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In case people here aren't subscribed to Bridge Forward, they are asking people to contact the Mayor's office to show support for their alternative. It's incredibly easy and just takes a few seconds to send pre-written email, or call and leave a message: https://www.bridge-forward.org/action

The advantage of the purple route is how close it comes to lots of UC housing. The new Deacon development, and all the houses lining Flora, Victor, Chickasaw, etc. That's a population that seems like it would really use the line, and reduce the need for students to all have cars and find parking in the neighborhood.

Some new images were posted on the CUF Neighborhood Association Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/CUFNA/photos/pcb.5277581392293165/5277576012293703

There appears to be new renderings on their Courbanize page as well (at least I hadn't seen them before): https://courbanize.com/projects/trinitas-cuf/information

Traffic calming on McMillan Avenue at Fairview Park Drive and Clemmer: Due to an increase in car accidents, on McMillan at Clemmer, Jack Martin reported that DOTE will be reducing uphill traffic to one lane and installing paddles • Jack suggested adding a bike lane where the second uphill lane currently exists, and a marked crosswalk at Clemmer and the entrance to Fairview Park From the October 2021 CUF newsletter. I haven't heard anything else about it so I have no idea if it's still in the works. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5dd5834d0ca97e68df9cd414/t/6164dd367106911bfdb26780/1634000221118/Oct21.pdf

A much-needed sidewalk is finally going in between the intersection of Fairview Ave / McMillan and the entrance to Fairview Park. Currently the only way to walk to/from this entrance of the park involves a mad dash across McMillan as it curves up the hill. I've done it with a stroller and it's not fun. This should make the park easier to access at that end for pedestrians.

I agree, my only comment was to add McMicken to the list. I usually take East Clifton on bike since traffic on McMicken can be too fast for comfortable biking.

Didn't we miss the boat on that width the recent "diet"?

I drove by the Flatiron building the other day and was surprised to see how quickly it's getting renovated. Mt. Auburn CDC posted these images on Facebook

Being a current resident of CUF for now 5 years, there are certainly a decent percentage of cars that just sit for weeks at a time. I'm assuming they're students who mostly walk (possibly for fear of losing their space). Not sure what it would take to get them to ditch their cars altogether. CUF is in a weird middle ground between being dense enough to be completely walkable, but spread out enough to make cars an asset.

Looks like good projects. Always overlooked though are the public staircases, a number of which are in complete disrepair. Those are assets that the city could capitalize on and use to reconnect neighborhoods, in conjunction with the (much-needed) streetscape improvements.

Spring in Our Steps posted this interesting diagram of how the various alleyways/streets on the hillside between Mohawk and Clifton Heights used to look: I have no idea what would go into reactivating that portion of Renner St, not to mention the stair connection to Klotter. But it seems with the increased housing demand there might be a reason to do so, unless it was abandoned for landslide/safety issues and not just misguided 1960s "urban renewal." It looks like this may be where the Manchester stairs hit Klotter: https://www.google.com/maps/@39.1223459,-84.5237325,3a,71.7y,183.84h,89.73t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1sMIu8VBFcMP2CNOt7l1iFog!2e0!6shttps:%2F%2Fstreetviewpixels-pa.googleapis.com%2Fv1%2Fthumbnail%3Fpanoid%3DMIu8VBFcMP2CNOt7l1iFog%26cb_client%3Dmaps_sv.tactile.gps%26w%3D203%26h%3D100%26yaw%3D182.42052%26pitch%3D0%26thumbfov%3D100!7i16384!8i8192

Will we ever see circular buildings make a comeback? The riverfront Radisson in Covington is perhaps the last standard-bearer in the region.

The painted bricks are a defining feature of OTR that differentiate it from other 19th century historic districts. I love how gaudy they can be - like the above rehab painted navy blue, hunter green and light pink.

Now that the race is without a frontrunner - any likelihood that Aftab would run for mayor?

https://search-proquest-com.research.cincinnatilibrary.org/hnpcincinnatienquirershell/docview/1886216750/E49786FA13CF4BC9PQ/1 If you have a Cincinnati Library card you can read this fascinating Enquirer article from 1974 titled "The Calhoun." It captures the moment when the area of Calhoun/McMillan was on the cusp of being transformed from a working-class Appalachian neighborhood into a fast-food wasteland. Some great photos in there as well, interspersed with ads for 70's sofa sets.

There was an attempt a couple year ago at the CUF council meetings to do a "rebranding" of the neighborhood name. It didn't end up getting anywhere, but there's definitely a known issue with the name. I remember some of the options were Clifton Heights (since that's already the name of the main business district), Fariview, and Bellevue. Besides the fact that no one uses it, it's just a terrible name for a neighborhood. I do think CUF is unique enough to warrant its own neighborhood status, but I always describe myself as living in Clifton, or at most Clifton Heights. I used to say Fairview, thinking people might be familiar with the old school or the park, but no one was. We could just let the realtors rebrand it as "Above-the-Rhine."

I really enjoyed 3 Points, both their location/space and their actual beer, which I think was best in the city. Sad to see them go, but Braxton is a solid replacement.

The group rehabbing the Imperial Theatre posted a video featuring a look at the current state of the building. It's much bigger inside than I realized, with what appears to be a full balcony.

In the latest HCB packet (https://www.cincinnati-oh.gov/buildings/historic-conservation/historic-conservation-board/february-24-2020-staff-report-and-attachments/) there is a proposal for a "750 sf deli with seating" at 100 E. Clifton. That stretch doesn't currently have any businesses that I'm aware of. Kind of surprising, but would be great if it works out. https://www.google.com/maps/place/100+E+Clifton+Ave,+Cincinnati,+OH+45202/@39.116567,-84.5152448,3a,75y,31.19h,104.02t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sLXWkiwxV3v8atLJoxR8SBQ!2e0!7i16384!8i8192!4m5!3m4!1s0x8841b3fa4d6c7771:0xe3f99a31ce702b25!8m2!3d39.1166786!4d-84.5150709

As of yesterday afternoon, that Mt. Tabor Baptist Church on Ravine has been completely torn down.

Thanks for the info. I always thought those stairs and buildings were a great representation of how magical Cincinnati could look. Is there anything remotely similar in other cities?

I didn't realize those lasted all the way to the 90s. Are there any pictures of them from that time?

There are still a few parcels around that someone could theoretically build a decently high-density housing (student or otherwise). I'm thinking of McMillan/Auburn, Vine/Calhoun, the mini strip mall of CVS and banks between McMillan and Calhoun, this huge lot that used to be a dentist but is now for sale, and of course the upcoming "District" development. I seriously doubt any of those potential developments would be low-income though. But maybe with a few of those taking students off the single-family housing rental market, we might see more renovations/restorations. I know when we were looking for something in CUF a few years ago the rehabs needed for some of the Italianate buildings on Flora/Victor etc seemed daunting. They've been so chopped up and abused by landlords, it's almost easier to start with an abandoned shell like you can get in OTR (though now in much more limited supply).

How did that 5-story building get past the review board? It's so obviously out of scale for the neighborhood! /s