Downtown Living to Boom?

The Post is reporting that development is in the works to build a Condo/Retail/Parking high rise at Fifth and Race streets Downtown. This is huge news! The proposed 15 to 20 story building would fill an empty eye score and put up a YP centered development that would give a shot into the arm of Downtown that will drive the Fountain Square area to new heights. If this building gets off the ground and keeps its market target in focus, then the sky is the limit. Downtown living has been rising for quite some time now, but if they put affordable Condos for a wider YP demographic, then development may enable a Downtown revival beyond anyone's hopes.

Yea, I am optimistic on this, and we are a long ways from it becoming a reality. The key to a Downtown revival has always been having a real neighborhood of residents. Make it easier for people to live downtown, and they will want to work and play downtown.

Bronson: Van Go I Ain't

In what can best be described as a column by numbers, Peter Bronson has made it clear he is artistically tone deaf. Here's his formula for his mendacity:

1. Make a trite "Elvis-on-velvet" quip, like he did here and here.
   
2. Criticize a Play you have never seen. It's not the first time, and likely will not be the last.
   
3. Create a false premise by claiming the police budget was being cut by restoring funding for the arts, which it wasn't.
4. Finish off by slamming downtown, yet again, then get out the paper (aka more cops dogma) to cover up the crime problem.

If Peter Bronson could think beyond his bible, his gun holster, or his pocket book, he might see art beyond his broken car radio that is stuck on 93.3FM. There is something to act of thinking. Thinking in a manner that stale minds don't want to try to understand is what artists try and do. People like Peter Bronson always complain about art, no matter how its funded, but fear the effort and the change that may come from thinking in a new way. Art is about expressing ideas, ideas that exist to make the viewer/listener/reader think in a new way. I go downtown to see art and I challenge Bronson, again, to see the art before he attacks it, but I will not miss him if he chickens out.

More About Main Street

WCPO ITEM Bongs its way into a hard charging story about the changes on Main Street. The biggest bong comes from this portion:

BOB SCHNEIDER OWNS THE MAIN STREET BUILDINGS THAT USED TO HAVE FOUR NIGHTCLUBS.

(Laure Quinlivan, I-Team Reporter) "I think a lot of people really believe that the reason the Main Street entertainment district is dead is because of those riots in 2001. Riots killed the clubs.(Bob Schneider, Main Street Landlord) That's really not the case. The real problems started in 2004. One of those clubs in 2004 basically turned their business over to a promoter on a Friday night and this promoter basically put on venues, entertainment venues that brought in a thug element to the street. "

HE SAYS ANOTHER CLUB STARTED THE SAME THING AND SUDDENLY ARMED THUGS SCARED EVERYONE OFF.

(Bob Schnieder, Main Street Landlord) "Basically threatening people on the sidewalk, it just wasn't a comfortable environment."

Two things came to my mind upon reading on this. First is what was the club that killed the club scene on Main and Second is who is going to go crazy because the guy used the word "Thug" to describe those who he claims drove off much of the Main Street crowd.

I am not going to come out and say the guy is wrong. I myself don't and didn't go to the dance clubs on Main. I do hit the North Main Bars and Kaldi's on occasion, so who goes to the dance clubs is something I am gleefully ignorant about. I instead will sit back and watch the venom flow.

Fountain Square Ice Rink

This is a great start to the Square. It is wonderful hearing suburbanites coming to Downtown and planning on coming down again!

Cincinnati Advance is going skating there this Thursday Night. I would bet you could skate and watch the game on the big screen too!

OTR on the Rise?

Very interesting article in the New York Times on the renewal of Over-the-Rhine.

I am sure someone will hate this. Whether you hate the city, hate seeing the poor, hate the poor having to live a block from nice condos, or you just hate black people, you will surely be pissed off and attack this article.

"When Black Friday comes I'll stand down by the door"

Get out there and shop people! Buy Buy Buy!

Gobble, Gobble

Happy Thanksgiving Day!!