TroyEros

Just my observation. I feel in general most people are supportive who rode. But I did notice quite a few people and families complain about how it was a waste of tax dollars and how this is there first and last ride. I enjoyed the street car personally. It really made downtown more compact and accessible. It was fun being to hop on Washington Park, go to Findley market and ride to the CAC with ease. That said, I do think there is a demand for something with more speed and less stop and go. I guess that's my only complaint as well. Yes it's faster than walking, but I just wish I could get to my destination in more of an instant. Maybe that's just my impatience rubbing out though.

I over heard quite a few number of people complain about how slow the streetcar is and decided to get out and just walk. I sort of agree. I enjoy the convience of not having to walk, but the constant stopping and overall speed is a bit annoying. It does feel like it takes forever to get to stop to stop. Especially in traffic.

Not sure if it's just today, or what. But I really don't like these intervals. Standing in the hot sun for 12-15 minutes is awful. An honestly I can walk to Findley market from Washington Park in less time. It needs to be 5-6 minutes no more between street cars. Otherwise I can't see how it's a popular option for us, especially if the weather is less than ideal.

I think the obvious phase 3 route would be to have a light rail line that specifically connects CVG to downtown Cincinnati, and potentially one for Lunken Airport as well. Also, I'm not sure how feasible this, but one day I'd love to see a high speed monorail line that can climb to Mt. Adams and Price Hill. I just don't think a sky tram, or a funicular is the answer really (mostly due to the speed factor). Especially if there's potential for these 2 areas to have more density, and a larger business presence.

My main reason for wanting luxury retailers and gentrification continuing northbound into OTR is that I don't see it happening anywhere else. The CBD for whatever reason just cannot support anything. Restaurants constantly fail in the CBD, retailers constantly fail in the CBD. Just retail in general, for whatever reason just sucks and crumbles in the CBD. But for whatever reason OTR is able to have these businesses and restaurants flourish. I want Cincinnati to elevate as a city. Whenever tourists go to another city they WANT those luxury retailers. For Cincinnati to seriously step up, and become a serious travel destination city, we need a night life district, and a luxury shopping district. All of the big cities, like Toronto, NYC, Boston, San Fran, Miami, Chicago they are LUXURY. They are also one of the most traveled to cities. I guess my point is, is that in order for Cincinnati to eventually reach this tier of "top level" city in America, we need wealth in our urban core. We need luxury retailers, we ultimately need very rich residents, and alot of them. Pushing out poor families and residents sucks. But it also sucks that these areas become breeding grounds for crime, and dilapidated conditions due to poverty. I know for instance if OTR never became an island for poverty, we would see much more buildings intact than we do today. I don't know if there is a balance. I'd like to hope so, but I don't see a future for Cincinnati which doesn't involve extreme wealth in it's neighborhoods.

It's quite an ugly little building too.

Is it possible in the future for every street car stop to have a designated time board panel where we can visually see the projected arrival times of the street car?

I always have a hard time in general understanding how OTR got as bad as it did in the first place. In European countries you don't really have war zone like ghettos like cincinnati/other American cities have. I remember when I was a teen, and me and a few friends from UC decided to drive down to OTR during the late 90's when it was REALLY bad. It was kind of a cool/scary adventure of sorts driving down those OTR streets and just seeing the horror's of it all. I just never understood how a city, and the people who govern the city and manage it can allow for such conditions. Was cincinnati just really broke and on the verge of a detroit like bankruptcy at a time during the late 90's/early 2000's? I never understood why the city itself was so poor that they couldn't purchase these old buildings and rehabilitate it themselves. I never understood why it meant that if you were poor and underprivileged in America that such poor horrid living conditions like that was deemed okay? It just couldn't wrap my head around it. That there were actual good and honest families living in such a wasteland. Driving down OTR literally felt almost 3rd world country esque. The vacant lots, the crumbling buildings ready to fall. The dirty streets and side walks. No one gave 2 damns about that neighborhood or it's residents, and I felt horrified that such horrid conditions could exist in Cincinnati, let alone America. I understand that there are a lot of neighborhood "ghettos" like this across america. But I never understood why the city leaders aren't put up to higher standards, and why in a country that's deemed so great and mighty like America proclaims itself to be, has neighborhoods where conditions are almost 3rd world country like. Why doesn't Europe have such abundance of dilapidated neighborhoods, but America does? Random thoughts I know, but I always felt amazed by OTR and how those living conditions were considered okay. Human beings, no matter there race or level of income should NEVER be subjected to such conditions that OTR once faced during it's darkest days. But yet, the majority of cincinnatians didn't really care (I'm sure there were groups that did, but I feel like average suburban family from Montgomery probably cared less about the living conditions of a poor african american family) . It seemed very much so, "Not my life, not my problem."

I don't understand why people have to litter so badly in that area. Is it correlation with people and their perceived environment? So if the place looks like trash (blight, vacant lots, dilapidated buildings, etc) people who live there are more likely to not care and trash there environment? I also don't understand why North Liberty of OTR is so damn dark. It seems like it's a basic human service to produce proper lighting, but at night that stretch of Vine is pitch black at times. That seems like a basic civic service, but is being completely ignored by the city.

Speaking of streetscape improvements...When will Elm St, Walnut St, and Clay Street have there utilities buried similar to how Vine has already done? Also, I hope there are plans to get rid of those ugly wooden snake lights (don't know the official name for that style) on Race Street, and replace them with those nice fancy old style lamps that Vine has already in place. I'm also hoping that maybe one day down the road that some of the more residential streets like clay/pleasant/republic/jackson/etc...will have car traffic restriction in place and become woonerfs (like how they are planning for pleasant st), and have the historic brick underneath the pavement exposed with some nice parklets built.

In the HCB packet there was an interesting development with the Kaufman building on Vine St. Plans call for full renovation, ground floor retail, residential above, and a 4 story rear addition that will occupy the vacant republic street side. http://www.cincinnati-oh.gov/buildings/historic-conservation/historic-conservation-board/july-25-2016-staff-reports-and-attachments/

Adding another parking garage would've been horrible. OTR was meant to be a neighborhood that people walked in and explored. By building more garages your basically encouraging people (especially those who are visiting from the suburbs) to park there car, walk less than a block to there favorite restaurant, and go home and call it a day. Also, if we had built the garage then we would have demolished the rear of a good number of buildings as well.

Very true. I also think that at the end of the day that many young cincinnatians are finally realizing how important OTR is to our culture of Cincinnati. OTR isn't just a neighborhood, but rather a vital lifeline to our past. It's history is profound, and the buildings become more than just old and antiquated buildings, but rather a key connection to our past and history. Other neighborhoods struggle establishing that identity that OTR has been able to establish recently with our millienials. I really think it's because it's not just about the architecture, but it's also about being able to live in a neighborhood that has so much history and meaning that OTR has to Cincinnati. I think at the end of the day, I'll trade a 100% fully rehabbed OTR/Pendelton/Old West End/Mohawk/Brighton district, and be perfectly fine with losing everything else. There's nothing like OTR in cincinnati. No other neighborhood compares to it's beauty, and it's street layout, and it's history. Oh and the views! Certain houses on mulberry street over look above all of OTR, and downtown cincinnati. It's so damn priceless, and on a crisp sunrise there's nothing more beautiful to witness the sunrise against the historic brick row houses and church steeples. No other neighborhood holds the sheer magnitude of potential that OTR holds. OTR is a neighborhood time capsule that is rare to find nowadays in the midwest, and is continually disappearing in other major cities, and I promise you that it will become a premier attraction for our city when everything is built out and gentrified. I've grown to become a preservationist through my discovery and love for OTR. But I'll admit, my love for Cincinnati is really only because of my discovery of OTR. It's that special of a neighborhood for me, and I'm literally obsessed with the potential it holds (in terms of rehabilitation and infill and just continued gentrification northwards). But it still saddens me regardless to see continue destruction of other neighborhoods, especially when it's for surface lots or ugly infill.

I think what your going to end up having is most of OTR salvaged, the OLD West End will follow through when OTR gets built out. Brighton/Mohawk district will be salvaged as well as part of the OTR, "Super Block", along side Pendelton as well. The problem is that millennials are very passionate for OTR, and will do anything to save any structure in that district. But if it's a historic building in Walnut Hills there's not many care's given. I don't understand how this big disconnect came about, but millennials are very territorial nowadays with preservation, and right now they only thing they care about is preserving OTR. Which I get. There's nothing like OTR. There's nothing like it's narrow streets, and hidden alleyways. It's really special, and Walnut Hills lacks that super star gloss that OTR has. But still preservation should apply to every neighborhood, and favoritism towards one particular neighborhood over the other is BS. But sadly that's currently how it is. Lots of love for millennials and OTR. Other neighborhoods, not so much...

I would argue that Cleveland still doesn't get it. There are literally disappearing neighborhoods in the outer ring urban neighborhoods of cleveland. Lets not forget that whole casino debacle either. Cleveland is just as bad as Cincy. Alot of Cincinnatians and Americans think historic american architecture is very samey, and boring. Lack of details, and very plain to the eye. I can understand that in some ways. Definitely lacks the grandiosity in fine intimate details of historic European architecture. Plus every historic building in Cincinnati you can most likely find similar buildings in Columbus or Cleveland or NYC, or Boston. There's not that level of culture in it's architecture that so many European countries have. There's nothing unique so to speak, nothing that a Cincinnatian can identify with and point out that is completely unique to there city in terms of architecture. You can find Italianate historic structures in literally any east coast city you travel to. That's why I think there's a lack of care in some respects to historic old buildings, they are every where in america (not a dying breed so to speak where you can only travel to X part of the country to see such buildings), and antiquated in many average people eyes. Plus there's a lack of culture IMO. Many of us are german, and the city of cincinnati is many our grandfathers and great grandparents grew up in and established there roots. I think that many cincinnatians have an identity crisis, and can't really relate to Cincinnati and there own personal history and culture. A void, so to speak. That said the craftsman ship in just the pure brick work is leagues upon anything we have now.

Even though that Towne Property project is low density (which is a shame being on the street car line and all), you have to admit that have these new infill structures in place are really making Elm Street look more cohesive and, "put together" so to speak. The last big project for that half of Elm Street is figuring out what to do with that old cricket wireless lot on the right side of elm and liberty. edit: speaking of which how did that cricket i wireless store even get approved by the HCB? The design is just something plopped out of a strip mall. Was there a time when the HCB didn't really care about what was being built in OTR during the rough periods of the early 2000's, and sort of approved whatever?

Does the salvation army own that parking lot on 12th and main? Would love to see some infill developed there to help continue reinforce that wall of structures currently there .

What have we completed in OTR is probably at 30% of what is still left to be done. OTR is a really large neighborhood (especially if you include the Mohawk district, and Pendelton into the mix). There's so much more of OTR still left to be renovated. But that's what excites me I guess. When it's all said and done and completed it will become an international travel destination. I can almost guarantee it. There's nothing left in the Midwest that has the size and scope of OTR. The weight that a fully revitalized OTR (and hopefully one day old west end as well) is absolutely huge. This neighborhood has the potential to put not just Cincinnati on the map for locals and Americans alike, but internationally as well. Neighborhoods like OTR are constantly disappearing in other cities in America. Look at St. Louis for instance as a prime example of this. Even Chicago is experiencing a huge influx of demolition. There's a huge expressed interest to knock away anything old, for something new. So the fact you still have a dense neighborhood that was built in the 19th century and still remains today is pretty huge. The reason why we visit Europe is to experience it's architecture. We want to visit it's old town, and be swarmed by that atmosphere of it's history. OTR is the equivalent of that IMO. It will be on the same "must see" cities like NYC/Boston/Charleston/San Fran/Philly/New Orleans that European travelers will travel to to experience "America". And to be, there's no better example of America and it's history of it's architecture than in OTR. I know I might be a gushing a bit to much, so I apoligize. But to me OTR has so much potential for the future of this city. A fully revitalized OTR with shops/bars/restaurants/housing/etc from south of liberty, to north of liberty, all the way to pendelton and mohawk just gives me the shivers quite honestly.

Pendelton would look so slick if they took out the pavement, and had the area be nothing but belgium bricks. Considering how narrow the streets are in Pendelton, a European style woonerf would work really well.

So apperantly the net was installed by the director of demolition" https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10154476453414236&set=gm.1570049869962810&type=3&theater My question guys for you..We have a city council. We have a historic conservation board. Yes I know cranley is corrupt, but surely there's people in council that can stand up against him? It's clear that there intent is going to be to make the structure accidently unstable. Shouldn't this make the HCB pissed, and be like, "What the hell are you guys doing?" I guess what I'm saying, can we compile enough evidence against the Josephs and there latest actions, and pin them for purposely dismantling the building in hopes of demolishing it?

Love the GE building. Really adds to our riverfront

Hopefully we can document there every move when it comes to the Dennison. If the building all of a sudden becomes "structurally unsound", we will know why. Hopefully we can take the evidence like Tastell video and use that as cannon fodder against the Josephs.

A random thought, but wanted to hear your guys opinion. With gentrification of OTR slowly moving up north of liberty, do you guys forsee that park by East Mickmicken Avenu to stay a park, or potentially be a site for a large infill project later down the road? North of Liberty already has another park up on Vine St, so I wasn't sure in my mind if there was a need in the neighborhood for this park, or if that site was better suited for infill development?

I'm saying if they cause manipulation to the building to the point where debris would fall and potentially injure a pedestrian (due to them wanting, to make it so the building was proved to be structurally unsound, and be allowed for demolition by the HCB). They would face potential imprisonment, no? Especially since countless photos were documented showing that building just a month ago was structurally sound.

Why not discourage drug dealing by telling them to stay in highschool and become a decent human being.