OHSnap

Heh, yeah. Daytime shot of the city. Nighttime shot of the river that doesn't match up. And then fireworks added in.

Theft deterrence. The parts on a bikeshare bike are heavy and incompatible with standard bikes so that there's no value in stealing one.

Looks like this might get started soon. I saw surveyors out earlier today, and then in the afternoon I saw they've spray-painted station markings on the center barrier.

^ Yeah, it requires a very different way of thinking about grocery shopping. I grew up in Colerain Township and the abiding system was a big grocery trip every week at the big Kroger by Northgate mall (which I think is gone now?). But if you go to a larger city the stores are smaller and there are more frequent trips. Just returned from two weeks in Italy and while the historic city centers have a selection of what we would consider small modern grocery stores (the size of say an Aldi), there were far more butcher shops, produce stands, etc. On any walk from home to work you'd pass a number of these, and pop in for what you needed that day. I imagine the big-trip-once-a-week system makes for higher margins for the grocery chain, which might be why Kroger is reluctant.

A question: We have seen that Kentucky is adamantly opposed to tolling the new bridge, while Ohio is at least resigned to the idea if not excited. What's to stop the tolling facilities from only being in Ohio?

I can think of several places where those would be useful in rush hour. Smith-Edwards to NB 71 for a start.

Agreed. (A) This is not a crime, and doesn't belong in this thread, and (B) rumor mongering about a kid's death is sick.

This is the problem. People who complain and demean these neighborhoods are basing it on 50 years of preconceived notions. Except they and you haven't stepped foot in them for decades. You, and suburbanites like you, have a preconceived notion of places like Madisonville and Walnut Hills based on conditions that existed 10-20 years ago. Investment in neighborhoods like these is met with derision, because why invest in crappy, crime-ridden neighborhoods. Except it's that very lack of investment that allowed those neighborhoods to decline. It took years of fighting that perception to enlighten people that (A) people - real people with families, not just "drug dealers and prostitutes" - still live in these areas, (B) those real people want to live in a vibrant, safe community just like you, and © they deserve it just as much as people living in any other neighborhood. It only takes a moment of clarity to change that perception. Even up to last year the majority of people who didn't know better were saying "who on earth would want to go to OTR?" despite not having been north of Central Parkway in a decade. Their preconceived notion was that it was crime-ridden, dilapidated, and no where to take your kids. Then LumenoCity happened and it was a massive U-turn in the public consciousness about OTR. Now you almost never hear negative things about OTR except from the least-traveled members of the suburbs (and AM radio stations still trafficking in fear for ratings' sake).

Maybe you'd like to tell MedPace that none of Madisonville's redevelopment efforts are working. While you're at it, tell the Madisonville Community Urban Redevelopment Corporation and the Madisonville Community Council, who have cleared out many blighted properties, that nothings working. And the old 5/3 bank building at Madison and Whetsel that's been renovated and is advertising for a restaurant - that's not progress, is it. Speaking of restaurants, Mazunte was named one of the ten best new restaurants in the city, and that's in Madisonville, too. But that's not a sign of progress, apparently. And as for Madison and Kenwood being "in the boonies," that's 2000 feet from Madison and Whetsel. I know it's not out in your beloved suburbs, but good things are happening in Madisonville. (I know, I shouldn't feed the troll.)

What's that old phrase? "You can wish in one hand..."?

^Also any non-profit now has to contract with private haulers. The homeless shelter I work for now has to pay over $2,000 year for trash pickup, despite paying the same property taxes we always did. That's $2,000 that won't go to programs and services for the poor. It's no wonder the family homeless shelters in town only serve 17% of the need. And I can hardly imagine what cost that's saving the city in the case of small non-profits. The city trucks still drive up the street, and it previously took them about 60 seconds to load our trash into the truck. I know it adds up, and I know there's a cost associated with landfill space, but a simple "and 501©(3) charities" tacked onto the part about trash pickup at residences would have helped us a ton. In our case, it was a transfer of a relatively small incremental cost to the city to a massive windfall for private haulers.

I can see that being popular with empty-nesters who want loft architecture but don't want to move back to the city. I'd rather see this use than have it continue to decay and eventually condemned. And Bloomfield will do a great job. I had no idea how close to I-71 that building is. It feels completely out in the country when you're on the bike path.

^ Nah, you're reading too literally, though I agree it's written as a double-negative. Health department's getting a 12.9 budget cut, parks get a 0.7% increase, etc.

^And in that median in Saratoga Street in Newport between 3rd and 4th, right at the foot of PPB. (I'd say anywhere on the southern approach to the PPB, but I don't know what parts are private property and what's public.)

I had that poster! Funny that the Bengals apparently didn't buy into it back then - that football player looks more like a Chicago Bear. And look at all the Arby's restaurants!

Noticed today that the former Circuit City location is undergoing renovations, presumably for the Fresh Thyme Market.

^Sure, I realize this is architectural photography and not street shots, but out of all those shots I'd have thought you'd catch at least one random person...

It's like a ghost town! I see no human beings in these shots - how is that possible?

^ I'm not sure we're talking about the same thing. I'm thinking specifically where the current train tracks cross Shaw and Michigan as being dangerous to potential MUP users. Traffic heading west along Wasson and wishing to turn left onto these streets has to contend with a normally steady flow on Wasson eastbound. Turns by these drivers are often necessarily done with haste, with an eye only on oncoming traffic. Throw in pedestrians/bikes, often coming from behind those left turning cars, and I can foresee conflicts. The volume turning left onto those streets isn't huge, but they are "back ways" for traffic to get to Hyde Park Square, and there's enough historically that they've installed speed humps. I'm advocating for left turns to be prohibited onto those streets. The Kroger parking lot won't have a bearing on the Wasson MUP. It's on the other side of Wasson from Hyde Park Plaza. The entrances to Rookwood on Edwards aren't a factor to the MUP, either. The Madison entrance to Rookwood, along with the entire Wasson/Edwards/Madison intersection, will be the real trick.

It's not so much the checkout lines or parking for me. I just don't much like a crowded grocery store - it's just a bit harder to get around when there's a ton of people with carts. When the HP Kroger was my store I would try to shop at off-times just because I could get in and out more quickly.

I don't know. I can see some pretty fierce NIMBY opposition in that section of Hyde Park to light rail. You know, the old triad of property values/perceived crime/won't someone think of the children. Just look at what one guy who was vehemently opposed to the Erie bike lanes was able to do ("roads are for cars!"). I will withhold judgment until some plans are drawn up, but I worry about the safety of an MUP next to Wasson, too. There are a lot of odd non-aligned intersections and grade crossings, and Wasson has enough congestion that turns to side streets (especially lefts) are often rushed. Perhaps if they prohibit left turns to southbound Shaw and Michigan and work the bike path into the signals at Paxton some of that could be mitigated. This still leaves the Edwards/Madison crossings un-addressed. I don't envy the engineers on that one - that intersection barely works through voodoo and dark magic as-is.

Very much agree. Akin to those ominous opening scenes in "Independence Day," Kroger finally hovers over Oakley Station with its biggest store locally and second largest store nationally. And, as was mentioned, the shakeup/fallout amongst nearby big-box food retailers may prove catastrophic. (and how this new Marketplace store will affect either Kroger at Hyde Park or Surrey Square is anyone's guess) Nevertheless, bring it on. As for myself--if only out of curiosity--I hope to be one of the first shoppers through the doors! :-D I forgot about the one in Norwood. I think that one will continue to serve a somewhat different clientele - the Surrey Square Kroger sees a good part of its clientele from the bus line from places like Avondale. Kroger has pledged to keep the Hyde Park store open. That one will look positively quaint in comparison. I'm sort of OK with this move, too. I won't be first in line like Subocincy, but I imagine it'll be where we end up shopping. Remke's takeover of Bigg's was a bad one in my view - the quality of Remke's foods, especially produce, is mediocre at best, though they have a good beer selection at Hyde Park. Meijer is only OK too. The Hyde Park Kroger is always jam-packed so I avoid it.

^Now, now, be fair - it's only 3.3 acres under roof. 8.5 acres will be for the incredible shortage of parking in that area. Duh... So, Meijer, both Remke's, Fresh Market, and probably Whole Foods are all on notice. That Fresh Thyme Market that's supposed to go into the old Circuit City doesn't stand a chance. And I bet the food section at Target won't last much longer, either (not that it's hopping now). So we'll have a really nice Kroger, but I have to think we'll have more giant empty boxes around, too.

Is that really true? When I lived in Hyde Park but worked in Anderson, I still paid city earnings tax.

As a student, I was always upset when they tore up the central (cheapest) parking lot to install the ribbon of greenspace and Sigma Sigma Commons. The campus, despite what the university might wish, is a commuter campus. Taking away the cheapest parking to put in a greenspace no one uses was a slap in the face to the students.