As more visitors discover — and regional residents rediscover — the charms of Over-the-Rhine (aka OTR), most are delighted to find a neighborhood rich in art, history, and community plus plenty of food and drink establishments and independent retailers. Architectural treasures like Music Hall and Memorial Hall sit side by side with the School for Performing Arts and Washington Park in this neighborhood that's been heralded as a national leader in urban transformation. Vine Street, Main Street, Race Street, and Pendleton are the area's hot spots for an eclectic array of restaurants and shops near the Ensemble, Woodward, Cincinnati Shakespeare, and Know theaters. Findlay Market, between Race and Elm Streets north of Liberty Street, is Ohio's oldest continuously-operated public market where you will find locally sourced food, cafes and restaurants as well as the Rhinegeist Brewery taproom. The community's remarkable 19th-century buildings feature one of the country's largest collection of Italianate architecture and provide a dramatic background to the diverse residents that call OTR home.
Construction began last month on the renovation of 1500-06 Elm Street, which in May 2014 will open as Elm Street Senior Housing. It will be the first senior housing project in Over-the-Rhine.
As we continue to reprise our four-part Demand Better series, we take a look at innovations and ideas that empower and support neighbors here and around the country—and offer some key demands for Cincinnati's future as election day approaches.
Damian Hoskins, director of collaborative action at The Strive Partnership, is helping to lead the Read On! Campaign in an effort to dramatically improve third-grade reading levels in the region.
Bon Appetit's nominees for Best New Restaurant include Cincinnati's Metropole. See the full list here.
"We do what we love" is the theme of a new video that focuses on what makes Cincinnatians feel passionate about the city we call home. Tell us what you love about Cincinnati. Video courtesy of Cincinnati USA Regional Chamber of Commerce
In 2010, The Requiem Project signed a binding letter of intent with the Emery Center Corporation to lease, manage and restore the Emery Theatre. But that agreement hasn't been upheld—on Aug. 3, the University of Cincinnati, which owns the building, asked Requiem to vacate the Emery and chose not to renew the organization's lease. As a result, the nonprofit filed a lawsuit against the ECC, Emery Center Apartments Limited Partnership—which has a long-term lease for upper floors of the theater—and UC to secure its role in renovating the theater. The lawsuit seeks a temporary restraining order and preliminary and permanent injunctions. Although a lawsuit may seem like the end of the road for the Emery, there are no parties opposed to renovating the theater, and the theater is in no danger of permanently closing or being converted for other use, says Kyle Snyder, board member of the ECC. Requiem has been negotiating its current lease since 2010, and under the lease, the nonprofit can’t legally accept capital donations for renovations. This is because the Emery is owned by UC, and the ECC runs its programming (something Requiem did until the beginning of 2013). Members of the community have pledged money, but Requiem can’t accept it, says Tara Lindsey Gordon, co-founder of the nonprofit. The public has also written letters in support of the project, and wants to see the theater reopen. The lawsuit only concerns Requiem's role in the renovation effort of the Emery, not future plans for renovations by the ECC, says Snyder. In July, UC proposed to give the Emery to the City of Cincinnati, but no decision has been made as the proposal is still being studied. The Emery has been used for art shows, dance performances and concerts over the past three years. Renovating the entire 120,000-square-foot theater would cost $25 million—this would include a restaurant and bar. It would cost $3-5 million to open just the first floor. Renovations have been done to Emery Apartments, but the theater is without restrooms, heat or running water. “We don’t want to be here,” says Tina Manchise, co-founder of Requiem. “We’ve avoided this for as long as possible. We really tried not to be here.” Without legal action, nothing else can be done on Requiem’s side. A hearing regarding the lawsuit will be held Aug. 14. Until then, supporters of The Requiem Project can sign the petition, read the FAQs on the Emery website or read Requiem's open letter to the community. By Caitlin Koenig Follow Caitlin on Twitter
Saloon Tours is known for its tours of Cincinnati's saloons, but throughout the month of August, the "Brothels, Bootleggers & Booze Tour" will include a post-tour tasting. Each week, different craft breweries and distilleries will be featured. The tours, which are led by Michael Morgan, president of Queen City History and founder of heritage tourism in Cincinnati, start at 11 a.m. every Saturday in August at Arnold's Bar & Grill; the tastings immediately follow the tour. “My goal is to really bring a fresh perspective to Cincinnati,” says Morgan. “The city has a rich history, and it’s very old for an American city. Cincinnatians haven’t done a very good job of retaining that history or celebrating it, or even knowing it. I want to turn people onto that rich history and make it enjoyable for them.” This is the first time “Brothels, Bootleggers & Booze” has included a tasting. “Part of the inspiration behind it was that Arnold’s just got in a new 23-tap handle system, so they’re going to have the best selection of local beers of anyone in Cincinnati,” says Morgan. The featured breweries and distilleries for August included Christian Moerlein (Aug. 3) and Listermann Brewing (Aug. 10). Middle West Spirits, which makes handcrafted OYO brand vodkas, bourbons and ryes out of Columbus, will be at the Aug. 17 tasting, and Rhinegeist is on tap for Aug. 24 and Blank Slate Brewing will be featured Aug. 31. Arnold’s was built in 1838 as a brothel, and is Cincinnati’s oldest continuously operating saloon—it became a saloon in 1861. Tour guests get the inside scoop and colorful history of the saloon, and take a walking tour of Cincinnati’s dozens of breweries, distilleries and almost 2,000 saloons that made the city notorious for drunkenness and mayhem. The tours start and end at Arnold’s. The tour and tasting combos are $30, and tours without the tasting are $25. Tickets are available on the Saloon Tours' website. By Caitlin Koenig Follow Caitlin on Twitter
As election day approaches, we're reprising our four-part Demand Better series in an effort to spark conversations and provoke thought about how we can demand more from our city's leaders. This week, we examine Cincinnati's entrepreneurial ecosystem.
Studio owner has decided to back away from the day-to-day management of the shop to focus on line of handmade shoes and sandals, Smartfish Footwear.
This past weekend, community members and representatives from 25 local nonprofits came together to support the work of Community Shares of Greater Cincinnati’s member groups in the organization’s 10th annual Gourmet Grub for Good. The amateur chef competition raises awareness and honors the work that member groups are doing to promote environmental, economic and social justice. “There are folks providing services to those in need, but there are also organizers and advocates within those constituencies to make sure people have the right information about their civil and human rights—how they petition legislature if there’s a question about how policy would affect them,” says Jeniece Jones, chief executive officer of Community Shares. “If they’re educated through those agencies to take action, they can really do impactful things that change not only their lives but make the community better as a whole.” Jones, who grew up in a “very forward-looking type of family,” has cared deeply about the community and the various causes that impact its growth ever since she and her husband moved to Cincinnati 20 years ago, she says. “With our member groups, I knew I couldn’t work at all of them, but when I saw the list I just thought, ‘Wow, I’ll get to work where all these agencies involved,’” Jones says. “I really understood their missions, and anything I could do to help them grow or advance—that’s something I wanted to do.” Through Community Shares’ workplace and community giving campaigns, organizations that work on everything from women’s and LGBT issues to health care, affordable housing, animal welfare and prison reform—and the list goes on—are able to put unrestricted funds toward goals that would otherwise be more difficult to reach. “A number of the organizations have funding from other sources with a specific focus, but we’re kind of the grease in the wheel that allows them to use money to bridge between one program or another to help with an unexpected expense, new partnership or pilot initiative without funding set up,” Jones says. “It’s smart to be in the partnership because it can help them advance or explore things that may or may not be otherwise accessible.” Do Good: • Start a workplace giving campaign. • Volunteer with one of Cincinnati Shares' member groups. • Donate to Cincinnati Shares, or choose a specific member group to financially assist. By Brittany York Brittany York is a professor of English composition at the University of Cincinnati. She also edits the For Good section of SoapboxMedia.
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