Essays
The Opposite of Cool: Parma’s Ukrainian Village
by George Mount excerpted from The Cleveland Neighborhood Guidebook There’s an effort in Cleveland [...]
Visiting Gritty South Bend & Glitzy Notre Dame, Two Sides of the Rust Belt
By Matt Altstiel If you’ve ever watched Parks & Recreation, you’re familiar with the [...]
Here on the Ground: An Introduction
There’d better be a blimp in here. Seriously: if there is not a blimp in this book, I’m going to return it to the library I stole it from. Right now, I’m like you, Dear Reader. I haven’t read this book yet. I don’t know what’s in it. We’re both here at the beginning. I know what I want. You know what you want.
We Are Good In Glenville: A Visit To The Honey Do Club Neighborhood Bar
Cleveland is a city of neighborhoods. Each tells a story with its own unique culture and history, the restaurant you have to eat at, and of course, a neighborhood bar. Being a Glenville resident my entire life, one would assume that I have ventured to my own neighborhood bar before 2015.
When The Number 9 Bus Was Like Home, And Downtown Was My Playground
I strained my neck to look down the row of occupied orange seats to see who was getting on the bus. A big crowd -- I should slide over close to the window, scrunching my book bag on my lap...
Homecoming Of A Clevelander In Exile
I’ve finally returned home to Cleveland after a ten-year absence. While away, first at college and then for a drawn-out period of military service, I kept up on Cleveland happenings ...
After The World Ends, What Next?
If you, like I did, woke up on summer mornings with a mini boom box and a blank tape to listen for hours on end waiting for The Foo Fighters or Everclear or Rage Against the Machine or ...
Why The Term “Rust Belt” Matters
The Rust Belt, linguistically speaking, is one of America’s newest regions. It was largely created in 1984 by, of all people, Walter Mondale. During a campaign stop during the presidential election...
What John Kasich Says Is Bullshit, But How He Says It Hits Home
John Kasich, you don’t speak for my people: most denizens of the Mon Valley aren’t clamoring for corporate tax breaks and massive deregulation. But — and maybe this is more important — you speak like my people.
How Michigan’s Municipal Policies Led To Crises In Detroit and Flint
Michigan has the most decrepit cities in the United States...It’s not just a result of neglect. It’s a result of policy.
Get the latest stories from around the region sent straight to your inbox.
Get the latest stories from around the region sent straight to your inbox.
Support independent, context-driven regional writing.