Gordon Bombay

^I believe there was talk of doing just that, a small boxing arena attached to the casino. I've never heard anything else about it aside from maybe one article. Cincinnati is definitely in need of a new, major, arena. US Bank Arena is out of date. Look at the circus when it comes here... they set up on the street cause the arena is so small on the inside. IMHO, if Cincinnati builds a new arena they need to go big or just keep USBA. A 20,000 seat, modern facility like Nationwide Arena in Columbus or the Sprint Center in Kansas City. NKU has the BOKC which is super nice, medium sized facility. Even without a major tenant, a city our size should have a large arena to attract the big concerts. NBA wouldn't be likely at the moment, but a new facility and the right people and I bet you could lure a team here. The NHL will never put a team in Cincinnati so long as Columbus exists and even if they didn't, our market was passed over time and time again by the NHL. That being said, this market could support AHL and "real" arena football. I don't see UC moving their basketball games downtown. They did that in the past and moved to campus once they got their own arena. I wouldn't be surprised if when they do push for a new arena, they make it a UC facility and not a downtown multi purpose arena. The Gardens is absolutely classic, but it's privately owned and I can assure you that the people who own it do not have the capital to build a modern, 20,000 seating facility. The suburbs provides the land, but what are you gonna do after the game? Screw that. Dream Plan: Build the arena on the other side of I-75 on the west side of the city. Bridge it over the highway to the convention center. Have the court/hockey rink face east to west with a nice glass atrium on the arena that faces downtown. Take the former USBA spot, move Pete Rose Way over a little bit so you can fit rail to the transit center and have the rest be an extension of Sawyer Point with a prominent memorial to The Who concert victims.

^Are you talking in this area: That was taken on Sunday and the sooner that's developed, the better.

And here's a batch of six that I shot yesterday. A lot of my friends seem to dislike the first one in the top left. Anyone have any thoughts? I personally really like it.

Thank you sir! I may do that, if I could ever figure out how to pronounce it. I've been pretty bad at updating this so far. Mainly due to how slow/bad my laptop has become. Luckily on Thursday, my new iMac will be here and I can get back to business. Since the last time I posted here, I've had two new updates, check em out: #5 - A Crossing in the Commonwealth http://queencitydiscovery.blogspot.com/2012/02/224-cincy-5-crossing-in-commonwealth.html - A quirky, strange pedestrian bridge in Northern, KY. #6 - Nineteen Eighty8 http://queencitydiscovery.blogspot.com/2012/03/224-cincy-6-nineteen-eighty8.html - A Northern KY view inspired by a Bicentennial magazine.

Yeah. It's over in Covington. My friend described it best when he said: "It's like a Waffle House took a s**t on Pike St." In all seriousness, it seems this "Anchor" will be a far cry from the Covington institution that "may doze, but is closed."

No that's a homonym joke (peat, Pete; as opposed to rose, Rose)

^Was that really a plan?

I believe that is Astro Turf from Riverfront Stadium. The Garden next to it is the "Rose Garden" where Pete's historic hit landed.

I really don't think the building looks too bad. What I do dislike is how bland it looks at street level with the wide sidewalk. Maybe some bike racks or flower beds on the sidewalk would help? By the way, didn't see why everyone was complaining about the overhand for TK then I drove by it this morning. Wow...

^I wouldn't say so much that it's from the city, more so from the suburbs. Personally, I don't get it. I grew up in Fairfield and my family regularly ventured downtown for Reds games, circus, museum center, train display, etc. My dad grew up in NYC and ever since moving here really liked downtown Cincy/isn't "afraid" of being downtown. The majority of people I grew up with/went to high school with think it's another world. I remember the first time my friend and I in high school drove down to Cincinnati on our own just after getting our driver licenses, my friend thought OTR was right next to Sawyer Point and that we needed to get out of there as fast as we could. In regards to the NCAA tournament coming here, The Banks is nothing but a big sell and I'm sure the streetcar will be too. The only reason I could see Cincinnati not getting it is due to age of US Bank Arena. The more higher profile games in major cities are usually at really nice, modern arenas. USBA can't even handle a 5,000 crowd Cyclones game. I put no validity into the statements of callers/folks on WLW. Even Lance McAllister, I had to stop listening to him, that guy is an idiot. Hopefully Cincinnati can nail down an NCAA tourney game and the MLB All-Star game. We have the downtown to support these kinds of events and the sports market for them.

Exactly. Even though many of us don't love the Banks development, in terms of architecture (and maybe tenant selection), at least they started with a street grid and it was all based on the very hard work by many to get FWW narrowed and minimize the disconnect to downtown. The planner from "Urban California" (what a name...) who is taking money from NOTL - and promising them an Apple store once they add signage - has desperation as part of his business model. I own two apple products and am about to buy my third. I've thought about getting their version of the "at home Geek Squad" thing, simply because I can not stand going to Kenwood Mall. If one came to NOTL, I'd be incredibly happy. I don't see that place getting the foot traffic to justify it for Apple though.

In terms of national events, Hopefully Cincinnati lands an all star game soon. Next NL one is 2013 but I believe that's going to NYC. 2015? Banks really hopping, streetcar in action and the MLB All Stars Game at GABP?

So did you ever find that Wedding Crashers DVD? Does anyone know how exactly the track work will be set up? From my ignorant position, it seems to me that while they're working on ELM they'd just go ahead and lay down some rails right after they finish underground work, but apparently track work comes later in the summer/fall? Anyone know when we'll start to see the catenary wire go in?

^Bummer. The Huey's concept sounded cool. Im just gonna open up my own diner. Master of Puppets on every joke box, every day, every hour.

Uh, hey, yeah so this Mahogany's controversy is interesting and all, but does anyone know when that Huey's 24/7 diner is supposed to open? Cause Joe's Diner on Sycamore is still on their winter hours, Johnny Rocket's is only open when they feel like it and Holy Grail is good, but Cincinnati needs more diners. Edit: BTW, while you may or may not agree with how the whole financing thing is being handled, why would you not give the business a try? My parents lived in Fairfield and my sisters attended school in Hamilton. They rave about the other place these people own.

It probably looks better on them if they say they went and checked it out rather than they just flat out say "Oh, hey, lol, we were wrong." Doesn't matter anyways, the Enquirer or any other local media won't call them out for trying to take more money than they need. Who needs investigative journalism when the Enquirer can tell you where the best Oscar watching parties are!? Maybe this whole tempest in a teapot was just a way for "the Duke team" to take a couple trips. This drama is pathetic. Like they have to go anywhere to know what to do. Hopefully, this will be resolved soon though.

If she's renting a dedicated space, where's the hassle?? Where does she live compared to where she has to drive to? I've freelanced for a company downtown and we'd do on location work all over the CBD and OTR. Every time we would walk unless we had some big equipment to haul. One day we all walked to up to OTR and everyone was remarking about how great it would be to have the streetcar soon enough.

Interesting conversation going on in the comment section of the recent UrbanCincy article about the Wasson Line rail corridor. Some argue in favor of it being turned into a "rails to trails" path, while UrbanCincy advocates letting it wait to be used for light rail. http://www.urbancincy.com/2012/02/cincinnatis-wasson-rail-corridor-should-not-be-converted-into-recreational-trail/ After looking at the map and finding out that the corridor passes right by my work in Hyde Park, I have to agree with UrbanCincy. I'm all for more bike/hiking/walking paths, but if we do that and down the road we want to turn it into light rail - imagine the uproar and talk radio fodder. "The people who brought you the unsuccessful trolley (that streetcar could bring that Jesus feller back and they'd still call it unsuccessful) now want to destroy a park for more trains!" IMO, we need to keep riding the streetcar momentum and push for light rail soon.

8&ST, what is that picture from? What kind of tunnel is that?

^Yep. Direct over night service to New York City: http://www.urbancincy.com/2012/02/chinatown-buses-offer-direct-overnight-travel-from-cincinnati-to-new-york-city/ However, they board in Springdale off Rt. 4 by the Chilis and that random Chinese buffet.

^I think the best bet for the second leg would be anything around 2nd. St. or Fountain Square/CBD. Especially with the World Choir games coming this summer, better to get this out of the way as soon as possible. In terms of a true system, I haven't heard anything aside from Portune yapping about the Oasis line. Many, even rail supporters, seem to oppose that. Wasoon seems like the way to go, but aside from a facebook page I haven't heard anything about that. I think establishing commuter rail to link up with the Streetcar at the RTC would be an easier way to sell rail on the people that looking straight into light rail. Although, to be honest, if we could move all destination busses to the RTC (megabus, chinatown bus, etc) and make it a transfer point for Tank/Metro - I think it would be great. You could have all that under there, linking up with the streetcar and southbank shuttle on top.

From my experiences speaking with folks, I don't see the subway as a useful option for future light rail or commuter rail. With MetroMoves, a line would've terminated at the Central Parkway island station while the I-71 line passed through the Riverfront Transit Center. The two would've been conjoined by a modern streetcar. When the I-75 line would've exited the tunnels (for example, say you're boarding a train at the CPKWY station and heading North), it would've followed I-75 I think? Personally, I think the RTC is the best bet for downtown connections of light rail and commuter rail. Making it a transit hub, with the streetcar on top - sounds golden. What's the latest on the Oasis line? Everyone here seems to oppose it, Portune talks as if it's going to happen soon.

Yeah, uh Business Courier is worth paying for. NYT, worth paying for. Why would I pay the Enquirer just so I can read the AP articles they re-print? Those articles will already be online elsewhere. Even if I did pay, I'd just get bombarded with Furniture Fair ads. I really wonder how much longer they'll last.

Posted a new one today: #4 - "Wrought Iron Sunrise." Actually got up early for once and attempted to photograph the sunrise from a unique location in Mt. Adams. near where the pedestrian bridge goes over Columbia Parkway, but kind of this hidden and obscured sidewalk that attaches to it. It's all lined by this wrought iron fence and for the past few years, was blocked by a construction trailer.

Consider making the final product a Photosynth.. As in, instead of the straight on shots, doing 224 panoramas? Good luck! Thanks! Awesome. Thanks ColDay!