Welcome to Youngstown CityScape’s quarterly newsletter. We are a non-profit community development organization with 27 years of experience revitalizing the greater downtown Youngstown area. In this edition, you’ll find program updates, gardening tips, videos, volunteer opportunities, and much more. We're excited to share some of our most recent achievements and projects with you. We are off to a great start to spring! | | |
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Streetscape Kickoff Breakfast Celebrates Community, Commitment,
and Bursts of Color
Youngstown CityScape kicks off Streetscape 2025 at our annual breakfast on Friday, March 21st at 8:00 a.m. As the non-profit community development organization dedicated to revitalization of downtown and the greater downtown Youngstown area, we welcome volunteers, supporters, sponsors, and the community to join us at our offices in the IBM Building, 250 E. Federal Street, 4th floor, for wonderful food, good company, and the reveal of this year’s Streetscape theme!
The Streetscape Kickoff Breakfast is a free, fun way to salute spring and build excitement for this year’s Planting Day. What better way to celebrate the spring equinox AND the beginning of our annual Streetscape Planting Day campaign!
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Save the Date
Saturday, May 31st, 2025 will mark CityScape’s 28th annual Streetscape Planting Day. Last year we had 1,000 volunteers help beautify downtown in just one day!
CityScape encourages neighborhood groups to use this opportunity to start making plans for citywide beautification efforts!
Stay tuned for all of the details of this year's Planting Day and makes sure that you're signed up for our email list so you know when it's time to register.
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Youngstown CityScape Honors
H. William Lawson & The Mahoning Valley Historical Society
at the 2025 Grass Roots Gala
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Our fifteenth annual Grass Roots Gala will be held on Thursday, March 13, 2025, at The Tyler History Center. This year, CityScape will honor H. William Lawson and the Mahoning Valley Historical Society (MVHS), where he serves as Executive Director. CityScape and MVHS have long shared a vision of downtown revitalization, including the projects that preserve the past, engage the present, and promote the future of our city and the region. Alignment between the two organizations can be seen in so many partnerships designed to educate and inspire including downtown’s Self-guided Walking Tour signs, beautiful bronze historical markers on Central Square, and our annual “Happy Birthday Youngstown” celebration. | | |
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Here's Looking at You Spring!
Happy January! My name is Jack, and I am Youngstown CityScape’s Greenhouse and Outdoor Director. Short form is I take care of the plants. Why should you read my tips? Well, I have over 30 years under my belt in horticulture and spent my career taking care of some of the most beautiful gardens in the world at Mill Creek MetroParks.
As winter settles in, caring for houseplants takes on a new dimension. The colder months bring unique challenges, from reduced light to drier air and cooler temperatures, which can affect the health of your indoor greenery. Allow me, Jack Moss, a long-time enthusiast of all things green and growing, to guide you through the essentials of winter houseplant care.
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CityScape at Briel's
2024 Donor Open House
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Reflections from Executive Diretor Sharon Letson:
On November 20th, we hosted a wonderful Open House at CityScape at Briel’s, and I couldn’t be more thrilled with how the evening unfolded. As the Executive Director of Youngstown CityScape, it was a joy to share our progress and vision for the future with so many supporters and community members.
The event was a celebration of our achievements, including the rehabilitation of the greenhouses, structural and insulation improvements, and facade upgrades made possible by many partnerships and many wonderful donors. Since acquiring this property in 2021 during the challenges of the pandemic, we’ve worked tirelessly to transform it into a vital community resource. We have been sharing space with the Mahoning County Landbank and have been growing our flowers for our downtown plantings.
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Sparkle Youngstown 2024!
Brilliantly Cold, Massively Amazing!
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The 2024 Holiday Parade, Light-up Night, and Flea on Phelps was a smashing success! It was truly one of our best holiday events ever with thousands of attendees packing Central Square. It was a chilly night, but everyone braved the cold temperatures to be a part of this amazing event.
There were a record number of participants in the parade this year, with 104 registrants and 14 high school marching bands from all over the Valley! Our Title Sponsor Premier Bank’s annual Strike Up the Band competition awarded all 14 bands with a $1,000 stipend for their schools, and the top three winners won even more money for their efforts. First prize, for the third year in a row, went to Liberty High’s Golden Leopard Marching band. In second place was the Niles Dragons, and the Hubbard Eagles rounded out third. What a gift these talented students are to our community.
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First Place: Liberty Leopards Marching Band
If you missed the parade, click on the picture to see the full video!
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Light Up Night - Flea on Phelps recap video
Check out the beautiful video from Light Up Night - Credit to Appleridge Productions
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18th Annual Beautification Awards | |
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The 18th annual Youngstown CityScape Beautification Awards took place on November 14, 2024, at Concept Studio, 217 W. Federal Street, in Downtown Youngstown. The event celebrated outstanding contributions to the city's aesthetic and community development, recognizing winners across Business, Institutional, Community, and Residential categories.
Winners in the Business category were:
- Broadway Park Retirement Community (Pam Minor)
- Steelite International Headquarters (John Miles)
Winners in the Institutional category were:
- City of Youngstown Street Dept. (Jordan Karim/Tony Armeni)
- Hopewell Theater (Regina Rees)
- Hope for Newport Community Garden (Stuart Smith/Martin Luther Lutheran Church)
Winners in the Community category were:
- Allan Young (Wick Park Neighborhood Association)
Winners in the Residential category were:
- Sherwood Armor
- Douglass Floyd
- Rose Goodwin
- Andre Lamont-Morgan
- Jonathan Bowers
- Lynn Parker
- John & Lydie Pettway
- Gillian Rath
- Carol Smith
- Tiffany Sokol
The awards ceremony was well-attended, with attendees enjoying sliders provided by Gallaher's Lunch Bucket. Youngstown CityScape Executive Director Sharon Letson emphasized the importance of recognizing the dedication and pride individuals and organizations invest in beautifying the city. She noted that nominations ranged from multi-million-dollar developments to carefully tended gardens in residential neighborhoods, showcasing the diverse contributions that make Youngstown inviting and vibrant.
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Check out this year's beautification award winners - click on video | |
Mahoning Valley Tree Corps | |
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Tree Corps Partnership To Green Up the Valley
Trees do more than add a pretty green element to the street, evoke a favorite memory, or produce a shady spot to sit. They are essential to our cities, much like schools and sewer lines. They improve our lives by absorbing pollutants, supply shade that lowers the chance of illness related to heat, provide jobs, and block wind so utility bills are lower. Over decades, cities across the country have been losing urban trees, the benefits they provide, and the people to care for them.
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Join us in this collaborative effort to improve the gateways into the City of Youngstown by cleaning up around the highway ramps near downtown | | | |
February - Date with an Artist - Butler Institute of American Art | | |
Enjoy an evening of Art in the ambience of evening lighting, music, food, drinks, mingling, and a "Date with an Artist" where you'll have the opportunity to get acquainted with the Artists of the Butler Institute of American Art through a docent-guided tour or a self-guided tour using the gallery guides provided. Show your love by taking a cutout heart and placing it next to your favorite work at the museum. | |
Fall First Fridays Recaps | |
September - Chalk the Walk | |
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On September 13th, Downtown Youngstown came alive with the rescheduled First Fridays September event, an evening filled with creativity, music, and community spirit. Originally postponed due to severe weather, the event successfully brought together residents and visitors for a memorable experience.
The CHALK THE WALK contest was a standout feature, drawing local artists of all ages to showcase their talent. Supported by The Butler Institute of Art, the contest ran from 3 PM to 7 PM, followed by an eagerly anticipated judging. Meanwhile, community and business chalk art areas, supported by SMARTS, allowed everyone to contribute their artistic flair from 4 PM to 8 PM.
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October - McDonough Museum of Art | | |
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During October, First Fridays transformed the Wick Avenue Historic District in Downtown Youngstown into a bustling hub of fall-themed activities and community fun.
The evening began with an Outdoor Fall Market in the Main Library parking lot, supported by the Public Library of Youngstown & Mahoning County and Noble Creature Wild Ales & Lagers. Inside the library, attendees enjoyed a variety of activities: games, crafts, and STEM fun for kids; an escape room challenge for tweens and teens; and Halloween crafts, games, and trivia for adults. Families gathered in the Culinary Literacy Center to create delicious caramel apple treats.
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November - The Butler Institute of American Art | |
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As the weather grows colder, First Fridays November offered a warm and vibrant evening hosted by The Butler Institute of American Art. Guests were treated to a delightful mix of international street food, captivating art exhibitions, and live music that created an unforgettable atmosphere.
Culinary delights included Oaxacan specialties from El Hefe, Indo-Chinese dishes by Delhi Cafe, Venezuelan flavors from Muy Sabroso, and a fall-inspired charcuterie and cheese spread from The Sprouted Table. The evening’s culinary offerings complemented the cultural experience beautifully.
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January - Penguin City Brewing | |
On January 3rd, Penguin City Brewing Co. became a beacon of warmth and wellness as patrons braved a snowy winter evening to attend the "New Year, New YOUngstown" First Fridays event. Despite the wintry weather, the brewery buzzed with energy from 4:30 to 7:30 pm, celebrating health, wellness, fitness, and sustainability. Attendees explored a vibrant Wellness Market, connecting with local organizations like GUIN FIT from Youngstown State University, Honeycomb Arts & Wellness Collective, and Goodwill Industries, who showcased their sustainable furniture. | |
Check out our Giving Tuesday Video! | |
If you care about Youngstown, we count on you, our partners, and volunteers to support Youngstown CityScape. Please consider supporting Youngstown CityScape today! | | |
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Youngstown CityScape
250 E. Federal St., #432
Youngstown, Ohio 44503
330-742-4040
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