For those seeking an urban environment with a funky blend of Victorian homes, eclectic and traditional businesses, a long tradition of community activism and one of the most diverse neighborhoods in Cincinnati, you can't go wrong with Northside. Home to the legendary 4th of July parade, the Northside Farmer's Market, Shake It Records, the Gay and Lesbian Community Center of Cincinnati, popular watering holes like the Comet and Northside Tavern and an active community council, Northside is all about preserving its strong grassroots heritage. One of Cincinnati's most walkable neighborhoods, Northside also features multiple green spaces, including Hoffner Park, the central site of numerous festivals.
Christmas is just around the corner and chances are you're doing some last minute shopping. But don't forget to take a break from the holiday hoopla to check out what's going on this week such as an art celebration of Cincinnati's Golden Age, a Christmas gathering on Ludlow or music by the Heartless Bastards.
Whether it’s shopping for gifts, updating your wardrobe or choosing a great spot to dine, Cincinnati offers an ever-increasing choice of independent businesses that help citizens reengage with the social fabric of their community.
Cincinnati is the home of 52 individual and unique neighborhoods that, some say, serve as the the "key to city's success." But how did we come to have such a rich, quilted patchwork of localities and how will these 52 different personalities work to create a charged and united region? Soapdisher turned explorer, Casey Coston takes us on a quick tour...
Cincinnati and Hamilton County have reached an agreement on a new regional transit agency that could give more say to suburban governments - if they are willing to pay.The Greater Cincinnati Regional Transit Authority would consist of a 13-member board, with seven being appointed by the City of Cincinnati and six from Hamilton County.Butler, Clermont and Warren counties would be able to directly appoint board members if they formally join the new agency, and could gain a majority of the board seats if they contribute more than 50 percent of the agency's budget.Both the City of Cincinnati and the Hamilton County Commission are likely to consider resolutions on the matter this month.Read the full article here.
Duke Energy sponsored a forum yesterday at the Queen City Club that was an opportunity for consultants and governmental leaders to network and to learn the latest strategies in economic development in Ohio and Kentucky.J.R. Wilhite, commissioner in the Department of New Business Development for the Kentucky Cabinet for Economic Development, says that regardless of all of the innovations and new technologies on the horizon, it still comes down to "blocking and tackling"."Economic development is changing," he says. "But just like football has changed with its many rule changes, so must we."Wilhite says that one of his state's strategies has been a greater focus on Europe, where the Kentucky has contracted with ROI to research the continent's firms and to make initial contact.Steve Schoeny, director of the strategic business investment division of the Ohio Department of Development, says that Ohio not only needs to do a better job of telling its story, but of developing its workforce as well."Our services are of a national caliber," he says. "However, the system for delivering those services is not."Schoeny says that Ohio economic development will improve by attracting and retaining young talent through initiatives such as Ohio Means Home and the Ohio Young Talent Network, properly training state staff to focus on clients rather than individuals, and setting up a culture of customer service.Marti Bremer, senior manager of state and local tax for KPMG, LLP, gave an overview of some of the domestic trends in economic development, including the targeting of industries, benchmarking, giving monetary incentives, public/private partnerships, entrepreneurship programs, development of shovel-ready sites, and workforce development.Managing director Greg Burkart, of the Novi, Michigan office of Duff & Phelps, provided some insights on economic development websites from the client point of view."You may be ruled in or ruled out long before you know it just based upon what information is publicly available," he says.The final speaker, vice president and director of Austin Consulting Don Schjeldahl, says that alternative energies such as photovoltaic, concentrated solar, and wind power are poised to make significant gains in the next 10 to 15 years, and the geographical pattern for how those industries will be defined has not yet been set."If you don't have your act together, you're going to miss the window," he says.Schjeldahl says that there are still opportunities for Ohio, if they can create market demand for the new technologies and can create awareness of and preparedness for sustainability in the state's communities.Writer: Kevin LeMasterSources: J.R. Wilhite, commissioner in Department for New Business Development, Kentucky Cabinet for Economic Development; Steve Schoeny, director of Economic Development Division, Ohio Department of Development; Marti Brenner, senior manager of state and local tax, KPMG, LLC; Greg Burkart, managing director, Duff & Phelps, LLC; Don Schjeldahl, vice president and director, Austin Consulting
For the third year in a row, the Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County (PLCHC) has ranked in the top 10 nationally.Cincinnati placed 10th among 79 library systems in the "Over 500,000 population" category in Hennen's American Public Library Ratings.The ratings are based on statistics such as circulation, customer visits per hour, and number of volumes owned per capita.While PLCHC executive director Kim Fender is pleased with the ranking, she tells WLWT.com that "our Library is much more than the number of items on the shelves".Read the full article here.
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