What’s entertaining about this article are the readers’ comments:

 

”  Disagreement about street art reveals differences among residents about district’s image, future.

 

DAYTON — A recent flap about street art in the Oregon District has revealed that residents have differing visions of the district’s future.

“Oregon is first and foremost a historic district and secondly an arts district,” said Oregon District Business Association President Mike Martin of Dayton’s oldest neighborhood, which includes 12 blocks of historic homes and the Fifth Street business corridor, the site of numerous restaurants, bars, shops and art galleries.

 

The flap was sparked by this “fiber art graffiti” project that caused some controversy.  I guess the local yuppies don’t “get” fiber art (which was a big deal in the 1970s, if anyone remember that scene from back then). 

 

Dayton residents wrangle over neighborhood image

 

 

The issue of what kind of art is accepted in the district was brought to the forefront this summer after the group of knitters installed “knit grafs” on four streetlight poles at the corner of Jackson and Fifth streets.

 

“It’s not really a well understood art form,” knitter Tonia Fish said of the art of wrapping squares of colorful knitting around trees, lamp posts, or other architecture.

 

…yeah, maybe not understood here in squaresville Dayton. And the squares call “the authorities” to complain:

 

An anonymous complaint to the city almost forced the art down off the poles in late June, but the Department of Planning and Community Development decided it was not a safety concern and left the matter in the hands of the neighborhood.

 

Stuff like this (or attitudes like this) is why I suspect Dayton is hopeless as a sort of funky, urban bohemian place (though it has possibilities in other ways).

 

For that "cool world' urban scene I prefer to spend my time out of town…which is usually Louisville, but during the summer months more and more in Cincinnati (and in Yellow Springs, too, which, incidentally, has quite a bit of this public fiber art).

 

I don't lose hope in Dayton over the square(s) who call about the stuff on the poles. I lose hope in Dayton when the DDN does two articles on the issue.  Though, to their credit, there were some rumblings on the merits and qualifications of what is and what is not authentic "street art" from the crowd behind c{space awhile back.

From Dayton Most Metro:

http://www.daytonmostmetro.com/featured-articles/street-art-and-government-clash.html

To echo some of the reader comments on the DDN article, there's no reason the place can't be both historic and "cool." The Oregon District has got to be one of the very few places in the city that may actually be attract people and street life—and one of the few things that perhaps can help lift Dayton out of suckitude. In the opposition to harmless knitting on some historical grounds I just see a form of NIMBYism that favors the character of the city at the expense of the life of the city.

The Oregon District is lame compared to Yellow Springs, which is the better daytime destination.  More nightlife in the Oregon, which I think is an underlying problem with the residents.

 

BTW, Sloopys is now a tiki bar.  Pathetic.  Looks like the Cocktail Nation trend has finally arrived in Dayton.  Wasn't this big on the 'coast back in the early/mid 1990s?  Viper Room and all that?

 

 

The Oregon District is lame compared to Yellow Springs, which is the better daytime destination.  More nightlife in the Oregon, which I think is an underlying problem with the residents.

 

BTW, Sloopys is now a tiki bar.  Pathetic.  Looks like the Cocktail Nation trend has finally arrived in Dayton.  Wasn't this big on the 'coast back in the early/mid 1990s?  Viper Room and all that?

 

 

 

Lame? Bonnets Books is one of a kind, Thai 9 is off the chain, plus the addition of Omega Music!  Oregon District is always a fun destination.

For Dayton it's like, why bother complaining? All they've got in the OD. Are the "genteel yuppies" really getting bent out of shape over knitting when every other store is a sex shop? Oh well, if the cool kids set up in another part of town it would be good for Dayton by creating more places worth visiting.

For Dayton it's like, why bother complaining? All they've got in the OD. Are the "genteel yuppies" really getting bent out of shape over knitting when every other store is a sex shop? Oh well, if the cool kids set up in another part of town it would be good for Dayton by creating more places worth visiting.

 

There are.  The hipsters are in South Park, not the Oregon District.

They would be in South Park, wouldn't they. Hey, that's right next door to the OD. Good for Dayton.

Meanwhile back at the ranch:

 

Press coffeehouse is the new hipster ground zero in the Oregon....I can see some symbiosis with the Garden Station /Yellow Cab space if that should take off...Press is more "art"vs "music". 

 

South Park is apparently has won the gentirfication sweepstakes as the "New Oregon", with South Park Tavern being the music scene hipster/indie venue.  Ghostlight  (when it opens)will be the coffeeshop for South Park....and sound like it will be more "music" vs "art".

 

And there is one less porn shop in the Oregon.    But 5th Street is still pretty pathetic compared to Ohio City, Hamilton Ave., or Short North.

 

Yet, here in Dayton, Squaresville USA, Ohio's Capital of Conformity, you take what you can get..life among the ruins.

Meanwhile back at the ranch:

 

Press coffeehouse is the new hipster ground zero in the Oregon....I can see some symbiosis with the Garden Station /Yellow Cab space if that should take off...Press is more "art"vs "music". 

 

South Park is apparently has won the gentirfication sweepstakes as the "New Oregon", with South Park Tavern being the music scene hipster/indie venue.  Ghostlight  (when it opens)will be the coffeeshop for South Park....and sound like it will be more "music" vs "art".

 

And there is one less porn shop in the Oregon.    But 5th Street is still pretty pathetic compared to Ohio City, Hamilton Ave., or Short North.

 

Yet, here in Dayton, Squaresville USA, Ohio's Capital of Conformity, you take what you can get..life among the ruins.

 

You are comparing Dayton to three of the largest thirty US cities.  Akron and Toledo would be a much more fair comparison and those places are lame.  Dayton may be at a low point but its got a hell of a history.  Highest inventor per capita ratio I think in the world * exaggeration*, an unbelievable funk/disco scene in the 70s, and an eternal hub for aviation innovation

an unbelievable funk/disco scene in the 70s,  an unbelievable funk/disco scene in the 70s, ..

 

.....with all this inventing going on maybe they'll invent a time machine?