Cincinnati Library ranks top in nation
The Main Library in downtown Cincinnati was ranked the busiest central library in the United States for the second year in a row. Read more here.
Downtown
Downtown Cincinnati is the place to live, work, and play populated by restaurants, cafes, bars, arts and culture venues around every corner, plus a long-awaited and busy Kroger's that anchors recently-renovated Court Street Plaza. The downtown urban core is alive with programming, including music during the summer and ice skating in the winter, and features the largest living room 'television' in the region overlooking The Genius of Water at Fountain Square. Downtown has experienced dramatic expansion and population growth with residential developments, including condos and apartments in all price ranges, many of which boast scenic views of the hillsides and the river and offer unparalleled access to nightlife and recreation.
Cincinnati/NKY launches Read On! Campaign
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.
Dorin family funds Clovernook Center for the Blind and Visually Impaired student interns
Natalie Centers, a graduate student at Xavier University, began her internship this summer at Clovernook Center for the Blind and Visually Impaired, thanks to the establishment of the Dorin Fund.
Bluegrass for Babies helps infants get critical medical treatment
To express gratitude for her infant son’s lifesaving medical procedure at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Anne Schneider co-founded Bluegrass for Babies—a nonprofit dedicated to improving children’s health by ensuring they get the best start possible.
Village Life Founder brings hope, strengthens Tanzanian ties
After Chris Lewis traveled to Tanzania as part of his residency at the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine in 2003, he discovered his passion for helping the country's citizens get the medical care they were lacking, and established the Village Life Outreach Project.
The Requiem Project files lawsuit to renovate Emery Theatre
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 adds beer tasting to ‘Brothels, Bootleggers and Booze’
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
Work Flow brings yoga to the office, stretching minds and limbs together
Need a stress reliever for you and your employees? Try Work Flow Yoga, the yoga studio that comes to you. Meredith Amann, owner of Work Flow, moved back to her hometown of Cincinnati in December after spending about six years in San Francisco, two years in Philadelphia and three months in New York. In March, she started SpringBoard Cincinnati and finished in May—she launched Work Flow in June. Work Flow classes are based in the tradition of Ashtanga and Hatha yoga, and they focus on safe alignment and maintaining the connection to your breathing. The sessions are non-competitive and are designed for beginners and those with more experience. They are 30-60 minutes and can be held once or twice a week in your workplace. “It’s nice to have flexibility in terms of me coming to them,” says Amann. “It’s one person traveling as opposed to a group of people—and it’s one car on the road instead of 20.” When Amann decided to pursue her yoga training and move to Cincinnati, she thought about a brick-and-mortar studio. But she decided she wanted to offer yoga to those who sat at their desks all day long, and a traveling studio made more sense for that. To date, Amann has taught yoga classes at a handful of small nonprofit companies. If you’re interested in having a class taught at your office, call 513-370-9088 or email Amann at meredith@yogaworkflow.com to schedule a meeting. By Caitlin Koenig Follow Caitlin on Twitter
Demand Better: Creating a place where entrepreneurs can thrive
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.
Rock Paper Scissors to build on Smartfish Studio’s artistic past
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.
