Train Dreams, Part 2
The brothers invade downtown & reshape the city forever.
Steel’s Second Act
Love your magazine, and generally enjoy the articles. As someone who grew up in Hammond, and lived in Gary at [...]
Making it Happen in Bankrupt Midwestern Cities
It took me a while to realize that community organizing is different in the Midwest than in Chicago. You don't shake oranges from a tree. The tree is barren.
The Plain Dealer’s Content Problem
Long before 'backpack journalism,' people stopped picking up newspapers for the articles. Here's why new media may be the best thing that's happened to reporting in 50 years.
German Trip Slaps Awake Clevelander
Traveling to the heart of Bavaria gets me thinking I need to get out more in my hometown. Maybe even to Tremont or still deeper into the West Side.
Gary, Indiana’s Fabulous Footnote
Wilton Crump, doo-wop sensation and Jackson Five collaborator, might be this hard-working city’s hardest-working man in showbiz.
Cleveland, I Shall Christen Thee … Brooklyn
My city recently made Fortune magazine's list of 'most likely to turn into a trendy New York borough.' This unexpected recognition puts us in an (artisanal) pickle.
An Armchair Tour of Buffalo’s Estate Sales
A sweet 'Jetsons'-era find at a little yellow house is the beginning of another digging trip--into my beloved city's history.
Stewart O’Nan: Pittsburgh’s Novelist Of The Everyday
Among works about the lower rungs of the middle class, Stewart O’Nan’s novels stand out.
Talking in a Dark Corner with Muamin Collective
The Cleveland hip-hop project got its start tapping on the bunk beds at church camp. Now they're chopping up Anthrax and Pere Ubu.
CLE’s NYE rocked
Partying on Public Square made me rethink my hometown.
Losing Our Loss
Tech cities like San Francisco are full of newcomers. Rust Belt cities have deep roots, but are they too resistant to change?