RockyMountainHigh

Michigan desperation is hilarious. It's the only state bleeding population, its former residents move to Ohio in droves, it's home to Detroit and its namesake university rarely beats Ohio State in football, basketball or much of anything else. Of course they want Toledo - it would instantly become Michigan's most promising city. Dream on Michigan and wipe your rusty tears away. Toledo is going nowhere, no matter how many desperate Michiganders sign this silly petition. And if they're serious about claiming Toledo, I suppose they'd also have to agree to give the UP to its rightful owner - Wisconsin.

Bill Cunningham just had a Warren County commissioner on to talk about the future racino near Lebanon so, naturally, the discussion evolved into a streetcar bash fest. Cunningham lamented that Warren County has real leadership while in Cincinnati we focus on things like a streetcar that only runs a mile from Fountain Square to Findlay Market. The commissioner then chimes in to ask what will happen to ridership the first time someone gets shot or mugged on the streetcar ... who's going to ride it then? After laughing at the potential for a shooting, Cunningham then asks what will happen on this "open-air streetcar" when it's five below zero and snowing, or in the summer when it's 100 degrees outside. The commissioner then says that Hamilton County is becoming a blue county and electing Democrats because all of the responsible Republican voters are fleeing the county in droves for Warren, Clermont, Butler, etc. Cunningham then rips the stadiums and what he says is a plan to use taxpayer money to build sculptures all over Cincinnati, while praising Warren County as a shining example and the best run county government in the history of man. You just can't make some of this stuff up.

Well, COAST is at least. In fact, COAST is having a nightmarish, end-of-times night. Smitherman at least supported Obama. He won a steak dinner from Bill Cunningham due to an on-air bet on the presidential election, though I'm somewhat embarrassed to admit that I know that.

The Enquirer is in it's death throes as a newspaper. I pay more attention to the Onion.

I remember an October trick-or-treating as a kid when it was snowing, but that might have just been flurries. That wind in Cincinnati and Dayton yesterday and last night was impressive.

Frivolous Finney files his lawsuit to stop the airport sale: http://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/news/2012/10/29/taxpayer-suit-filed-to-stop-blue-ash.html

Findlay?

Bowling Green is one of my favorite college towns with an attractive, historic downtown. The Slippery Elm bike trail that starts in Bowling Green and heads south through some of the old Black Swamp land and farm fields is also really interesting.

Again, I'm not sure what people were expecting with a casino? Gaudy signs are exactly what they do. Downtown Cleveland has a massive four-story neon guitar at Tower City in full view of Jacobs Field and the arena. I don't think anyone has ever complained about that. Some might argue that it adds some life to that part of downtown.

Do you have a personal reason for so strongly saying Whole Foods won't be coming downtown? Do you work for Kroger? Would you like to see a Whole Foods downtown?

^ Because the suburbs are involved in this one?

Good, because the Sixth and Race corner would be a better location.

Polly doesn't like any restaurant that has TVs and Mahogany's, like everywhere else in The Banks, has them throughout. In her negative review of Crave, which she visited an hour before a Reds game was to start, she criticized it for being loud and having TVs showing sports.

What's with the "I've heards" and the "I'm hearings" ... does anyone have anything legitimate? One poster says they're Whole Foods is being tossed around; another poster says a grocer at Fifth and Race is "highly unlikely." A virtual ping-pong game, this is.

John King on CNN was just on live from The Banks, highlighting Cincinnati's and Hamilton County's importance in the Ohio presidential vote. Too bad, though, that he set up at what looked like the corner of Elm and Freedom Way, with the ugly Race Street bridge clearly visible in the background. Not the most flattering skyline background either.

The more he's on, the more people get tired of him. He used to really annoy me, now it's just boring.

I wonder what Kroger would think of a Whole Foods being just blocks from their corporate headquarters. Maybe they would respond with an entirely fresh concept at their OTR location in a couple of years? City Kroger?

JetBlue in Cincinnati? http://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/blog/2012/10/could-cvg-airport-find-its-needed.html

Is there any plan in place to soften or mute the jail's harsh appearance? Maybe a giant billboard draped down the side of the jail building (like the big one that greets cars entering downtown from East Eighth Street) or ivy growing up the walls? Maybe even some Times Square-type video advertising boards? I know the casino chose that location with full knowledge of the jail, but I can't imagine they're too excited on it being the first thing you see when you walk out the main entrance, or while you're sitting on the patio at Margaritaville.

That argument works for just about anything. You're not at Music Hall because of how it looks; you're there to listen to a musical performance. You're not at GABP because of how it looks; you're there to watch a baseball game. In the 40s, you weren't at Union Terminal for its appearance; you were there to catch a train.

Wow, Columbus. That's just brutal.

Does anyone like anything anymore? The Banks, U-Square, Clifton developments, Oakley, Mercer, casino ... What hasn't been panned yet? Not sure what people were expecting with the casino. The design of these things is pretty much well-known and accepted as huge, windowless boxes designed exclusively to keep people inside. They weren't going to build a PNC Tower-looking casino there.

Even if only 50 people a day spend money somewhere else downtown, that's a win over what that land was providing. Before The Banks, I'd say that 90 percent of Reds/Bengals fans parked, went to the game and then went immediately home (or to Newport, Covington, elsewhere for entertainment). Few fans came early/stayed late. Now, few fans don't come early or stay late even though the main reason for the visit is baseball/football. So were the Reds not beneficial to downtown before The Banks since few people stayed? That assertion would be ridiculous because they obviously were. There was just little to do. The casino will attract all types, from the grandmas who pump nickels into slots for six hours to the casual guy who drops $20 and moves on - hopefully to OTR, The Banks, Fountain Square, Mount Adams, etc. Horseshoe Cincinnati isn't exactly going to be the Excalibur or have the Caesar's Palace Forum Shops and all the other Vegas-style nonsense to keep people who aren't gambling entertained on-site for hours on end.

Throw in the FWW caps, the renovated historic buildings on the NE corner of Third and Main and maybe another development or two along Third Street on what is currently surface lots or squat parking garages and look out!

Good questions. Where are the hotel and office tower? In March it'll be two years since Holy Grail opened and there's still no plans in place for either of those two supposed Banks anchors. There will be nothing more disappointing than seeing that walled-off hotel pad there five years from now. All these new restaurants - Tin Roof, Crave, Moerlein, Mahogany's, Ruth's Chris, Yard House, Wine Loft, etc. - are going to need a more steady customer flow than the current Reds/Bengals-fueled busy times provide.