Essays

10:41 am10:41 am

A Rust Belt Education: Part Two

By William Rickman|2015-06-28T21:28:04-04:00May 27, 2015|Current Issue, Essays|

On a glorious Saturday morning, Erika Harrison pulled up to her house in East Cleveland, bounced out of a sparkling red Chevy Equinox minivan, and walked briskly to her front door ...

8:28 am8:28 am

A Rust Belt Education: Part One

By William Rickman|2015-06-15T22:32:41-04:00May 26, 2015|Covers, Current Issue, Essays|

It has been more than four decades since money problems forced Jerry Schlueter to cut short his broadcast degree at Ohio University.

8:51 am8:51 am

Zoo Camp For All

By William Rickman|2015-05-22T12:22:23-04:00May 12, 2015|Chicago, Cities, Current Issue, Essays|

My son, Nico, loves the zoo. He’s eight years old, and going there inspires, engages, and delights him in a way that few other activities or places can.

9:45 am9:45 am

Moving from Brooklyn to Detroit Is The Best Thing I’ve Done For My Children

By Anne Trubek|2015-05-04T14:33:28-04:00May 1, 2015|Current Issue, Detroit, Essays, Population|

I say this because it's true and because I just read a column by Aaron Foley that offered a bleak – if sarcastic – warning to New Yorkers attracted by the Move to Detroit billboards.

7:39 am7:39 am

Hardboiled Coffee: Why Neighborhoods Need Mom & Pop Shops

By William Rickman|2015-04-27T08:43:24-04:00April 14, 2015|Chicago, Cities, Current Issue, Essays, Politics and Urbanism|

Hardboiled Coffee Co. opened on a cold February day in 2013. I stopped by a few days before and found the doors locked and no one inside. I was so eager for a real coffee shop in Beverly, I didn't check to make sure of the grand-opening date.

9:23 am9:23 am

A Tale of Two Cities: Why Chuy Garcia Won’t Turn Chicago Into Detroit

By William Rickman|2016-03-21T14:31:53-04:00March 26, 2015|Chicago, Cities, Commentary, Current Issue, Essays, Politics and Urbanism|

In 1983, shortly after Harold Washington was elected mayor of Chicago, Richard Mell, a white alderman, approached the African-American mayor with this plea: “Don’t make this city suffer for 300 years of injustice against your people.

9:10 am9:10 am

Cleveland: City of Tomorrow

By William Rickman|2015-03-24T09:51:47-04:00March 23, 2015|Cities, Cleveland, Current Issue, Essays|

At Tech Central in the main branch of the Cleveland Public Library, you can experiment with three-dimensional printing. These days it is mostly a curiosity for kids to experiment with.

9:12 am9:12 am

Requiem For A Slaw Dog

By William Rickman|2015-03-20T10:45:23-04:00March 20, 2015|Cities, Cleveland, Current Issue, Essays|

A few days ago, I watched as Steve’s Lunch smoldered and crumbled while firemen hosed out a blaze that had completely destroyed the place.

8:33 am8:33 am

Steel Grit

By William Rickman|2015-10-25T09:21:32-04:00March 12, 2015|Cities, Current Issue, Essays, Youngstown|

The year was 1976. I was a college student going down to US Steel to apply for a summer job. I had never been there before, but it was one of those places that lined the Mahoning River, over which I had driven a million times.

7:54 am7:54 am

There’s Always Next Year

By William Rickman|2022-04-07T14:36:55-04:00March 9, 2015|Cities, Cleveland, Current Issue, Essays|

My father was born in 1949. If you’re a lifelong Indians fan, his birth year is significant. Chances are, you’re shaking your head in sympathy or smiling ruefully right about now. My long-suffering father has never seen his beloved team win the World Series.