Most-Read Stories Of 2017

Rating The Suburbs 2017: Richfield Village by James Bigley II
With affordable housing, top-notch schools, a “country vibe” and a track record of keeping residents safe, Richfield Village earned the top spot in our annual Rating the Suburb issue — a choice that apparently resonated with readers as it was our most-read article of the year. 

The Benefits of Nature-based Learning by Kristen Hampshire
Nature-based education has been gradually gaining a foothold throughout the country, especially with early childhood programs that expose toddlers and preschoolers to the wonders of the great outdoors. We talked to educators from Hawken School, Laurel School and Gilmour Academy about the education that can be had from getting outside the classroom.  



Course Correct by Alex Baca
A certain sect of Twitter that follows neighborhood development issues blew up when we published Alex Baca’s argument that Cleveland's obsession with gentrification was premature. Some agreed, some didn’t, but we loved the passionate discussion.



Matt Zone Makes The Big Time by Sheehan Hannan
This year, the Cleveland city councilman became the president of the National League of Cities — a nationwide association of 120,000 elected officials and 2,300 cities that helps build better communities. We talked to Zone about President Trump, leadership, bipartisanship and how his role was a boon for Cleveland.



Self Image by Kelly Petryszyn
While artist Derek Hess has always purged his emotions on paper, his own struggle with mental illness remained mostly hidden. In this March profile, the artist discussed the process of peeling back the layers by speaking out and hosting an arts, comedy and music festival to raise awareness.



Most Interesting People: Kerry McCormack by James Bigley II
At 28, McCormack became Cleveland’s newest and youngest member of council. We talked to the representative for Ward 3 about the importance of diversity, family values and having a community-based approach to politics.



Creative Justice by Sheehan Hannan
Painesville Municipal Court Judge Michael Cicconetti became a national folk hero for his quirky sentences. We examined his unconventional approach to find out if it really works.



Chris McNeil's @Reflog_18 Scores Big On Twitter by Caitlin Behrens
The potential parade master — who has gained 10,000 followers since March — made a name for himself through self-deprecating Cleveland humor on Twitter long before he was planning Parade 2.0. In this April article, McNeil breaks down the secrets of his twitter game.



Rustic Restaurant Keeps It All In The Family by James Bigley II
In August, the Rocky River spot celebrated 70 years by continuing what it does best — serving up a slice of hospitality and a plate of homestyle cooking.  



Get Inside This Boxy Tremont Home by Lynne Thompson
What was originally designed to be a Japanese-inspired bachelor pad grew up into a family home. In March, we took a peek inside Dr. David Perse’s 4,300-square-foot Tremont abode.