Soapicks July 27-August 2
By: Rene Brunelle, 7/27/2010
Summer in Cincinnati offers endless opportunities - take a scavenger hunt through the Art Museum with your smart phone, shake to salsa in Sawyer Point, sip wine and mingle or catch a home game with some of Cincinnati's young professional energy.
Getting Behind The Lens With Michael Wilson
By: Michael Kearns, 7/27/2010
You may not know photographer Michael Wilson, but if you own an album by The Replacements, Lyle Lovett, or Emmylou Harris, you've undoubtedly seen his gorgeous black and white portraits. Wilson, who lives on Cincinnati's west side, has eschewed the limelight of more celebrated photographers in deference of his subjects, both famous and not so famous, and created a unique style that is highly sought-after by artists all over the world.
Main Street's Roots Sprouting New Growth
By: Henry Sweets, 7/27/2010
Don't call it a comeback - it's been here for years, but Main Street's previous incarnations as both an eclectic art enclave and busy entertainment district are seeing organic growth as businesses begin to spring up again. Soapbox writer Henry Sweets talks with some of the area's new business owners and current residents to find out what's breathing life back into the neighborhood.
Soapdish: Educating Tomorrow's Urbanists Today
By: Casey Coston, 7/20/2010
Located in a historic building on Short Vine in Corryville, the Niehoff Urban Studio is dedicated to addressing urban issues that challenge the quality of life in Cincinnati, and helping educate not just students, but the community at large in the "pleasures of the urban lifestyle." Soapdish columnist Casey Coston takes a look inside this innovative think-tank that's pushing the city's urban core to grow, expand and thrive.
Soapicks July 20-26
By: Rene Brunelle, 7/20/2010
From classic opera to modern women taking the leap into the business world, this week Cincinnati offers adventures that run the gamut. Get artsy and eco- friendly with the family or enjoy summer tunes outside. No worries- summer hasn't hung up its hat quite yet.
Why Funding Innovation Is Key For The Queen City
By: Jonathan DeHart, 7/20/2010
The second annual Cincinnati Innovates competition is giving creative thinkers around town a chance to show what they've got. But ideas need capital to fly. As such, the need for communication between investors and those seeking funds is greater than ever. Yet, many Cincinnati innovators are unable to access the capital on tap in their own backyard. Soapbox's Jonathan DeHart talks with a few local experts on investment and innovation to learn what can be done to change the picture.
Shining A Light on Cincinnati's Historical Assets
By: Steven Rosen, 7/13/2010
While it may not seem readily apparent, the fact that this year's National Trust Advanced Preservation Leadership Training session is focusing on Over-the-Rhine is yet another indication that the struggling neighborhood's prognosis is improving. Several years after the neighborhood made the National Trust's "most endangered" list, 25 historic-preservation professionals will be in Cincinnati this saturday through July 24 to kick-start solutions for four specific "problem" buildings in OTR. The advanced training program will bring national attention to Cincinnati and its outcomes will shine a light on preserving and promoting OTR's historic building stock.
Soapicks July 13-19
By: Rene Brunelle, 7/13/2010
90 years after its outdoor debut, Cincinnati Opera makes a return to the Zoo for a free show. Join Watch This for A Clockwork Orange viewing, or take a spin at Studio S in Hyde Park. Head north with the Cincinnati Pops to Pyramid Hill Sculpture Park for a little Gershwin in the summertime, learn how to urban garden at Park + Vine, or visit downtown for one of your last chances to channel design inspiration from Inspired by Anne at Landor & Associates.
Serving It Up Family Style
By: Sean Rhiney, 7/13/2010
Darren Phan's childhood journey to the United States began tragically with an escape from Vietnam that ultimately took his father's life. Now the 33 year old Cincinnati restauranteur invokes lessons learned from his family's sacrifices and a lifetime of sharing food across the dining table into his restaurants.
Cincinnati Rolls Out The Red Carpet
By: Val Prevish, 6/29/2010
Thanks to a wealth of local talent and exceptional natural beauty Cincinnati has what it takes to attract moviemakers. The filmmaking industry is in the midst of one of the biggest transitions in its history as producers look beyond Hollywood for locations to shoot and set up studios. Aggressive tax credits from states around the country including Ohio are luring the business away from California as cities like Cincinnati roll out the red carpet to get in on the action.
Soapicks June 29-July 12
By: Sheila Owens, 6/29/2010
Soapbox invites you to celebrate our Founding Fathers, freedom and equality this week, by taking part in Cincinnati Equinox: Pride 2010, an event we proudly support. See nearly 500 years of African American history on display at America I AM: The African American Imprint exhibit. Compare tweets at the Mashable Social Media Day Meetup or take in a movie courtesy of Shutterbugs in Cinema: Motion Pictures & Still Photographers. And don't forget to SHOUT! with the Mariemont Players Inc.
It's A Beautiful Day In The Gayborhood
By: Michael Kearns, 6/29/2010
Choosing where to live and how to live are basic inalienable rights. And while gay and lesbian migration is routinely attributed to urban enclaves like Cincinnati's Northside and Over-the-Rhine neighborhoods, change has come as individual lifestyles - and broader acceptance - evolve. This week, Soapbox's Michael Kearns takes a look at a few local neighbors who are finding our region a more open-minded place for everyone to call home.
Soapbox Takes a Holiday
By: Soapbox, 6/29/2010
The Soapbox staff is taking next week off to enjoy the Fourth of July holiday, but we'll be back on Tuesday July 13th with a new issue. In the meantime, we hope you'll enjoy this week's issue twice as long.
Soapdish: Newport's New Story
By: Casey Coston, 6/22/2010
Soapdish purveyor Casey Coston takes his column across the Ohio River this week to revisit a bit of historic Newport, Kentucky's colorful past. Coston takes on Monmouth Street's eclectic collection of retail shops, greasy spoons/ethnic eateries, a local theater and even an erstwhile gambling museum, and finds them peacefully co-existing with several new businesses that are also helping to update the neighborhood's urban appeal.
Online Rewards Finds the Motivation
By: Jonathan DeHart, 6/22/2010
From punk rocker and hip cafe owner to software maverick and internet entrepreneur, Cincinnati resident John Knodel has worn many hats. In his latest incarnation, Knodel is cofounder of Online Rewards, a one-stop online shop for incentive and customer loyalty marketing programs that is using innovative software and creative thinking to outbid long established competitors and put Cincinnati on the map in this highly competitive industry.
Soapicks June 22-28
By: Sheila Owens, 6/22/2010
Summer in Cincinnati means Mt Adams Cinema in the City is back, bringing classic films to the big screen. Red, Pink and Blue combines charity and fashion 140 feet above the Ohio river while The Little Voyageur takes you on a journey through the artist's mind.
Finding America's Next Top Designers In Cincinnati
By: Ann Lawson, 6/15/2010
The College of Design, Art, Architecture, and Planning opened its doors last week to celebrate the work of its graduating seniors. The annual DAAPWorks event presents senior theses from over 400 students from the college. While some of these students will seek design jobs on the East and West coasts, many graduates are finding the opportunities here too good to pass up.
Soapicks June 15-21
By: Sheila Owens, 6/15/2010
Soapbox invites you to get your tickets now for the Cincinnati Equinox: Pride 2010, an event we proudly support. Cinci Eco Go-go brings sustainability to the runway while Suds + Signs + Saving Our City is a beer tasting like no other. Cap it all off with A Night With the Phantom at Below Zero Lounge.
New York Inspired 4U Urban Fashion Finds a New Home In OTR
By: Sean Rhiney, 6/15/2010
When 4U, a new urban fashion boutique in Over-the-Rhine opens in the former Outside space this weekend, its owners, Giovanny Mira and Andy Worley, will mark what they hope is the beginning of a beautiful relationship. And they're doing it in a new neighborhood that feels pretty similar to the one they left behind in New York City.
TEDxCincy Gets Passionate About Big (and Small) Ideas
By: Soapbox, 6/15/2010
This October, Cincinnati will welcome TEDxCincy - a locally produced and independently organized event modeled after the uber-popular TEDTalks - you know the ones all over Youtube that have featured tech giants like Bill Gates and rockstars and activists like Peter Gabriel and Jane Goodall. Soapbox gets the exciting scoop on TEDxCincy from event co-chair Michael Bergman.
My Office Is Cooler Than Yours: Part II
By: Alyce Vilines, 6/8/2010
This week Soapbox writer Alyce Vilines continues her look at some of Greater Cincinnati's unconventional office spaces. From a former turn-of-the-century steam laundry turned video production studio (that collaborates with P.Diddy) to a humble looking art studio housed along Central Parkway that partnered with the Vatican, our region's diverse work spaces are well equipped for housing innovative, cool ideas and the people that make them a reality.
Soapicks June 8-14
By: Sheila Owens, 6/8/2010
Check out what UC's creative kids have been up to all year at DAAPWorks 2010. Hop on the bus for Views & Vines and help spread the word about the Big Gay Roller Party. Get down to Country Club Cincinnati to see Pictures & Statues.
What's Happening in Northside?
By: Jeremy Mosher, 6/8/2010
Happen Inc. is making a big splash in Northside. The non-profit arts center is expanding its hands-on approach to art programming by engaging families to work together, creating life lessons out of graffiti art and toy building. Credit former advertising executive Tommy Rueff, an artist and designer, for bringing a neighborhood together in this cool space where art actually 'happens.'
Soapicks June 1-7
By: Sheila Owens, 6/1/2010
The Cincinnati Fringe Festival is taking over downtown Cincinnati for 12 days of artistic explosion. ENTER: The Keys to Re-entering the Workforce as an Entrepreneur is teaching women how to harness their business ideas and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged) is back on stage for a limited time.
My Office Is Cooler Than Yours
By: Alyce Vilines, 6/1/2010
A day at the office takes on a whole new meaning for local businesses who are taking unconventional office spaces, transforming them into architectural gems, and enhancing their corporate culture along the way. This week and next, Soapbox writer Alyce Vilines spotlights six area companies that do business in the coolest spaces.
We Are What We Eat: A Look at Our Local Food Ecosystem
By: Sean Rhiney, 6/1/2010
This past week, local thought leaders, urbanists and Soapbox readers got together at UC's Niehoff Urban Studio to break bread and talk about food in the first installment of the Soapbox Speaker Series. What we found out about how we eat, what we eat, and where it all comes from offers important insights into the role food plays in our community.
Cincinnati Gets the Fringe of It
By: Alison Vodnoy, 5/25/2010
Three choreographers, three hundred miles apart, one Fringe. As the 7th annual Cincy Fringe Festival approaches, communities both local and international are coming together to evaluate the questions "What is Art?" and "What is Community?" and "Why Does a Fringe Festival Matter?" You have 12 days to find out.
Soapicks May 25-31
By: Sheila Owens, 5/25/2010
Break out the fake leather for the Park + Vine Pleather Anniversary or grab a couple of adventure-seeking friends and get registered for the AdMazing Race. Final Friday has three new, equally awesome, exhibit openings at various galleries while Taste of Cincinnati USA is back for it's 32nd year of bringing Memorial Weekend fun and lots of food, to downtown.
Soapdish: Pooling Resources in North Avondale
By: Casey Coston, 5/25/2010
If this week's heat didn't give it away, you can tell it's almost summertime in Cincinnati. Residents scramble for apartment and country club pools for a quick respite from the approaching dog days. But Soapdish columnist Casey Coston tell us that the Clinton Hills Swim Club in North Avondale is about more than just frolicking and playing in the sun. Over fifty years ago its creation served as an efficient stop gap by concerned neighbors to stop flight into the suburbs. The club was emblematic of 'place making' long before those words became an urban term of art, and now stands as a model of how current city residents in inner ring neighborhoods can improve their space with ingenuity, grass roots activism, and a sense of pride. Dive in.
Layers of Flavor: Exploring Cincinnati's Food Ecosystem at the Soapbox Speaker Series
By: Soapbox, 5/18/2010
This Wednesday, May 26, Soapbox kicks off a new Speaker Series with the UC Niehoff Urban Studio. "Layers of Flavor - Exploring Cincinnati's Food Ecosystem," will take a look at food in our community, the importance of local sourcing, and where the holes are in our food ecosystem. And this isn't any ordinary speaker series: keeping with the theme, there will be 'street' food from Cafe de Wheels and Senor Roys, along with refreshments for attendees. So join us to start the conversation about local food along with local thought leaders. RSVP's are strongly encouraged for this event. For more details and to register, read more inside.
Soapicks May 18-24
By: Sheila Owens, 5/18/2010
Meet some of the people driving ideas about Cincinnati's downtown entertainment district at BLAST! Get a sample, or seven, of Joe on Fountain Square at the Rippe & Kingston Coffee Tasting or join the cast of Legally Blonde for cabaret at Below Zero. And get ready for a big weekend with the OTR Summer Celebration in the Gateway Quarter and the return of Shepard Fairey at the CAC for THE EVENT.
Cincinnati Cyclers Have a Plan
By: Jeremy Mosher, 5/18/2010
Cincinnati celebrates May's 'Bike Month' with style - and substance. A comprehensive bike plan, new bike lanes, 'sharrows', designated bike 'parking' spaces and even a bike corral in Northside are just a handful of the successes local bike advocates and city officials have achieved in the past year. Soapbox's Jeremy Mosher says that their efforts are not only making Cincinnati more bike friendly, but changing the way we'll all get around in the future - hint: two wheels are better than four.
Soapdish: Rising Up After the Fall
By: Casey Coston, 5/18/2010
Everybody makes mistakes. But just like your high school coach/mentor/teacher told you, it's not the act of never making a misstep that defines you, but how you rise after the fall. Cities can make ill advised decisions too, but nothing provides a better opportunity for a city to refocus and reimagine itself better than a good trip-up along the sidewalk of progress. It's in this spirit that Soapdish columnist Casey Coston reflects on some of Cincinnati's stumbles, from Skywalks to nowhere to a shopping mall in Union Terminal. Along the way he teaches us a little bit about ourselves as a City, and how a handful of bad decisions (and some bigger successes that followed) got Cincinnati to where it is today.
Soapicks May 11-17
By: Sheila Owens, 5/11/2010
See and learn about all things Seuss at The Art of Dr. Seuss-A Retrospective and Museum Tour. Hit MainStrasse Village for the 31st Annual Maifest, or see the latest, always unique creations at the Performance and Time Arts Series in College Hill.
Cincinnati's Trans-Atlantic Ties: Europeans Find a Home in the Queen City
By: Jonathan DeHart, 5/11/2010
Historically, large scale European immigration to Cincinnati tapered off by the late 19th Century. But today the Queen City is attracting a new wave of euro-transplants who are plugging into the city and making it their own. Not unlike their 19th Century predecessors, they're coming for high end jobs and entrepreneurial opportunities, but staying for more than just the chili. Soapbox's Jon DeHart shares a few of their stories.
Feeding the Conversation at forkheartknife
By: Sean Rhiney, 5/11/2010
forkheartknife, the newest addition to Over-the-Rhine's burgeoning food scene, is more than just a catering business and eat-in kitchen. The new spot at the corner of Main Street and Liberty opened by Sierra Laumer and Leah Heisel Grande is really about furthering the community conversation through a love of food and family with a side order of carpe diem for inspiration.
Soapicks May 4-10
By: Sheila Owens, 5/4/2010
It's that time of year again, time for Christian Moerlein's Ceremonial First Tapping Party, and the unveiling of their latest, most liberating brew. The Cincinnati Ballet presents an amazing double-bill production, The Sammy Project!, while 5th Street Gallery celebrates a birthday with Five on 5th and the Mockbee hosts Max. Show mom you care with Taft Museum's Mother's Day Brunch or through an international adventure at World Affair on the Square. And don't miss the return of Second Sunday in OTR.
Five Cincinnati Companies That Could Change the World
By: Val Prevish, 5/4/2010
Soapbox writer Val Prevish takes a look at five Cincinnati based ventures that have sprouted on the big ideas of a few individuals. These innovative industry leaders show great promise, not just as money-making businesses, but as vehicles of change shaping how we look at and interact with our world.
Xavier's MedCon Brings Global Medical Device Ideas Here
By: Rick Bird, 5/3/2010
Medical device makers from all over the world are coming to an all-star event this month at Xavier University. "MedCon 2010: A Global Conference for Medical Device Makers" will host over 70 companies who will get a rare chance to meet face-to-face with U.S. and international officials who regulate and approve the