25, food stalls line a communal eating area. Each kiosk is unique to the business’s style and heritage. Flags of Mexico, Cuba, Venezuela and more hang proudly above each vendor cubicle.
The space is the result of a years-long planning and fundraising initiative from the Northeast Ohio Hispanic Center for Economic Development, which became a focal point in the neighborhood’s redevelopment. Construction on the project broke ground in July 2023.
“There was a lot of conversation about the redevelopment of West 25th and planning processes happening,” says Jenice Contreras, president and CEO of NEOHCED and co-developer of CV25, “but there wasn’t any acknowledgment that Clark-Fulton has the largest density of Latino residents living in Cleveland.”
Contreras says that she and other community leaders began to worry that the effects of gentrification would reach them in their corner of West Cleveland. CV25 was the product of a $14 million investment, created to give neighborhood residents the opportunity to plant businesses and, as a result, stay in the area.
“As a business-serving organization, we started looking for commercial borders in the neighborhood and how we could provide opportunities for affordable retail businesses to be in the space,” says Contreras.
Contreras took inspiration from a similar concept in Minneapolis called Mercado Central. This marketplace of businesses was founded with a goal of fostering business opportunities for the city’s Latino community.
“I started learning about how ethnic markets become hyperlocal drivers of local economies for communities that can’t necessarily participate actively in a capitalistic environment,” says Contreras.
After Mercado Central sparked inspiration in Contreras, she was set on opening a market for the Clark-Fulton community. Now, more than a decade later, her dream has been fully realized in the form of CV25
at 3140 W. 25th St.
Since opening in May, CentroVilla25 has been a gathering place for Clark-Fulton’s large Latino community and beyond.
Even before opening the brick-and-mortar marketplace, CV25’s first life was as an open-air market called La Placita, and then as a small business incubator in a bodega on the corner of Seymour Avenue and West 25th Street.
“Some of the vendors we have here were part of that eight-year run of pop-ups that were literally in a parking lot,” Contreras says.
While Contreras knows that Cleveland has a vibrant and active Hispanic population, she feels that the community has been invisible in the past. She says that Cleveland deserves to have a Latino epicenter that is about economic development and creating jobs.
“It’s so much bigger than the businesses that are housed here,” says Contreras. “It has a bigger impact and creates a richness in our region to be able to have this amazing cultural hub that everybody can enjoy.”
Inside the colorful CentroVilla25 building, vendors offer everything from authentic eats to unique fashion finds. Here are a few standouts you won’t want to miss.
This unassuming taco stand packs a punch, as Owner Jorge Hernandez and his team pump out quality authentic Mexican flavors from the small kitchen. Hernandez also hosts fun and sometimes tequila-soaked Mexican cooking classes to share his love of cooking with a broader audience. Try the carne asada tacos topped with onions, cilantro and your choice of verde or roja salsa ($5+), and wash it all down with a Mexican Coca-Cola. flyingpigtacos.com
This little panaderia brings the sweet flavors of El Salvador to Cleveland, filling its cases with everything from traditional pastelillos de guayaba and orejitas to more widely familiar treats like chocolate chip cookies and a variety of cupcakes. Looking for something small to cure your cravings? Panitos serves mini tres leches cakes ($5) in tiny tins, the perfect sweet treat to eat all by yourself. facebook.com/ panitos.oh
“Mercado Rosa” is the side of CV25 that houses retail shops selling items like jewelry, apparel, accessories and more, all contained under a bright pink ceiling. Jireh Boutique immediately catches the eye with racks of beautifully patterned dresses and blouses and jeweled purses. It’s the perfect destination to shop for a special woman in your life. facebook.com/Jireh1125
Stroll through this idyllic park and music venue to peruse handcrafted work from more than 100 artists across the country during this three-day artisan extravaganza. Rain or shine, booths are set up along a wide, winding paved path, displaying curated fine crafts. Free, 14591 Superior Road, Cleveland Heights, cainpark.com/ arts-festival
Binge on some fringe with four days of experimental and original performances that dwell on the edge of the mainstream, from over 40 independently produced plays across 16 stages in the Playhouse Square neighborhood. Free-$150+ ($16.25-$156 for ticketed events), Cleveland, borderlightcle.org
This summer, step into an open-air gallery like no other at Kirtland’s Holden Forests & Gardens, where art and nature seamlessly intertwine. Wander winding garden paths and spot a charming five-foot-tall fox peeking playfully through the foliage. Marvel at a soaring 21-foot “Flower Power Tower,” which bursts with vibrant metal petals. Eighteen captivating sculptures, each placed against the lush backdrop of blooming meadows, towering trees and tranquil ponds by sculptor Huelani Mei, capture the essence of nature as we once saw it through a child’s eyes: simple, bold and full of wonder. “Forest Forms is highlighting the creatures and plants that are native to our environment,” says Mei, “and it’s really meant to encourage people to learn more about our outdoor life and get outside and away from the screen.” $19, 9550 Sperry Road, Kirtland, holdenfg.org
Witness the best festival football has to offer as the Class of 2025 joins the game’s greats. Kicking off July 31, more than 700,000 people unite in Canton for the Enshrinees’ Gold Jacket Dinner, the Concert for Legends and the most anticipated Enshrinement Ceremony at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium on Aug. 2. Free$100+ ($20-$130 for paid events), 2121 George Halas Drive NW, Canton, profootballhof.com
Amplify some of Northeast Ohio’s best musical talent on the big stage this summer during the Rock Hall’s summer concert series. Experience Cleveland-born and raised talent like hip-hop trio Crib Collective. Throughout the summer, enjoy a range of local musical talent at 8 p.m. or arrive early to catch the pre-show comedy at 7:45 p.m. Free, 1100 Rock & Roll Blvd., Downtown Cleveland, rockhall.com BY
Isabela Merced flies up, up and away from her local theater roots and plays a winged hero in the new Superman
ISABELA MERCED TAKES TO THE SKY as Hawkgirl in the upcoming Superman movie, soaring around the buildings of Downtown Cleveland — which stand in for the film’s setting of Metropolis. Merced grew up in Cleveland’s West Park neighborhood with two brothers, a firefighter father and a Cleveland Clinic nurse mother. She got a professional start here, too, with early acting roles at Beck Center for the Arts, Olmsted Falls Performing Arts and Fairmount Performing Arts Academy. She’s flown far, with recent major roles in films like Turtles All The Way Down, Madame Web and Alien: Romulus, along with a starring role as Dina in The Last of Us’s second season. She caught up with Cleveland Magazine before Superman’s release.
On filming Superman in her hometown: It was so full circle. Getting to be home again, seeing how it changed over the years. It’s been changing really rapidly. A lot of the places where it wasn’t safe to be are now somewhat gentrified, and it’s really cool to see the city grow. Even the Public Square area, it’s just changed so significantly. And so have I. So it’s interesting to see the city grow, as well.
On filming Superman and The Last Of Us simultaneously: Luckily, Warner Bros. is the big boss on top of both of these, so having it be the same studio was really beneficial because they ended up really collaborating on the scheduling and working together, so it wasn’t that inconvenient. I mean, it was really difficult. I was catching a lot of points for Delta on my SkyMiles, because I was traveling so much back and forth and back and forth. I remember sometimes I would travel on the weekends to promote because at the same time, I was promoting Alien, Turtles All The Way Down and Madame Web throughout the year, because three projects came out in the same year. I was doing so much at once.
On growing up in Cleveland: It’s a great place, a lot of great people. I’m really happy that I grew up there and that I stayed as long as I did, even though I had a dip in and out. I just wouldn’t be who I am. I wouldn’t be as chill if it weren’t for that community and environment that I grew up in. It’s really beautiful.
It’s a bird! It’s a plane! It’s Cleveland! Don’t miss these Downtown landmarks in the new Superman movie. — AVA JELEPIS
You can spot Superman and Lois Lane sharing a floating kiss inside The Arcade, one of Cleveland’s most iconic landmarks. Nicknamed “Cleveland’s Crystal Palace,” The Arcade was the first indoor shopping center in America and Cleveland’s first building to be listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The Leader Building on Superior Avenue has brought The Daily Planet and its iconic globe to life. Decades before, the Leader Building was home to two real newspapers: The Cleveland Leader and The Cleveland News. In the early issues of Action Comics, Clark Kent was a reporter for the Cleveland Evening News
Fictional baseball team the Metropolis Meteors takes over the home of the Cleveland Guardians, turning Progressive Field into LordTech Field. The Guardians host a Superman Night at Progressive Field on July 23. Hopefully by then the grass is repaired from the fight scene in the trailer.
In Superman, a building can be seen falling on the Veterans Memorial Bridge, another notable Cleveland landmark. The bridge, previously called the Detroit-Superior Bridge, was the city’s first fixed high-level bridge over the Cuyahoga River and was built to relieve traffic issues on the Superior Viaduct.
Vincent Lighting Systems and Destination Cleveland made Illuminate CLE a reality.
The light show intends to be both an art piece and a safety boon.
Terminal Tower’s lights are a nighttime city icon of the past decade, glowing prominently every evening. They morph into different hues to cheer for local sports teams, celebrate holidays and raise awareness for causes. (And they even interact with Clevelanders through @TowerLightsCLE’s account on X.)
If you’ve seen the lit-up tower, you’ve seen the work of Solon-based Vincent Lighting Systems, which coordinated the installation nearly a decade ago. Now, you also see VLS’s work on a whole new level with Illuminate CLE, a permanent display that puts on a large light show in Public Square every night.
“Vegas has some stuff like this, New York has some stuff like this, but nobody’s doing it on this scale,” says Bryan Mravec, the director of business development of VLS. “This is the first of its kind.”
The light show, which started in April and was installed by VLS and organized by Destination Cleveland, makes a performance out of lighting and music. Projections transform buildings like Terminal Tower, Old Stone Church, Key Tower, 200 Public Square and the Cuyahoga County Court House into canvases for a dynamic, narrative 10-minute event at the top of every hour, complete with synced songs. The other 50 minutes of the hour showcase a more static version of mood lighting and Cleveland slogans.
“Lighting innovation is part of Cleveland’s DNA, dating back to 1879 when Charles F. Brush led the first public demonstration of electric street lighting on Public Square,” says Destination Cleveland President and CEO David Gilbert. “With Illuminate CLE, Cleveland becomes the first city in Ohio to develop and install permanent fixtures to light a major public space with experiential lighting on a nightly basis.”
Illuminate CLE runs hourly from sundown until midnight. The installation provides
Since April, Downtowners experience the Illuminate CLE light show multiple times every night.
evening entertainment to Downtowners, while also increasing lighting in a civically minded safety move.
“At the foundation, it’s a way to activate a public space from both safety and security needs,” Mravec says. “To illuminate the space in a better way than it was currently but to also activate it in a very creative way.”
To accomplish the show, 16 custom utility poles housing theatrical fixtures were installed throughout Public Square. Half of them are pointed downward, to color-wash the ground around pedestrians.
“Being immersed in it is exactly what we’re looking to do here, and to have people want to hang out in the square and not just use it as a cut-through from East Fourth to West Sixth, or whatever,” Mravec says. “It’s for it to be a place that people want to be and hang out and experience something in a really cool way.”
It’s a natural extension for VLS, which has worked on notable local projects like Playhouse Square’s new marquees, Blossom Music Center’s lighting control systems, the Cleveland Museum of Natural History’s lights in its recent renovation and systems for some of the city’s lit bridges. On a national level, the company also recently built the lighting systems for the fourth and fifth exhibitions of Meow Wolf, the popular immersive art experience which began in New Mexico.
While the Solon-headquartered company’s work largely takes place behind the scenes, it plays a major role in bringing a variety of artistic and architectural visions to life.
“Something special about lighting in our world is it is involved in all of these moments that just exude emotion, whether it’s the thrill, the sadness, of live theater, the elation of a wedding, the energy of a rock concert — lighting plays such a crucial part of the world to drive emotion to the end user, the one who’s experiencing it,” Mravec says. “They might not know why they feel that way, but without it, it’s not there.”
VLS traces its history to 1978, when founder Paul Vincent started as a manufacturer’s representative for Strand Lighting. He then grew the business into a large-scale lighting system dealership and equipment rental company.
In the late 2010s, the company was bought by the Canterbury Capital venture capital firm, and over the past five years, it has expanded into new verticals of business, including experimental formats of immersive lighting displays like Illuminate CLE.
The project might grow. Destination CLE and VLS have intentions to bring future phases of the Illuminate CLE program elsewhere in the city, expanding past Public Square and into other parts of town.
“The ultimate goal of this project is to connect the city and the neighborhoods,” Mravec says. “A pipe dream may be that in 10 years, we do a show that plays through the entire city.”
Time Change Generator studio, run by Daniel Bortz, creates long rolls of custom screen-printed fabric for patterned apparel.
THE LIFE AND INSPIRATIONS of a busy artist are visible on every surface of a studio on the second floor of an AsiaTown warehouse. Colorful T-shirts and jackets hang on a garment rack, and an oversized star-shaped pillow lazily lounges on a couch. Sketches, cartoons and poems written in black Sharpie marker wallpaper the ducts, and canvases and bandannas are pinned in neat grids on the wall. One poster reads in bold letters: “Time Change Generator is a Vehicle.”
It’s a vehicle driven by local artist Daniel Bortz, who has put his print on almost everything in this room — and especially on the two long tables that take up most of the space. Each accommodates 32 yards’ worth of fabric, which is screen printed with repeating designs. Later, those rolls of fabric are cut and sewn into Time Change Generator’s eccentric, fashionable lines of clothing.
One length of fabric is covered in a wavy green-and-gray block pattern filled with groovy botanical shapes, while the other features a simple red, white and blue box fan. Overhead, similar-looking, real-life box fans dangle from the ceiling; they help dry the freshly printed ink.
“In seven years, it’s been getting better and better,” Bortz says. “Our audience is very organically growing.”
In a tour around the space, the artist periodically reaches out his tattooed arm to display button-up T-shirts, jackets and long stuffed snakes, quick to share a story about each item. Most creations were
fashioned out of the fabric yardage that’s carefully stamped on the tables. Some were pieced together out of leftover scraps. Each funky design is based on sketches and patterns imagined and drawn by Bortz and his far-reaching collaborations within his Cleveland studio.
Before moving back to his hometown and opening Time Change Generator in 2018, Bortz was based in California, first as a student at the California College of Art and later living in Oakland, making money by selling prints and T-shirts on the street and showing work at indie galleries. His style was first informed by his youth in Cleveland, spent skating, exploring Cleveland’s neighborhoods on the RTA and tuning in to ’90s bands like The Smashing Pumpkins and Nine Inch Nails.
In his professional life, he’s created largescale artworks on buildings around the world with renowned muralist Momo. He made a handful of outfits for popstar Post Malone
and designed for Nike. Notably, Bortz fashioned an immersive installation for a Phish music festival in Mexico early this year, crafting star-shaped pillows out of his fabric for festivalgoers to lounge in.
Since returning home, Bortz has found community in Cleveland’s fashion and textile scene, befriending Faan Ware founder Aaron Jacobson, clothing designer Malcolm Dakar and Cent’s Pizza owner Vincent Morelli.
Given his variety of projects, it’s not easy for Bortz to pinpoint his eclectic style. Repeat elements like psychedelic cosmic symbols and dot patterns regularly pop up in his work. But other times, the artist notices patterns around him. Visual gifts inspire the idiosyncratic designer, like the box fans, or the time he took notice in a Detroit restaurant’s tile floor, which later transformed into a grid pattern on his screen printing tables.
“It’s between intentionality and just, like, exuberance. Like, ‘Oh my God, I have to turn this into a print.’ I’m still just ecstatically
exploring all the possibilities that are at my fingertips,” Bortz says. “It’s like this arsenal that never stops building. There’s just always something I need to make.”
It’s not just him. He’s noticed an uptick in Cleveland’s fashion design and also in ethical clothing manufacturing. It leans into the city’s robust history in garment production.
“This was one of the biggest textile and clothing manufacturers in the world at one point, and a lot of those remaining spirits are still lingering. There are a lot of people who are really interested in the industry of it all, and it really has the potential of returning to that in some way,” Bortz says. “Especially where we’re headed as a country, local manufacturing could come back.”
But it can be tough to make it in Cleveland, where selling handmade, oftentimes locally cut-and-sewn, sustainable clothing can come at a higher cost.
“There’s so much love in what we do. We care about every little thing, the way every-
thing is done, the way that we talk about it,” Bortz says. “It’s all really sacred to me, and so it’s been financially really hard to stay afloat as a small creative studio.”
Yet, despite the challenges, Time Change Generator continues to expand. The brand will open a brick-and-mortar incubator storefront at 2406 Professor Ave. in Cleveland’s Tremont neighborhood this summer. Meanwhile, residencies and collabs in the warehouse space bring new worlds of artistry into Northeast Ohio, with artists like Jason Revok from Detroit and Zander Schlacter from Brooklyn, New York creating designs while in Cleveland.
“I really want to be a hub for contemporary artists coming through Cleveland, to stop and either work together, or just connect,” Bortz says. “I think Cleveland has the potential of being more prominent in contemporary culture. Everybody that builds things in the city, there’s a really beautiful spirit to it, and I’m happy to be a part of it.”
AUGUST 25-31, 2025
Delicious bites and the people who make them
ACT
Edwins gets a fresh start in Cleveland Heights, but the canvas is far from blank with new specialty dishes like Poulet au pot ($45). CONTINUED ON PAGE 24
Brandon Chrostowski’s shocking move from Shaker Square to the historic Cleveland Heights building brings two refreshed menus with it.
The news rocked the local dining scene.
In January, chef Brandon Chrostowski announced he was moving his Edwins Leadership & Restaurant Institute from its decade-plus spot on Shaker Square. He needed more room for the celebrated French eatery. It’s a key component, along with a Buckeye Road bakery-cafe and butcher shop-deli, of a 501(c)(3) culinary arts and hospitality management training operation for formerly incarcerated adults that recently won the James Beard Foundation’s new Impact Award.
The new address is hallowed ground: the location once occupied by Nighttown, the Cleveland Heights institution mourned by legions of regulars when it closed during the pandemic and then was revived by Red Restaurant Group in 2023, and closed again less than a year later.
Chrostowski has used the additional square footage to better accommodate the 40 to 50 students and graduates who work at Edwins on any given night, and to add tables to serve up to 350 people. He, along with Chris Kascsak and Bret Manning of Cleveland-based In Design Inc., have created distinctly different dining venues while preserving Nighttown’s architectural legacy, right down to the signature glass panels featuring the hulking fedora-topped figure.
“The goal was to transition it from what Nighttown was, which was the red-light district in London,” Chrostowski says. Edwins, he adds, is Paris’ Latin district. “Which part of the City of Light — or the type of establishment — depends on where you dine.”
The front room, for example, is what Chrostowski characterizes as classic brasserie, a narrow space that combines the massive old bar at the front with new green banquettes at the back. Here, we opted to sample the brasserie menu, which replaces the former Edwins Too bill of fare, in the relative peace of the Tiffany Room, so named for the existing fan-shaped art-glass window over the entrance. Olive damask-print wallpaper and banquettes several shades deeper than the blue accents in the bright green floral carpet combine to evoke an “older world Latin Quarter” vibe, as Chrostowski puts it. We
glimpsed a flower-filled patio through a glass hall door as we entered.
We were surprised by the wide range of menu options. “Hors d’oeuvres” ran the gamut from escargot to mac and cheese, “mains” from duck confit and beef bourguignon to short ribs and a burger. Ordering an appetizer seemed redundant. The bakery-fresh baguette came with a blue cheese butter, a spread that balanced the sharp, tangy pungency of the former with the creamy sweetness of the latter. It elevated the bread to starter status, particularly when paired with a glass of Edwins’ excellent private-label French Bordeaux ($10).
Chrostowski made an appearance while we were still twirling linguine, moving from table to table to chat with his customers. One woman mentioned that the service was slower than usual. There were no such issues when we returned on a busy Saturday night to eat in the fine-dining room, a luxe combination of rose wallpaper and plush banquettes, original dark wood and art glass windows that Chrostowski describes as “8th arrondissement, very high end, classy, chic.”
Chrostowski says the fine-dining menu is a “stepped up” version of its Shaker Square predecessor. The lobster bisque ($12) was a little too salty for our taste. But the shrimp scampi with linguine ($22) satisfied. The
The French restaurant now offers two menus:
a casual brasserie and a fine dining menu, each with more than 20 options.
The transformation from Nighttown to Edwins Leadership & Restaurant Institute melds the building’s history with fine dining and a beautiful setting.
butter-and-white-wine sauce was garlicky enough to make it tasty but not so garlicky that it interfered with enjoying the bananas Foster ($10) that followed. Three banana halves, split lengthwise and arranged around a scoop of vanilla ice cream, were served in a buttery, brown-sugary sauce made with rum and banana liqueur that filled the small bowl.
Next came the bouillabaisse ($48), Chrostowski’s culinary pride and joy. The saffron broth is prepared with ingredients such as rascasse, a fish that’s “damn near impossible to find in the States — we try to procure the bones,” and pastis. He augments the usual selection of fish with mussels and lobster.
“Lobster puts it over the top,” he concedes. “Some purists would object.”
We knew from previous experience that bouillabaisse could be served in two courses: the broth, ladled into individual bowls, and the fish, chosen from a communal platter. But the menu described it as a “seafood stew,” words that conjured up visions of a hearty soup.
What we got was a selection of seafood artfully heaped in a deep white bowl. A blackened plank of sea bass, as long and wide as a small banana, rested atop a half-dozen mussels, shells yawning wide open, with a large chunk of golden branzino tucked to one side. Two crostini dolloped with saffron aioli topped the arrangement.
We looked up at the server and, genuinely perplexed, asked, “How do we eat this?” The server fetched a supervisor who, smiling at our confusion, suggested we “unpack it” on the dinner plate she subsequently retrieved from the kitchen. We gradually uncovered a lobster tail curled around a smaller piece of branzino submerged in a couple inches of broth. Executive chef Tim emerged from the kitchen to explain that the presentation was
Edwins’ private-label French Bordeaux, a fullbodied blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, is available by the glass ($10) or the bottle ($12.99).
developed to achieve maximum “wow factor.” We began cutting fish and lobster into bite-sized pieces and dropping them into the broth, laughing at our ignorance.
For dessert, we vacillated between the Grand Marnier souffle ($15) and pyramid du chocolat ($15), the latter of which Chrostowski describes as “a big, decadent chocolate truffle.” The souffle won out — barely. Yet another server placed a white ramekin containing the powdered sugar-dusted delight on the table, raised a knife above it, and asked, “May I?” We nodded. He pierced the souffle, poured a small crock of creme anglaise into the opening, and left us to savor the faint taste of citrus in each light bite.
The Bouillabaisse ($48), a seafood stew that changes slightly based on the chef and the day, offers a rich foray into French classics.
Part of the Edwins’ experience is meeting the people who take advantage of the second chances it provides. Our server in the Tiffany Room confessed that she was a little nervous working “the front of the house” — she worried that her people skills weren’t good enough to do it. She wasn’t sure if she wanted to pursue a career in hospitality after she graduated from the six-month Edwins program. But she now had the commitment needed to get her GED, maybe go on to college and study psychology.
Her words made us forget any lapse in service as we figured the tip.
Girl Dinner started with just some harmless snacking, but now it’s a filling part of Cleveland’s dining scene.
The next big meal at local restaurants isn’t actually that big at all. In fact, that’s the point.
Girl Dinner popularized in 2023 when influencer Olivia Maher posted a TikTok sharing her unorganized spread of charcuterie, eating the bread, cheese, pickles and fruit on paper towels or directly out of the food’s container. She coined the term there, and it snowballed into whatever a girl was in the mood for.
The snack-forward dinner normalizes low-effort, small bites consisting of scraps you might find in the pantry or fridge. It’s developed into mismatched pasta noodles with olive oil and even just a plate of potato chips.
“I started doing little Girl Dinners at my house with my friends,” says Julia Licastro, operating partner at STEAK in Cleveland’s Tremont neighborhood. “We were really into the idea of not having this big, huge meal.”
The trend notably collided with the Caesar salad as it also had a comeback on TikTok in 2023. The easy-to-prepare dish conveniently made the perfect Girl Dinner.
Cleveland restaurants quickly clung to this basic formula. Georgetown Vosh in Lakewood, owned by the Krivosh family, offers Girl Dinner every Thursday night. Its menu special is your choice of a Caesar or pear Gorgonzola salad; french fries or truffle fries; and an espresso martini or dirty martini, the girls’ favorite slow-sippers ($20).
“What we’re trying to accomplish is just bringing fresh ideas and entertainment to the Cleveland area,” the Krivosh family concedes. “What is gonna get people to come out and enjoy themselves on a regular basis?”
Lago East Bank celebrates Girl Dinner all week at happy hour, Monday through Friday from 3 to 6:30 p.m. The half-size Caesar salad and truffle fries ($8) can be upgraded with a dirty or espresso martini ($10) for a salty, sweet, satiable and girl-approved meal.
Some places prefer more protein. Hi-5, the women-oriented sports bar in the Flats, hosts Girl Dinner every Thursday with mini kale Caesar salads and espresso martinis ($5 each), plus its chicken tenders and Trio fries at half-price ($5-$6).
STEAK’s Girl Dinner stays true to its brand, pairing a 6-ounce steak, fish or plantbased filet with your choice of fries or a Caesar salad ($20).
STEAK in Tremont offers a Girl Dinner at its “Golden Hour” every Monday through Thursday from 4 to 6 p.m. and 9 p.m. to close. The bar-only special is limited to 10 seats.
“We want this to be filling and tasty, but we don’t want it to be something that’s all too serious,” Licastro says. “It’s not just women ordering this, although it is a lot of women. It’s really fun to see anybody and everybody order something called Girl Dinner.”
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Northeast Ohio’s top chefs share their local favorites.
Frustrated with the corporate grind, Cleveland natives Shelley Pippin and her husband, John, launched Brewnuts in 2013, blending their love for craft beer and handmade doughnuts. Pippin is also one of the co-founders of The W Sports Bar, Cleveland’s first women’s sports bar that serves as an inclusive space that celebrates women’s sports while welcoming all fans in the Gordon Square Arts District. — CHRISTINA RUFO
BRUNCHIN’ I almost never get to go out for breakfast, being in the business that I’m in. It’s my favorite meal of the day. But we recently had brunch at The Rowley Inn [Tremont] and it was excellent; it felt like such a treat. John had this amazing smothered kielbasa hash, and I had the avocado toast. But, like all things done in true Rowley fashion, it had goat cheese, balsamic drizzle and all these yummy extra add-ons. And, of course, I had to have the Old Bay home fries.
CELEBRATION I would say one of my favorite places in Cleveland is Johnny’s Bar on Fulton. I just love going there in terms of the experience, the ambiance and the staff. They just take such wonderful care of us. It’s a staple for John and I if we need to recharge and drop off our usual routine. We get the peppercorn crusted duck breast appetizer that comes with walnuts, cherries and goat cheese. Their sauteed veal stuffed peppers are fantastic, as well. We always split the Caesar salad with anchovies, and for entrees, I usually get the steak au poivre.
DATE NIGHT I love Little Italy. Cent’Anni, for cocktails, is an absolute gem tucked away over there. Michaelangelo’s is fabulous. Valerio’s Ristorante is just wonderful. It’s like a hug, and it’s such a family place and has a wonderful vibe. We also love going to Maxi’s for drinks, and their food is amazing as well. They have a patio in the summertime that has such great ambiance. Little Italy is another one of those places that feels like an escape for us.
WHY WE LOVE IT: This Cleveland-area institution has been churning rich, velvety custard since 1985, using a recipe inspired by the original Coney Island version from 1919. With dozens of rotating daily flavors and nearly 30 toppings, there’s always something new to try. The retro neon signage adds charm across its five locations, and the mobile custard truck brings the creamy goodness to events across Northeast Ohio. TRY THIS: The buckeye concrete ($7.75) mixes vanilla custard with chocolate syrup, peanut butter sauce and peanut butter cups, topped with whipped cream. Various locations, eastcoastcustard.com
WHY WE LOVE IT: Located beside Fantasy Island Mini Golf, this Chagrin Falls favorite is celebrating its 50th anniversary. The family-run, walk-up stand is known for its handcrafted ice creams and frozen custards. It also serves Dole Whip, a nondairy option, and hosts a “Create Your Own Ice Cream” contest that invites customers to invent new flavors. TRY THIS: The classic E.T. sundae ($7.50) features vanilla ice cream topped with peanut butter, hot fudge, Reese’s Pieces, whipped cream and a cherry. 8295 E. Washington St., Chagrin Falls, 440-543-7382, dairyisland.com
WHY WE LOVE IT: A beloved Slavic Village institution since 1977, the shop continues to serve Toft’s Ice Cream, a regional favorite. With its iconic red-and-yellow sign and welcoming picnic tables, Daisy’s remains a cherished gathering spot for the community. TRY THIS: A scoop of Toft’s Superman ice cream ($3.25) caps off an evening. 5614 Fleet Ave., Cleveland, facebook.com/daisysonfleet
WHY WE LOVE IT: Known for its creamy soft serve and fruit-flavored swirls, decades of summer traditions are rooted in this nostalgic, family-owned walk-up. Owner Shelley Shupp says, “Ice cream has always been fun.” TRY THIS: An orange swirl cone ($2.75-$4) with vanilla soft serve and orange sherbet is the perfect way to cool down. 22004 Lorain Road, Fairview Park, 440-734-4797, facebook.com
WHY WE LOVE IT: Nestled just steps from the Lake Erie shoreline, this charming shop crafts all its ice cream in-house. The menu features creative flavors like caramel macchiato and boozy pints infused with whiskey and creme de menthe. Vegan options, including Dole Whip, are also available. TRY THIS: The sampler flight of four scoops ($7.50) ensures you get a bite of all your favorite flavors. 202 High St., Fairport Harbor, 440-898-0030, fairportharborcreamery.com
WHY WE LOVE IT: A Willoughby Hills landmark since 1947, Foster’s continues to honor its nearly 80-year legacy under current owner Mark Palko. Using the Foster family’s original recipes, still handwritten on vintage index cards, the team makes all ice cream and desserts from scratch. Totally old school, the red, white and blue painted shop serves 32 rotating flavors like black cherry, chocolate peanut butter, pistachio almond and seasonal favorites. Outside, families can enjoy scoops at picnic tables in the backyard. TRY THIS: Get a turtle or Oreo ice cream pie ($17.50-$20) to share with your friends for any occasion. 30551 Chardon Road, Willoughby Hills, facebook.com
WHY WE LOVE IT: Born in Youngstown in 1945, Handel’s has grown into a national favorite without losing its small-batch roots. Each location makes ice cream fresh daily, offering 48 flavors on-site from a rotating selection of more than 140, including fan favorites like Graham Central Station, cherry cordial and salty caramel truffle. Handel’s continues to expand across the U.S. and has more than 20 stores in Northeast Ohio. TRY THIS: Can’t decide? A 4-scoop sampler ($5.75) explores classic and seasonal specials. Various locations, handelsicecream.com
WHY WE LOVE IT: A Cleveland staple since 1974, Honey Hut has built a loyal following among its four Northeast Ohio locations. Each family-owned and operated shop offers 13 signature flavors. Its iconic smiling bee logo signals a sweet experience before you even step up to the window. TRY THIS: Brighten up your day with a scoop of orange blossom ice cream ($4.25) made with orange zest and sweetened with orange blossom honey. Various locations, gohoneyhut.com
WHY WE LOVE IT: Born in 2002 in Columbus, Jeni’s has become a national sensation by pushing the boundaries of flavor with a lineup that includes classics like salty caramel and brambleberry crisp, alongside bold creations such as Savannah buttermint and goat cheese with red cherries. TRY THIS: Stop in at the only Jeni’s scoop shop in Cleveland for a scoop of the citrus glazed pound cake paired with the gooey butter cake ($6.70) — a decadent afternoon pickme-up. 67 N. Main St., Chagrin Falls, 440-2472064, jenis.com/scoop-shops/cleveland
WHY WE LOVE IT: Established in 2013, this iconic neon pink stand is a hard-to-miss gathering spot in both the Chardon and Perry communities. With more than 30 Hershey’s hard-serve flavors, over a dozen toppings and a 24-flavor soft-serve machine, the menu is packed with unlimited options. The pastel-colored exterior and friendly staff add to the welcoming atmosphere. TRY THIS: The No Name ($4.99-$6.99) is a famous crowd favorite. The indulgent sundae includes vanilla soft serve in a cone, rolled in pretzels, dipped in chocolate and topped with sea salt and caramel. 10621 Grant St., Chardon, 440724-7385; 3266 N. Ridge Road, Perry, 440-724-7391, king-kone.com
WHY WE LOVE IT: A staple in Avon Lake since 2004, Fenik’s serves up small-batch frozen custard. The interior features checkered floors, a neon sign and a chalkboard menu that reflects a rotating lineup of more than 20 vegan, oat or soy-based ice cream options. Flavors change weekly, alongside the fresh-baked cookies that can be eaten solo or used to make an ice cream sandwich. TRY THIS: The vanilla custard, made with an original 1950s family recipe, ($5.25-$13.95) is most popular. It can be added to a brownie bowl, put into a colorful cone, topped with Oreos, hot fudge or a multitude of options. 684 Avon Belden Road, Avon Lake, facebook.com/feniksfrozencustard
WHY WE LOVE IT: Serving up some of the creamiest ice cream around, this family-owned shop uses Toft’s Ice Cream from Sandusky — made with 10% butterfat. Kick back on the covered patio with shaded picnic tables. The shop is also pet-friendly, offering pup cups so your furry friend can join in on the fun. TRY THIS: Grab a scoop of the Lake Erie Cookie Island Monster ($3.75-$6.75) featuring blue cake batter ice cream, cookie dough and cream-filled chocolate cookies 9304 Chillicothe Road, Kirtland, 440-744-9023, kirtlandcreamery.com
WHY WE LOVE IT: A Vermilion institution for more than 35 years, this family-run market and custard shop blends homemade charm with fresh, fruity flavor. Its frozen custard comes in rotating weekly flavors, while the market features local produce, hanging flower baskets and strawberries picked from their fields. TRY THIS: The strawberry shortcake sundae ($8) is served on top of warm biscuits and topped with fresh cut fruit, whipped cream, nuts and a cherry. 3175 North Ridge Road, Vermilion, 440-988-9228, facebook.com/kriegsmarketandcustard
WHY WE LOVE IT : This grab-and-go ice cream and treat shop in Cleveland’s Gordon Square Arts District is a Saturday-morning cartoon dream come true. Founded by Jennifer Taggart, the shop channels pure nostalgic joy with nods to '70s, '80s and '90s vibes, and a menu full of homemade ice cream, novelties and retro sweets. Everything is pre-packaged for convenience. TRY THIS: Grab an orange creamsicle ($4.50) or a quick scoop of the cookie butter or vegan blackberry coconut ice cream ($4.25). 6604 Detroit Ave., Cleveland, 216-870-8169, lakeeriescoops.com
WHY WE LOVE IT: Founded by Cleveland brothers Pete and Mike Mitchell in 1999, this beloved local chain has grown into a Northeast Ohio staple with nine scoop shops and a flagship kitchen in Ohio City. Mitchell’s is known for its commitment to sustainability and community, crafting each batch of ice cream in-house using local dairy and fair-trade ingredients. The menu features a rotating selection of more than 35 flavors, with vegan and dairy-free options available. Visitors can see the quality for themselves and watch the ice cream-making process through large glass windows at the Ohio City location. TRY THIS: With so many flavors to choose from, the Taster’s Trio ($6.85) allows you to pick three flavors for the full experience. Various locations, mitchellshomemade.com
WHY WE LOVE IT: New to Concord Township, this gem churns fresh gelato daily, using quality ingredients like seasonal fruit and local honey. Along with a rotating lineup of creamy classics and dairy-free sorbets, it offers multiple gluten-free options, espresso drinks and baked goods. Guests can swing by the drive-thru or linger on the stunning covered patio — complete with a cozy fire feature TRY THIS: A scoop of coconut crunch or lemon sorbet ($5.50-$6.75) makes for a decadent treat any time of day. Crile Road, Concord, 440-754-3158, lmcreamery.com
WHY WE LOVE IT: This Cleveland classic has been renowned for its rich confections and old-fashioned ice cream parlors since 1935. Lakewood, Mentor and North Olmsted loca tions feature full-service parlors where you can enjoy more than 25 ice cream flavors in fluted glassware. The North Olmsted shop even boasts a working carousel inside, and the Lakewood location is Alice in Wonder land-themed. The pastel pinks and greens transport you back in time with nostalgic menu items like classic ice cream sodas and phosphates. TRY THIS: sundae ($5.95) comes with two scoops of any ice cream flavor, with Malley’s Famous Fudge Sauce served on the side for personal pouring. Various locations, malleys.com
WHY WE LOVE IT: This Ohio City gem crafts small-batch ice cream with big creativity, offering 16 rotating flavors that range from baklava, Graza olive oil with flaky sea salt, vegan peaches and cream and its signature, ube, a purple sweet potato with a vanilla-marshmallow aftertaste. Four vegan flavors are always available, including a rotating oat milk soft serve. TRY THIS: Try any two scoops of ice cream served in a fluffy, warm bubble waffle cone ($8) and topped with house-made whipped cream that comes in a variety of flavors. 4401 Bridge Ave., Cleveland, 216-762-1095, masonscreamery.com
WHY WE LOVE IT: Opened in 2022 by longtime Willoughby resident Mickey Coyne, this family-owned shop brings a nostalgic, community-first vibe to the area. The menu features hard and soft serve ice cream, specialties, hot dogs and jumbo pretzels. The cozy interior and friendly atmosphere make it a perfect spot for families and ice cream enthusiasts alike. TRY THIS: The Chocolate Chip Ice Cream Sammy ($6) combines velvety ice cream and rich, chocolate goodness. 14 E. Spaulding St., Willoughby, 440-710-6015, mickeysdtw.com
WHY WE LOVE IT: This seasonal spot in Cleveland’s Little Italy brings a taste of Sicily to the neighborhood with its handcrafted granita, blended fresh daily using real fruit and a water base. “A lot of people think it’s like shaved ice or a snow cone, and it’s not that. It’s a very smooth and creamy texture,” says owner Chris Giancola. Starting as a sidewalk cart in 2020, the beloved storefront offers a rotating menu of flavors, including coconut, mango and mint mojito. TRY THIS: The flight ($12) allows you to pick four flavors, perfect for trying the seasonal options throughout the summer. 2024 Murray Hill Road, Cleveland, mountgranita.com
WHY WE LOVE IT: This Solon-based dessert shop reimagines frozen treats with a mess-free, portable twist. Specializing in handcrafted ice cream and sorbet popsicles, Pop Culture CLE offers a dense, creamy texture by eliminating air from its mixtures. TRY THIS: Customize any pop ($4.50-$8) with drizzles and a variety of toppings for a unique treat. Its menu boasts more than two dozen flavors, including vegan options like avocado lime and cookie butter, as well as seasonal specials. Beyond popsicles, it serves Liege waffles, cinnamon rolls, boozy “poptails” for adults and so much more. The shop’s vibrant atmosphere and inventive offerings make it a standout destination. 33549 Solon Road, Solon, 216-245-7316, popculturecle.com
WHY WE LOVE IT: Take your breakfast favorites to the next level. Remixx puts a nostalgic spin on dessert by letting you mix your favorite cereals and toppings into a custom ice cream creation. Choose from vanilla, chocolate or dairy-free bases and blend in everything from Reese’s Puffs to brownie bites, Pop Tarts and more. Vegan-friendly and wildly creative, this shop is perfect for those who want to revamp their usual ice cream orders. TRY THIS: Overwhelmed by the options? The 90s Kid ($6-$7) includes a rainbow of classics: Fruity Pebbles, Fruit
Loops, a strawberry Pop Tart and marshmallow drizzle. 11512 Clifton Blvd., Cleveland, 216-205-4844 remixxicecream.com
WHY WE LOVE IT: A Northeast Ohio favorite since 2000, Rosati’s churns its rich, velvety frozen custard in-house in continuous batches throughout the day, creating a smooth, dense texture that sets it apart from traditional ice cream. With locations in Northfield Center and Brunswick, this family-friendly shop offers a rotating selection of daily flavors, along with staples like
chocolate, vanilla and twist. TRY THIS: The cherry cordial sundae ($7.95) is layered with hot fudge, cherries, chocolate chips and whipped cream. 95 E. Aurora Road, Northfield, 330-908-0889 ; 922 Pearl Road, Brunswick, 330-220-5050, rosatisfrozencustard.com
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WHY WE LOVE IT: A Chesterland icon for more than 70 years, Valley Villa specializes in soft serve made fresh in-house with more than 30 rotating flavors — from amaretto and creme de menthe to apricot and tuttifrutti. The custard is rich, silky and melts in your mouth with every bite. Grab a cone and relax at one of the outdoor picnic tables for a true summertime ritual. TRY THIS: The Wolverine-Chocolate sundae ($6.75) comes with custard topped with Oreos and smothered in hot fudge, all finished off with whipped cream and a cherry. 8200 Mayfield Road, Chesterland, 440-321-8453, valleyvillacustard.com
WHY WE LOVE IT: A Cleveland institution since 1931, Weber’s is beloved on the West Side for its rich, vintage-style frozen custard. Weber’s owns the last pair of continuous commercial ice cream machines known to exist, which were first manufactured in 1909. Today, It offers a rotating selection of classic and modern flavors, including peanut butter
Oreo, salted caramel and black cherry, The shop’s nostalgic charm and commitment to quality make it a must-visit for dessert lovers. TRY THIS: Its signature Frosted Malt ($5.50), a thick, chocolatey treat, has deep roots in local history, famously inspiring the version once served at Higbee’s department store. 20230 Lorain Road, Fairview Park, webersvintageicecream.com
WHY WE LOVE IT: A longtime staple in the Parma community, this walk-up has been serving up soft serve for decades — and now, under new ownership in its second season, it’s continuing that legacy with care. Beloved for its colorful Flavor Burst cones, classic sundaes and dairy-free options, the retro vibe and outdoor seating make this a go-to summer spot for locals of all ages. TRY THIS: The flavor burst cone ($3.25-$4.25) is a vanilla cone injected with flavored syrups such as “blue goo,” green apple, banana ripple, black cherry and more. Choose up to three flavors, and make a rainbow cone. 6096 State Road, Parma. 440-886-6473, facebook.com
Summer is for reading. Celebrate Cleveland’s vibrant lit scene by diving into the books, creators and organizers that make it stand out.
The Lorain native is honored in various spaces across the region for her great contributions to literature.
BY JULIA LOMBA R DO
Toni Morrison is everywhere, even after her death in 2019. Her presence is scattered across the world in bookshelves, curriculums, podcasts, documentaries and plays. But in many ways, her heartbeat still thumps loudest in her hometown of Lorain.
The Toni Morrison Reading Room at Lorain Public Library is an extension of her home, and where she worked her first job as a shelver.
“I spent long, long hours reading there,” Morrison said at the reading room’s ribbon cutting in 1995, according to library records, “so I wanted one place available in the neighborhood with a quiet room and comfortable chairs.” Those chairs are a focal point — large, green and plush.
“[Toni’s] family came … and someone told us that they actually looked remarkably similar to chairs that she had in her own apartment,” says Anastasia Diamond-Ortiz, chief executive officer and director at Lorain Public Library.
It’s a happy coincidence, and just one of many Easter eggs across the space. There hangs a letter written by Morrison to the library. There are pens used to sign Toni Morrison Day into law, honoring the author every Feb. 18 — an effort that was largely backed by Diamond-Ortiz’s staff. Everything is anchored by a bookcase, where signed copies of The Bluest Eye and Sula withstand years of both praise and criticism in the place where Morrison first found her story to tell.
“To me, her impact is just letting writers and everyone know that if you don't see something on the shelf that reflects who you are, it is not only your responsibility, but it's your gift back to the world to document that and share it,” says Diamond-Ortiz.
Morrison, who was born in 1931 and lived to be 88 years old, gave back by asserting the Black woman’s experience in a divisive world beyond her rural town, standing tall in major spaces. That included being the first Black female editor at Random House, the first Black chairwoman at an Ivy League university and the first Black woman to win the Nobel Prize in Literature.
A bustling community of local writers still returns its thanks today, fostering spaces to keep Morrison’s passion alive. Literary Cleveland is putting together a statewide, yearlong Toni Morrison celebration that’s slated to kick off in February. The Community Foundation of Lorain County presents an annual Toni Morrison Essay Contest for Young People, upholding the power of a personal story.
“A lot of people wouldn't think of Northeast Ohio as being a hotbed for a literary community,” says Laura Maylene Walter, Ohio Center for the Book fellow, “but I think we have so much going on. I have found it to be a supportive place, a really smart place for writers, a really livable place for writers. I'm just excited to be a part of it.”
“Genius can't be constrained by geography,” she adds. “Toni Morrison could be from anywhere. But the fact that she's from here is really powerful.”
Great works of fiction find inspiration in reality — and that’s the case in this list of Cleveland-based novels. Each book uses Northeast Ohio as a setting, weaving it into new worlds and stories.
Bart Ridgeley: A Story of Northern Ohio by Albert Riddle (1873)
The Bread Winners by John Milton Hay (1883)
The Ice Queen by Ernest Ingersoll (1885): In this 19th-century story, three siblings go on a daring, icy adventure in the middle of a Midwest winter: skating across a frozen Lake Erie to reach an uncle’s home in Cleveland.
Dance Night by Dawn Powell (1930)
Industrial Valley by Ruth McKenney (1939)
He, the Father by Frank Mlakar (1950): This powerful portrait of Slovenian immigrant life in the mid-century explores themes of fatherhood, tradition and generational tension, drawing from Mlakar’s own roots in Cleveland’s Slovenian American community.
The Changelings by Jo Sinclair (1955): Set in a working-class Jewish and Sicilian neighborhood in Cleveland, two young girls form a friendship as they grapple with racism and antisemitism in their communities.
The Coming of Fabrizze by Raymond DeCapite (1960): Set in 1920s Cleveland is a lyrical, heroic tale of an Italian immigrant whose charm, hard work and honesty succeeds. More myth than realism, it reads like a modern folk tale, celebrating working-class joy.
The Greatest Thing Since Sliced Bread by Don Robertson (1965)
Fathers by Herbert Gold (1966)
The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison (1970)
The Toothpaste Millionaire by Jean Merrill (1972): Tangible lessons in math and entrepreneurship take the form of two sixth-graders’ gallon-sized toothpaste business in Cleveland.
Rufus Mayflower and Kate MacKinstrey make a living off shiny teeth in their teen years in this funny and informative children’s book.
Memoirs of an Ex-Prom Queen by Alix Kates Shulman (1972)
The Cracker Factory by Joyce Rebeta-Burditt (1977): A Cleveland housewife spirals into alcoholism amid a loveless marriage, motherhood and an affair, until a breakdown lands her in a psych ward where she begins her recovery journey and confronts her demons.
Detour by Michael Brodsky (1977)
The Headmaster’s Papers by Richard Hawley (1983)
The Dark City by Max Allan Collins (1987)
The Broom of the System by David Foster Wallace (1987): Postmodernist author David Foster Wallace’s first novel follows a strange story in Cleveland about missing nursing home residents, a communicative cockatiel and relationships.
Milan Jacovich series by Les Roberts (1988-2016)
BY MAU R A ZURIC K
From poems about Ohio forests to tales of Cleveland newsrooms, local publishers make space for stories rooted in place and heart.
Two of the region’s most committed champions are Kent State University Press and Gray & Co. Though different in structure, both are grounded in the belief that Northeast Ohio has stories worth telling, with audiences eager to read them.
Founded in 1965, KSU Press has long prioritized place-based storytelling, from poetry collections to essay anthologies on the Rust Belt’s past and future.
“Our regional program highlights grounded, diverse voices from a part of the country, and the world, that might not otherwise be well-represented in bookstores and libraries,” says Derek Krissoff, editor-at-large at KSU Press.
One standout title? Light Enters the
Grove, a poetry and art collection inspired by Cuyahoga Valley National Park.
“It illustrates the promise of place-based publishing in our region,” Krissoff says.
At Gray & Co., David Gray stepped in to fill a need for local storytelling. Since 1991, he’s published more than 200 titles focused on Cleveland-area interests — books “Clevelanders want to read.”
“I knew that large national publishers were not interested in publishing books about Northeast Ohio, because there were nearly none at that time” Gray says.
While they serve different audiences, both presses offer an impactful local focus.
“We’re already here,” Krissoff says, “publishing from our grounded perspective every day instead of swooping in.”
Together, KSU Press and Gray & Co. help prove that Northeast Ohio stories belong on the shelf and in the spotlight.
As BookTok and Bookstragram guide the literary scene, these Clevelanders have the best recommendations and reviews to help you stock your bookshelf and max out your library card.
BY LAINE y NOVA K
Internet users have been creating book-centered content since the web’s inception. In recent years, these “bookish” posts have taken hold of social media and beyond, scattered around libraries and bookstores boasting influencer recs based on tropes and spice level. A handful of Cleveland-based creators put their own stamp on the scene.
This Parma native has more than 160,000 followers combined on her TikTok and Instagram accounts where she discusses and reviews her favorite sci-fi and fantasy reads. “Talking about books online is literally my full-time job,” Host says, “which is really, really freaking cool.” Host, a lifelong avid reader, says she was always an observer of book content on social media but decided to try it out as a hobby during the pandemic. “Like, one viral video took off, and the rest is kind of history,” she says.
Nahomy Ortiz-Garcia enjoys nearly 7,000 followers on Instagram, where she lifts up Hispanic and Latino authors. She grew up in Puerto Rico and landed in Cleveland 12 years ago. “I learned English watching Disney Channel and reading subtitles on the TV,” she says. “I learned even more as I was reading The Hunger Games and other books when I lived in Puerto Rico.” She watched other creators discuss books she wanted to read. “When I moved here, I wanted to make friends,” she says, “so I started my Instagram.”
Mikey Feinman’s page started with book and cocktail pairings, then leaned into book tropes’ inspirations for cocktail ingredients. The Florida native moved to Northeast Ohio for work and got back into reading during the pandemic. “I was reading so much I started posting about [books] on my personal page,” Feinman says, “and all of my friends were asking, ‘Why don’t you do something book-related?’” She particularly enjoys finding independent authors. “I think there’s a really cool community in the indie author scene,” she says. “They connect a lot with us bookstagrammers.”
Millionaire’s Row by Peggy Murphy Petkus (1989): During Cleveland’s Gilded Age, the city’s wealthy elite navigates shifting social tides, personal ambition and the cost of status. Against the backdrop of real events like the opening of the Arcade, the rise of the Terminal Tower and the development of Shaker Heights, the novel captures a city in transition — and is followed up with 1991’s Millionaire’s Hill.
Sheltered Lives by Charles Oberndorf (1992)
Left To Themselves by Mary Grimm (1993)
Deviant Way by Richard Montanari (1995): Detective John Paris chases down a serial killer duo in Cleveland’s singles bars and continues to investigate murders and killings in Kiss of Evil (2001).
Raven by S.A. Swiniarski (1996)
The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell (1996): Taking place in Cleveland Heights, Puerto Rico and faraway planets, this philosophical sci-fi book (Russell’s first) explores religious ideas after aliens are discovered and met on a faraway planet.
Seedfolks by Paul Fleischman (1997)
Through the Windshield by Michael DeCapite (1998)
Hippies by Peter Jedick (1998)
Dark Lady by Richard North Patterson (1999)
Whiskey Island by Emilie Richards (2000)
In the Blind by Eugene Marten (2000): Haunted by his past in Cleveland, a man gets a job at a locksmith and finds clarity in his life.
The Dragons of the Cuyahoga by S. Andrew Swann (2001): Cleveland Press reporter Kline Maxwell goes on a fantastical adventure as he reports on a dragon that crashes into the Cuyahoga River. The series continues with The Dwarves of Whiskey Island (2005).
Crooked River Burning by Mark Winegardner (2001): A pair of star-crossed lovers from different social classes grow up in a period of major shifts in Cleveland: political corruption, rock ‘n’ roll and river fires. The novel incorporates many real-life Clevelanders, including Carl Stokes, Alan Freed and Eliot Ness.
House Under Snow by Jill Bialosky (2002)
The Full Cleveland by Terry Reed (2005)
Tonight I Said Goodbye by Michael Koryta (2005)
Mouth to Mouth by Erin McCarthy (2005)
Trace Evidence by Elizabeth Becka (2005)
The Sound Of Us by Sarah Willis (2005)
Crooked River by Shelley Pearsall (2005)
Pepper Martin series by Casey Daniels (2006-ongoing): Connie Laux has authored dozens of novels in the past few decades under a variety of pen names. Her popular Pepper Martin series, published as Casey Daniels, follows a cemetery tour guide after she hits her head and gets the ability to communicate with the dead — whether she’d like to or not.
The Heir Chronicles by Cinda Williams Chima (2006-2014): Cinda Williams Chima’s bestselling fantasy series is set in the fictional Trinity, Ohio, (modeled after Oberlin) and in Downtown Cleveland. There, a teenager named Jack learns he is a part of a secret magic society, becoming a powerful warrior, all while growing up near the shores of Lake Erie.
If Today Be Sweet by Thrity Umrigar (2007)
Visit one of Northeast Ohio’s many indie book shops to peruse their vast collections and find your next great read.
BLACK CAT BOOKS & ODDITIES
420 S. Court St., Medina, blackcatmedina.com
BOOK BROTHERS
15408 Madison Ave., Lakewood, facebook.com/ bookbrothersohio
BROWSING ROOM BOOKSTORE
1301 E. Ninth St., First floor, Cleveland, thebrowsingroombookstore.com
CLEVO BOOKS
1026 Euclid Ave., Cleveland, clevobooks.com
ELIZABETH’S BOOKSHOP & WRITING CENTRE
21 Furnace St., Akron, elizabethsofakronshop.com
FIRESIDE BOOK SHOP
29 North Franklin St., Chagrin Falls, firesidebookshop.com
FLAME & FABLE
13439 Detroit Ave., Lakewood, flameandfablebooks.com
HEXAGON BOOKS
2184 Lee Road, Cleveland Heights, hexagonbooks.org
INDEX BOOKS AND COFFEE
1921 W. 25th St., Cleveland, indexcleveland.com
LEARNED OWL
204 N. Main St., Hudson, learnedowl.com
LOGANBERRY BOOKS
13015 Larchmere Blvd., Cleveland, loganberrybooks.com
MAC’S BACKS BOOKS ON COVENTRY
1820 Coventry Road, Cleveland Heights, macsbacks.com
SNOWBALL BOOKS & MORE
564 W. Tuscarawas Ave. #102, Barberton, facebook.com/ snowballbookshop
THE THRIFTY OWL BOOK SHOP
152 E. Aurora Road, Northfield, thriftyowl.com
THE READING ROOM
Location TBD, readingroomcle.org
THIRDSPACE READING ROOM 1464 E. 105th St., Cleveland, thirdspacereadingroom.com
VISIBLE VOICE BOOKS 2258 Professor Ave., Cleveland, visiblevoicebooks.com
WALLS OF BOOKS 7783 W. Ridgewood Drive, Parma, bookshop.org
The 87-year-old author of the popular Cleveland-based Milan Jacovich private detective novel series opens up about his career and upcoming work.
BY VINCE GUE RR IE R I
Les Roberts came to Cleveland in 1987, after more than two decades working in television in Los Angeles, to help start the Ohio Lottery’s Cash Explosion TV show. While here, he fell in love with the area and has made it his home since — as well as the setting for the bulk of his novels, including 19 featuring private detective Milan Jacovich. His most recent novel, Sierra Bravo, came out earlier in the year. He’s got another set to come out next year and is working on two more.
CLEVELAND MAGAZINE: You’ve done a lot of writing for television, for shows as varied as The Andy Griffith Show, The Man from U.N.C.L.E. and Hollywood Squares. How did you branch out into novels?
LES ROBERTS: A guy came to me and said he wanted to be a producer and wanted to make a private eye movie like Casablanca. I didn’t have the heart to tell him Casablanca wasn’t really a private eye movie. So I wrote an outline, and they loved it. The deal fell apart, but I still wanted to write the screenplay. So I sat down and wrote about 30 pages, and I heard a voice say, “This is a book, schmuck.” I submitted it to a contest at St. Martin’s Press. I sent it in August, and in October, they called me and said, “You won.” I got paid $10,000. I loved it so much that I kept writing.
CM: What’s the writing process like for you?
LR: When I start a book — people ask me this all the time — I know who gets killed, I know who did it, and the rest of it I make up as I go along. Robert Crais writes the Elvis Cole mysteries. We lived near each other in Los Angeles, and we both published books the same week. He would write a 60-page outline of each book. I said, “While you’re writing those 60 pages of outline, I’ve written 60 pages of a novel.”
He said, “I couldn’t write without it.” I said, “I couldn’t write with it.”
CM: You’ve written a total of 19 Milan Jacovich books but none since 2016. Are you done with the character?
LR: I’ve stopped writing the Milan books. He’s been my best friend, but I reached the end with it because when I was writing the 19th book, I didn’t hate it, but I thought, There’s more to my life than a fictional Slovenian American private eye in Cleveland, and I’ve explored other areas since then, and I’ve a fun time doing it.
CM: At 87, you’re at an age where most people aren’t writing books. What keeps you at it?
LR: Everyone assumed I was going to stop writing when I turned 80, but James Michener published his last book at 90, and I said if he can do it, I can do it. I write a little slower than I used to. I used to do a book in five or six months. Now, it takes closer to a year. But I love doing it, and I’ll keep writing until I can’t anymore.
CM: What is it about Cleveland that appeals to you as home and as a setting for your books?
LR: There are so many things that go on here. There’s a music scene and a sports scene. At one point, all the local politicians were getting put in jail, and that really inspired me. This place excites me, it pisses me off and it’s fun. When I leave Northeast Ohio, it will be in an urn.
Playing for Pizza by John Grisham (2007): After a disastrous game in Cleveland ends his NFL career, quarterback Rick Dockery flees to Italy, finding redemption, culture shock and unexpected passion in small-town Parma, where football means everything — but not in the way he knew.
The End by Salvatore Scibona (2008)
Theresa MacLean series by Lisa Black (2008-2014)
Nemesis: The Final Case of Eliot Ness by William Bernhardt (2009)
Vicious Circle by Linda Robertson (2009)
What Happened on Fox Street by Tricia Springstubb (2010): The Cleveland Heights native brings us to Fox Street, where Mo lives with her father, sister and the memory of her late mother. The place she calls home is in jeopardy as big changes arise during one memorable summer.
Force of Law by Jez Morrow (2010)
The Taste of Salt by Martha Southgate (2011)
Gilded Age by Claire McMillan (2012)
A Certain October by Angela Johnson (2012)
The Butterfly Clues by Kate Ellison (2012)
The Family Hightower: A Novel by Brian Francis Slattery (2014)
These Greater Cleveland book clubs offer something for every kind of reader. Meet up at bookstores, pubs, libraries and more. No matter your pace or genre, there’s a welcoming group ready to turn the page with you.
BY CH R ISTINA R UFO
This dynamic literary community meets all over the city. The group holds monthly book discussions on the first Thursday, with locations ranging from bars and restaurants to boutiques and parks, highlighting a wide range of Cleveland’s scenery and businesses. Silent reading nights offer calm, library-style events for solo readers. “It’s another way to explore incredible spaces, and instead of chatting about a book, you come reading whatever book you’re reading, and you’re just in a shared community with other people
doing the same,” says club founder Sarah Patrick. With weekly reading events, CLE Gals chooses titles two months in advance and opens event sign-ups every Sunday at 7 p.m. via @clegalsbookclub on Instagram. Whether you’re there for the conversation or just the quiet company, CLE Gals turns reading into a citywide celebration. Various locations, instagram.com/clegalsbookclub
This inclusive, low-pressure book club meets at Roasted in Lakewood from 6 to 7 p.m. on the second-to-last Tuesday of
every month. Founded by Melissa Pena to help people reconnect post-pandemic, the club welcomes all, even those who haven’t finished the book. Discussions are casual, spoiler-sensitive and open to any reading pace. Selections are made via Instagram polls and member suggestions, with monthly themes and an optional reading schedule. To keep things accessible, books with minimal library wait times are typically selected. 13417 Madison Ave., Lakewood, instagram.com/ clereaders
LIBRARY’S READ WITH PRIDE BOOK DISCUSSION
Hosted by Cleveland Heights Library, this book club offers a welcoming space for readers ages 19-plus to explore LGBTQIA+ stories and voices. The group meets monthly on the second Wednesday at The BottleHouse Brewery and Mead Hall on Lee Road, with varying genres and titles curated by a staff librarian based on participant feedback and library availability. Registration opens two weeks before each meeting but is not required, and copies of each month’s pick are easily accessible via CLEVNET and Libby. Heights Library also hosts book clubs around short stories, horror, sci-fi, African American authors and more. Check the library’s events page for upcoming dates and discussion details. 2050 Lee Road, Cleveland Heights, 216-291-5665, heightslibrary.org
CLEVELAND PUBLIC LIBRARY BOOK CLUBS
In addition to its Main Library located in Downtown Cleveland, CPL manages 27 neighborhood branches, offering a wide range of book discussions. That includes the “Banned Book Coffee Chats” (third Wednesdays at the Fleet branch), the “No-Pressure” book club (second or third Saturdays at the West Park branch) or the “Savor the Pages” themed cookbook discussion (dates vary, at the Garden Valley branch). Various locations, cpl.org
COUNTY PUBLIC
Cuyahoga County Public Library’s 27 branches host a slew of book clubs that appeal to any type of reader in various Northeast Ohio communities. The offerings
include a “Young At Heart” book club (first Tuesdays at the Strongsville branch, minus the months of July and December), a virtual “Heartbreakers” book club (fourth Tuesdays hosted by the Brook Park branch) and a mystery themed “Bookmarks & Body Bags” (first Thursdays at the North Royalton branch). Find details and future book selections at specific branches’ websites. Various locations, cuyahogalibrary.org
This fairytale-esque Larchmere bookstore hosts a vibrant lineup of book clubs in its dreamy shop space, each led by staff or local community members. The Dystopian Book Club meets every other third Thursday, resuming in August. Rebel Readers, led by Dahlia Fisher and Felicia Haney, meets monthly and explores race, culture, sexuality and identity through diverse genres. Queer Book Club and For the Thrill of Lit alternate monthly on third Thursdays. The Naturalist’s Notebook, in collaboration with the nearby Nature Center at Shaker Lakes, meets quarterly on third Sundays and focuses on nature writing and environmental themes. Most meetings are in-store, but virtual attendance can be arranged with advance notice by emailing books@logan.com. Check Loganberry’s website or event calendar for exact dates and upcoming picks. 13015 Larchmere Blvd., Shaker Heights, 216-795-9800, loganberrybooks.com
Held in the cozy basement of this beloved Coventry bookstore, Mac’s Backs’ Science Fiction Book Club meets on the third Thursday of each month at 7 p.m. Led by longtime coordinator Melissa Bloom, the group thrives on collaborative book selections — and it’s a fitting genre for the shop, which boasts an impressive scifi selection on its second-floor loft. Open to newcomers and regulars alike, the club welcomes drop-ins around 6:45 p.m. for a relaxed, thoughtful discussion among avid readers. Beyond the sci-fi club, Mac’s Backs also hosts an LGBTQ+ book club and silent reading events at nearby Phoenix Coffee. 1820 Coventry Road, Cleveland Heights, 216321-2665, macsbacks.com
On the first Wednesday of every month, join fellow book and film lovers at Visible Voice’s cozy cafe for an engaging discussion on the latest book-to-movie picks. This casual club run by staff member Isaac Mell, who brings film knowledge and conversation, compares how stories unfold on page versus screen. Whether you’re a regular reader or a movie buff, all are welcome to sip, chat and explore the art of adaptation — with no registration needed. 2258 Professor Ave., Cleveland, 216-961-0084, visiblevoicebooks.com
Horrorstor by Grady Hendrix (2014): What if an IKEA-type place was haunted? This absurd premise makes up the plot of Grady Hendrix’s breakout horror-comedy novel, set in a fictional “Orsk” store in Cleveland.
Hope For Garbage by Alex Tully (2014)
Bill Hodges Trilogy by Stephen King (20142016): A retired police detective tracks a twisted killer across a gritty Rust Belt city in the Midwest. Blending crime, psychological drama and a touch of the supernatural, the series, by one of the most accomplished authors of all time, explores obsession and justice.
A Casey Cort Legal Thriller series by Aime Austin (2014-2021)
The Dead Key by D.M. Pulley (2015): When a young engineer stumbles upon the untouched safety deposit boxes inside the long-abandoned First Bank of Cleveland, she’s drawn into a decades-old mystery of corruption and cover-ups.
Throw Like a Woman by Susan Petrone (2015)
Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng (2017): The acclaimed author from Shaker Heights set her complex first two novels, Everything I Never Told You and Little Fires Everywhere, in her hometown. Little Fires went on to become a bestseller and was developed into a Hulu miniseries starring Reese Witherspoon and Kerry Washington.
No One Can Pronounce My Name by Rakesh Satyal (2017): Harit and Ranjana are Indian immigrants experiencing different beats of loneliness and grief in the same divisive Cleveland suburb. When their creative outlets for connection lead them to one another, there’s more nuance than they’d expect.
Ill Will by Dan Chaon (2017): A top-ranked book of 2017 by The New York Times, Los Angeles Times and Publishers Weekly, this thrilling dark horror intertwines Satanism, murder and family challenges.
An Amish Candy Shop mystery series by Amanda Flower (2017-ongoing)
The Comedown by Rafael Frumkin (2018)
Cherry by Nico Walker (2018): Part-memoir, partfiction, Walker’s Cherry tells a gritty story about a veteran’s trauma, drug addiction and crime. It was adapted into a 2021 film directed by Cleveland natives Joe and Anthony Russo.
From floppy disks of legal documents to the popular Libby app, locally headquartered OverDrive has become a literary tech giant.
BY ANNIE NIC K OLOFF
Steve Potash has a “brag book.” In his OverDrive office, he pulls off his glasses, unfolds his dual-touchscreen phone and swipes to a video of Drew Barrymore and Ross Matthews fawning over Libby, OverDrive’s library-lending e-book and audiobook app. He swipes again, to a video of director and actor Ethan Hawke praising OverDrive’s film app Kanopy, which the company acquired in 2021.
Libby, Kanopy and Sora — OverDrive’s crown jewels of e-book, film and education apps — are based in Garfield Heights, but they have gone global. The apps serve organizations in 115 countries and, in 2024, were used to make 739.5 million digital checkouts. They’ve touched every continent, including Antarctica. They’ve even left the planet.
“We did the corporate library for SpaceX,” Potash says. “Sometimes, before they strap in for that long ride, we recommend they download Libby, some audiobooks, so they have some content while they’re up there on that journey.”
OverDrive brings big tech development to Northeast Ohio, especially at its expansive Garfield Heights headquarters.
Behind Potash, a wide window overlooks the OverDrive headquarters’ walking trail, plus a par-3 golf hole that workers can hit on their lunch breaks. Downstairs, in the 141,000-square-foot building, a dozen employees lie in Savasana pose on gym mats, taking part in a weekly afternoon yoga class. Multiple fresh food markets offer a range of lunch options. Racks of clothing and tables of household goods make up an employee “freecycle” exchange. A sculpture of Sora’s mascot Comet, composed of 92,378 Lego blocks, stands proudly near a stairwell.
It all feels straight out of Silicon Valley.
Here in Potash’s second-floor office, things are a little less over-thetop. Elements of OverDrive’s history and the CEO’s life are visible in notes, concert tickets, documents, framed photos and university degrees around the room. A superhero-styled librarian figurine is perched above a shelf of Celsius energy drinks. A stress ball in the shape of a cartoon sun sits conveniently near his keyboard, with his catchphrase
printed on the back: There are no bad days in e-books.
The company, which employs more than 500 people, first emerged in the form of floppy disks and CD-ROMs to simplify Potash’s former law practice in the ’80s. Then, it developed into OverDrive, an early platform for e-books and audiobooks. Alongside OverDrive, the company created the simplified Libby in 2017, and fully switched over all library lending from the OverDrive app to Libby in 2023. Now, Libby partners with libraries of every size and shape, in communities, schools, universities, corporations, prisons and militaries.
This vital tether to library systems came from a “magic moment,” Potash says, with Cleveland Public Library after the dotcom crash of the early 2000s. Following a suggestion from OverDrive co-founder Loree Potash, Steve’s wife, he connected with a team of Cleveland librarians at
739.5 million
E-book checkouts: 366,200,000 Audiobook checkouts: 278,300,000 Magazine checkouts: 95,100,000
118.9 million
Noodle Shop mystery series by Vivien Chien (2018-ongoing)
The Daughters of Erietown by Connie Schultz (2020)
Cuyahoga by Pete Beatty (2020)
Black Girl Unlimited by Echo Brown (2020): The Cleveland author explores vignettes of her life through the lens of a young wizard in her debut novel, later followed up by The Chosen One (2022). Echo’s powers foster protection and discovery as she travels between home on Cleveland’s East Side and school on the West Side, uncovering issues related to class division, addiction and identity.
Most Likely by Sarah Watson (2020)
Ice Cream Parlor mystery series by Abby Collette (2020-2022)
Bride of the Sea by Eman Quotah (2021): A family must grapple with the differences of life and culture in Cleveland and in Saudi Arabia, after a divorce and parental abduction, in Quotah’s debut.
The Cleveland Heights LGBTQ Sci-Fi and Fantasy Role Playing Club by Doug Henderson (2021)
Dream On by Angie Hockman (2022)
The Summoner’s Mark series by J.D. Blackrose (2022-2024): J.D. Blackrose (the pen name of local author Joelle Reizes) created an urban fantasy series of demons, faeries and powerful summoners, served up with a tinge of romance.
Michikusa House by Emily Grandy (2023)
A Place We Belong by Deanna R. Adams (2024)
The Favorites by Layne Fargo (2025): The cutthroat world of competitive figure skating tests Katarina Shaw and Heath Rocha’s limits — and their relationship. Competition, at one point, brings them to Cleveland as the childhood lovers escape complicated home lives to defy odds on the rink.
State Champ by Hilary Plum (2025): Ohio’s “heartbeat law” on abortion play a pivotal role in Plum’s latest novel, which follows a former high school runner who works at an abortion clinic and does a hunger strike to speak out about the issue.
an American Library Association conference. The organization sought an e-book rental system for users to borrow books with their library cards, download them and read them offline. Together, OverDrive and CPL designed the system’s experience in the basement of CPL Main Library’s Louis Stokes wing.
In 2003, the product launched, cementing CPL’s place as the first U.S. public library to offer e-book rentals. The moment also redefined Potash’s company.
“There’s no denying that, 25 years ago, sitting in the basement on Superior Avenue, the Cleveland Public librarians laid out a road map for what would be, today, the most successful digital media lending platform, used by thousands of institutions in almost every country,” Potash says. (Another entry in his “brag book.”)
OverDrive’s success rose alongside recent trends in audiobook growth and digital readership, which spiked during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Now, five years later, as OverDrive’s apps are being used more than ever, potentially drastic shifts in library funding might impact the company’s primary clientele. Executive orders issued by President Donald Trump in March aimed to dismantle the Institute of Museum and Library Services. Despite that, IMLS funding later flowed to Ohio libraries in May, with uncertainty clouding future federal funds.
Simultaneously, state legislation is considering reductions to Ohio’s Public Library Fund. Governor Mike DeWine proposed a budget of 1.75% (an increase of 0.05% from the previous allocation) of the state’s General Revenue Fund, but the Ohio House of Representatives instead passed a budget that cuts the PLF and moves toward a flat funding appropriation for libraries instead of a percentage. This would reduce the library’s cut of the budget by tens of millions of dollars.
As of June 3, the budget is being considered by the Ohio Senate ahead of a vote. DeWine will sign the next budget by June 30.
Potash is concerned, but he’s confident in his business despite the many changes for his primary customers.
“We’re keeping an eye on all of the challenges our institutional partners are facing, and we’re redoubling our efforts to say, ‘How can we help? How can we do more for you if you’ve lost budget, if you’ve lost staff?’” Potash says. “It’s been effective near-term, but there’s so many unknowns.”
In the face of unknowns, he is grounded in OverDrive’s mission, particularly through Sora. The app, which launched in 2018, gamifies student reading and allows teachers to monitor progress, aiming to personalize user experiences and create better literacy outcomes.
“The city of Cleveland, unfortunately, we are one of the top metro areas with pandemic-level adult low literacy,” says Potash. “I honestly believe we’re going to, in the next three to five years, in the classroom, deliver improvements on what matters.”
Potash, who serves on University Hospitals’ board of directors, sees how low literacy can affect health, wellness, financial security and career options: “It all starts with an underpinning of reading.”
“This is why I’m here,” he proclaims, loud and sharp. Then he softens his volume, thinks to those looming budget cuts, and the challenges OverDrive faces in 2025. “Sorry, I get excited. We have a lot of work to do, because libraries are under attack.”
He squeezes his custom stress ball and maybe reminds himself, for a moment: There are no bad days in e-books.
The impressive Downtown building is an architectural, historical and literary icon of the city.
BY ANNIE NIC K OLOFF
John Skrtic has spent a lifetime getting to know the towering, expansive Cleveland Public Library Main Library. He calls it a place of firsts.
Skrtic, CPL’s chief of special projects and collections (and regular Cleveland Magazine contributor), points to the very beginning of the Downtown library as a transformative event in Cleveland.
“It really was, when it opened, sort of a modern marvel,” Skrtic says.
It was the first library of its size with open shelves, inviting readers to fetch books themselves — and, at the start of the next century, it was the first to offer e-books, with the help of Cleveland-based company OverDrive, Skrtic says. It was also Cleveland’s first library that was constructed to be fireproof, without any wood, save for its flagpole.
The building, a $5 million effort designed in Beaux-Arts style by Walker & Weeks, now bears a recently installed historical marker on Superior Avenue to honor its 100th anniversary. Across the street, a new “Library Shop” is open for business next to the Arcade. An event series marking 100 years is underway, bringing in major authors through the end of the year. Families flock to the popular “The Band” interactive robot musician experience on the library’s main floor.
The Main Library opened on May 6, 1925, preceding many of Downtown Cleveland’s most iconic buildings.
thorough: He steps on the roof to show the jogging path around the perimeter, the city skyline peeking above the walls. He highlights the library’s impressive Yiddish bookshelves, its record-breaking chess collection and the wooden desk where Jerry Siegel worked on the very first Superman comic strips. There are highlights, big and small: At one point, he holds a magnifying glass up to a case to better view the second-smallest book in the world. It’s just one millimeter tall.
In total, there are 11 million items housed here, along with 1.4 million photographs, plus local media collections. It all offers a peek at Cleveland’s past, present and future. CPL recently revamped its TechCentral MakerSpace with new systems like an embroidery machine, recording studio and laser engraver for patrons to use.
Standing inside the Main Library’s grand staircase, Skrtic points out fossils in the white marble slabs. His tour of the library is
“It used to just be, ‘Come in and grab a book,’ but now you can do so much more. The evolving library is about spending more time and being creative,” Skrtic says. “We’re just talking about our next century.”
Weird isn’t a bad word if you ask us. From potato wrestling to a gathering of twins, photographer Matthew Chasney sets out to capture Northeast Ohio’s weirdest and wildest events — the ones that make you say, “only in Cleveland.”
See all of the photos at clevelandmagazine.com/weirdevents
Quite literally smashing into Northeast Ohio each September, eager locals participate in spud-related events, including the potato stomp race, mashed potato wrestling, eating contests and a parade. Electrical issues at the venue fried last year’s event, but it hopes to return this year.
Started in 1962, the Valley City tradition honoring Mark Twain’s The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County draws thousands of visitors each summer. The event hops along on July 20 with contestants seeing which frog can find the edge of the ring fastest.
NO, YOU’RE NOT SEEING DOUBLE... TWINSBURG’S TWINS DAYS FESTIVAL
Twins — many, many sets of twins — will head to Twinsburg Aug. 1-3 for the town’s annual Twins Days event, the largest gathering of twins in the world. This year marks the 50th edition of the fest, with a groovy ’60s and ’70s theme for the premier costume contest.
Depending on how you look at it, the Chagrin Pumpkin Roll is either a beloved, local rite of passage or a month-long crime spree culminating in a spasm of late-night destruction. The tradition began in 1969 with the Chagrin Falls High School senior class stealing a pumpkin for each student and chucking them down Grove Hill. It was all downhill from there. Don’t bother looking for it on a local events calendar — only a handful of seniors, who have dutifully spent the month of October plundering pumpkins from porches, know when it will take place. Once the hill is slick with pumpkin guts, the juniors and seniors, protected by crash helmets, slide down the hill on homemade sleds and upside down folding tables — all under the watchful eyes of the Chagrin Falls Police Department, who are now politely informed of the impending outlaw behavior.
Last April and September, hundreds of in-the-know rockers gathered in the West 117th Street Taco Bell parking lot for mosh pits and intense rock by Necroprophecy, Razorblade, Uniity and more, at the second and third Baja Blast concerts. Plans for a fourth edition are in the works.
Steampunk fans gather in Burton each August for a sci-fi-meets-history costume contest, mustache contest and “tea dueling” (a competition that involves dunking biscuits into hot tea) in support of Geauga County’s Century Village Museum, which showcases Northeast Ohio’s past.
Basil & Rex pet store, located in Ohio City’s Creative Hangars, features health-focused dog food. BY DANNY CUNNINGHAM
Over the past few years, people have become much more conscious of what they’re putting in their bodies. Some want to remove processed foods from their diets, and others might seek to live a gluten-free lifestyle or avoid genetically modified ingredients.
Basil & Rex believe that’s how pet own-
ers should think about their dogs, too.
Owned by Randi Gilmore and Carl DeScott, the local storefront features gourmet dog food, treats, shampoos and other products.
Originally, the business partners aimed to open a store specializing in spices, but then shifted their plans after DeScott, who also works as a chef in the
healthcare industry, caught a strand of the COVID-19 virus that partially took away his sense of taste and smell. Opening a store that would specialize in spices became too tall a task.
Then, the idea came to Gilmore and DeScott after they adopted a dog, Ollie, from Gilmore’s sister.
“At the same time, I’m looking up,
like, the same thing as when you have a new kid,” Gilmore says. “What’s the best food? What’s the best treats? What’s the best of everything? Because you don’t want them to get sick.”
That research led to Basil & Rex.
The shop features items that are safe for dogs and include carefully selected ingredients. There are no fillers or substitutes in the food or treats that are offered. Many items emphasize smells, due to the fact that canines’ sense of smell is exponentially higher than that of humans.
“We infuse the flavors and the herbs that add to the health benefits without putting them in,” Gilmore says. “This is venison, and this is bison. Right? It’s 100% venison and bison. There’s no fillers. There’s nothing else in it. We infuse the smells and the aromas.”
While some flavors and scents rotate, Basil & Rex has single-ingredient dog products made with meat, as well as bis-
cuits in flavors like peanut butter and jelly or sweet potato pie, which use just three ingredients.
The shop also carries lavender shampoo that doesn’t use any oils that you might find in other traditional grooming products.
“We don’t use any of the oils just because some dogs have reactions to the lavender oil,” Gilmore says. “We use actual lavender and seep it in it. And then all of our ingredients in the shampoo are purposeful and readable.”
Basil & Rex also has a rope toy that is 100% cotton and safe for dogs. More products, such as dog beds, are in the store's future plans.
The store first opened at Ohio City's Creative Hangars, but recently moved to Locally Spruced, located at 24673 Cedar Road in Lyndhurst.
"People who try our product love it. Their dogs love it," Gilmore says. "We
kind of think outside of the box. We're trying to offer things that aren't regularly offered."
Want to taste, sample and experience the Best of Lorain County under one roof? Join us on Thursday, July 24, 2025, at Lorain County Community College for the 2025 Best of Lorain County Party. More than 50 finalists will be on-hand to showcase what makes them a local favorite. Tickets on sale now!
Get fresh, local pet food delivered monthly straight to your doorstep with small batch pet food made from all-natural meats, fruits and vegetables. Whether your pet has allergies, a sensitive stomach, weight issues or dry skin, this shop has the perfect blend to meet your pet’s needs. 4164 Lorain Ave., Cleveland, 216-505-1738, lakeeriepet.com
Keep your pet happy and healthy with made-in-house food, treats and custom cakes made from natural ingredients. Stop in with your furry
Four more places to find healthy food choices for the pooches in your life. BY AVA JELEPIS AND KATRINA CARLSON
friend and leave with items such as cute pet apparel, specialty chews and even a peanut butter birthday cake from the “barkery." This center also offers a range of services. 2929 Detroit Ave., Cleveland, 216-2790000, lucasbarkery.com/barkery
At first, you may mistake the interior of this pet shop for an actual patisserie. A pink homestyle bakery interior welcomes you, with handmade, all natural confections, food and chews neatly displayed around the store — all to treat your pups. Be sure to check out the full-service, personalized grooming
salon with groomers expertly trained for all breeds. 20075 Chagrin Blvd., Shaker Heights, 216-716-8004; 7651 Crile Road, Painesville, 440-898-0003, woofgangbakery.com
If you’re looking to get your canine connected to their primal side, check out a selection of exceptional raw dog foods boosted with added minerals and vitamins to keep your hound healthy. For high-quality food at the lowest possible cost, the store offers wholesale pre-ordering and retail raw food available by local pickup. 2864 Granger Road, Medina, 330-239-8120, wildlegacyk9.com
Summary. To create the list, the magazine contracted nationally recognized DataJoe Research to facilitate a multifaceted research campaign, which included an online survey delivered directly to veterinarians and consumers, and a media analysis.
DataJoe started with information obtained from primary government sources and then expanded on this information using the survey submissions and data collected from the media analysis. In the online survey, veterinarians were asked to nominate their peers who excel. DataJoe also invited readers to nominate veterinarians who exemplified excellent service. Finally, in the media analysis, DataJoe conducted Internet research to isolate criteria associated with top performing veterinarians.
DataJoe then compiled the above components to create an aggregate score. Winning veterinarians were those with the highest composite scores.
Veterinarians do not and cannot pay to be included as part of this list. DataJoe acknowledges that not every top veterinarian in the region made the list. However, its research yielded a high volume of data that enabled it to pinpoint a large number of top vets.
DataJoe checked for license and disciplinary action as available to the public. If it found any disciplinary action against a veterinarian by the state regulatory board, that vet was excluded from the list. Finally, DataJoe presented the tallied result to the magazine for its final review and adjustments.
Final note. DataJoe recognizes that there are many good veterinarians who are not shown in this representative list. This is only a sampling of the huge array of talented professionals within the region. Inclusion in the list is based on its research campaign and the opinions of responding professionals in the region. DataJoe does not discount the fact that many, many good and effective veterinarians may not appear on the list.
Disclaimers. DataJoe uses best practices and exercises great care in assembling content for this list. DataJoe does not warrant that the data contained within the list are complete or accurate. DataJoe does not assume, and hereby disclaims, any liability to any person for any loss or damage caused by errors or omissions herein whether such errors or omissions result from negligence, accident or any other cause. All rights reserved. No commercial use of the information in this list may be made without written permission from DataJoe.
Questions? For research/methodology questions, contact the research team at nominations@datajoe.com.
Garrett Crooks A Gentle Farewell - In-Home
Euthanasia Wellington 440-452-3422
Lisa Fox A Gentle Farewell - In-Home Euthanasia Wellington 440-452-3422
Jennifer Kinney A Gentle Farewell - In-Home Euthanasia Wellington 440-452-3422
Jessica Murphy A Gentle Farewell - In-Home Euthanasia Wellington 440-452-3422
Kimberly Parker A Gentle Farewell - In-Home Euthanasia Wellington 440-452-3422
Kelly Sabo A Gentle Farewell - In-Home Euthanasia Wellington 440-452-3422
Beth Shull A Gentle Farewell - In-Home Euthanasia Wellington 440-452-3422
Anne Soinski A Gentle Farewell - In-Home Euthanasia Wellington 440-452-3422
Stephanie Jahnke Akron-Peninsula Veterinary Office Akron 330-928-1826
Michelle A. McFadden Akron-Peninsula Veterinary Office Akron 330-928-1826
Stephen D. Scott
Akron-Peninsula Veterinary Office Akron 330-928-1826
Brandon Byrd Animal Clinic Northview North Ridgeville 440-327-8282
Emily Cosentino Animal Clinic Northview North Ridgeville 440-327-8282
Derek Howell Animal Clinic Northview North Ridgeville 440-327-8282
Randy Hutchison Animal Clinic Northview North Ridgeville 440-327-8282
Catherine Lavigne Animal Clinic Northview North Ridgeville 440-327-8282
Michelle Miller Animal Clinic Northview North Ridgeville 440-327-8282
Ariel Taylor Animal Clinic Northview North Ridgeville 440-327-8282
Thomas Frankmann Animal Clinic of Chardon Chardon 440-285-9191
Wendy Frankmann Animal Clinic of Chardon Chardon 440-285-9191
Nicholas Villalba Animal Hospital Willoughby Hills 440-946-2800
Michael Haddad Avon Lake Animal Clinic Avon Lake 440-933-5297
Rob J. Holowecky Avon Lake Animal Clinic Avon Lake 440-933-5297
Adam A. Jacin Avon Lake Animal Clinic Avon Lake 440-933-5297
Frank Krupka Avon Lake Animal Clinic Avon Lake 440-933-5297
Jason Lamb Avon Lake Animal Clinic Avon Lake 440-933-5297
Julie Letosky Avon Lake Animal Clinic Avon Lake 440-933-5297
Carmen Petti Avon Lake Animal Clinic Avon Lake 440-933-5297
Megan Roll
Avon Lake Animal Clinic
Avon Lake 440-933-5297
Morgan S. Temple
Avon Lake Animal Clinic Avon Lake 440-933-5297
Michael Turner
Avon Lake Animal Clinic Avon Lake 440-933-5297
Caitlin Wamelink
Avon Lake Animal Clinic Avon Lake 440-933-5297
Gary Riggs
Barberton Veterinary ClinicMetropolitan Veterinary Hospital Norton
330-825-2434
Mary Ann Tima Bartels Pet Hospital
Brecksville 440-526-4818
George Banta Belvoir Pet Hospital Cleveland 216-488-1183
Joseph Farkas Belvoir Pet Hospital Cleveland 216-488-1183
Benjamin Zucker Belvoir Pet Hospital Cleveland 216-488-1183
Marissa LoParo Big Creek Veterinary Hospital Concord 440-639-8585
Cynthia Viskocil Bretton Ridge Animal Clinic North Olmsted 440-777-7575
Candace Barath
Broadview Animal & Bird Hospital Seven Hills 216-264-7484
Brittany Bogus
Broadview Animal & Bird Hospital Seven Hills 216-264-7484
Roger Brown
Broadview Animal & Bird Hospital Seven Hills 216-264-7484
Lisa O’Donnell
Brunswick Animal Hospital Brunswick 330-225-5661
Alexandra Van de Motter
Chagrin Valley Veterinary Clinic
Chagrin Falls 440-247-8477
Venaya Jones Cleveland Veterinary Clinic Cleveland 216-563-1299
Steve Danis Clover Leaf Animal Hospital Independence 216-524-6407
Fred J. Wright
Clover Leaf Animal Hospital Independence 216-524-6407
Roger S. Redman
Cloverleaf Animal Hospital Lodi 330-948-2002
Warren Adam Stout Cloverleaf Animal Hospital Lodi
330-948-2002
Lisa M. Stout
Cloverleaf Animal Hospital Lodi
330-948-2002
Daniel J. Hill
Columbia Animal Clinic Columbia Station 440-236-8200
Nicki Naso Community Vet Brook Park 216-273-1044
Phillip Williams Companion Animal Hospital Solon 440-248-0340
Michelle Messner Creekside Animal Clinic Norton 330-825-9556
Matthew Schroeder Crossroads Veterinary Hospital Painesville 440-853-8710
Megan Bailey
Detroit Dover Animal Hospital Westlake 440-871-5220
Courtney Burrows
Detroit Dover Animal Hospital Westlake 440-871-5220
Greg Cunningham
Detroit Dover Animal Hospital Westlake 440-871-5220
Elaine Hughes
Detroit Dover Animal Hospital Westlake
440-871-5220
Brian N. Mills
Detroit Dover Animal Hospital Westlake 440-871-5220
Marianne Skebe
Detroit Dover Animal Hospital Westlake 440-871-5220
Denise Igoe
Dr. Pal’s Small Animal Practice Strongsville 440-238-7179
Elizabeth Anselmo
Eastside Dog & Cat Hospital
Chesterland 440-729-0500
Kathy Culek
Eastside Dog & Cat Hospital Chesterland 440-729-0500
Richard Thompson
Elyria Animal Hospital Elyria 440-365-3818
Alex O’Roark
Elyria Animal Hospital Elyria 440-365-3818
Michelle Lindsey
Emerald Animal Hospital Cleveland 216-749-7161
Rebekah Johnson
Gateway Animal Clinic Cleveland 216-771-4414
Melissa Marmaduke Gateway Animal Clinic Cleveland 216-771-4414
Rebecca Urbiztondo Gateway Animal Clinic Cleveland 216-771-4414
Leo Kline
Graham Road Animal Hospital Cuyahoga Falls 330-928-2241
Lindsay Andray
Highland Veterinary Clinic Akron 330-253-6868
Jessi Pizzuli
Just Cats Hospital South Euclid 216-691-9100
Mary Dubelko
Keystone Veterinary Clinic Stow
330-686-2200
Erin Dulka Macek
Keystone Veterinary Clinic Stow
330-686-2200
Eileen Savier
Keystone Veterinary Clinic Stow
330-686-2200
Christie Tymcio
Keystone Veterinary Clinic Stow 330-686-2200
Nicole Flaugher
Kirtland Veterinary Hospital Kirtland 440-256-3319
Pam Bowsman Lake Animal Hospital Painesville 440-352-0606
Amanda Kallay Lake Animal Hospital Painesville 440-352-0606
Karim Malak
Lakeland Animal Clinic Euclid 216-731-5536
David Duncan Litchfield Veterinary Clinic Litchfield 330-723-6800
Kyle Duncan Litchfield Veterinary Clinic Litchfield 330-723-6800
Jessie Hennessey Litchfield Veterinary Clinic Litchfield 330-723-6800
Alisa Taddeo Lyndhurst Animal Clinic Lyndhurst 440-827-2412
Leon Mendlowitz
Lyndhurst Animal Clinic Lyndhurst 440-827-2412
Sarah McKinley Meadowlands Veterinary Center Willoughby 440-942-7297
Geneen Bednarik Pet Hospital of Willoughby Willoughby 440-942-8181
Joseph Doles Pet Hospital of Willoughby Willoughby 440-942-8181
Lorna Johnston PetFix Northeast Ohio Euclid 216-732-7040
Lynn Schaefer PetFix Northeast Ohio Euclid 216-732-7040
Jessica Alcorn
Rainbow Veterinary Clinic Cleveland Heights 216-291-3931
Linda Mitchell
Rainbow Veterinary Clinic Cleveland Heights 216-291-3931
Melanie Belcik
Ridgeville Animal Hospital North Ridgeville 440-327-0200
Lisa Mach
River Square Animal Hospital Rocky River 440-331-6511
Colleen Madden
Rocky River Animal Hospital Rocky River 440-331-7711
Michael J. Merick
Sagamore Hills Animal Hospital
Sagamore Hills 330-468-2900
Rhonda Smith Sandstone Animal Hospital Berea 440-234-6336
Patricia L. Faust
Seville Animal Hospital Seville 330-769-3838
Nancy Lewarne
Seville Animal Hospital Seville 330-769-3838
Theresa Austin Seville Animal Hospital Seville 330-769-3838
Jonah Firestone
Shaker Heights Animal Hospital
Shaker Heights 216-561-7387
Jeremy Welsh
Shaker Heights Animal Hospital
Shaker Heights 216-561-7387
Nam Kim
Shaker Square Animal Hospital
Cleveland 216-417-4625
Anna Huber Sharon Center Veterinary Hospital Medina 330-239-1115
Megan Hura Silvercreek Veterinary Clinic Novelty 440-338-5139
Kelly Kontur Summit Animal Hospital Northfield 330-468-1216
Kenneth Litwak
The Family Pet Clinic Garfield Heights 216-662-1770
Terri J. Slezak
The Family Pet Clinic Garfield Heights 216-662-1770
Melissa Dorner
The Veterinary Center of Hudson Hudson 234-380-8624
Julia Lyon
The Veterinary Center of Hudson Hudson 234-380-8624
Kristy Meivogel
The Veterinary Center of Hudson Hudson 234-380-8624
Paige Meleney
The Veterinary Center of Hudson Hudson 234-380-8624
Valerie Shaker
The Veterinary Center of Hudson Hudson 234-380-8624
Caroline Bidwell TLC Pet Hospital Chagrin Falls 440-543-5132
Kelley Pozza-Adams
Tremont Animal Clinic
Cleveland 216-298-5011
Claire Attea
Tremont Animal Clinic Cleveland 216-298-5011
Bob Litkovitz
Tremont Animal Clinic Cleveland 216-298-5011
Katie McCoy
Tremont Animal Clinic Cleveland 216-298-5011
Matt McCoy
Tremont Animal Clinic
Cleveland 216-298-5011
Alex Mizenko
Tremont Animal Clinic Cleveland 216-298-5011
Bryn Nicholl
Tremont Animal Clinic
Cleveland 216-298-5011
Megan Pozza Tremont Animal Clinic Cleveland 216-298-5011
Sara Tippins
Tremont Animal Clinic Cleveland 216-298-5011
Megan Vessalo
Tremont Animal Clinic Cleveland 216-298-5011
Rob Schwartz
Trinity Veterinary Hospital Montville 440-968-5141
Jeffrey D. Janzig Twinsburg Veterinary Hospital & Pet Lodge Twinsburg 330-425-4226
Mallory Kanwal
VCA Great Lakes
Veterinary Specialists Warrensville Heights 216-831-6789
Conni Curren
VCA Lakewood Animal Hospital Lakewood 216-226-0400
Lori Koenig VCA Lakewood Animal Hospital Lakewood 216-226-0400
Anita Juran
VCA Midpark Animal Hospital Middleburg Heights 216-362-7387
Allison Nickell
VCA Midpark Animal Hospital Middleburg Heights 216-362-7387
Michael Suhie
VCA Midpark Animal Hospital Middleburg Heights 216-362-7387
Kelly Adams
VCA York Royalton Animal Hospital North Royalton 440-582-0600
Jo Byron
Village Veterinary Clinic Cleveland 440-461-2226
Keith Huston Village Veterinary Clinic Cleveland 440-461-2226
Samantha Huston Village Veterinary Clinic Cleveland 440-461-2226
Jennifer Lenz Village Veterinary Clinic Cleveland 440-461-2226
Roya Mohamadpour Village Veterinary Clinic Cleveland 440-461-2226
Lynn Proctor
Village Veterinary Clinic
Cleveland 440-461-2226
Katie Rex Village Veterinary Clinic Cleveland 440-461-2226
Cathy Robertson Village Veterinary Clinic Cleveland 440-461-2226
Matthew Klingman
Wellington Veterinary Clinic Wellington 440-647-4100
Cody Walther
Wellington Veterinary Clinic Wellington 440-647-4100
Cathryne Wittlinger Wellington Veterinary Clinic Wellington 440-647-4100
Megan Culler
West Park Animal Hospital
Cleveland 216-252-4500
Elayne Dombroski West Park Animal Hospital Cleveland 216-252-4500
R. Kane Henderson West Park Animal Hospital Cleveland 216-252-4500
Michelle Leathem West Park Animal Hospital Cleveland 216-252-4500
Elizabeth Lorenz West Park Animal Hospital Cleveland 216-252-4500
Borys Pakush West Park Animal Hospital Cleveland 216-252-4500
Nicole Plantner West Park Animal Hospital Cleveland 216-252-4500
Kari Swedenborg West Park Animal Hospital Cleveland 216-252-4500
Nicole Sypert West Park Animal Hospital Cleveland 216-252-4500
Yesenia Garica-Vega West Park Animal Hospital Cleveland 216-252-4500
Scott Zielinski West Park Animal Hospital Cleveland 216-252-4500
Danielle Bishop Wyoga Veterinary Hospital Cuyahoga Falls 330-928-7063
Michael Kubera
Wyoga Veterinary Hospital Cuyahoga Falls 330-928-7063
Sara Kubera Wyoga Veterinary Hospital Cuyahoga Falls 330-928-7063
Jessica Malloy Wyoga Veterinary Hospital Cuyahoga Falls 330-928-7063
Ryan O’Neil Wyoga Veterinary Hospital Cuyahoga Falls 330-928-7063
Dr. Colleen Madden is a dedicated veterinarian at Rocky River Animal Hospital, committed to providing compassionate, high-quality care. She has a very strong interest in Fear Free techniques, ensuring every visit is as stress-free as possible for both pets and owners. Her passion lies in creating positive, supportive experiences that promote lifelong pet wellness.
Rocky River Animal Hospital 2573 Wooster Road Rocky River, OH 44116 440-331-7711
rockyriveranimalhospital.com
rockyriveranimalhospital@gmail.com
Skilled trades are building tomorrow. Discover opportunities to learn, earn and make a lasting impact.
YOUR VOCATIONAL CLASSES WITH PACT GET THE RESOURCES YOU NEED TO DELIVER PACT
• Aligned with STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics)
• 75% hands on, competency-based, industry-validated curriculum
One of three national curricula approved by U.S. Department of Labor 9 Trade Specific Disciplines:
• Carpentry
• Electrical
• Plumbing
• Brick Masonry
• Landscaping
• Painting & Finishing
• Construction Technology
• Weatherization
• HVAC
CURRENT AVERAGE SALARIES FOR SKILLED TRADES:
CARPENTRY
Salary: $52, 850 Average National Wage
Estimated Growth: 8% by 2028
ELECTRICAL
Salary: $60,370 Average National Wage
Estimated Growth: 10% by 2028
PLUMBING
Salary: $59,800 Average National Wage
Estimated Growth: 14% by 2028
HVACR
Salary: $51,420 Average National Wage
Estimated Growth: 13% by 2028
MASONRY
Salary: $56,470 Average National Wage
Estimated Growth: 11% by 2028
PAINTING
Salary: $44,640 Average National Wage
Estimated Growth: 6% by 2028
Hard hats, orange barrels, cranes and Northeast Ohio’s only remaining 1,000-acre mega site are just a handful of reasons why now is the time to pursue a skilled trade.
BY KRISTEN HAMPSHIRE
With more than $1.3 billion earmarked for landmark projects known as Cleveland Clinic’s Big 3, the institution is reshaping its main campus with a 1-million-squarefoot Neurological Institute, an expansion and renovation of Cole Eye Institute and a multiphase Global Center for Pathogen & Human Health Research.
This spells opportunity for skilled trades, including apprentices and workers across the trades.
Then there’s the reimagining of The Flats, with the Global Peak Performance Center, a partnership between Cleveland Clinic, the Cavaliers and Bedrock Real Estate’s pioneering $3.5-billion Cuyahoga Riverfront Master Plan.
Meanwhile, the Patrick S. Parker Community Sailing Center at the East 55th Street Marina is part of the CHEERS project to revitalize the East Side lakefront and connect the harbor to University Circle. Partners include Cleveland Metroparks and The Cleveland Foundry.
Of many projects, Keith Laschinger, executive director of industry-led nonprofit Cleveland Builds and its pre-apprenticeship programs, says, “Partners have done a great job of engaging with us to leverage these opportunities to new workers, and apprentices can begin their careers on these projects.”
Dan Gallagher, business manager of IBEW Local 38, says about 20 of their contractors are filtering into these projects, which also include completing Sherwin-Williams Tower Downtown and its research and development center in Brecksville, along with Progressive Field upgrades.
“Unions develop relationships with developers, customers and the community,” he says.
Lorain County is home to the only Northeast Ohio site considered “mega” at 1,000
KAITLIN KOWALSKI, WHO IS NOW A TELECOMMUNICATIONS APPRENTICE WITH THE ELECTRICAL WORKERS, WORKS ON A PROJECT DURING THE APPRENTICESHIP-READINESS PROGRAM WITH UNION
acres in size, and it’s located close to the Lorain County Regional Airport. “We have undeveloped land and are hoping to see more onshoring of manufacturers,” says Anthony Gallo, president and CEO of the Lorain County Chamber of Commerce.
Opportunity “clusters” center on advanced manufacturing, health care, metal production, food production and IT.
“We have statewide resources to help businesses stay here and grow,” adds Lisa Hutson, president and CEO of ONE (Opportunities for a New Economy) Lorain County. She’s speaking of dollars toward training and scaling through JobsOhio, a nonprofit financed through liquor sale profits in Ohio, which ensures consistent funding outside the typical state appropriations system. Sustainability is key.
ONE Lorain County and Team NEO partner with JobsOhio and the private and public sector as well as nonprofits. There’s a need to replenish talent given the “silver tsunami” exiting the skilled trades, Hutson says. There are jobs available and more coming down the pike.
As for future development, it’s all about getting these sites “shovel ready,” Hutson says. This calls for all industries to build infrastructure and support future development sites, she notes.
“We need the supply chain and resources for those sites, and that includes environmental, zoning utilities — all the things,” says Hutson, pointing to skilled trades opportunities.
Local organizations and schools are stepping up to fill the void. In 2023, the Home Builders Association (HBA) of Greater Cleveland launched the Pre-Apprenticeship Certificate Training (PACT) program as a pilot program at Mayfield High School and will add five additional high schools in fall 2025 that will teach the PACT curriculum — with more to follow.
“Word is getting out there with parents, schools and students,” says Brenda Callaghan, chief executive officer of HBA’s 501(c)(3) Charitable & Education Foundation that distributes the PACT program as a career path for high school students. (Read more on page 65.)
Enrollment at Lorain County Joint Vocational School (LCJVS) is at an all-time high, and discussions about skilled trades opportunities start far before high school, says Mario Codispoti, LCJVS director of communication and workforce development.
“The ecosystem in Lorain County has never been so charged and energized by infrastructure, manufacturing, health care and technology — and then, really inspired by collaboration, and we’re coming together weekly with private, public, nonprofit and industry partners and discussing how we can prepare the talent pipeline,” Codispoti says. “We are leveraging these insights to make informed decisions about programs.”
JARRELL JONES, WHO IS NOW A UNION ROOFER, WORKS ON A PROJECT DURING THE APPRENTICESHIPREADINESS PROGRAM.
At Cleveland Builds, pre-apprenticeship programs expose young people to trades careers, as do job fairs and community outreach, says Laschinger. Since launching its first apprenticeship-readiness program in August 2021, Cleveland Builds has hosted 40 cohorts and placed about 200 people in 18 skilled trades, he reports. Cleveland Builds then connects graduates to unions and contractors, where they earn industry credentials and are placed in jobs. “We have three main responsibilities,” says Laschinger. “We are promoting union trades, training and placing people in union apprenticeships.”
Initiatives and partnerships across the region are centered on preparing the current and next generations of skilled trades professionals to fill a growing demand for hands-on jobs.
BY KRISTEN HAMPSHIRE
simple question peels away a genuine sense of pride and accomplishment — an “I did that” moment of reflection. “What is your favorite project you’ve ever worked on?” Keith Laschinger asks the skilled tradespeople he partners with as executive director of Cleveland Builds.
AA grin, a pause.
“They always get a big smile on their face, and it’s often hard to choose,” says Laschinger, who helps steer the worker-centered and industryled nonprofit that promotes trades careers in partnership with the City of Cleveland.
“They’re proud of the work they’ve done and their success in the field,” he relates.
Dan Gallagher knows the feeling, as a third-generation journeyman electrician and now business manager of IBEW Local 38, a 130-year-old union with members who have literally helped shape the region’s infrastructure and wired its skyline and monuments.
“There is a sense of accomplishment when you work hard and look back, and it’s like, ‘I completed this — I got this done,’” Gallagher says. “You can go on a drive with your family and see the work you do and how you are helping change the landscape.”
Throughout Northeast Ohio, a paradigm shift toward pursuing skilled trades to grow the talent pipeline has resulted in “bold collaborations,” says Mario Codispoti, director of communication and workforce development at Lorain County Joint Vocational School (LCJVS), which welcomed close to 1,800 students into the 9-to-12th grade building last August — the largest ever student body. LCJVS is the country’s only institution that delivers curriculum for students in grades 9 through 12 and career technical education under one roof.
“Ohio is looking at career technical education institutions as a talent engine to sustain and expand its pipeline of workers,” Codispoti says.
Here’s a look at how industry, private and public sectors and nonprofits are convening and activating initiatives to leverage growing industry clusters.
“You can see the aha moments at the table,” says Codispoti, referencing Lieutenant Governor Jim Tressel’s recent visit to LCJVS. More than 30 stakeholders gathered in short order to talk talent, jobs and opportunity.
“We are seeing a paradigm shift,” Codispoti says, noting that career technical education is increasingly an educational path for careers in health care, engineering and IT, with about 94% then moving on to postsecondary education, according to the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce.
“Around 83% of career tech educated students scored higher [than average] on their proficiencies and assessments,” Codispoti adds.
During the last several years, he notes a workready mindset, where students and adults looking to upskill or advance careers are choosing career technical education. “Our industry partners are able to cultivate their workforce and see a higher yield on retention rates, and we have the agility to pivot and develop programs that align with their demands,” Codispoti says.
Collaboration is key.
“We’re working together to make sure the curriculum is correct for the jobs coming in, and the conversations are taking place,” says Anthony Gallo, president and CEO of the Lorain County Chamber of Commerce. He adds, “We have a lot of undeveloped land in Lorain County, and the only 1,000-acre mega site in Northeast Ohio. We have to be prepared, and we are really getting there.”
Lisa Hutson is president and CEO of ONE (Opportunities for a New Economy) Lorain County, an economic development nonprofit launched in 2023 to fill a longstanding gap in the area. The organization is an initiator, connector and partner with regional and state entities such as Team NEO and JobsOhio.
“To truly be a competitive economy, we have to build the right talent pipeline,” Hutson says, echoing a widely shared sentiment. “We don’t have the workforce for our existing jobs, and we need to address this issue.”
She adds, “No one organization is going to solve these problems.”
In what she describes as unprecedented synergy, players across various sectors are convening to address the who, what and how — the where and why explain today’s demand for skilled labor.
“ To truly be a competitive economy, we have to build the right talent pipeline.”
— Lisa Hutson, President and CEO, ONE Lorain County
The Home Builders Institute (HBI), the workforce development arm of the National Association of Home Builders, connects service members and veterans to train young adults for construction careers, among other community-focused efforts, including Future Builders of America and BuildStrong Academy, offering tuition-free trades training.
Of note in Northeast Ohio, HBI’s PreApprenticeship Certificate Training (PACT) launched as a pilot program at Mayfield High School two years ago with six students, growing to 25 students the following spring, with another 26 enrolled this year. Mayfield High School Associate Principal Deanna Elsing and Instructor Josh Hayes were instrumental in the success of the program’s launch and its continued success.
This fall, PACT will roll out in Willoughby and Eastlake high schools, with plans for PACT to be introduced in other local high schools and a private high school. “We need to fill 64,000-plus construction jobs in Ohio alone,” says Brenda Callaghan, chief executive officer of Greater Cleveland HBA’s 501(c)(3) Charitable & Education Foundation.
“Ohio is looking at career technical education institutions as a talent engine to sustain and expand its pipeline of workers.”
— Mario Codispoti, director of communication and workforce development at Lorain County Joint Vocational School
Her charge is to raise money for the PACT program to fund construction trades education in high schools. The foundation pays for schools’ licensing fees (about $9,500) and instructor training (about $1,800), and they cover the cost of tools and classroom equipment. A teacher in the schools takes on the role of PACT instructor, and this becomes a passion project.
“Our focus is to get trade programs back into the individual high schools, because many students may not choose college and are not aware of other options available specifically at their high school. In addition, vocational schools may not have space for students who
“Our focus is to get trade programs back into the individual high schools, because many students may not choose college and are not aware of other options available specifically at their high school.”
— Brenda Callaghan, chief executive officer of Greater Cleveland HBA’s 501(c)(3) Charitable & Education Foundation
want to pursue a career in construction,” says Callaghan. And, some students might not want to leave their school to go elsewhere for training.
What about the high school junior or senior who wants a taste of trades before graduation and wasn’t ready to make that choice as a sophomore? What about the student who’s curious about the trades but doesn’t want to feel left out of the home high school experience?
“We know there are kids who want to build things, but they are not being exposed to the construction field,” says Callaghan, noting how the HBA organizes field trips to construction sites with partner companies and helps match students for internships.
By next fall, with an estimated 30 students enrolled per school, “We could have 150 or more students already on a career path in the trades,” Callaghan says, noting the HBA recently hired a PACT curriculum facilitator. “Word is getting out,” she says.
Codispoti adds of LCJVS and programs like PACT that are fueling the next generation of skilled workers, “Career technical education is the intersection of economic development, workforce mobility and transformational collaboration. This is truly fueling and expanding the talent pipeline.”
There’s a growing need for highly trained skilled tradespeople. Here are four paths worth considering
BY JILL SELL
eriously, what would we do without them? Skilled trades are those careers that require specialized training and hands-on expertise. They build our communities, connect us in many ways and keep us safe and comfortable. Skilled trades are ever evolving, and technology is speeding up that process.
SBut the shortage of these essential workers is alarming. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median worker age was around 42 years in 2024, pointing to an aging workforce. Careers in the skilled trades can offer high pay, job security, varied working environments and job satisfaction. Some of the most in-demand careers include electricians, welders, construction workers, plumbers and pipefitters.
Here, Northeast Ohio schools spotlight four in-demand skilled trades at the top of the list.
Multicraft Industrial Maintenance –Lorain County Community College
JOB SUMMARY: Installation, maintenance and repair requiring knowledge of several skilled trades
OPPORTUNITIES: Manufacturing, automotive production, other machinery-intensive industries
PAY: Average pay — $62,156 annually
PROJECTED DEMAND: About 606,200 openings a year (BLS)
This fall, Lorain County Community College (LCCC) hopes to officially introduce its Multicraft Industrial Maintenance program, pending approval by the Ohio Department of Higher Education. The new offering is a combination of three existing programs, plus several specialty classes that will equip students with the skills needed for today’s changing maintenance careers.
“We still have programs for specific trades like electricians, mechanics and automation people, but what we have found out is that most manufacturers (except maybe the very biggest) need someone who can do all those things,” says Brian Iselin, an assistant professor in LCCC’s Mechanical Systems division. “Also, in these modern times, systems are more integrated. Things aren’t purely as mechanical as they used to be.”
LCCC will offer two different certificates and a two-year associate degree, which prepares students to become full-level multicraft technicians.
“This isn’t an easy program. The hardest part is that it is so broad and students will naturally gravitate to some parts more than others,” says Iselin. “But you can start with a few classes or just go full steam. It’s worth it.”
JOB SUMMARY: Technicians inspect, maintain and repair automobiles and trucks
OPPORTUNITIES: Dealerships, local repair shops, service departments of municipal and other government entities, airports, U.S. Postal Service and other carriers, private companies with large fleets
PAY: Median pay — $49,670 annually; $23.88 hourly (BLS)
PROJECTED DEMAND: Expected to grow 3% from 2023 to 2033, with 67,800 openings each year on average (BLS)
“Right now, the market for automotive technicians is growing faster than we can graduate students. It’s an incredible opportunity for them,” says Melissa Koenig, director of the Automotive Technology program at Cuyahoga Community College (Tri-C). “This program basically covers anything that has wheels, plus that computer error message on your dashboard. Our students are great at diagnosing problems.”
The automotive field is “evolving rapidly with endless new technology,” according to Koenig. But Tri-C students receive the highest level of technical training using state-of-the-art equipment. Fulltime faculty are also required to complete rigorous annual continuing education.
Partnerships with companies including GMC, Ford, and most recently Hunter Engineering (a global supplier of automotive service equipment), provide donated vehicles, equipment and diagnostic tools, as well as provide corporate-sponsored
programs and job placement opportunities for students.
While many students have attended a high school with a related automotive curriculum, others come to Tri-C “never having worked on a car before,” according to Koenig, who adds that students do not need their own tools to enroll.
“We can introduce them to entry-level courses and equip them to be marketable and job ready right off the bat,” she says.
HVAC-R – Polaris Career Center
JOB SUMMARY: Heating, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration installation, repair and service
OPPORTUNITIES: Appliance and big box stores, residential service companies, builders and contractors, commercial and industrial businesses
PAY: Median pay — $59,810 annually; $28.75 hourly (BLS)
PROJECTED DEMAND: Expected to grow much faster than average, with 9% or higher for 2023 to 2033; 42,500 openings each year on average (BLS)
Most local business representatives see serving on a high school career center’s advisory board as part of being a good
neighbor. But most don’t “fight” over available openings. Board positions at Polaris Career Center, however, are coveted because “those employer partners help shape the future of our program,” according to Don Horner, the school’s Adult HVAC/R instructor.
Horner, a Polaris alum, educator and owner of Horner Heating and Air, understands why his students are in such high demand.
“There are just more jobs than there are students,” says Horner. “When COVID hit, people maybe put off doing a little plumbing or did some themselves. But they didn’t know anything about heating and air conditioning. People want to be comfortable. In our business, we are comfort engineers. And for the elderly or sick, it’s a health and safety issue.”
Of course, its not just residential work that is creating such a demand for these trades. Many commercial, retail and hospitality industries rely on climate control. Polaris graduates in these trades can “go anywhere they want in the country for jobs,” according to Horner, adding that his adult students see an 85% to 95% employment rate.
“This industry is constantly changing, and students return for more education. We tell
people to take advantage of any training or certificates your company offers. The more you have, the more valuable you are,” he says.
Prepare for a well-paying career in high-demand industries in 16 weeks or less.
Fast-Track Programs:
• Earn certificates and industry-recognized credentials
• Complete in as little as 16 weeks
• Receive career entry, interview preparation, and employment assistance
• Scholarships and funding available Contact Enrollment Services 440-366-4032 lcccadvising @ lorainccc.edu
Industry 4.0 careers – Lorain County JVS
JOB SUMMARY: Manufacturing and industrial processes and careers that are being transformed by the Fourth Industrial Revolution (Industry 4.0)
OPPORTUNITIES: Mechanical and electrical engineers, machine trades, welding and fabrication and others
PAY: $20-$25 hourly upon high school graduation, or $45,000 to $50,000; can rise to $80,000 within a short period of time
PROJECTED DEMAND: Will continue to increase
Lorain County JVS began a digital transformation of its Engineering, Design and Technology Program and is looking at major changes for the 2025-2026 school year.
“The lab is going to look at lot different,” says Stormy Rush, LCJVS instructor. “We’ll still be doing engineering and design aspects, but also industrial and collaborative robotics and automation as well. Students will also gain experience with programmable logic controllers, the communications devices that enable machinery and automation systems to run efficiently and effectively in industry.
“Those changes will create a pipeline for students to additional career choices right out of high school,” according to Rush. “We are doing this because manufacturing in Ohio is leaning into Industry 4.0, smart manufacturing, making it more effective and positive.”
Rush believes demand for individuals with this kind of skilled trade training will be very high because “this is a new pathway.”
Cuyahoga Community College (Tri-C®) will help you move forward with caring professors, supportive career coaches and transfer specialists to guide you every step of the way.
The College’s short-term credentials, transfer degrees and job-ready programs will skill you up with the knowledge to make your next move.
And a one-million-strong alumni network will be at your back as you move on to that dream job, that four-year degree or whatever your next step in life is.
So keep moving forward. Keep learning. Keep your eye on the prize. Keep after that dream.
Tri-C® Where futures beginSM
07.25
Inspiring spaces of character and revival
Walk Your Plans and The Hall at St. James transport guests to their dream space through immersive technology.
CONTINUED ON PAGE 76
Inside St. James Catholic School in Lakewood, which closed in 2005 and sat vacant for 17 years, the former gymnasium still features courtstyle flooring and 10 arched windows spaced out between intricate pillars.
But it’s now transformed into the home of Walk Your Plans, Ohio’s first and only blueprint projection facility.
An auditorium stage was walled up and converted into a conference room on one side. Here hangs a map of the United States. Red pins on 37 locations represent the company’s growth since 2023, expanding to cities like Los Angeles, Nashville and Atlanta.
“We’re striking up national partnerships through the Cleveland office,” says Joseph Stark, director of operations. “We’ve really been identified as a trailblazer within this vertical.”
Walk Your Plans collaborates with local builders, architects and designers to offer a cost-effective option for modifying dimensions or space issues ahead of a home’s build.
Founder and president Joe Matejka used to send blueprints back and forth with clients through a small desktop screen, which would often miss the mark on materializing trueto-size home renovations. While seeking an alternative, Jess Oster of Oster Services was repurposing parts of St. James Catholic School for offices and co-work spaces.
“[Oster] goes, ‘I think we can figure out a way to take blueprints and project them to scale, so that you can walk before you build,’” Matejka recalls.
Today, seven high-definition ceiling projectors make it happen.
A rendered image on an “elevation wall” provides an up-close feel for kitchens, patios, living areas and more, combined with a home’s blueprint across the floor to visualize other spaces in relation. Clients can freely walk through any room without visiting a construction site.
By night, The Hall at St. James turns those blueprints to mood boards, using the same projectors to host an immersive event venue with a vast portfolio.
“There’s unlimited themes you can create in the space,” Stark says. “People bring outside inspiration to bring those ideas to life.”
Whether it’s a new home, a beachfront yoga class or a golden-hour wedding, the gymnasium has the power to take the Lakewood community anywhere they want to go.
“One thing we’re pretty good at is not mandating our directive to folks,” Matejka says. “Let something breathe, see where it goes and get an opportunity to grow.”
A landscape designer rolls out a stately, environmentally conscious alternative to the paved walk on two local properties.
THE WHITE CLAPBOARD tennis house wasn’t just another pretty-face feature. Landscape designer David Thorn had sited the charming structure to serve as a focal point of views from a 15,000-square-foot stone colonial. And the owners of the stately manor home, set on five acres outside Hudson, had come to the conclusion that no ordinary walkway between the two would do.
“They wanted a creative connection to the tennis house,” says Thorn of David Thorn Design & Project Management in Chagrin Falls.
Thorn responded by creating a lawn allee (French for “aisle”), a grass path lined with trees and shrubs.
“It’s almost like the hallway of a house,” he says.
The concept most likely originated in the formal gardens of 17th-
and 18th-century Europe as a grand way to connect spaces and, as in the case of the tennis house, extend views to a terminal feature.
“It’s all about the experience. It’s all about going from one part of the property to the next and journeying through each space,” he explains. “[The lawn allee] creates a softer visual appearance. Not every path system has to be paved.”
He notes that the lawn allee is an environmentally greener alternative to a paved walk because it reduces stormwater runoff.
A
To create this particular allee, Thorn ordered plinths hand-carved out of barn stone salvaged from deconstructed railroad overpasses to flank an entrance between twin boxwood hedges. Workers seeded the 6-foot-wide path with a Kentucky bluegrass mix, a blend of bluegrasses, along with fescue, perennial and annual rye, which yields a more durable lawn.
“If we get into a drought situation, [or] a particular grass variety is attacked by a bug or a drought, there are other blades of grass to carry that lawn through so it doesn’t completely die,” he says. “In Ohio, because of all the different weather conditions we have and drought conditions we sometimes get, it’s critical to have it be a mix.”
Thorn planted nine specimen-grade clump-form birch trees, each 18 feet tall, on either side of the 80-foot-long path to the tennis house’s little-white-church entrance. He then filled in the beds with pachysandra, an evergreen ground cover that forms a dense mat of spoon-shaped leaves.
“It can handle the deep shade, and it’s just a super hardy ground cover,” he says of the plant. “It gets a little white flower [in the early spring]. But you don’t really buy it for the flower.”
Thorn also used lawn allees to direct traffic to the property’s other outdoor living areas, including a stone seating area for entertaining and a meditation garden with a gazebo.
But Thorn points out that the feature doesn’t have to lead to an
elaborate garden or resort-caliber amenity. He installed a 50-foot-long one on a Gates Mills estate that dead-ends at a simple bench stationed just to the right of a white Western Reserve-style pool house. He lined the 4-foot-wide path with crabapple trees, eight on each side, planted in beds of pachysandra.
“It’s a classic design element that really married well with the house,” he says. “This allee happens to be lined up on a sitting room at the end of the house. So when [the homeowners] look out of the window, which is a very strong viewpoint, it creates this really beautiful effect year round.”
While the lawn allee does lend itself to connecting outdoor spaces on large properties, it can be used on smaller counterparts. Thorn remembers installing one in the 8-foot-wide side yard of his first home’s “postage-stamp lot.”
“I had a 2-foot-wide path with trees on each side of it,” he says. “And it became the most special part of the property.”
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Many of Martin Luther King Jr.’s civil rights campaigns took place in the South.
He led sit-ins in his hometown of Atlanta, was a key organizer of the bus boycott in 1955 in Montgomery, Alabama, and marched in 1965 in Selma, Alabama.
He also spent time in Cleveland, stopping regularly throughout the 1960s. (One reason he gave for his fondness for the city was its Black population, consisting of many former Alabamians who came in the Great Migration.) He visited on many occasions in 1967, as the city recovered from the previous year’s Hough riots and Carl Stokes made another run for mayor. In April, he gave his “Rise Up” speech at Glenville High School (rediscovered in 2011 in the Glenville branch of Cleveland Public Library).
And in July, while Detroit was ablaze with riots, King told crowds on the East Side of Cleve-
land not to do the same thing. “I’m not going to tell you to burn down Cleveland,” he said, according to The Plain Dealer. Rather, he encouraged economic protests, including Operation Breadbasket, a project he’d introduced the previous year in Chicago that encouraged area businesses to have a workforce more representative of its population, resulting in a boycott of Sealtest Dairy, which had an operation in Cleveland. He encouraged rent strikes against landlords, saying an East Side neighborhood was “the worst slum I ever saw.”
King encouraged political involvement, as well, even if it wasn’t easy. And it wasn’t easy. “Too many Negroes want to take a non-stop flight from Egypt to the Promised Land,” he said. “We have to sacrifice and work. If the inexpressible oppression of slavery could not stop us, then the obstacles now to our freedom can surely be overcome. God is on our side.”
Stokes was elected mayor that fall, the first Black mayor of a major city. On April 4, 1968, as he stood on the balcony of the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee, King was shot and killed. He was supposed to return to Cleveland the following week.
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