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FYI... Dr. Ervin is who bought the old Southern Belle bar in the Oregon District and turned it into a $1.6 million home. I know he was very active in Grassroots Greater Dayton and the effort to build a streetcar system in Dayton. Dayton could use a few more people like him and the Shifflers. I'm glad to hear this new effort for the Oregon District. Not only is it something that I personally look forward to, but hopefully it will help set the OD apart from the Greene.

Overall, it looks better than I remember. It's good to hear they are working with Preservation Ohio and is even more encouraging to hear they a good turnout for the launch of the program.

I was going to say I bet that Pizza House is pretty cool on the inside, but judging by the way they put that big exhaust fan on the front of the building, I'm not quite as hopeful. BTW, I'm feeling lazy today...where exactly is New London?

So true, and its funny you mention that. I was just driving through this neighborhood last weekend and was thinking about what is holding this neighborhood back from having more "prestige" associated with it. I talked to a friend who is a police officer in District 5 and says the neighborhood is generally safe. I'm sure Chris could share some insight, but really the only things I could come up with were the media and people's perception of safety, school district (but other historic districts seem to be able to deal with that), and racial intolerance. Nice job, Ink.

Not the best pictures, but I assume this it...

Nicely done! Definitely one of my favorite cities in Ohio as well as one of my favorite courthouses.

Here's a map of the preferred plan.... Click on the image for a pdf that shows more detail... (Also, was there another thread for this topic that I missed? I'm pretty sure there has been discussion about this since June of 2005)

Market Street Plaza The Greater Dayton Regional Transit Authority (RTA) is working on plans to design a new, state-of-the-art transit center on Market Street (between Main and Jefferson). RTA sees great opportunity to improve pedestrian flow at Third and Main Streets while enhancing amenities for RTA customers whose origin or destination is downtown. Market Street Plaza will also bring new retail opportunities to Wright Stop Plaza tenants. Goals include: Improve the visual appeal of Wright Stop Plaza Make the area more pedestrian friendly Improve transit service quality for downtown Eliminate extensive bus queuing along Main Street Relocate RTA customers to a safe environment, protected from inclement weather Support Convention Center events and activities Separate transit services from adjacent retail uses Increase the level of security and safety in the area The new transit center calls for conversion of Jefferson Street to two-way traffic between Third and Fourth Streets to facilitate bus routing within the central business district. RTA will then be able to remove bus stops within approximately a two-block radius of Third and Main Streets, thereby relieving congestion on the roadways. The RTA Board has approved the final design contract and development of construction plans. RTA continues to seek support and input from key stakeholders and is committed to seeing this project through. Source: RTA http://www.downtowndayton.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=118

Although the whitewater rafting part of Riverscape Phase III is dead, anyone (Billy) know if the ice rink still going forward? I noticed it was on the DDP website. From the website.... RiverScape Entertainment Plaza The RiverScape Entertainment Plaza will provide the community with a beautiful festival and concert venue. It will also be home to a new, larger ice skating rink during the winter. No doubt, the plaza will be the region’s center for free entertainment, music and large festivals. Plans for the plaza include: Covered pavilion overlooking the river Permanent stage and covered seating Larger ice skating rink, allowing skating during rain, snow and mild temperatures Concessions and restrooms Bike hub with showers, lockers and other amenities for cyclists stopping at RiverScape The flowers, fountains and fun that RiverScape is famous for throughout the year Construction to begin in 2008

I stopped in the Value City on Woodman today....they had some seasonal clearance sales going on, but no going out of business sale. I was at the Value City in Lima on Sunday and they had going out of business signs everywhere, no return policy signs and receipts were on yellow paper to signify no returns. None of that at the VC on Woodman, so at this point it looks like the one on Woodman might be staying open.

I wouldn't be so sure of that (but this is just pure speculation on my part.) It appears that both Dayton properties are owned by Kimco Realty, who Jay Schottenstein has numerous business deals with per the article I linked to above. I assume that Schottenstein somehow benefits if those buildings are filled, and if Value City closed I can't imagine anything else moving into those locations anytime soon. So I would imagine that most of the stores closing are in leased locations owned by a third party. Now, I'm not sure what, if any, stake Schottenstein has in VCHI Acquisition Co., the new majority owner of Value City, but I would assume he has a stake somehow given his past record or is at least still pulling strings. But then again, I'm probably over analyzing the whole thing. Also, a couple of the Cincinnati area stores (IIRC, Ridge Ave. and Covington) are among those that were sold to Burlington Coat Factory and will be converted to Burlington stores.

After reading this article in Forbes a couple of years ago about how Jay Schottenstein conducts business, I'm sure somehow he's making big bucks on this deal.

I'm sorry to hear about your father-in-law. Those are some stunning shots of such a beautiful city. Thanks for sharing.

Wow, what a unique place....the town hall is awesome, some grand old houses, and the cheese building is pretty cool.

I should have known to checkout your website for information about Cheshire, seicer. Thanks for posting the link. Apparently the previous courthouse burnt down in 1980. Thanks for the picture of the old one, Ink.

Gallipolis, Ohio I was definitely impressed with how nice and well-kept downtown Gallipolis is, especially for being such an old river town located in one of the poorer regions of the state. Third oldest city in Ohio. Gallipolis was settled in 1790 by French aristocrats escaping the guillotine in post-Bastille Day, pre-revolutionary France County seat of Gallia County. The population was 4,180 at the 2000 census, an 18% drop from the 1990 census level of 5,085. When the population dropped below 5,000, Gallipolis became a village, but continues to operate under its existing city charter. Gallipolis gained notoriety for the collapse of the Silver Bridge. Gallipolis is the hometown of Bob Evans, founder of Bob Evans Restaurants, the original one of which was located on Upper River Road in Gallipolis. Source: Wikipedia

Yeah, so surprising....those Wal-Mart stores are really known for their tiny parking lots. :roll: Seriously though, what's up with the DBJ's infatuation with reviewing suburban restaurants in strip malls (and most of the time chain restaurants)?

So basically are they saying that they are having a hard time filling up all the space with major national tenants?

Nicely done, Rob. I especially like the shot with the courthouse and Lincoln Tower, as well as the diner pictures.

Continued from Part 1 Church and cemetery, across the street from the capital building The State House grounds Just in case you forgot you were in the South. State Government Office Building behind the capital building More state government office buildings Slavery and civil rights monument on the capital grounds. Very nicely done, IMO. So long from Columbia, SC

I did for the first time this past weekend. Other than being a little late, had absolutely no problems. It was a great value and would have no problem flying Skybus again for my leisure travel, which is good since I have four more upcoming trips already booked.

But fwiw, Heartland Airlines did end up reincarnated as Skybus Airlines.

Here's a pic of the building from a year or two ago.... Click for larger view

Congratulations! The house you are purchasing is a great house and has been well taken care of from what I have seen and heard. I wasn't surprised that it only stayed on the market such a short period of time. Welcome to the neighborhood!

First of all, welcome to Urban Ohio, gam3rchic. As inkaelin said, I do live in Linden Heights. I bought a house in the neighborhood a little over two years ago and have absolutely no regrets. As you noticed, overall, it is a well-kept neighborhood with affordable housing prices. There are some pockets here and there that aren't as good, but overall it is a great area. The actual neighborhood covers a pretty decent area and encompasses a couple different housing styles. The western part of the neighborhood is mostly 1920's era foursquares and the eastern part consists more of cape cod style homes. I'm not sure where you or your husband work, but the location is great for me. I can be at work in about 5-10 minutes (or walk, bike, or take the bus on the very rare days I'm feeling motivated in the morning), also I can be downtown in 5-10 minutes and being so close to US-35 gives great access to the entire metro. Regarding crime, the occasional garage or car break-in is about the most serious crime issue, things that are almost as likely to happen in Kettering. Also, occasionally there has been the random drug house, but we as a neighborhood have been pretty active in working with the police and have had pretty good success in dealing with these issues. Although there seems to be a good deal of older residents, there are plenty of families in the neighborhood (as evidenced by the 350-400 trick-or-treaters I get each year). Although probably more blue collar, it really is a good mix of working class, professional, young, old, families, singles, couples, etc. The one area where the neighborhood falls a little short is in racial diversity, which sadly is not surprising given Dayton's racial geography. IMO, the best asset of the neighborhood has been my neighbors. There isn't a day that goes by that I don't talk to at least one of my neighbors. Whether it is a neighbor sitting on their front porch and saying hi and asking how my day was when I get home from work; talking to my next door neighbor over the back fence; chatting with the neighbors from the end of the block as they walk their dog; a neighbor bringing over fresh baked cookies; or just going over to a neighbor's house to sit on the back deck and enjoy a few beers. It is great! Also, if you do end up moving to the neighborhood, I would encourage to get involved with the Linden Heights Community Council. As an officer of the organization, I can tell you we are a committed group that wants nothing more than to see the neighborhood prosper, but if people aren't involved, it is often a challenge. The more people that are involved, the more and better things we can do. I have created a website for the Linden Heights Community Council at http://www.lindenhts.com/, so please take a look at it! Also, there is a house just a couple doors down from me for sale that is a bank repo and with a some work, would be a great house. Then you could not only say that you live on the best block in the neighborhood, but then you would also have the privilege of being my neighbor! ;) If you have any specific questions, please ask. I will do my best to answer!