Soapbox Cincinnati and NKY thrives reported on five city neighborhoods including Walnut Hills, Covington, West End, Camp Washington, and Westwood continuously in the “On The Ground” series.
For each series, Soapbox gathered community residents, stakeholders, community councils and development organization partners to determine what stories the neighborhoods would like to tell. The community-shaped editorial calendar resulted in many of our favorite feature stories reported on between 2016 and 2020. There is genuine interest in urban communities that are often underreported and underrepresented in local media, especially during 2020, which was a year dominated by the national election, a pandemic and misinformation.
Soapbox hosted a weekly Community Open Newsroom in conjunction with the Walnut Hills series in the winter of 2020 headquartered at Caffè Vivace. Twenty-two neighborhood champions joined our live broadcasts hosted by Kathryne Gardette. Our Community Open Newsroom closed at the start of the nationwide COVID shutdown.
Arts enthusiasts will find much to write home about in Covington, from small street-front galleries and edgy design firms to the beloved Carnegie and Baker Hunt — with plenty of Frank Duveneck history to go around. It's a scene with history, and it's still growing.
Building on a long tradition of inspiring residential leadership, Covington organizations like The Center for Great Neighborhoods are boosting support for community-led beautification efforts, learning initiatives and more.
With the Center for Great Neighborhoods and the Catalytic Fund at the helm, Covington is preparing to manage an influx of new residents through smart historic renovation and support for programs that put homeownership within reach.
As the 12th Street/MLK corridor emerges as one of Covington's most important economic centers, thanks to renewed investment and fierce civic pride, On the Ground takes a look at the residents and leaders who hope to sustain the district's viability well into the future.
Leaders say key to achieving balance is embracing diversity in both business owners and their clientele.
Covington neighbors, nonprofit groups and city leaders are making plans to improve their shared green spaces. Explore a host of outdoor projects making the city a model for the region and beyond.
Covington residents face a variety of unique challenges when it comes to accessing healthy food and patterns for behavior. Organizations like Skyward and The Center for Great Neighborhoods are taking a synergistic approach, engaging everyone from city leadership to local corner stores to ensure a brighter, healthier future.
Despite being the region’s second-largest city and closer to downtown than most Cincinnati neighborhoods, Covington remains something of a mystery for many locals. The first story in our second On The Ground neighborhood series takes a closer look at the city colloquially known as “Cincinnati’s Brooklyn.”
Kroger’s closing last month represents a turning point for the Walnut Hills community, with organizers and residents working together to ensure food security and manage encroaching gentrification in this diverse community.
On March 23, Soapbox hosted "Blues at the Baldwin" to celebrate a $100 million renovation currently underway as part of sweeping and ongoing redevelopment in Walnut Hills.
Our Partners
