ArtWorks Mural @ 7th and Washington in Covington

The Brooklyn Bridge's Little Brother

New York's Brooklyn Bridge was opened in May of 1883. Little do some New Yorkers know that the Brookln Bridge's designer, John A. Roebling created its little brother here in Cincinnati in 1856.

OTR's Delima/Blessing

In this morning’s Cincinnati Enquirer, there was a great article about how suburban parents are toting the Q’s recent developments. The article went on to boast that it is mostly young, first time home buyers who are making the big purchase.

I can’t say enough about how much I love to see this once dilapidated part of Vine Street thriving with excited young property owners and vibrant business. There are a few things that worry me about the quick development of the area:

1. How does this urban revitalization affect the lower income residents?

Some of the reasons that OTR has been looked down upon by suburbanites is because of the over abundance of low income housing which populate this area. Historically, a low income environment fosters an environment of crime, but in my experience, criminals who reside in low income areas tend to be in the minority, with the majority of inhabitants being law abiding citizens. Will the Q’s gentrification efforts be detrimental to the low income non-homers who already reside there?

2. What are business / organizations doing capitalize on this influx of new home owners?

As stated before, a majority of the people gobbling up new condos in The Q are young, professionals (sans children) who are rebelling from their suburban up-bringing. But what will we do when they decide to raise a family? Though there is a plethora of charter schools in the area, there are few Cincinnati Public schools (one being a magnet school) and only one choice for a grocery store. You would think that one of the largest grocers in the world would have a higher expectation for their first location than predicting that it will lose money (yeah, I am calling you out Korger's).

3. Where is everyone going to park?

With this influx of residents, along come their vehicles. This coupled with the nontraditional opposition to the streetcar initiative from the NAACP, and the in ability to get bike lanes or scooter parking spaces on the street will cause a cluster when all of the condos are fully occupied. I guess the alternative would be to develop OTR into a series of high rises and parking garages.

Maybe Cincinnati is working under the old adage that “If you build it, they will come”. It may have worked in the movie “Field of Dreams”, but honey, this is no silver screen.

Random Pics of The Queen City

Inside the Courtyard at Verdin Bell Centre



Storefront at Woodward and Main Streets

St. Mary's Baptist Church on E. 13th Street.

School for the Creative and Performing Arts as seen through neighbor's tulips.

Pendleton Neighborhood Children's Garden on E. 13th. Street.

View of Downtown going south on Sycamore Street. (No I was not driving).

Me old fraternity house at the corner of Brookline and Jefferson Avenues in Clifton.

University of Cincinnati Student Lands National Title

I was checking my admission status to UC this afternoon and ran across this article on thier website. Sometimes I forget how pretigious UC can be.

Photo Curtesy of University of Cincinnati

From the Bottoms to The Banks

Being a fledgling history buff, I have viewed numerous renditions of what the Queen City looked like in the past, but for some reason, I have not run across many photos of the city between the years of 1950 and the beginning of the 20th century.

With the ground breaking of The Banks Project in just a on Wednesday, The Enquirer does a great job chronicling the history of the area that The Banks will occupy.

I know that most of you ready this have already took a look at the piece, and I would like to know what you think about it or if you have anything else to add...I am all ears!

The Carew Tower

The tallest building in Cincinnati, in my formative years, I would frequent retail shops located in the basement and first few floors. As I have grown older, shopping has fallen to the waist side of such events as the Climb the Carew events and patroning The Gym At Carew.

Height: 574 ft.

Floors: 49

Construction Complete: 1929