10 Best AI Girlfriend Apps & Sites of 2026 (No-Filter Pics, Voice & Video)
Looking for fun, exciting conversations? AI girlfriend apps are booming in the dating and companionship scene. They offer flirty chats, emotional support, and creative roleplay. If you’re ready to explore new ways to connect and have a great time, we have the top apps right here! The Best AI Girlfriend AppsHere are the top picks…
Austin Davis Running for Cleveland City Council in New Ward 7
Kerry McCormack confirmed last month what had long been known — that he will not be seeking reelection — becoming the second sitting member, along with Jenny Spencer, to bow out of the upcoming Cleveland City Council elections in November. The departure of the westside incumbent, who has served nine years, leaves an open race…
Beverly Owens-Jackson Running for Cleveland City Council in New Ward 5
“I’m all about community,” Beverly Owens-Jackson told Scene. It’s why she’s running for City Council in the newly drawn Ward 5, because she knows what a lot of her neighbors have been through and wants to give them a bigger voice in Cleveland. “This is me: I’m a recovering addict, a victim of domestic violence,…
Cleveland State Students Approved a Wrestling Tax to Save the Team a Decade Ago. The Team Was Cut Anyway
The last time Riley Shaw freaked out about Cleveland State’s wrestling team was sometime in March of 2015. Shaw, a junior in the heavyweight class, was fretting at a campus decision that would effectively take him off the team his final year. Then Athletic Director John Parry announced Cleveland State’s wrestling team would be no…
Literary Cleveland’s Fourth Annual Poetry Fest Takes on ‘The Body Politic’ This April
In early February, the National Endowment of the Arts announced that, following President Trump’s trove of anti-DEI executive orders, it would be shifting away from—i.e. canceling—its grants program geared to backing minority arts. Any organizations searching for funding now had to ensure that any grants being written were philosophically in-line with those anti-DEI orders. They…
15 60 75 The Numbers Band To Mark 55th Anniversary with Kent Stage Show
In the late 1960s prior to founding Kent’s 15 60 75 The Numbers Band, singer-harmonica player Robert Kidney was performing around Northeast Ohio as a solo artist and getting some decent gigs. “I opened for Janis Ian when she was touring on [her 1967 album] Society’s Child,” says Kidney via phone. The Numbers Band performs…
Dante Boccuzzi to Open Masu, a New Sushi Concept, at Valor Acres in Brecksville
Valor Acres, a mixed-use living community currently taking shape in Brecksville, will lay claim to a new sushi restaurant by chef Dante Boccuzzi. Boccuzzi says that he and developer Rob DiGeronimo have long been in talks to work together and Valor Acres, which is set to debut this coming summer, proved the ideal fit. “I’ve been in discussions…
Proposed Ohio Child Tax Credit Would Produce $740 Million Benefit to State Economy, Analysis Finds
In his biennial budget proposal, Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine wants to create a $1,000 per-child tax credit for middle and low-income families. In addition to benefiting the families themselves, it would produce nearly three-quarters of a billion dollars in annual benefit to the Ohio economy, according to an analysis released on Monday. Families with children…
Aroma Cafe is One of Cleveland’s Best-Kept Culinary Secrets
To most Northeast Ohioans, Aroma Cafe is shrouded in mystery. Curious first-time diners will find no online menu, no social media presence, and no advertising. Its listed hours—a vanishingly brief window on certain weekdays—aren’t accurate. Fewer than 50 reviews appear on Google, though they’re all five stars. The friend who tipped me off about Aroma…
15+ Things to Do in Cleveland This Weekend (Feb. 27-March 2)
Our weekly picks of the best things to do in Cleveland this weekend. Also check out our full Cleveland event calendar. THU 02/27 Joe Samba The reggae-rock musician performs tonight at 8 at the Grog Shop in Cleveland Heights as he brings his Lifeline tour to town. His new single “Home” features soulful vocals and thick…
Now Open: Tavern Six in Chagrin Falls
When Panini’s Bar & Grill closed its Chagrin Falls location last year, Dan and Teanna Vitantonio saw a golden opportunity to expand their restaurant portfolio. The couple operate Tavern Six in Kirtland (7592 Chardon Rd.) – which will celebrate its 10th anniversary this spring – and Sage Karma Kitchen in Willoughby (4051 Erie St.). This…
CSU Sneaks by Detroit Mercy Before Former Viking Drops Them to Second Place
Cleveland State is no longer in first place. After controlling the division for most of the season, a 1-1 week saw Robert Morris leapfrog the Vikings. With only two games left, CSU will now need to win both and see RMU lose their last game to capture the number one seed in the conference tournament.…
Ohio’s J.D. Vance Rebuked by the Pope, Denounced by NATO Allies, Ridiculed for Bizarre Rant
J.D. Vance has really done Ohio proud these last few weeks, hasn’t he? The lapdog vice-president, with evidently a lot of time on his hands, has managed to be firmly rebuked by Pope Francis, denounced by outraged NATO allies and widely ridiculed for his bizarre ‘masculinity’ rant at a weekend MAGAfest just a month into…
EDWINS Opens in Former Nighttown Space This Friday, Feb. 28
This Friday marks the beginning of a new chapter, both for the historic Nighttown property in Cleveland Heights and for EDWINS, the mission-based restaurant that Brandon Chrostowski opened at Shaker Square in 2013. It’s been a turbulent five years since Nighttown owner Brendan Ring announced that he was “temporarily” closing the restaurant in March of 2020.…
Inaugural Women of the Blues Festival Headed to Treelawn in March
More than 10 years ago, Lynn Orman Weiss, a veteran music publicist and journalist with 30 years of experience, had an idea to produce a concert called Chicago Blues Mamas for Obama. As Orman Weis collected interviews and photos from 20 different photographers from around the world, she realized how unique the artists were to…
Former City Goods Site to Reopen as The Creative Hangars on March 1
On January 22, Ohio City Inc. announced that City Goods, the cluster of creative vendors nestled in seven U-shaped hangars on the corner of Church and State that it acquired roughly a year ago, would be closing by the end of the month. All 25 vendors and its cocktail bar would be out of business.…
Scooter’s Dawg House in Mentor Opens for its 25th Season on Saturday, March 8th
There’s no surer sign of spring than the annual re-opening at Scooter’s Dawg House (9600 Blackbrook Rd., 440-354-8480) in Mentor, which closes for the winter season each year in September. Located two miles south of Headlands Beach, the perennially busy shop attracts a steady stream of beachgoers, who come for the dawgs and stay for the…
Ohio Pie Co. Announces New Location Coming to Parma
Since opening in Brunswick (1315 1/2 Pearl Rd., 330-741-4117) in 2019, Ohio Pie Co. has been drawing raves for its self-titled “Ohio-style” pizza, which owner Nick Robson described as follows: [The pizza is] “a little bit buttery, mid-thickness crust that can hold up to a good amount of sauce, a good amount of cheese, and…
Last Week in Cleveland Food News: New Tremont Sushi, Crowley’s Expansion and More
– Success has come quickly for Crowley’s, which opened in Eastlake in 2023. Next came a second location in Kirtland and now new spots in Painesville and on the campus of JCU. Related – The owners of STEAK are partnering with Sushi 86 for an alfresco sushi concept that’ll operate out of the same location…
Ohio’s Transgender School Bathroom Ban Begins This Week as Law Takes Effect
A new Ohio law banning transgender students from using school bathrooms and locker rooms that align with their gender identity takes effect Tuesday. Ohio lawmakers passed the bathroom ban bill and Gov. Mike DeWine signed it into law in November. The new law requires people at Ohio K-12 public schools and public and private colleges…
Ask a Cleveland Sex Therapist: My Anxious Attachment Style is Keeping Me From Moving Forward From My Ex
Welcome to Ask a Cleveland Sex Therapist. Want to ask Matt a question that could be tackled in a future column? Click here. Now, onto this week’s topic. I’m having a lot of trouble getting over an ex who dropped me last year. Aside from being limerent, my anxious attachment style seems to have blown…
‘We’re Gonna Fight’: Clevelanders Pack Shontel Brown Town Hall to Rail Against Trump and Musk’s Drastic Federal Job Cuts
Despite the 17-degree weather and the finger-numbing windchill, 70 or so union leaders, members and officials gathered on the steps of the Celebrezze Federal Building downtown Thursday morning hyper-focused and energized. They shouted pro-democracy harangues. Their winter gloves held signs lambasting billionaires. And they welcomed, with loud voices and energy, the message delivered to them…
Misfiring CSU Vikings Women’s Team Burned by Green Bay Runs
In some ways, Cleveland State may have re-discovered its formula for beating Green Bay in Wednesday night’s 59-50 loss to the Phoenix at the Wolstein Center, even if the Vikings’ execution didn’t warrant a different result. Instead, the Phoenix extended its winning streak to 17 games, and kept pace with Purdue Fort Wayne at the…
Tickets Remain for United We Brunch at The Madison Sunday, Feb. 23
Cleveland Magazine and SCENE are joining forces to bring together some of the best restaurants in town for a day of brunch tastings, cocktails, music and more. Join us at United We Brunch on Sunday, Feb. 23, from 11 a.m. – 2 p.m. at The Madison where more than 30 local restaurants will be on…
Cleveland’s Chayla Hope Releases Sophomore Album
Cleveland-based singer Chayla Hope recorded demos for her new album, Mess of a Woman, at home before heading into the studio with collaborator and co-producer Nate Saggio (Jack Harris, Sir Yacht). Hope and and Saggio even share the mic for a duet on the album, which was mixed and mastered in Dolby Atmos at Amazon…
With Highest Rate of Bird Flu in Country, Ohio Poultry Farmers Push Lawmakers for Additional Funding, Vaccines
Since the beginning of this year, Ohio poultry farmers have culled almost 11 million birds infected with avian flu according to data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. In an update to state lawmakers, Ohio Poultry Association Executive Vice President Jim Chakeres said the virus has “wreaked havoc” on commercial flocks, particularly in far west…
Community Police Commission and City Hall Butt Heads After Report Detailing Dozens of Misconduct Allegations Gone Uninvestigated
While the Cleveland Community Police Commissions awaited City Council to approve nine new members to the body, John Adams felt inclined to do some preliminary digging himself. Earlier this month, Adams, the CCPC’s leading commissioner, began looking into the case of Timothy Maffo-Judd, the Cleveland Police commander who was removed as leader of the bomb…
Short.Sweet.Film Fest Expands Into Week-Long Event
For the past 15 years, the Short.Sweet.Film Fest has been a weekend-long affair. But this year, organizer Michael Suglio decided it was time to expand. The annual event will now take place over an entire week; it runs from Feb. 24 to March 2 at Atlas Cinemas Shaker Square. “We have added an acting competition,…
Illuminate CLE Lighting Installation in Downtown Will Officially Debut on April 16
Cleveland is about to get a lot brighter come this spring. On April 16, following Destination Cleveland’s annual meeting that day, Illuminate CLE will officially debut to the city after a string of soft launches during major events in the recent year. The multi-million-dollar, large-scale lighting installation from Destination Cleveland that has now been in…
Linking Legacies Performs Music by Local African American Composers and the Rest of the Classical Music to Catch This Week
Cleveland is blessed with orchestras — world class, professional, vocational, and student — and many of them are busy this week playing programs of repertoire both adventurous and familiar. – On Thursday, the Baldwin Wallace Symphony Orchestra, led by Douglas Droste, features soprano Kate Tiemens in Samuel Barber’s Knoxville: Summer of 1915, a nostalgic setting…
Ohio Bill Would Add New Civil Liability for Property Damaged in Protests
An Ohio senator has offered a measure establishing civil liability for property damage applying to protesters. Instead of simply holding the perpetrator accountable, the proposal would expand liability to those who provide material support for the protest itself. It would also put the onus on the accused to prove they didn’t damage the property. Additionally,…
11 Pro-Palestine Protesters Charged with Felonies for Allegedly Vandalizing Case Western Last Fall
Eleven pro-Palestine protesters were charged with felonies for allegedly trespassing at Case Western Reserve University last November and painting portions of campus blood-red, an indictment filed Wednesday read. Cuyahoga County Prosecutor Michael O’Malley charged these people—six of them Case students—with crimes that led to an estimated $400,000 in damages. In early morning of November 8,…
Ohioans Rail Against Republican Bill to Rewrite Marijuana Law Passed by Voters
More than a dozen people spoke out against a bill that would make several changes to Ohio’s marijuana law during Tuesday’s Ohio Senate General Government Committee meeting. Ohio Sen. Steve Huffman, R-Tipp City, introduced Senate Bill 56 last month and 40 people submitted testimony opposing the bill. “This bill isn’t about consumer safety,” said Don Holztrager,…
Livewire: 7 of the Best Concerts to Catch in Cleveland This Week
FRI 02/21 Filter A former touring guitarist with Nine Inch Nails, Richard Patrick brings his alternative rock band back to the town where it originally formed. Filter had a hit right out of the gates with its debut, 1995’s Short Bus, which featured the industrial-minded hit “Hey Man Nice Shot.” The group performs tonight at…
Mayor Bibb Pitches Council a Meatier Cleveland Budget in the Face of a Year of Political Change
On Tuesday morning, Mayor Justin Bibb and Chief Finance Officer Paul Barrett joined Cleveland’s 17 council members at City Hall to begin the arduous, two-week process of picking apart what the city will spend in the year ahead—roughly $2.1 billion in Bibb’s mind. That table could look a lot different this time next year. Actually,…
FBI Subpoena Targets How Cuyahoga County Judge Leslie Celebrezze Steered Work to Friend
A federal grand jury subpoena delivered to the Cuyahoga County Domestic Relations Court shows that federal investigators are investigating Judge Leslie Ann Celebrezze and her ties to court-appointed receiver Mark Dottore since she was elected in 2008. The wide-ranging grand jury subpoena, dated Feb. 12, comes after The Marshall Project – Cleveland detailed in June…
Ohio Food Banks Face Fed Funding Uncertainty, DeWine Budget Cuts
Recent federal executive orders have left many organizations in Ohio navigating uncertainty, particularly when it comes to funding for essential services. Food banks, which serve as a critical safety net for families in need, are feeling the strain. Joree Novotny, executive director of the Ohio Association of Foodbanks, said demand has been surging across the…
Otani Japanese Restaurant in Mayfield Heights to Close
It was at Otani Japanese Restaurant that most Northeast Ohioans got their first taste of sushi and Japanese cuisine. Opened in 1978 by Kazushige Honda, the restaurant continued on its path to longevity after Janet and Heinz Lee came aboard in 1985 following Honda’s retirement. Now, it’s time for Janet Lee to retire as well.…
Cleveland State Vikings Had a Lot of the Good So Far This Year, But This Week Was the Bad and Ugly
It was bound to happen at some point in this congested league. Cleveland State is sliding a bit while losing three out of their last four games. This week saw the Vikings lose at home to both Robert Morris and Youngstown State. What can be learned from these contests and what does the rest of…
How Dismantling the U.S. Department of Education Would Affect Ohio School Districts
As President Donald Trump continues to talk about dismantling the U.S. Department of Education, Ohio educators worry what that could mean for federal funding that school districts across the state rely on. Trump could issue an executive order targeting the department and he recently told his pick for education secretary, Linda McMahon, “to put herself…
Job Cuts Begin at Cuyahoga Valley National Park Amid DOGE’s Valentine’s Day Weekend Purge
While millions spent Valentine’s Day weekend in a hopeful romantic bliss, many suffered life-altering professional breakups as scores of employees of the U.S. government were laid-off en masse on Friday by the Elon Musk-led Department of Government Efficiency and Donald Trump. The massive cuts of federal workers led by DOGE stretched across at least seven…
Ask a Cleveland Sex Therapist: How Long Does It Take to Get Over a Breakup, Because I Feel Awful
Welcome to Ask a Cleveland Sex Therapist. Want to ask Matt a question that could be tackled in a future column? Click here. Now, onto this week’s topic. Hey Matt. I recently went through a breakup and it’s been pretty devastating to me. I am struggling with how to move on and I just can’t…
Appearing in Cleveland This Week, Rick Steves on the Power of Travel to Change Worldviews and Making Your Own Hippie Trail
By the time Scene caught up with Rick Steves a couple of weeks ago in advance of his stop Wednesday night at the Parma-Snow Branch of Cuyahoga County Public Library to tout his new book, On the Hippie Trail: Istanbul to Kathmandu and the Making of a Travel Writer, the event had already sold out and…
Students Say They Will Leave Ohio If Lawmakers Go Forward With Massive Higher Education Overhaul
Where 16-year-old Michelle Huang goes to college hinges largely on what happens with a massive, controversial higher education bill that the Ohio Senate recently passed. Huang, a junior at Olentangy Liberty High School in Delaware County, said she always imagined herself going to Ohio State University to study political science, but is not so sure…
Great Lakes Brewing Confirms Plans for Scranton Peninsula Development, Just Not a Production Facility
For the past 37 years, Great Lakes Brewing Company has called Ohio City home. From the birth and growth of GLBC into one of the Midwest’s biggest brewery brands, that has presented both its opportunities and challenges. And for years it has looked at opportunities to expand its footprint elsewhere. In the next couple of…
Federal Judge Supporting Celebrezze Also Handed Dottore Lucrative Cases
When Cuyahoga County Domestic Relations Judge Leslie Ann Celebrezze fights misconduct claims in March tied to her relationship with court-appointed receiver Mark Dottore, one of her character witnesses will be a federal judge who awarded Dottore and his company millions of dollars in fees in federal court. Celebrezze’s attorney recently issued a subpoena to Senior…
STEAK in Tremont to Launch Alfresco Sushi Concept in Partnership with Sushi 86
Since opening in Tremont this past summer, STEAK (2179 W. 11th St., 216-331-2724) has been on a remarkable ride. “It’s been a very, very nice success,” says owner Jason Beudert. But the one-of-a-kind experience that diners enjoy inside would not likely translate to a patio setting, he says. So Beudert and his partners – Terry…
Livewire: 11 of the Best Concerts to Catch in Cleveland Through February
FRI 02/14 Keller Williams Presents DeadPettyKellerGrass Featuring the Hillbenders Veteran singer-songwriter Keller Williams pays tribute to the late Tom Petty with this show featuring the Hillbenders, a five-piece band out of Missouri. The talented Williams plays a bit of everything, including guitar, bass, percussion, theremin, synthesizer and piano. The show begins at 8 p.m. at…
Who Is ICE Putting in Ohio Jails? One County Won’t Say
Based on the legal advice of federal officials, Geauga County Jail officials will not release records that detail who is inside its facility awaiting deportation proceedings. The Geauga County Jail is one of two jails in Ohio contracted by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE, to admit people suspected of being in the country…
Alana Belle Running for Cleveland City Council in New Ward 9
Some early challengers have already declared their candidacies for this November’s Cleveland City Council elections, when all positions will be up for grabs after wards were redrawn to decrease the number of seats from 17 to 15. Count Alana Belle among them. The Glenville native this week has thrown her hat into the ring for…
Bodycam Policy May Change for Cuyahoga County Deputies
A Marshall Project – Cleveland and News 5 Cleveland investigation has prompted Cuyahoga County leaders to reconsider its policy that blocks the release of body camera footage involving sheriff’s deputy shootings. The sudden change came Feb. 5, just as the news outlets were poised to publish its investigation into the shooting of a teenaged boy…
Flame & Fable, Northeast Ohio’s First ‘Romantasy’ Bookstore, Opens in Lakewood
Everything in the universe seemed to be aligned for Flame & Fable at its grand opening on Detroit Avenue in Lakewood on Saturday, February 8. As Northeast Ohio’s first bookstore focused solely on romance and fantasy, a stage was properly set. Red roses and chocolates festooned the front windows. Shelves of scented candles neighbored those…
Controversial ‘Private Corporation’ JobsOhio Gets Billions More Without Paying More to State
The Ohio Controlling Board on Wednesday awarded JobsOhio billions more in what used to be public money without demanding that the “private” corporation pay more for the privilege. Attorney General Dave Yost had questioned the arrangement, but his office wasn’t present at the hearing, nor did it answer questions on Thursday. JobsOhio was created in…
The Cleveland Orchestra Does Valentine’s Day and the Rest of the Classical Music to Catch This Week
This is a big week for classical orchestra concerts and for lovers, and some of our recommendations manage to combine the two. – On Thursday evening at 7:30, The Cleveland Orchestra plays at Severance Music Center under Dallas Symphony music director Fabio Luisi. After joining countertenor Tim Mead in the U.S. premiere of Silvia Colasanti’s…
