Cleveland Magazine Editors' Favorite Reads of 2023

In the many pages that made up our 12 issues of this year — and the many reports we shared online — Cleveland Magazine has captured plenty of news and updates in the city. Here are some of our favorite projects from 2023.

Find more year-end stories: 2023 CLE Wrapped, Cleveland's Year in Review

101 Dishes to Try Before You Die: The Ultimate Foodie Bucket List
Certain local dishes and drinks just taste like home. From ballpark mustard to Melt's super sandwiches, Yours Truly’s Notso Fries to Superior Pho’s Bahn Mi, we offer a guide to the tried-and-true staples that reflect Cleveland’s unique melting pot of cuisines. (Lead photo by Megann Galehouse, Dustin Hileman, Magan McLaughlin)

(Image courtesy Abigail Archer)

All in the Details: Browns New Defensive Coordinator Jim Schwartz Brings Different Pedigree to the Job
After a few years of having some of the worst defenses in the NFL, Jim Schwartz has made a big impact on the Browns. 

(Image courtesy Wikimedia Commons)

Baker Electric Created EV Cars in Cleveland 100 Years Ago. What Happened?
The human race has made plenty of wrong turns along the way, and this article about the local company that could have been Tesla before Tesla highlights one of them. Really, it shows how gasoline beat electricity out at a pivotal time in the history of the automobile. 

(Photo courtesy Sheila Burke)

End-of-Life Doulas Guide the Dying in Northeast Ohio
‘Death Doulas’ help people live their final days and die peacefully. In writer Anthony Elder’s powerful look at what this kind of job entails, a local death doula shared her story and how losing her husband motivated her to pursue helping others through their final stages of life.

(Photo courtesy Greater Cleveland Film Commission)

Film Strikes Impact Cleveland Filmmakers
Film strikes in California wound up affecting Cleveland’s film scene, too. Major projects were put on hold and the local film industry was left in limbo. “Ohio will hit the ground running and get back into it,” Bill Garvey, Greater Cleveland Film Commission president, explained to writer Anthony Elder. “Once the strikes are resolved, production returns. It's that simple. The demand is always there.”

(Photo by Casey Rearick)

Full Court Press: Inside Northeast Ohio's Most Competitive Youth Sports Leagues
Go on the court, and off, in September’s Cleveland Magazine cover story which explored the impact that youth sports has on young athletes in Northeast Ohio. Editor (and author of the feature) Dillon Stewart even connects the story to his own experience playing sports in his editor’s note of that issue.

(Photo courtesy DJ Steph Floss)

Hitting the Road with DJ Steph Floss's Running Group
DJ Steph Floss is one of the more prominent people in Cleveland’s entertainment scene. He can be found at most Cavs games and Browns home games, but he does more than just spin records. 

(Photo courtesy Courtesy Lance Aerial Media)

Inside the Colorful World of Guice Mann, TikTok’s Viral Train Artist
The painter of geometric patterns, often accompanied by uplifting phrases, went viral this year when he brought his psychedelic world to a rail car along the Towpath Trail. The car was part of the Midwest Railway Preservation Society, which works to preserve vintage railroad equipment and Cleveland’s historic ties to the railroad industry. 

(Photo courtesy Scott Shaw Photography)

Investigative Reporter Mark Puente Finds Success With Cleveland Taco Business 
Follow the Marshall Project reporter’s unique journey from truck driver to truth seeker to taco-preneur in this profile from Annie Nickoloff. 

(Photo courtesy LeBron James Family Foundation)

LeBron James Home Court is a Must-See for Any Cleveland Sports Fan
Already home to the Rock Hall, Cleveland Museum of Art and the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Northeast Ohio can now add the LeBron James Museum to its list of attractions. With replicas of James’ childhood bedroom and high school locker room, the experience puts you in the shoes of the superstar. Writer Danny Cunningham caught the opening and chatted with fans who visited the museum and attended the Lakers-Cavs game that night.

(Photo by Steven Rice)

The Nightmare In East Palestine
Last February a train derailment made national news. The follow-up a few months later told the story of East Palestine and what real people are facing as the community tries to rebound.

(Photo by Matthew Chasney)

Ohio’s Fun Festivals
Whether it was the Twinsburg Twins Days festival, the Valley City Frog Jump or the Mantua Potato Festival, freelance photographer Matthew Chasney captured some of the oddest Ohio festivals this year, for Cleveland Magazine.

(Photo by John Skrtic)

Skrtic’s Pics
One of our favorite emails to open up each month is the monthly selection of photos from John Skrtic of the Cleveland Public Library. Perhaps no other individual of late has done more to document the everyday lives of Clevelanders than this street photographer. 

(Photo by Ken Blaze)

Should Cleveland Spend $13 Million on its Police Mounted Unit?
Not only does this piece ask an important civic question, it introduces you to horses like George, Max and Breeze, and the unique world of the mounted police unit. 

(Photo courtesy Lance Cheung, USDA Photo)

Spotted Lanternflies Are All Over Cleveland: Here’s What to Know About the Invasive Bug
Lanternflies: What the heck are these things and why are they everywhere? The bugs quickly made a name for themselves in Cleveland, and they truly are pests.

(Photo by Alejandro Vergara)

Voices of Hope: Profiles of Sober Clevelanders
Despite many waking up to the dangers of alcohol and the freedom that comes from a life without it, the decision to go sober is a difficult and lonely one. These Clevelanders were brave enough to share stories of their sobriety journey, many in hopes of helping someone else going through the same thing. 

(Photo courtesy Dan Hughes)

Why Did the WNBA's Cleveland Rockers Leave 20 Years Ago? Largely, LeBron James
This story gives a great look back at one of Cleveland’s pro sports teams from the past. The WNBA is beginning to thrive today, and Cleveland will always be part of its history.