In 2023, Soapbox’s 15th year, our writers and photographers discovered stories of community, entrepreneurship, neighborhoods, talent, innovation, and more. Here are the ones our readers liked best.
(Still) Made in Cincinnati: Meet Damon Gray, maker of fine violins, violas, and cellos
Cincinnati has a long heritage of tradespeople and artisans. One of those is Damon Gray, who builds violins, violas, and cellos out of a small, homey workshop and studio behind his house in Prospect Hill, steps from Over-the-Rhine and downtown. The meticulous work is done by hand, using traditional methods and hand tools. His hand-built instruments are modeled after design standards created hundreds of years ago by famous makers like Antonio Stradivari and Andrea Amati. This story was part of the Soapbox series, “(Still) Made in Cincinnati.”
Mill Creek: Far from dead, the urban waterway has potential for recreation throughout its course
The Mill Creek, a waterway that was once declared the most endangered urban stream in North America, has bounced back as a habitat for fish and wildlife, as well as for recreation. Once an industrial sewer, it’s increasingly considered a natural resource to be protected and improved, as well as an asset for green development. From its headwaters in Butler County through central Hamilton County, Mill Creek could be part of a greener future for the region. This story was part of the Soapbox series First Suburbs – Beyond Borders.
You Tube star Feli From Germany delivers take on Germans and Americans from her Cincinnati home
A German native who arrived in Cincinnati seven years ago created a YouTube channel that quickly gained half a million followers. Feli from Germany (she doesn’t want her last name disclosed) is from Munich and began building her social media channel while a graduate student at University of Cincinnati. In a few years, she’s amassed a huge YouTube following with 20-30 minute videos on topics such as 10 Things I’d Never Done Before I Came to the U.S”; “5 Things Americans Do That Germans Find Weird”; and “Zinzinnati’s” and Munich’s iconic events. “Friends and family from Germany asked why I settled in the middle of the country with nothing going on,” she told us. “Those who have visited understand why I love it.”
City of Immigrants: The growth of Cincinnati and other cities depends on immigration
After years of experiencing population decline, the city of Cincinnati reversed that and grew, according to the latest census. The untold story was that nearly all of that growth was due to immigrants moving here. Over a four-year period, metro Cincinnati experienced the largest percentage of growth due to new immigrant residents [98%] than any other metro region in the country, including Miami, Seattle, and San Francisco. Many fled violence, repression, and protracted wars in their native countries and come here seeking stability, peace, and opportunity. This story examined Cincinnati’s surprising growth in its immigrant population. It was part of the Soapbox series The Case for Cities, which looked at how Cincinnati and similar cities can grow by becoming places of choice, as well as models of social justice.
(Still) Made in Cincinnati: Behind the scenes with local artisans keeping traditional trades alive
While traditional trades like carpentry, blacksmithing, upholstery, and tailoring seem like dying trades, they’re not dead yet. It might be hard to find them but, yes, there are still plenty of things being made in Cincinnati. Terry Rasche is a stained-glass craftsman who learned the craft from his father. Now in his 70s, Rasche still plys his trade from his home and studio near Newport. The story was the first in the Soapbox series “(Still) Made in Cincinnati.”
Greenhills: A New Deal historic landmark strives to attract new residents with community and safety
The community of Greenhills has a historic legacy, as its core was built as an experimental project of FDR’s New Deal. That legacy is still evident in its narrow, winding streets, quiet neighborhoods, public buildings, and greenspace. But 85 years after its settlement, Greenhills is trying to balance that legacy with the changing demands of today’s homebuyers. This profile of a historic community was part of Soapbox’s First Suburbs – Beyond Borders series.
Getting Around the City: A 50-year-old bus system works to reinvent itself
New funding passed by voters in 2020 has made possible a reimagining of the Metro bus system, a vision that its leaders call Reinventing Metro. The new plan is a long-term prospect, but changes have already been made, and more are underway, including bus rapid transit and on-demand service. This story was part of the Soapbox series The Case for Cities.
Ten questions (and answers) about the plan to sell Cincinnati’s railroad
In November, voters in Cincinnati approved a controversial plan to sell a city-owned rail line that connects three states, a railway that Cincinnati built and has owned for 143 years. In an effort to break down the complicated question and help voters decide, we answered 10 key questions about the proposal.
Onward and upward: Cincinnati Recycling & Reuse Hub pushes toward expansion
Operating out of a fourth-floor warehouse accessed by a freight elevator, the Cincinnati Recycling & Reuse Hub (CCRH) has been collecting and redistributing hard-to-recycle items for a while and was able to expand in 2023. Now with a full-time director and more employees, the Hub expanded its outreach by kicking off a Neighborhood Ambassador program, aiming to have contacts in all of Cincinnati’s 52 neighborhoods and other townships, villages, and cities in the area. The Hub’s members are working toward a vision of multiple similar organizations occupying a single location to share resources and services and maximize outreach and collection capabilities.
NKY couple taps into family’s entrepreneurial spirit to sell the food they love in their own space
Years of planning, and waiting for a spot for their food truck at the county fair paid off for a husband-and-wife entrepreneur team when they opened their brick-and-mortar restaurant in Florence. Lita’s Tacos is the dream of Aarington Davis and Mari Pinto, whose patience was rewarded with the opening of their store. “We want food that is familiar to us, and we want to share it with the people that we love,” Davis says. “We want to expand Lita’s to share with others in Northern Kentucky and Cincinnati.”
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