Together With NUIQ Med Spa & Wellness Lounge

November is the sweet spot for skin renewal — less sun, cooler air, and the perfect time to refresh before the busy holiday season.

As the sun eases up, treatments like laser resurfacing, microneedling, and contouring tend to have smoother recovery and pair well with cooler temperatures.

Our friends at NUIQ Wellness Lounge & Med Spa are highlighting a few of their go-to treatments this time of year. Think collagen-supporting sculpting, refreshing facials, and skin-smoothing treatments — all designed to help you feel your best heading into winter.

If you’re curious what’s happening at NUIQ this month, you can read about it below.

Today In Cleveland History

The Gales of November: A Lake Erie Story Rooted in Cleveland’s Past

As Westsiders, it’s easy to take Lake Erie for granted. It’s simply there — the backdrop to sunsets, morning commutes, and walks at Lakewood Park. But the lake holds far more history (and mystery) than we often realize. You’ve probably heard of the Edmund Fitzgerald, but a lesser-known disaster unfolded much closer to home. Let’s dive in.

Every fall, as winds whip across Lake Erie and whitecaps slam against the breakwalls off Edgewater and Whiskey Island, we’re reminded why November has long been the most feared month on the Great Lakes. Mariners simply called it “the gales” — a shorthand for a season known to test even the most experienced crews.

One of the defining losses of this era was the George C. Finney, a 136-foot, three-masted schooner built in 1866 at a time when Cleveland’s lakefront was a major shipping hub. These were the years when the Cuyahoga River’s twists were lined with grain elevators, coal docks, and shipyards turning out vessels destined for the entire Great Lakes system.

On November 14, 1891, the Finney left Toledo bound for Buffalo, sailing in company with the schooner M.J. Cummings. For three days, the vessels stayed in sight of one another — a common safety practice during late-season crossings. But on November 17, the lake delivered one of the most severe November gales ever recorded on Erie. When a brief squall lifted, the Cummings rose on the next wave… and the Finney was gone.

No wreckage, no survivors, and no clear explanation — only the grim conclusion that the schooner had gone down with all hands.

Today, the Finney rests upright in roughly 100 feet of cold, clear water near the U.S.–Canadian border. Divers describe her as remarkably intact for a ship lost in such violent weather. Her anchors, windlass, and sheet winch remain visible; her masts lie toppled across the lakebed; and the wreck is coated in zebra mussels that arrived a century after she sank. Visibility can reach 50 feet on good days — a rarity on Lake Erie — making the site a favorite for experienced wreck divers.

The 1891 gale that claimed the Finney was one of several notorious November storms to strike the Great Lakes. Others soon followed: the Mataafa Storm of 1905, which wrecked 29 ships; the White Hurricane of 1913, the deadliest storm in Great Lakes history; and, decades later, the loss of the Edmund Fitzgerald in 1975 on Lake Superior.

Here on Cleveland’s Westside, the lake often feels familiar — a backdrop to walks at Lakewood Park or drives along Clifton. But its history reminds us that Lake Erie was, and still is, a working inland sea. Every November gust off the water carries a hint of the past, and a reminder that these quiet shorelines have seen more than most of us ever realize.

COMMUNITY BLEND

Irishtown Bend Landwork Almost Complete 📍 Flats

The massive $65 million project to stabilize the Irishtown Bend hillside is nearing completion, with work expected to finish in early 2026.

This paves the way for a lofty 25-acre public park managed by the Cleveland Metroparks, with the first sections potentially opening as early as 2028.

The park will feature an amphitheater, a playground, and a heritage area that honors the site's history. Trail construction for the Cleveland Foundation Centennial Lake Link Trail is set to begin in spring 2026, eventually connecting to over 100 miles of regional trails.

News Channel 5’s Michelle Jarbo has a deep dive on the engineering challenges, the fixes, and the big-picture vision. It’s worth a watch.

Westside Pour Over

Strongsville - Aqua Tots Swim School is planning on making The ‘Ville the eighth location in Ohio.

Olmsted Township - The city is providing Thanksgiving meals for the Township’s seniors ages 65 and older. The meal pick up is from 3 to 4 p.m. Nov. 25 at the Township Community Room, 7900 Fitch Road.

Lakewood - Starting next week, the Department of Human Resources is distributing gift cards to residents currently receiving SNAP benefits through a community partnership.

Mark Your Calendars

Nov 22 Kicks Off the Holidays with "Let It Glow" 📍 Crocker Park

Chain restaurants, tweens, and the Holiday season. That’s what Crocker Park is all about. (Just kidding…kind of)

Crocker Park will transform into a winter wonderland for its annual "Let It Glow" holiday celebration, kicking off with a tree lighting and block party on Saturday, November 22, from 4-8 PM. The family-friendly event will feature live entertainment, food trucks, and Santa's grand arrival to light the 50-foot Christmas tree.

New(ish) Business

Soho Chicken and Whiskey reopens 📍 Ohio City

After a June fire forced a sudden shutdown, Ohio City’s beloved Southern spot has officially reopened… with a fresh new vibe on Lorain Avenue.

Soho 2.0 now lives inside the former Xinji Noodle Bar at 4211 Lorain Ave, where owners Nolan Konkoski and Molly Smith spent the Summer rebuilding more than just a restaurant. They recreated that same cozy, lived-in charm West 25th regulars loved and revamped the menu that delighted diners for years.

In their October 27 Instagram update, the owners admitted the comeback took longer than planned. But every extra day went into making sure the new space felt like home again, down to the tiniest detail.

We’re pumped to see this Westside favorite back in action — and you’ll probably catch us there soon, digging into fried chicken and a whiskey cocktail (or two).

Support Local

Music. Books. Food. Visible Voice Reopens 📍 Ohio City

Visible Voice is a thriving, independently owned bookstore — and honestly, the only thing rarer than that these days is a Browns winning streak.

What makes Visible Voice special isn’t just the shelves or the space. It’s the community. Their customers don’t just shop there… they feel like they’re part of something. That’s the magic.

And now, after nearly 17 years in Tremont, the beloved bookstore has officially reopened in a brand-new, bigger home in Ohio City. If you’ve seen the renovation photos, you know this wasn’t a simple coat-of-paint project. The team put in serious elbow grease to transform the space.

The result? A 6,000-square-foot, two-story bookstore complete with a sandwich café and a theater space — a perfect continuation of their mission to be a true gathering place for books, art, and conversation.

Here’s the historic twist: the new building once housed the Lorain Theater, which operated from 1923 until around 1970. After decades of changing hands and slowly deteriorating, the space was in rough shape when Visible Voice took it on.

Led by architect Lucas Staib of AODK Architecture and the crew at Engelke Construction, the redevelopment became a bit of an archaeological dig. Hidden architectural details and long-forgotten artwork — untouched for 50 to 70 years — were uncovered and restored, now woven into the design of the new space.

Ohio City just got itself a brand-new chapter of Cleveland literary history. And it’s one you’ll actually want to read.

BUZZSTRIP