Ignorance

I applaud the attention the Southgate House got, but the reporter could have researched music venues in the area just a little bit more, instead of writing something like this:

"It only takes one visit to know that this isn't your typical music venue."

OK, what is a typical music venue? There are not that many to begin with in this city. None of them are typical, unless you want to count a typical bar with a typical cover band playing.

I don't like looking at a gift horse's mouth, but I'm irked. Was Kari Wethington consulted? Seriously, did they bother asking a fellow local reporter who likely goes to half of the shows at the Southgate house and other music venues around town? This type of problem is not uncommon to a majority of reporters, but this one is catching my wrath today.

No Courage On Mason City Council

In a sign that you can't question anti-Mexican bigotry in Warren Country, Mason City Council Caved into the 'Citizens for Legal Communities' demand to cleanse the City of Mason. They are going to study creating laws that are out of their jurisdiction, but Hell, if you can't quell your hate by oppressing others, why bother living?

'Minute Men' Take Root In Mason

'Citizens For Legal Communities' is not calling themselves a Minute Man group, but they might as well be with their level of bigotry. What is amusing, yet sad, is that the long line of idiots will likely chime in with their trite comments saying something to the affect "Why are you calling someone a bigot for wanting to enforce the law?" That is a diversion as is the effort to "enforce the law." Why are they picking this issue as a "legal" issue to focus on? That is the where the bigotry comes in. There is plenty of crime with real victims going on in this country. If 'Citizens For Legal Communities' wants to worry about law breakers, then they might help people more if they pushed on the government to solve white collar, fraud, and theft crimes.

Niche Enquirer

Ok, why does the tame, bland Enquirer have to target a publication to "Moms" when the rest of their publications pay tons of attention to mothers and children as it is? The problem with this site, it is not for Mothers, it is for Mothers who currently have young children. Where's the section for Mothers of 25 year olds? They are clearly moms too.

Traffic Is Flowing

As you can see, traffic in Mt. Lookout is flowing fine. Beechmont Ave is fine. When it turned into Linwood on to Delta it was ruffer, but very passable.

Yeah, It Snowed

It snowed in the Tristate and the world is coming to an end.

City Streetcars

The Enquirer Editorial board goes on and on about the concept of a streetcar system in the City, but they are worried about convincing people that we need them. Who are they worried about convincing? I think this quote answers my question:

But a new streetcar loop would require broad buy-in across this region. That's why it is important that the discussion be as broad, thorough and reasoned as possible.

We don't need the rest of the county or region to get this done and it will not get done if we have to rely on anyone outside the City. Unless this was a Street Car connecting Mason to West Chester, no one in Butler or Warren counties would do anything to help it. Non-City Hamilton County residents would have the same feeling about it. Leave it to the City and private sources to get this done. There is one cold fact around this area, if it doesn't affect you directly, then you don't care about it and won't fund it.

Hackett Cleared

Joe Deters did the right thing and publicly cleared Paul Hackett, something he didn't have to do. That likely is his way of making up for the leak of the incident allegedly being put before the grand jury.

The questions is still outstanding: who pushed for the investigation and why?

New Entertainment District: Fourth and Plum?

The makings are there now and will be increasing soon. Will 4th and 5th Streets be the hub of Cincinnati Nightlife? Granted, this club is going to be a high end niche place, but that high end market can drive things on. What other locations in the area are ripe for opening bars?

This article puts another nail into Main Street as entertainment district concept, but one thing that I am not sure if everyone is seeing with the decay of Main Street is that the Main Street horde split into its own splintered locales. This club will pull the heavy dollars of the "VIP scenesters" who have been highly sought after by many area establishments. Other crowds went their own way to Northside or Covington or Mt. Lookout or even back to Mt. Adams. This club alone will not bring back the horde, but if the volume of bars can match Mt. Street at it height it could bring back many, mostly those who you would classify as the Cin Weekly target market. Yea, that is not a pleasant thought, but that is business. (Thank Zeus for Northside!)

Bringing back the hipster crowd is likely a lost cause. That group overlaps with the creative class and that is of course the key to building up the city. What I think the powers that be still don't get is that encouraging the people that live here to break out of their bubbles and do something is not really that big of a help, at least not a long term plus. Getting people to move here from outside the area is what we need and what in the long run will work. Fourth and Plum will is a good foundation to have. You need a mainstream place for people to go. Just don't let the mainstream flood the vibrancy out of Downtown.

Austin Press for the Heartless Bastards

More recommendations of the Heartless Bastards.

Temporary Jail For Women

5 Council Members and Todd Portune have a plan to build a 500 bed jail. The big question that will surely cause conflict is WHERE will it be built. That was left out of the announcement. It likely was left out because that will be a very contentious point.

Other interesting note: The Jail will be for women.

Chris Bortz, Private Eye

There's a joke Tin here somewhere, but I don't have time this morning find one. Something with finding more arts funding maybe?

Desiring Streetcars!!!

This will be met by idiotic opposition but a streetcar system would be a great boost to the city and be a vital key connection between a successful Riverfront and Fountain Square District. I would expand its reach to Clifton, Northside, Hyde Park, Mt. Lookout, and the new Columbia-Tusculum Square. I would like to add Mt. Adams, but I don't think a street car could be used on the narrow winding streets.

Premium Condos Becoming Scarce - Where Are the Middle Market Condos?

On Sunday the Enquirer ran an interesting story about the current shortage of high end condos in the Downtown/Urban Core/Riverfront areas on both sides of the Ohio.

This is of course an overall positive sign for Downtown and Urban Core areas of the City. I don't know if it bodes as well for building up a wider socio-economic group of residents. If the goal is to building up residents of downtown, we'll have to take what we can get in the short run, but is that good for the long haul?

What downtown needs more of is not only high end, but middle or lower end condos. If you want to attract YP you must understand that the majority can't afford to buy a condo for 250,000 plus, when they can buy a house at the same price or less with at least twice the square footage. I don't know what writer Jeff Newberry defines as a YP person, but this paragraph gave me pause:

Market researcher and consultant Michael Dinn said the supply of central city condos is getting thin, especially those selling for between $200,000 and $300,000 that many young professionals can afford.

Newberry is likely using the old fashioned YP definition of Doctors and Lawyers.

What I feel has been the overall problem with the housing efforts in Downtown is that they focus on people making six figures ($100,000 and up for those a bit slow this morning). Single people making $40,000 to $99,000 would often jump at the chance to own property below Central Parkway, but can't afford the prices. Sure, those making closer to 100K could afford the higher end if they budget correctly, but that assumes they've been making that kind of money for a few years and have savings and other means to make that kind of purchase. Saying they should is the view from the realtor and developer, not from people thinking long term and not from those who don't want to see people lose their condo when they lose their job.

At some point the high end market will dry up. We need to think middle class here. The middle class makes a community, but they can't afford to start it.

Moralist

If you can't fulfill the duties of job, then change careers.

Wes Flinn Has Moved!

Well, his blog has moved to a new location. Adjust your blog rolls and favorites.

Cincinnati Magazine's Pork Roast 2007

The spit is ready, so enjoy The Pork Roast (pdf) from Cincinnati Magazine.

"It's On!"

Mega Coffeehouse Faux Pas

If there is something you just don't do to an independent coffee house, then it is to come into the establishment drinking Starbucks. Ok, sure, you purchased something, but sitting in a good coffeehouse while drinking McCoffeehouse brew is a sin to the coffee gods that can't be forgiven.

I am witnessing said act as I type. The two women are sitting very snobishly at the next table. If they don't gag on their quiche, it will be a miracle.

Irony

I believe a commenter in a prior thread asked me if I would allege that murder victim and anti-violence activist Richard Muhammad was involved in drugs. At the time, I assumed no, that he wasn't, an assumption that helped explain why the public remembrance and grief were so high.

Instead, I was totally wrong. Richard Muhammad was murdered during a drug deal gone bad. Muhammad had a crack cocaine problem, according to the coroner and police. It is a sad case, but not a unique case on the list of people murdered on Cincinnati streets. Most of those murdered were involved in buying or selling drugs. This is the underlying problem. To use a metaphor: if you don't put your hand in the fire, you won't get burned. This is not a 100% guarantee, but it is rather an indicated that people who don't buy or sell drugs shouldn't have irrational fear of being murdered in Cincinnati.