UrbanCincy

The retail over-saturation problem

2008-05-15T22:44:00.001-04:00

When can you tell enough is enough? Is there any hope for our nation if there isn't constant growth? These are the questions I find myself asking when I read stories like this.

Cincinnati Mills, one of the largest retail centers in the region, has seen store after store shutter. This comes after millions of dollars of reinvestment into a massive mall sandwiched in between two others along a mall interstate of sorts.

It really makes you wonder (at least me), do we really need all of this retail space. The same can even be said for urban environments where seemingly every new renovation project, in a mixed-use built area, seems to call for street-level retail with residential or office space above. I suggest that we return the area, where Cincinnati Mills sits, to a natural state. That is obviously an extreme proposal, but at the very least tear down that mall (said in my best Ronald Reagan voice) for some other/better use.

This region is growing much slower than our retail space is expanding...and it seems obvious that the retail locally (and nationally) can not sustain itself by the free market alone. It seems to me that the best alternative would be to let struggling retail space ride off into the sunset. This would allow for values to rise at other retail locations, and we could begin the process of ridding ourselves of our excessive retail space...and who knows, maybe even our over-consumerism.

Ann Driscoll at Southgate House

2008-05-15T11:45:00.002-04:00

From Citybeat.com:

Singer/songwriter Ann Driscoll is a Cincinnati native who's currently studying at the Berklee College of Music in Boston. But, at age 20, her songwriting already possesses the kind of wisdom, originality and maturity that can't be learned in college.

She began her musical career in earnest just three years ago and her direct Indie Pop sound helped put her on bills with local favorites like Peter Adams and Katie Redier, as well as nationally acclaimed Rock bands like The High Strung. Driscoll's self-released, self-titled EP is an engaging exhibition of blunt, catchy (but not predictable) Pop, with vocals that recall pre-blatant-sex-kitten Liz Phair and a writing style that is obviously informed by prime influences like The Beatles and Nirvana.

Berklee must be on summer break, because Driscoll is returning to the local stage this week, performing at the Southgate House's parlour room Friday with local singer/songwriter Molly Sullivan. 8:30 p.m. $5-$8. (Get details and find nearby bars and restaurants here.) -- Mike Breen

Check out Bob Moses at the Wisp tonight

2008-05-15T00:00:00.001-04:00

The Blue Wisp plays host to internationally acclaimed drummer Bob Moses with his Chicago Quartet tonight (5/15). The music begins at 7:30pm with a $20 cover charge for this premium act. This is however, an UrbanCincy Night and mentioning the site (at the door) will get you $3 off your cover.

If you haven't yet heard of Bob Moses, go check out some of his stuff (YouTube video)...you'll be in the groove before you know it. You can make reservations at fasteddief@aol.com or by calling 513.241.WISP (9477).

Blue Wisp (GoogleMap)

Find UrbanCincy in more places

2008-05-14T14:58:00.000-04:00

You can now find UrbanCincy in more places and stay connected in more ways. In addition to the Technorati and Facebook pages for UrbanCincy...you can now find us on Twitter and VerveEarth. And as always you can subscribe to UrbanCincy's RSS feeds by clicking the link in the left-hand column or by simply clicking HERE.

The Twitter page is pretty basic right now, but will grow in the future. The Facebook page is probably the most developed and offers the best outlet to follow the various events, news, and images created by UrbanCincy.

As always, you can find links to these pages and much more over in the left column on the site. If you have accounts become followers of UrbanCincy and show your support for your Cincinnati blogspot.

Reds Hot Weekends

2008-05-13T22:56:00.001-04:00

This weekend marks the first of 8 Reds Hot Weekends this Summer. The festivities will be taking place on Fountain Square and will start Friday and last through Sunday...covering the entire weekend series against the Cleveland Indians.

Friday's activities will include live music by Lo-fi, a local cover band playing funk and rock classics, at 5pm. Following Lo-fi, at 8pm, The Harlequins will take the stage. It will make for a great time to just hang out with friends, and there will be beer available on the Square. What makes it even better is that from roughly 4pm-7pm I'll be serving the delicious adult beverages.

OK Go performing on Fountain Square
Image from myfountainsquare.com

On Saturday the fun continues with DJ Iceburg from 2pm-4pm followed by the first "Movie Night" (featuring Sandlot and The Natural) of the Summer starting at 7:30pm. Beer, soft drinks, and snacks will all be sold on the Square...and people are encouraged to bring chairs, blankets, pillows, etc for "Movie Nights."

Finally Sunday will wrap up the weekend with free UDF ice cream, on the Square, from about 4:30pm-5:30pm...along with some other neat festivities. Be sure to come out even if you're not going to any of the games and just have a great time Downtown on Fountain Square.

Acoustic Lunch Series at Piatt Park

2008-05-13T00:01:00.003-04:00

Today marks the first Acoustic Lunch at Piatt Park (GoogleMap) of the 2008 year. The series will run through September 30th and is every Tuesday from 11:45am-1:45pm. As always the concert series is free and will feature live music from a variety of local artists.

It makes for a great lunch hour in one of my favorite hang out places Downtown - Piatt Park (view photos here). There are lots of benches, some tables, and plenty of planter ledges to sit on while you enjoy the music. This week will feature music from Malkum Gibson & The Mighty Juke.

Listen to various music by Malkum Gibson & The Mighty Juke HERE.

View the full concert schedule HERE.

New Uptown signage on the way

2008-05-12T00:01:00.001-04:00

The Uptown Consortium has been developing a wayfinding system for the Uptown area. This will be a significant improvement upon the current dated signage that you see scattered haphazardly throughout the area now.

The signage also seems to blend design concepts from other streetscaping elements seen throughout the City (primarily Downtown). The consortium describes the project as, "an implementation of a bold and unified Uptown wayfinding and streetscape design for pedestrians and motorists." They go on to say that this includes the development of a, "comprehensive, user-friendly Uptown map to locate key Uptown businesses, neighborhoods and institutions."

Hopefully this signage will be customizable and/or complimentary to signage that will need to be developed, for the Cincinnati Streetcar, when it comes to the Uptown area in the near future. I love wayfinding systems, but the last thing we need is redundant systems cluttering the sidewalks.

I'm so hungry

2008-05-11T22:13:00.002-04:00

I just wanted to let everyone know that I have added two additional blogs to UrbanCincy's blogroll, and have also removed a couple because a couple of the blogs are going away for various reasons.

The two new ones that have been added are The Veggie Option and Wine Me, Dine Me. Both are obviously food related blogs...and really what can be more fun than that. You can get a wide variety of reviews and live vicariously through Julie's never dull dining life.

Julie from Wine Me, Dine Me

Image from The Veggie Option

The Veggie Option is pretty clear in its focus. You can get reviews and find out places that a vegetarian friendly in the Cincinnati area. If you're a vegetarian, or simply are interested in food reviews done with a different angle, then you must simply check this one out as well.

Happy reading, and try not to get too hungry out there in the blogosphere. I know first-hand that it can be quite difficult (thanks 5chw4r7z).

Happy Hour Cincinnati: The Stand

2008-05-08T20:09:00.001-04:00

The Stand is located in the always great Mt. Lookout Square. Their happy hour specials are on their drinks. The Stand offers $2 domestics, $3 imports and well drinks, and $3.50 call drinks. The happy hour is from 6pm-8pm daily and is combined with a variety of other specials offered throughout the week (which can be found on their website).

The Stand has got a trendy vibe to it and offers live music most nights, pool, and flat-screen TVs. They also advertise free wi-fi all night long if that's what tickles your fancy.

The Stand
3195 Linwood Avenue (GoogleMap)
Cincinnati, OH 45208
513.871.5006

Image from www.thestandcincy.com

Previous happy hour readings on UrbanCincy:
Buddakhan --- Via Vite --- McCormick & Schmick's

Happy Birthday UrbanCincy!

2008-05-07T23:55:00.003-04:00

Today (5/8) is UrbanCincy's birthday...and the site is officially 1 year old. Thanks everyone who makes this site what it is by commenting and discussing the things going on in Cincinnati.

The site was started to be a positive alternative to the often negative stories heard from the mainstream media...and fortunately enough there seems to be that same desire for an alternative to the same old pessimism and negativity. Thanks again for reading, and hopefully UrbanCincy can make it around for a second year and continue its maturation process.

Thanks

Steve Turre comes to the Blue Wisp - 2 nights only

2008-05-07T14:21:00.000-04:00

Acclaimed jazz trombonist and 20-year veteran of the Saturday Night Live Band, Steve Turre, will perform tonight (5/7/08) with the Blue Wisp Big Band. Steve Turre is described as a passionate, dynamic and creative artist. The fact that he'll be teaming with the legendary Blue Wisp Big Band makes the prospect even more exciting.

He will also be performing on Thursday, May 8th with his quartet. Like always, Thursdays are UrbanCincy Nights at the Blue Wisp where you get $3 off your cover charge. For both nights the cover charge will be $15 with the shows starting at 8:30pm.

You are not required to make reservations, but are encouraged to. You can do so by calling 513.241.WISP (9477) or by email at fasteddief@aol.com.

Steve Turre is also available on YouTube...be sure to check out some of his stuff.

Image from www.allaboutjazz.com

CPS enrollment better than expected

2008-05-06T21:26:00.001-04:00

As much bad news as inner-city school districts typically get, Cincinnati Public Schools keeps the positive news coming. In January CPS was profiled on CNN's Lou Dobbs Tonight show for their improved graduation rates and by eliminating the achievement gap between white and black students.

At the same time construction chugs along on what will become the first and only K-12 public arts school in America. Even better news is that CPS is within reach of attaining an 'Effective' rating by the State of Ohio...a rating comparable to most suburban school districts and the highest rating of any urban school district in Ohio.

Photo by Randy Simes - Withrow High School

The news out today is that enrollment numbers are higher than original projections by State demographers. Maybe this is another indicator supporting Cincinnati's claim that population projections, for Cincinnati, are actually higher than projected. It might also be a sign of CPS' improvement and the move back towards public schools by younger families. In either scenario the news is good news.

Bottom line, the excuses for not living in the City continue to go away in Cincinnati.

Related readings on UrbanCincy:
Cincinnati Public Schools making the grade
Get off the juice

Around the Cincy Blogosphere

2008-05-05T20:58:00.000-04:00

Aren't quite sold on streetcars yet? Well if that's the case then check out some pretty convincing reasons as to why not to hate the proposed Cincinnati Streetcar.

You can also check out some MuralWorks action happening along Race Street Downtown. Maybe after that you should start planning on where you're going to spend your tax rebate. It might also be time to stop in and say goodbye to a friend.

And since we're in Cincinnati and all, be sure to check out the flying pigs as well.

*You can find links to these great blogs and much more over in UrbanCincy's blogroll in the left column on the site.

Christian Moerlein favorite local beer

2008-05-04T15:07:00.000-04:00

Well the results of April's poll aren't even close. UrbanCincy readers clearly favor Christian Moerlein which claimed 62% (146 total) of the votes. Mt. Carmel took second place with 17% (41 total) with Sam Adams, Hudy Delight, and 'Nati Light rounding out the list.

I voted for Christian Moerlein but this certainly pained me because I absolutely love Mt. Carmel. The connections with Over-the-Rhine are what eventually put Christian Moerlein over the top for me.

Of the locals I rank my top three beers as:
1. Mt. Carmel Copper
2. Christian Moerlein OTR Ale
3. Christian Moerlein Barbarossa
4. Mt. Carmel Stout (honorable mention)

Happy Hour Cincinnati: McCormick & Schmick's

2008-05-01T20:11:00.010-04:00

This week's highlighted happy hour is McCormick & Schmick's Seafood Restaurant. Doesn't sound like a good happy hour place right...WRONG. Happy hour at McCormick & Schmick's is M-F from 4:00pm - 6:30pm. They also have an evening happy hour from 9:30pm - 11:00pm M-Th. Plus the location is just about as central as you can get - directly across the street from Fountain Square.

Their happy hour menu (PDF, 77kb) consists of a variety of food. It includes the fish as you would expect, as well as, a number of other items for those not into the whole seafood thing. The main item they're known for is their 1/2 lb Cheeseburger with fries for only $1.95.

McCormick & Schmick's generally doesn't do specials on their drinks. With that said, the bar has a good selection of drinks and the typical cost for a beer is $3.75. There is also a two drink minimum during happy hour times, but they do not necessarily have to be alcoholic as soft drinks count towards your two drink minimum.

McCormick & Schmick's
21 E. Fifth Street (GoogleMap)
Cincinnati, OH 45202
513.721.9339

Previous happy hour coverage on UrbanCincy:
Buddakhan --- Via Vite

Triage at the Blue Wisp tonight!

2008-04-30T21:21:00.000-04:00

Triage will be at the Blue Wisp Thursday, May 1st. I can't think of a better way to kick off the new month than by enjoying an UrbanCincy night at the Blue Wisp with one of Cincinnati's best and a Cammy Award winner.

Triage is made up of Eugene Goss (vocals/percussion), Billy Larkin (keyboards/vocals), and Marc Wolfley (drums). The show will start at 8:30pm and has a $8 cover charge (minus your $3 UrbanCincy discount of course).

Blue Wisp (GoogleMap)

Downtown Treasure Hunt

2008-04-29T22:23:00.001-04:00

The European-American Chamber of Commerce and the Alliance Francaise are hosting a Downtown Treasure Hunt this Saturday, May 3rd. The event will start at 1:30pm and last until 4:30pm. On the walk you will attempt to discover some of Cincinnati's many hidden gems.

It is described as a stroller-friendly event that will cover just over a mile. Refreshments will be served and prizes will be awarded at the end of the event. The cost is $10 per person or $20 per family. For more information and to register, please fill out the form available online (PDF 580kb) and fax it to the European-American Chamber of Commerce at 513-852-6511 or call 513-852-6510.

Get off the juice

2008-04-29T01:04:00.011-04:00

Gas is $3.65/gallon around many parts of the metro, and even higher in other parts of the country. As a result people are starting to combine trips, rethink purchasing that Hummer, and are generally looking for ways to cut their consumption - which is great.

At the same time politicians in DC are doing what they do best which is pretending as if they care about reducing our dependence on foreign oil. $3.59 sounds like a lot, but in reality it is still not high enough to cover the costs of maintaining our beloved road system. State DOTs, across the country, are going bankrupt and the feds are going to be hitting the red very soon.

The rise in prices is simply going to the foreign nations that are providing us the drug that fuels our addiction. At the same time our infrastructure is literally crumbling and we seem to have no backup strategy as to how to deal with modest gas prices (when compared to other developed nations at least).

So what's an average citizen to do with these soaring gas prices and miserable economy? The answer is not pawning off your gold to pay for more gas. I would suggest moving closer to where you work, riding Metro (if possible), or carpool. These are all obvious solutions, but it seems that the location one gets overlooked quite a bit and is the one that can/will make the biggest impact.

Given that most people in this region work either Downtown or Uptown, I would suggest moving into the City of Cincinnati. Crime has been dramatically reduced over the past few years, Cincinnati Public Schools are poised to be ranked as 'Effective' (comparable to most suburban school districts), and there are numerous tax abatements available to avoid property taxes entirely in some cases up to 20 years...and you could save a lot money on your commuting costs.

Transit Options for Cincy:
Cincinnati Streetcar
Metro
TANK
Light Rail Now

All over Cincy (Photos)

2008-04-27T20:07:00.002-04:00

I was all over the place this past Thursday and Friday...and I made sure to take my camera along. As a result you're able to enjoy some of my favorites from the two days of random photography.

Neighborhoods represented in this slideshow include: Downtown, Over-the-Rhine, Clifton Heights, Hyde Park, The Heights, Columbia Tusculum, East Walnut Hills, Corryville, and Mariemont.

Get your flowers here

2008-04-25T00:35:00.001-04:00

The Flower Carpet that has been on Fountain Square since April 7th will be going away this Sunday (4/27). The best part about it is that they will be giving the flowers away to the public for free. The public is free to line up prior to the giveaway that will run from 7am-10am (or until the plants are gone).

Each person will be given a crate that holds six pots. If you would like more than one crate you are permitted to get back in line for another.

Photo by Randy Simes

Happy Hour Cincinnati: Buddakhan

2008-04-24T21:15:00.007-04:00

I don't think a lot of people know about Buddakhan, but its got a nice happy hour (M-F) drink selection and a huge food menu. They now have a lunch, dinner, and late night food menu to take care of their customers all throughout the day.

For happy hour you can get 22oz. drafts for $2 which includes Bud Light and 2 rotating featured drafts. If draft beer isn't your thing then you can choose from 40 different selections of beer on stock.

This is a great spot to hit up midway through your night if you're looking for some food and want the drinks to keep on flowing. It also works for that late night end cap (open until 2:30am every day). Buddakhan also has live music occasionally and many of the tables include their own personal TV on the table.

The other great thing about Buddakhan is its location. All you have to do is turn your head and you could continue your hop to Lodge Bar, BlackFinn, Madonna's, Sully's, Cadillac Ranch, Universal Grille, Rockin' Robins, Via Vite, Havana Martini Club, Arnold's, Blue Wisp Jazz Club, or Nada (I'm sure I forgot something, so forgive me).

Buddakhan
713 Vine Street (GoogleMap)
Cincinnati, OH 45202
513.421.9700

Previous happy hour coverage on UrbanCincy:
Via Vite

Streetcar passes FC, poised to pass Council

2008-04-23T11:49:00.002-04:00

There was an emergency Finance Committee session held today at 9am to hear the compromise motion put forward from Mayor Mallory. This motion puts forth everything that was presented in the original study (Downtown/OTR Circulator route), but also includes the connector piece to Uptown. Essentially the connector piece is now included with Phase 1 and will be built at the same time...adding an additional $35M to the project cost that must be secured now prior to the start of construction.

There was lengthy discussion and John Cranley belabored the finance portions of the plan. Qualls seemed to ask a few questions just to get the responses 'on the record' from City Manager Milton Dohoney and City Architect Michael Moore. Chris Bortz spoke in favor of the project and described this time as, "a time for Cincinnati to be bold."

Jim Tarbel was the only public speaker and referred to the streetcar project as, "the single most important development project right now and over the past decade." John Cranley made sure to quickly point out that he "respectfully disagreed" with Mr. Cincinnati and that he wishes the project success.

When all the dust settled the votes came in and it was a unanimous vote (7-0, Laketa Cole was absent). This will now go on to the full Council today at 2pm at City Hall. When it is approved there the project is given a green light and the legislative approval from City Council. The City will then be able to enter into negotiations with private entities to pay for portions of the project. The snowball has begun its proverbial journey down the hill. Be there at 2pm and afterwards there will be celebrations at City Cellars (908 Race Street) around 5:30pm.

Additional reading on UrbanCincy:
Clyffside, Streetcars, Moerlein...oh my
A challenge for those who demand better
Cincinnati is ready to GO
Cincinnati sleepy no more
Streetcars/Transit should be #1 priority for Cincinnati - Reader's choice

Be a Volunteer Ambassador in OTR

2008-04-21T20:20:00.002-04:00

Vitality Over-the-Rhine is a non-profit group that came into existence in the Fall of 2006. They are dedicated to making resident/business driven initiatives reality in Over-the-Rhine.

Currently they are embarking on a new Volunteer Ambassador Program. You need not be a resident of OTR to apply. You don't even need to be familiar with the neighborhood. If you are simply looking for a way to get involved and make an impact then this is for you.

All ambassadors will be provided with a map, a list of neighborhood contacts, and a T-shirt to wear whenever they're in Over-the-Rhine for any reason (additional resources will be provided as needed). Several Over-the-Rhine businesses will be providing drinks and restrooms for ambassadors to use.

Volunteers will not be required to check in, record hours or maintain a certain route, though volunteers can opt to have their time logged for any service requirements that they need to fulfill. While the structure of the program is fairly laid back, Vitality Over-the-Rhine asks that ambassadors not get drunk or cross over into the CBD while in service (to avoid confusion with the DCI Ambassadors Downtown).

This effort will continue as long as there is interest from volunteers. Fortunately enough for UrbanCincy readers...I'm organizing this whole effort. You can contact me for more information and details.

Randy A. Simes | Vitality Over-the-Rhine
Volunteer Ambassador Coordinator
VitalityOTR@gmail.com

NIMBY Tip of the Month (4.08)

2008-04-20T21:15:00.000-04:00

Support the inner-city.

Have you ever wondered why more suburbanites/exurbanites aren't more supportive of inner-city redevelopment, and urban living as a whole? Many of these people move out to say cornfield Butler/Warren County and then get upset when a bunch of other people do the same thing and ruin their good thing.

At the same time these are the first people you will hear chime in with negativity about the Cincinnati Streetcar, The Banks, or anything else going on in the inner-city. I would expect these types of people to be the biggest advocates for urban living and inner-city reinvestment. I mean after all, the more people that stay in the core the less that ruin their good thing, right?

I guess it all boils down to this. The people who live in cities generally like being around lots of other people (to a certain degree), and those that live out in the exurbs are typically the opposite. So all of you residents of Mason, West Chester, Lebanon, etc need to start being inner-city advocates...it will help to get more people in the city with those of us who want them, and it will keep more people away from your pristine suburban lawn. People helping people.

Image Credit:
Downtown West Chester Scares Me by Lookatme Shirts

Buy the Downtown West Chester Scares Me shirt HERE!

Happy Hour Cincinnati: Via Vite

2008-04-17T22:55:00.005-04:00

There are tons of great happy hours around town...many of which are largely unknown. For the first of what will become an ongoing series, I will highlight Via Vite's great happy hour.

First of all, Via Vite's happy hour is EVERY day and lasts from 3-6 (I was told 7pm by our waitress the other week). Unfortunately they don't offer and draft selections, but they do serve Christian Moerlein's OTR Ale. After you take the $1.50 off you'll be enjoying some great OTR Ale for $2 on Via Vite's rooftop terrace.

The rooftop terrace is what really makes Via Vite special. It sits directly on Fountain Square and makes for one of the best happy hour environments around. Plus the rooftop terrace consists of couches arranged in a way that is great for groups of up to around 6 people.

If you're in the mood for a great happy hour today then be sure to check out Via Vite...if the weather is nice then you'll be sure to find me there with some friends at 3pm. Feel free to drop on by for some conversation if you'd like.

View pictures from Via Vite's rooftop terrace HERE!

Via Vite
520 Vine Street (GoogleMap)
Cincinnati, OH 45202
513.721.8483

Additional Via Vite Reading:
Via Vite - JasonTT.com
Via Vite - 5chw4r7z.com