kendall

How dumb do you have to be not to know that the crossbucks is a warning that there is a train track crossing and you could die in a split second if you don't stop. Good lord.

I think getting the development going on the larger part of the redevelopment project across the street will help fill the rest of the vacant store fronts.

City contractors have been tearing out and replacing curbs up and down Central Pkwy. all week. Maybe that's what you saw. It's good to see the city organizing efforts with private banks to get development going. In the end, this kind of effort may prove to be as important as big, orchestrated redevelopment projects.

I would never move into a neighborhood that disallowed useful, tasteful backyard fencing. Fences do make it a lot safer to let children and dogs play, and the privacy can be nice. Split-rail fences look cheap and are cheap. They don't keep anything in or out, so what's the point. I suppose they're ok aesthetically if you have 10 open acres and you want to delineate the space, but they are inappropriate in a residential neighborhood.

Least...informative...article...ever.

Nick's hit a mean streak of pessimism lately. You need plans first if you're going to get anything done. And 3CDC is taking action: the rehabs on Vine St. are underway. Sure, it's a bummer that only 3 of the Gateway condos have sold so far, but they will sell eventually. The American Building a block away has sold 70%, every one of them priced higher than the most expensive Gateway condo. 3CDC's actions to date have been decisive, and I am confident they will respond to CSO's concerns. I like his point about Buddy Gray. Gray's problem was that he thought that OTR belonged to a certain group of people. His philosophy was exclusive of others who wanted to move into OTR and renovate buildings to live in. He advocated socioeconomic segregation in the name of helping people escape homelessness and ensuring that low-income people have places to live. This approach may have some practical appeal in that excluding market-rate residents helps keep a lid on property values so that low-income residents an afford housing. But low-income residents and their slumlords cannot afford to preserve or maintain the buildings in OTR, and I've never heard of a case where enclosing poor people in crumbling ghettos has done them any good. So in the long run, his methods ran contrary to his stated goals. He was simply a well-intentioned fool. Inarguably, Cincinnati needs a facility like the Drop Inn Center, but it doesn't have to be on Washington Park. In fact, its users would be better-served by a facility separated from the sections of OTR that remain drug-infested. Coincidentally, this would better serve the CSO too.

HOAs ensure that every house in a neighborhood will always be average. Average houses for average people.

What a joke.

^Fines and lawsuits. And peer pressure.

I think that they are a good option. Some people are well-suited to living inside the box all the time. But the devil's in the details. HOA rules can definitely go too far, especially when it comes to landscaping, paint colors, fence choices, etc.

I agree, some coverage of the progress that has been made would be a nice step in the direction of turning the public's opinion of OTR for the better. Instead, we get this gem: There have been far more than a dozen building renovations in OTR in "recent years." And while a "trickle" is more accurate than a "flood" or even a "stream" of new residents, I'm sure that the number of residents in these new or rehabbed apartments and condos is around 200-300, not just a few dozen as the article implies.

I've shopped at the Corryville Kroger at least 100 times over the past three years and never had a problem. Except on Thanksgiving when the lines were long. Crime in the Clifton Heights and Corryville neighborhoods are far below their highs three years ago. I think the Stetson location is pretty good. There are quite a few amenities within walking distance, like a convenience store, library, fast food, Mecklenberg Gardens. Not to mention the retail that will be part of the Stetson office building and the activities available on-site. And you can hop in your car and be in Clifton, Clifton Heights, downtown, etc. in minutes. Street parking will be fine as long as you're smart about it. Don't leave anything on the seats or even partially visible on the floor. Period. If there's no boxes, bags, cell phones, etc. visible your car there is a 99% chance your car will not be broken into. A few of my neighbors down here in OTR park Audis, BMWs, Hummers, etc. and they don't get messed with, because they are spotless inside. As far as walking to and from her car, your girlfriend will be fine. But it would be gentlemanly of you to walk her anyway.

My office overlooks the square. From what I can tell they are working rapidly to upgrade the garage. There's a different subcontractor around almost every day. There are regularly at least 50 workers on site. If they stay focused, I believe they can get the square itself and the Fifth St. and Vine. St. sidewalks in place in time for Oktoberfest.

If and when they sell these units, I'd like to get a graphic of where the buyers came from. Where is this money hiding out now in sufficient numbers to fill the Ascent, SouthShore, the Bellevue condo towers, and the Gregory family project, all of which have little or nothing less than $500k.

Wow. The American Can building rehab will have a significant, immediate, positive impact on Northside. Edit: And a second Moline St. house is under contract!

I agree, that would be an excellent location for condos. Clifton needs more diversity in the age and characteristics of its housing stock. But an eight story tower? That is four or five stories taller than the next tallest building in the Clifton business district. I'm afraid it would look out of scale and would be viewed as a mistake as soon as it was built.

In Cincinnati, having 20 feet between you and your neighbors is pretty uncommon, except in the richest neighborhoods. I've been looking at townhomes spaced anywhere from zero to five feet from their neighbors. Funny how perceptions of lot size vary depending on where you live.

I've been noticing the NKY favoritism lately too. Curious considering that a minority of the region's population lives there, and they're not even in a newspaper turf war. I remember reading an article under a headline that started "Downtown business ..." and it was about Florence!!! The Enquirer was already a worthless piece of shit, but now that it doesn't talk about things that happen where I live or frequent, I hardly ever read it anymore, even online.

Good lord. Do they think criminals are afraid to walk in the street and don't have cars? Move. Property owners usually have to pay for the portion of sidewalk in front of their houses, so good luck getting them put in.

Looks to me like uSwitch serves the UK market in a way that's very particular to that country. I doubt they'd add much value by moving many of those jobs over here.

I drove through Bryan on an unseasonably warm spring night a couple years ago. The movie theater was all lit up and there were people all around, some strolling arm-in-arm down the sidewalk. A very "Pleasantville" moment.

My understanding is that California is comprised of a few streets of small, flood-prone residences and a few streets of mansions up in the hills, creating a high average income in a small sample size.

Cincinnati is not boring. Boredom is just how you react to what's around you. There is such a variety of things to see and do in this town that a bored person either lacks ambition, creativity or just needs to try something different. Worst case scenario, go to the library and get a book. There are so many things I want to do that I don't have the time! I haven't been bored in the three years I've lived here. Edit: Some specifics: Tell your friend to pick up City Beat or Cinweekly. They are chock full of things to do every week like sports, concerts, festivals (Bockfest, Oktoberfest, Tall Stacks, Taste, fireworks, Summerfair, Italian, Seafood, Goettafest (x2), to name a few), restaurant reviews, special events (e.g., at the parks, observatory, convservatory, parades, paddlefest, etc.), circuses, rodeos, monster trucks, wrestling, etc. For families, there's the zoo, aquarium, museums, playgrounds, parks, King's Island, movies (regular and Omnimax), Coney Island pool, bowling, Graeter's. For adults, in addition to the above there are bars (especially some great outdoor drinking), art museums, the CSO, opera, ballet, great local and touring theater, comedy clubs, casinos, race tracks. There are also sports leagues, free tennis courts, disc golf courses, inexpensive pools, wooded trails at Mt. Airy and Ault Parks, a mile of contiguous riverfront parks for jogging. And if all else fails, there are at least a half dozen places to just go sit on a bench overlooking downtown and admire.

Yes, those are the remnants of the incline. I believe the city still owns the land.

Looks great!! Time for Phase II!