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.
If you take a peek around, behind and over the fences around Cincinnati, you’re more likely to find active construction sites rather than abandoned lots, and that's a good thing according to Soap Dish columnist, Casey Coston.
The youth of Cincinnati have skills. Now is their time to use them.On April 23 the 4th Annual Mayor's Youth Jobs and Opportunities Fair will be held at the Duke Energy Convention Center. And Mayor Mallory is calling on local businesses to get involved."Businesses need to look at employing young people as a community service," Mayor Mallory says. "Employing young people is one of the most important things that a company can do for our community."At last year's fair, more than 2,500 young attendees met with over 100 employers and service organizations, for whom attendance at the event is free. Over 40 companies have already signed up for this year's fair, including Home Depot, FedEx Ground, US Bank and more.And for ambitious youth, this is not a sink or swim affair. This year Mayor Mallory has launched a Youth Job Fair Committee. This group was created to help attendees prepare for the fair in advance. Various government, education, non-profit and business organizations from the area make up this committee. "By providing training opportunities to young people before the job fair, we are helping them prepare to meet employers and put their best foot forward," Mayor Mallory says. Adding a dash of technology to the process, Mayor Mallory is partnering with Student Jobs Locker, a free job search website for young people.“By offering employment, a company can have a significant impact on the life of an area youth. Having a job teaches young people work ethic, responsibility, time management, and gives them financial resources.”The job fair is open to young people aged 16 to 24, including soon to be and recent college graduates.For companies interested in participating in the job fair, more information is available at Mayor Mallory's website. The deadline for registry is April 20. Writer: Jonathan DeHart Source: Jason Barron, City of Cincinnati
ThinkVine is too busy helping consumer goods companies grow to worry about the economic crisis. A Cincinnati-based marketing intelligence firm, ThinkVine has developed a knack for helping consumer goods companies cut spending and increase revenues – a valuable thing; especially in an economic pinch.Recognizing this, Gartner, a global leader in IT research and consulting, has named ThinkVine one of four global "Cool Vendors" for consumer goods in 2009."We are excited to have been chosen by Gartner as a cool vendor," says ThinkVine founder and CEO Damon Ragusa. "As the report points out, consumer goods companies have never faced a greater need for better tools to understand the impact of advertising and promotion in the face of economy-driven shifts in the marketplace."In this report, Gartner showcases four vendors around the world who use cutting edge technology to help consumer goods manufacturers thrive.Since its founding in 1999, ThinkVine has been helping some of the world's most esteemed companies refine the focus of their marketing and advertising, making sure its aligns with consumer behavior.ThinkVine's most prized arrow in its quiver is an application called The Emerging MarketplaceTM that offers a simulated environment reminiscent of the real world where consumers and marketing mix.ThinkVine shows no signs of slowing down either. In the last 12 months its employee base grew from four to 14 and the company finished two rounds of venture capital funding. The first round garnered $1 million in early 2008, the second brought in $1.85 million this month.The investors included Draper Triangle Ventures and CincyTechUSA of Cincinnati, Draper Fisher Jurvetson of Menlo Park, California, and Draper Portage of Chicago. Writer: Jonathan DeHartSource: Robert Coy, CincyTech USA, ThinkVine
Hot, steamy bagel creations – including breakfast and vegetarian offerings – are now being served up Downtown at Gilpin's Bagel and Deli, 37 E Seventh Street.Brothers Brad and Patrick Gilpin, who have a combined 11 years of experience in the restaurant industry, searched in Hyde Park, Mount Washington, Mount Adams and Northern Kentucky before settling on a location near the Backstage District.They were drawn to the daytime activity as well as the lack of quick, in-and-out places for coffee or breakfast."On top of that, we're fifteen feet away from the night scene," Brad Gilpin says. "You've got Lodge Bar, Blackfinn, you've got Bootsy's around the corner. I know the Righteous Room is coming. You've got a decent flow of traffic here during the day, and then nighttime. It's a good location."According to him, the bagel steaming process is what sets Gilpin's apart."We don't bake and we don't toast," Gilpin says. "Baking and toasting dries out the meats, cheeses, and vegetables and takes away flavoring, whereas steaming brings out the flavoring."The menu, which also includes wraps, subs, soups, and pre-made salads, is highly flexible."If you don't like what you see up here, build your own," Gilpin says.Gilpin is referring to his six-step ordering process, which is less complicated than it sounds.The "process" involves choosing one's bagel, meat, cheese, spread, cream cheese, and vegetables."I decided to do that because there are times when you go somewhere and it's like, 'Can we get so-and-so, but can you take off the tomatoes and add on this, and maybe add that on the side?'" Gilpin says.Customers can also name their own creations and post them to a board. Those that become hot sellers will be graduated to the main menu.Following a grand opening in the next week or two, Gilpin's will begin offering catering and delivery services and will offer carryout beer and wine.The upstairs also will be renovated into a casual lounge-style space with televisions and free Wi-Fi, a respite from the hustle and bustle of the street, Gilpin says.Writer: Kevin LeMasterSource: Brad Gilpin, Gilpin's Bagel and Deli
Cincinnati City Councilmember and chair of the Vibrant Neighborhoods Committee, Roxanne Qualls introduced a resolution supporting the federal Complete Streets Act of 2009, a piece of legislation meant to encourage streets that are safe for all forms of human transportation.Sponsored by Sen. Tom Harkin (D-IA) and Rep. Doris Matsui (D-CA) and introduced earlier this month, the legislation promotes the design of streets that are safe for motorists, bus and transit riders, pedestrians, bicyclists, and people with disabilities by directing state departments of transportation and metropolitan planning organizations to adopt and implement complete streets policies for federally-funded transportation projects.It would also update the current federal code on pedestrian and bicycle accommodation and authorize research, data collection, technical assistance and dissemination of best practices.Qualls' resolution is currently in council's Economic Development Committee, which next meets on April 7."We actually put funds in the biennial budget to develop a complete streets program," Qualls says. "So the city has already recognized the need to design streets for people, not just cars. Ultimately, the goal is to make our streets multi-modal."According to the National Complete Streets Coalition, more than 5,000 annual fatalities and 70,000 injuries occur to pedestrians and bicyclists because of inadequate sidewalks and crosswalks, space for bicyclists, and room for transit riders.Locally, the city's Department of Transportation and Engineering has been working with the Mount Washington Community Council to retrofit a portion of Beechmont Avenue that has seen an increase in speeding and accidents since a road widening project in 2004.Residents of Westwood have also requested traffic calming measures for a mostly residential – but busy – section of Montana Avenue."Our competitive advantage is in our neighborhoods, and our quality of life is dependent on our streets," Qualls says. "If we look at our streets as our largest public spaces, then the quality of those spaces is critical to economic development."Qualls says that complete streets is one of many strategies that cities are using to become more walkable and mixed-use, pointing out that more than 80 state and local governments already have passed complete streets policies."It's a matter of changing how we think about streets," Qualls says. "What we recognize is that if you design streets for cars, you get cars. If you design streets for people and alternative modes of transportation, that's what you'll get."Writer: Kevin LeMasterSources: Roxanne Qualls, Cincinnati City Council; Jennifer O'Donnell, assistant to Councilmember Qualls
Ohio Governor Ted Strickland has announced that $23.2 million of the state's share of federal economic stimulus funding will be directed to The Banks project on the Cincinnati riverfront.According to U.S. Rep. Steve Driehaus, $10.2 million of that total will be used for a parking structure as part of the project's second phase, and $8 million will be applied to rebuilding the riverfront street grid.Also last week, the development team of Carter and The Dawson Company unveiled the latest schematic designs for the project's first phase.Individual architects presented refinements of the June 2008 designs based upon suggestions from the city's Urban Design Review Board, which included the incorporation of more contemporary architectural elements.Read more about the stimulus funding here, and read about the updated designs here.
A recent Forbes survey finds that Hamilton County's property tax rate is the lowest, as a percentage of income, of Ohio's six largest urban areas, says Hamilton County Commissioner David Pepper.In his PepTalk blog, Pepper says that there are misconceptions about the county's tax rate, but that it's actually relatively low when compared to other metropolitan areas against which it competes for jobs, businesses, and talent.The Forbes survey found that Hamilton County's property tax rate as a percentage of income was 26 percent lower than Cuyahoga County (Cleveland), 16 percent lower than Franklin County (Columbus), and 8.5 percent lower than Summit County (Akron).Hamilton County's sales tax was also the lowest of the top six urban counties, tied with Summit County.Read the blog post here.
Today, a growing number of Cincinnati-based creative solutions firms are using the far-reaching capabilities of digital media to transform advertising, marketing and print media. A potential windfall for Cincinnati, this digital media boom is forging ties across the country and giving the Queen City an edge in an emerging field that promises to revolutionize how companies and customers communicate and connect.
Young professionals dig Cincinnati.This is confirmed by Cincinnati Mayor Mark Mallory's recent announcement that Cincinnati will host the 2009 Next Leaders Summit from September 17 to 19.Auspicious timing for attending YPs – the 2009 Oktoberfest falls in the same weekend.Mayor Mallory's Young Professional Kitchen Cabinet (YPKC) will host this event, the only one of its kind in the world.Essentially, the Next Leader's Summit aims to help YPs plug into their communities and play an active role in building them. "This convention will bring hundreds of young professionals from around the country to Cincinnati to see all that we have to offer," Mayor Mallory says. This win for the Queen City came as a result of the city's bid, entitled "The Summit that Rocks."This proposal was the result of a joint effort between Chamber’s HYPE, CincyUpdate, LEGACY, MidPoint Music Festival/City BeatDowntown Cincinnati, Inc., the United Way Emerging Leaders Society, and the Cincinnati USA Convention and Visitors Bureau.And competition was stiff.Cincinnati trumped several other cities in this bid, which raised more than $57,000 in pledges and support in-kind.Organized by Next Generation Consulting, the summit will feature dialogue, experimentation and best practice sharing.These are all things Mayor Mallory's YPKC can handle with ease, given their performance of the 2008 Next Leaders Summit, in which they were named a best practice organization."Cincinnati’s reputation as a great place for YPs is spreading," Mayor Mallory says. "Our strong corporate community brings in diverse young talent from around the world, and those YPs are choosing to stay in Cincinnati and establish their roots."To learn more about the Next Leaders Summit or to register, visit here. And to learn more about Mayor Mallory's YPKC, visit here. Writer: Jonathan DeHart Source: Jason Barron, City of Cincinnati
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