Where Should The Drop Inn Center Be?

This is another one of those posts in which I hope to spark a conversation.

We've heard a lot about the Drop Inn Center the past few weeks. This week marks its thirtieth anniversary in its present location. The Enquirer wrote on it here; the Enquirer's Politics Extra Blog discusses it here; and Dan Hurley covered it on Newsmakers this morning (Channel 12 really needs to start giving him an hour each week, when the Bengals aren't playing.) Drop Inn's history (particularly its midnight move) is very interesting.

Most discussions seem to assume two options: leave Drop Inn where it is, or close it and buld the much-discussed CityLink on the West Side. I'm wondering: is there a third alternative? Might there be a better spot for the Drop Inn Center? What if there were sufficient political will to purchase part of Broadway Commons (perhaps the western-most part, adjacent to the bus terminal) and rebuild the Drop Inn Center there? I suppose if the jail tax had passed, the Queensgate jail could have been converted to a homeless shelter.

There are legitimate concerns about Drop Inn's location. It's in the midst of an area that is being revitalized (or gentrified, according to some). It's near Music Hall (though I think CSO lovers too often scapegoat Drop Inn for declining attendance there--after all, the Center doesn't seem to deter opera-goers in the summer, judging by ticket sales). And it's a stone's throw from SCPA.

So assuming we don't want the homeless living en masse under the Brent Spence Bridge, where should they be?

Going Home Again

Courtesy of a friend whom (who?) I now owe a couple beers, I ended up at the UC-Villanova game last night. The trip to Clifton prompted the following thoughts:

1. I was in law school at UC from 2000 until 2003, the height of UC's physical transformation. So venturing onto campus beyond the law school meant dodging bulldozers and cranes. While I've been back to the law school several times since graduating, until last night, I hadn't been anywhere else. Walking though campus on the way to the game, I was truly impressed with what a great-looking campus UC has now.

2. I'd forgotten how much fun it is to watch college basketball in person, particularly when the game is tied with two minutes to play, and even more so when your team comes out on top. (No, I won't post the alma mater this time, though.)

3. As I looked at the students--those I saw on campus, in the student section at the game, the cheerleaders, and the players--all I could think was, "Damn, I'm old."

4. I have to remember that I rely on my voice to make my living. As I drove home with a scratchy throat, I couldn't help but wonder whether the Bearcats might have done just as well if I hadn't added my voice to the chorus of fans, who really came to life down the stretch of the contest. (Of course, that may just be another way of saying, "Damn, I'm old.")

More Coming To West Fourth Street

As this snippet from the Business Courier reports (subscription needed for the full article), one of the co-owners of the Bang nightclub is working on a restaurant, Boss Cox, in the 300 block of West Fourth Street. The restaurant will apparently be themed to reflect the history of Cincinnati politics. (The idea seems to me a spin on the Syndicate in Newport--a mildly dark, historical theme for an upscale restuarant.) Look for it to open this spring.

I have to admit: I was awfully wary of Bang when it first opened. Its owners don't have the best history of sustaning projects for the long run in the area. And when they opened Bang, they seemed to go out of their way to anger residents in the surrounding apartments and lofts (until Bang, the block didn't have a history of late-night entertainment, with the possible exception of Tina's, which brings a much quieter crowd). But Bang seems to have some staying power, and Josh Heuser really seems to be looking towards the future this time.

So even though I'm still not thrilled with the gun imagery on Bang's website, I'm more and more optimistic about its owners' intentions, and the viability of their vision for a Fourth Street entertainment district.

Hopeful signs

A few nights ago, a friend and I went to dinner. Nothing special--we were both working late, and decided to treat ourselves to dinner at Nada (in the space that formerly housed Bella next to the Aronoff). As we made our way over to the restuarant, my friend, who hadn't been out and about downtown on a weeknight in several months, commented, "There's a lot of people out. It's nice to see downtown come to life like this."

And a word about Nada. The food and the atmosphere were both great. Just avoid the supreme margaritas, or whatever the name of their high-end margarita is called--the bartender definitely snookered us a little; when we cashed out we were shocked that our three drinks totalled 42 bucks (that was almost as much as our food bill!).

Are We In The End Times?

Are we now in the much talked about End Times? When Peter Bronson gave praise to the character of a Democratic candidate for President I fear that the world may be coming to an end.

More about Main

The Enquirer has another article on the changing Main Street. This one focuses more on the new housing coming in.

Contemporary Galleries to make way for condos

Is this progress or a sad day for Cincinnati design? Contemporary Galleries is closing for good to make way for some condos (and the owner's retirement). Not that I could really afford a whole lot at CG (though I do have some second-hand finds off of Craigslist, thank god for fickle consumers), but it is important to have resources such as CG downtown-- particularly in the CBD, which is booming with condos and people who want to furnish them without going to a chain store in suburbia. There are still a few furniture stores downtown-- Mainly Art comes to mind, Mica 12/v for home interiors-- but the closest contemporary, new furniture store is Abode in Covington.

I completely understand why the owner chose to do this: good offer for the space, planning on retirement-- but I can't help but hope that this isn't a mass exodus of retailers from the area (to be replaced by Ikea in West Chester--oy). Has anyone heard of any new retailers entering the market in Downtown?