SoapDish: YP Worry?

For much of this post-millennial era, U.S. cities not lucky enough to be named Seattle, Austin, San Francisco, Portland, Chicago or New York have repeatedly engaged in a collective hand-wringing exercise over the proverbial “brain drain.” These cities gaze nervously in the mirror, and are dismayed to find an aging version of their stock populace staring back, as opposed to iPhone carrying, effervescent, Vespa-driving troops of Dorian Grey in business casual. As a result, entire industries and accompanying pied pipers (see, e.g. Richard Florida) have materialized in order to help reverse the so-called “brain drain” and concomitant hemorrhaging of the coveted “creative class.” Many of these efforts, while laudable, at times have the unintended effect of coming off like the divorced 50-something uncle that mysteriously shows up at your college party with a cassette mix tape of his favorite party songs (and you don’t have a cassette player). To wit, conjuring up a snappy moniker such as a “cool cities initiative” is not going to make a city “cool.” If someone wants to move to Seattle, you’re not going to convince them that Cincinnati is just as good, sans the Pike Place Fish Market. You really can’t fake it, and these things need to spring from an organic base as opposed to an artificially constructed platform.

Cincinnati, and let’s be painfully candid, has not been historically viewed by the world at large as a “hip” city. That said, things are clearly heading in the right direction, with, among other things, a phenomenal arts community (both traditional and more cutting edge), renewed focus on investment and residency in the architecturally distinct urban core, the proposed streetcar system (which, incidentally, recently announced that they have identified $70 million of the initial $100 million in funding for Phase I—bravo) and some nascent stirrings among City officials of various “green” initiatives. As an aside, “green” and “sustainability” have seemingly supplanted the “creative class” as buzzwords among the new urbanist chattering classes and consultants. I’m sure the marketeers have already fused a “Creatively-Sustainable-GreenProfessionals” class as the next choice target demographic.

Cincinnati, to its credit, has a dizzying array of events and organizations dedicated to the coveted “young professional,” or, what I shall dub, the “wYPes.” The Cincinnati USA Regional Chamber of Commerce has initiated “HYPE,” Harnessing Young Professional Energy, in order to…um…harness the wYPe energy. The Enquirer, not unlike that awkward 50 year old uncle mentioned above, has meandered into the breach by converting CinWeekly into the unofficial house organ for the wYPe community, providing networking opportunities, calendars and photo links (and apparently ceding its former role as an “ent weekly” to the Tribune-spawned national media template known as “Metromix”). There are wYPe organizations catering to wine aficionados, culinary gastronauts, European, Japanese, Jewish, Asian, African American Accountants, Hispanics and…well, wYPes who live in Norwood. Who knew?

Some of these groups have substantive charitable roles or missions such as the venerated Give Back Cincinnati, while others may possess less gravitas, existing purely for more social networking opportunities. Nevertheless, the sheer number is indeed impressive, albeit potentially dilutive. The Chamber deserves kudos for attempting to harness it all under one wYPe umbrella. Cincy Chat, HYPE's wYPe speaker series, brings together young professionals, community leaders and business executives (some of whom may in fact by middle-aged or even old professionals (“MAP’s” and “mOPe’s” respectively) for an interactive, informal dialogue on current topics. If interested in plugging into the wYPe hype, check out the next Cincy Chat on November 12 featuring Crystal Price, Director of Community Relations Director at Scripps Networks Interactive, and Bill Donabedian, Managing Director of Fountain Square. For more info or to register, click here.

But Cincy Chat is only one initiative the Chamber has created in an effort to keep the young and professional connected to the center city. C-Change, is the leadership development program designed to help Cincinnati's wYPes expand their leadership, career and life skills through a series of courses that culminate in a project designed and implemented by the participants dedicated to improving Cincinnati USA.

Local government has also stepped up to the plate with Mayor Mallory's Young Professional Kitchen Cabinet which serves as an advisory panel harnessed with task of designing initiatives that will help Cincinnati, what else, but attract and retain young professionals.

Keeping things in the wYPe hype vein, and proving that harnessing that energy can indeed lead to positive benefits, an enterprising group of four local wYPe entrepeneurs (“wYPeneurs”?), including one NFL wYPe, have recently re-opened the Rookwood Bar and Restaurant in Mt. Adams. The old space has been given a refreshing and much-needed update (hello? 1981 called and they want their black watch plaid wall to wall carpeting back), with a hip bistro menu and a cozy but interesting beer and wine list. The old kilns, previously aesthetically dreary dining and lounge spaces, have been chicly retrofitted with some new paint, chandeliers and hipster accoutrements. Jonathan Mouch, formerly the executive chef at NADA downtown, is at the helm of the “scratch kitchen.” Plans in the works for the future include an outdoor fire pit, as well as a lower level speakeasy-style lounge. Check it out now with some of your favorite wYPe’s, MAP’s or mOPe’s.

Photography by Scott Beseler

The Rookwood Bar and Restaurant

Stylux.tv event at SouthShore condominiums

YP's newtworking for a good cause, 216 Foundation

Inside one of the kilns at Rookwood Bar and Restaurant

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