If everybody helped out in some way, the neighborhood could only benefit.  Why belittle a group for trying to do something, just appreciate it and keep working to get more people and organizations involved.

 

I just wish these well-intentioned organizations spent as much time trying to solve the root problems at play instead of simply offering a temporary solution.  I don't think there is anything wrong with having a dialog about how time/energy might be better spent.

And it comes back around, why are the hungry hanging out in OTR because they've been encouraged by outsiders (and insiders with certain axes to grind) to congregate there?

 

Cleaning up the neighborhood is great. Helping folks who can't do otherwise in their homes is great. Creating a magnet for the most troubled in society, bad idea.

 

Contrast with examples that a couple folks might be aware: Urban Plunges/Retreats by Catholic High Schools and Colleges -> bad . . . Canned Food Drives/Winter Coat Drives/et al., that deliver to those in need throughout the entire region -> good.

I seem to remember getting into an argument with you a few years ago about kids from a local Highschool coming down to OTR to work on a building and clean up the area.  You said it just perpetuated the image that OTR was a charity case and that you'd rather not have them down there.

I have searched for that discussion and I am coming up blank.  Could you refresh my memory about the specifics?  I am all for volunteers.  I personally have led hundreds of people from GE and various other organizations on clean ups over the years so I don't see that as a change of heart.  Now if it is only a group of people who are coming to OTR, feeding people out of the back of a car or dumping clothes in the park then that is not productive.

What this particular group did outside of weeding, cleaning out dump sites, and picking up litter I don't know (don't really care) as it means we have a cleaner neighborhood.

 

Thousands Volunteer During 'Go Cincinnati'

Philanthropy Event Cleans Up Hundreds Of Tri-State Locales

 

CINCINNATI -- It was called Cincinnati’s largest service project, and it left the city looking a lot cleaner.

 

Thousands of volunteers turned out for the Go Cincinnati philanthropy day where more than 300 areas were cleaned up.

 

"[it’s] just really showing what's possible when we get that many people together around such an incredible effort in our city," Boca chef David Falk said.

 

More than 100 of the 6,5000 volunteers attacked the Vine Street hill to clean up trash, cut down brush and trim trees.

 

...

 

http://www.wlwt.com/news/19482432/detail.html

 

^I have a hard time finding any fault in this, and I don't think I would have found fault in this at any point in my time in OTR.

 

People do get upset when groups set up food on the sidewalk by Washington Park.  Many of the people hanging out in Washington Park do so because they get away with doing their drugs and alcohol there.  So when a group shows up to distribute free meals to those in the park, it is seen as rewarding the bad behavior. 

 

While I think it's great that people want to help others, I think it would be better to donate that food to an existing organization or a soup kitchen instead. 

So when a group shows up to distribute free meals to those in the park, it is seen as rewarding the bad behavior.

But was that what they did?  It may have been open to anyone but it struck me that the event in Washington Park was the central point for all volunteers from all over the city to come at the end of the clean up as a thank you to them. (just like KCB does at the end of the Great Amer. Clean Up)  This was not just an OTR thing as only a hundred or so of the couple thousand were even stationed here to clean up.

 

"The areas touched by the massive campaign ranged from Hamilton, Ohio to Burlington, Ky., as well as Batavia and Colerain Township, Ohio.Even ice cream truck drivers chipped in with free treats.

After all that mulching, painting, cleaning, rebuilding, planting and repairing local chefs came together to throw a block part in Over-The-Rhine".

 

This just doesn't seem like a "get out and feed the homeless day" event to me.

But was that what they did? It may have been open to anyone but it struck me that the event in Washington Park was the central point for all volunteers from all over the city to come at the end of the clean up as a thank you to them. (just like KCB does at the end of the Great Amer. Clean Up) This was not just an OTR thing as only a hundred or so of the couple thousand were even stationed here to clean up.

 

My post was not about this particular event.  I was referring to the groups that show up on random Saturdays.

Honestly it was good to see the park being used, charity case or not.

 

However, whenever there is something in the park, whether the intention is there or not, it's a "get out and feed the homeless" thing

^Touche!

Two years ago, a group of friends and I played tossed around football in the park from about 5 to 7 while we waited to go to Music hall for something... It was not bad at all. In fact, a couple of the younger kids from the area joined us.

 

It just has a stigma. The people will leave you alone if you're with a group.

^Eh, I guess it depends on the day.  I've been by in the middle of the day and seen open drug deals, public urination, and gangs just sitting on the benches and roaming the park.  I think it's a little more than just a stigma or perception, but at the same time it's not as bad as everyone claims.  If you really want to see a bad park where literally everything goes, go to Macarthur Park in LA. That park in the middle of the day feels like something you would find in a third world country ghetto.  Compared to there, Washington Park is an urban Eden!

 

 

Michael, forget about my other comment.  I remember it was about Moeller Highschool, and will search for it, but it's really irrelevant since we agree on this topic.  I think this is a great effort that, while not solving the greater issues (is there even a clear way to "solve" homlessness?), it does address immediate needs for the most lowly and neglected people in our region.

edale, I still don't think that was necessarily the intention of this. I could be wrong but this just seemed like a massive, city wide clean up effort that just happened to have their Volunteer Party at Washington Park. I took it more as an effort to help people like you and me with the overwhelming clean up effort that this and every city needs. What ever the reason, Vine St and other streets throughout Cincy look a little better today.

 

I remember it was about Moeller Highschool

I believe that was in association with the Freestore to help distribute either food or clothes to the homeless.  

I could be wrong but this just seemed like a massive, city wide clean up effort that just happened to have their Volunteer Party at Washington Park.

 

This is actually the impression I had of the event that took place this past Saturday, and from the outside, I don't see anything wrong with big clean-up events.  I think most of the comments here about Washington Park are referring to regular days that do not have events like this taking place.

I think most of the comments here about Washington Park are referring to regular days that do not have events like this taking place.

I think everyone is in agreement that something must be done about the park and the redevelopment of not just the park itself, but the entire surrounding area will see dramatic changes in the day to day activities.  It is coming.

Great short film on Over-the-Rhine...be sure to watch in HQ.

 

 

"OTR" is a short film about this neighborhood and it's unique history. The film tells the history of the area and what makes it unique through interviews with residents and supporters.

A week or so ago Kaid Benfield, Smart Growth Director at NRDC, visited the University of Cincinnati Center for Sustainable Urban Environments and toured Over The Rhine, which he didn't know much about at the time.

 

Kaid became interested in OTR as an example of sustainable, center city, redevelopment.  He's, blogging on the subject (http://switchboard.nrdc.org/blogs/kbenfield/revitalizing_overtherhine_part.html) and I thought that many here would be interested in reading and contributing.

http://vimeo.com/1841771

If you haven't gotten a copy by mail, be sure to check out the Cincinnati magazine this week. A great number of articles on OTR.

^Was I quoted in the article about Findlay Market?  I was interviewed, but wasn't sure if my comments would be included.

Oooh, I hope mine's coming.  I'm curious when you guys get your copies...I think it takes them an extra week to get my copy to Wisconsin.

Over-the-Rhine: Cincinnati's Overlooked Opportunity

 

Over-the-Rhine is not only a regional jewel, but a national landmark neighborhood with one of the most significant historic districts in the entire country as well as one of the largest - even bigger than New Orleans' French Quarter and Charleston's Historic District. Unfortunately, local preservationists believe the neighborhood is often overlooked by many Cincinnatians.

 

The Cincinnati Preservation Association (CPA) feels that the neighborhood that was added to the National Trust for Historic Preservation's list of "Eleven Most Endangered Historic Resources" is too important a resource and too great an opportunity to overlook.

 

As a result, CPA and the Over-the-Rhine Foundation will be hosting "Over-the-Rhine: Cincinnati's Overlooked Opportunity" at Memorial Hall on Thursday, August 20 at 5:30pm within the historic neighborhood. The public presentation will include an overview of the neighborhood's economic potential and its rate of destruction, a summary of why the neighborhood is threatened, and solutions to stop the destruction.

 

...

 

http://www.soapboxmedia.com/devnews/0818overlookedopportunity.aspx

Where is Memorial Hall at?  I might want to attend this.

Next to Music Hall (to the south):

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=1225+elm+street,+cincinnati,+oh&sll=39.108577,-84.519067&sspn=0.006111,0.010933&ie=UTF8&ll=39.108385,-84.518552&spn=0.012221,0.021865&z=16&iwloc=A

After a hiatus I continue to walk the Gateway Quarter.  This time I walk the blocks west of Vine Street.

 

The game plan is to park in the vicinity of Findlay Market, then drop down Race to Washington Park and then work my way north.  I park on Henry Street, which I think is in the Brewery District.  This is my spare parking spot in case the Findlay lots are full. 

 

It’s a bright sunny early winter day, low morning sun, lots of glare.  I reach Race and glance over at the spire of Phillipus catching the morning sun.  I walk down Race, passing Findlay Market, cross over to the east side of Race to avoid the glare.  I reach an intersection and notice the Alabama Fish place on the corner.  Crossing the street I hear classical music real loud over a corner store.  A guy going into the store looks up, too, and tells me he can’t figure out where that music is coming from, either.

 

Race around here has a number of street trees that sort of soften the hardness of the cityscape.  I will notice this throughout the western part of the Gateway Quarter.

 

Continuing down Race I notice some houses midblock to the east.  I figure there must be some alley with housing so decide to investigate.  Reaching Liberty I turn east.  St Francis Seraph dominates the streetscape here, but I notice a little street or alley next to it. This is Republic Street.

 

I detour north on this little street and notice the steeple at I think the OTR community center up the street a few blocks.

 

 

I guess this was the kind of density one found throughout OTR.  Near end the of the block I see the housing, which looks like some fixed-up tenements with a gate and a landscaped courtyard…

 

 

…with some more run-down properties next door.  The density here is pretty intense, with the narrow street surrounded by tallish housing and the side walls of St Francis.

 

Republic Street

 

I return south on Republic, crossing wide Liberty into the Gateway Quarter.

 

This is a sort of secondary street, between the two “busy streets” of Vine and Race.  On the first block south I see some lower (two story) doubles on the west side,  Could these’ve been earlier OTR buildings?  I know the neighborhood was originally built-out at lower density but was rebuilt over the course of the 19th century as a tenement district, so I wonder if these are what the original building stock looked like.

 

 

There is a lot of vacancy here, but I see something called the Captain Marx Veterans Recovery Center, which looks renovated.  I guess this is social welfare housing for down & out vets.  I also notice some old vest pocket parks here, perhaps for the people who used to live here.  Notice, too, a kids’ mural at one of these open spaces; “The Heroes of Republic Street”.

 

Republic here is wide enough for street trees, so this softens the feel of the place, as on Race.  One could see how this could have tons of potential as a “quite street” for maybe townhouses as infill.  This western part of the Gateway Quarter is pretty much pockmarked with vacant lots as well as tons of vacant buildings, perhaps being held by 3CDC.  South of 14th, I think, the street narrows, and one begins to notice evidence of gentrification.

 

Returning north I notice how the cross streets themselves could be nice residential since they stagger, not lining up, so they are less trafficy.  I also see the backs of buildings on Race and they look all empty.

 

Race Street

 

The street of Protestant churches.  But it seems mostly vacant and quiet and thus slightly eerie

 

First church is Lutheran on the east side, just south of Liberty, looks like it is still active.  Then, a block or two south, is the very old (dating back to antebellum times) Paulus Kirch with its “Wahrend, Tugend, Freiheit” inscription. Perhaps a reminder, of the famous other Paulskirche  in Frankfurt a. M. associated with the 1848 revolution?  This church is vacant.

 

I notice Race has extensive swaths of vacant land, left in grass not parking .  Especially on the west side, the block north of the Pauluskirch, where about half the block is gone, leaving maybe two empty old tenements.

 

 

Approaching Washington Park I notice these brightly colored mural panels on the boarded up buildings and I think as an actual wall mural, too.  Perhaps an art project by 3CDC or some neighborhood group.

 

Reaching Washington Park I notice there isn’t as much housing on the Race side as I thought.  I see some old commercial buildings and yet another Lutheran church. 

The street on the south side of the park was blocked and there was people milling about.  This was next to that new school construction.  This activity continued into the park.  I noticed walking along the park a small pile of clothes in the grass.

 

Washington Park could be a nice place in good weather, as it was it was still pretty busy in the cold.  I sit on a park bench with some black folks (a couple, I think) who look like they’ve been shopping as they have those two-wheeled basket carts

 

Crossing from the park I notice a corner store with a great example of one of those side porches John Clubbe mentions in his guidebook. .  Then I continue on, passing the Pauluskirch and the vacant areas (noticing that the lot is on a slight hill rising to the west) and on north to Liberty. 

 

I then reach Liberty and walk over to….

 

Pleasant Street

 

…aint pleasant no more.  I notice piles of rubble in a vacant lot on the west side.  Was this once some houses?

 

The street seems mostly vacant though I think there are some people living on the west side and in a midblock tenement (that looks a bit fixed up) on the east side, where an alley dead ends.  I also notice that the street is on a slight hill, which peaks around that big vacant lot that I saw from Race.  I also notice there is what looks like an abandoned playground here, too.

 

This is at the intersection of 15th, which presents a nice tree shaded vignette towards Elm.  Across the street is a nice example of social welfare housing, the Hawkins home for homeless vets.  These small scale operations might be a model of integrating social housing in with gentrification  projects as they do seem to satisfy the requirement of restoring these old heirloom buildings, while maintaining a small footprint and not overwhelming the neighborhood.

 

 

South of 15th I see the evidence of 3CDC activity.  New sidewalks and curbs.  New streetlights.  And land prepared for new housing in being vacant and with utility stub-ups.  Near the end are some 3CDC infill townhouses.  I can see this block of Pleasant as a model for, perhaps, Republic.  Also these smaller houses could be a way for smaller contractors to get in the game of rebuilding OTR.

 

The street ends at Washington Park and I return north to Liberty.

 

Crossing behind the Cricket store on Liberty to reach Elm I notice a long “flounder building” (monopitch roof) with interesting detailing, an entire row of oval attic vents or lites over the doors and windows.  This tenement faces….

 

Elm Street(and some side streets)

 

Elm seems the most active of the western Gateway Quarter streets.  I notice things seem, at first, to be more occupied and there’s more people on the street.  Some kids waiting or hanging out on the bus stop.  A couple arguing or just talking loud in the school yard in front of the old school on the west side of the street.  There is a beauty or barber shop and a little store in some of the buildings.  Still a bit of old OTR here, maybe.

 

I walk by the Fulda.  I recall driving by this building many times, thinking that this was jus a big doorway to the lobby….

 

 

…instead, it leads to a dimly lit outdoor courtyard.  I peer through the gate and notice the Christmas decorations set up in there.  Fulda is yet another Germanic reference as it is a provincial city in Hesse with a historic connection to St Boniface.

 

I also notice the buildings on Elm are sometimes set further back from the sidewalk vs. built to the lot line. This reminds me a bit of pix of NYC brownstones, the way they are set back a bit from the sidewalk (but without the stairs and stoops).

 

 

I reach Washington Park.  There’s that big gravel lot again.  They need to replace that with more park as it looks pretty primitive.  Not sure what the story is here, maybe parking for the pool or Music Hall? 

 

I notice some guy in the gravel, talking to himself, but in what sounds like a foreign language.  Maybe he’s speaking in tongues?  I continuing alongside Washington Park and notice there might’ve been a fence around it at one time base on the metal plates on the concrete curb.  People are still in the park, some talking to each other.

 

Elm here is cobbled, with street car tracks exposed, all gleaming and wet in that low light.  The cars rumble by.  I cross the cobbles to the Music Hall side.  I notice there is another hall just to the south of it (Memorial Hall?).  I never noticed that before. 

 

Passing the magnificent red brick and terra cotta pile of the Music Hall I notice a guard on the steps eyeing the guy in the gravel lot, who is still speaking to himself in that unknown language.

 

Continuing north on Elm and crossing 15th I pass a mission church, and then glance down Magnolia.  Surprising sight;  a brace of low two story row houses.  Again, as with the Republic Street doubles, I wonder if these are survivors from the initial build-out of OTR.  There’s a definite change in scale between the rows and the neighboring Italianate tenements.  I notice some of the rows and tenements have been fixed –up and wonder if this has something to do with that mission or if this was an independent non-3CDC project.  Peering through yet another fence and gate I can see one of those OTR porches nicely repaired.

 

 

Returning to Elm I notice that this street is maybe more vacant/boarded up than I thought.  Continuing north I pass more side streets coming in from the west.  Glancing down them I notice the open void of Central Parkway and the urban renewal zone beyond.

 

I also pass by a boarded-up social welfare facility, some sort of housing for blind working men.  It’s designed in that 1960s/70s angled brick style, incorporating wing walls and a courtyard, yet with an odd toy-town scale, especially compared to the surrounding buildings.  I can tell this place hasn’t been touched in awhile since the gutters are all clogged and overgrown.

 

I continue past the old school and admire its friendly demeanor, with the bright red brick and white stone trim, and the way it is set back from the street, articulating it as “special” compared to the other Elm Street buildings.  The couple I noticed earlier is still in the school yard shooting the bull. 

 

Crossing Liberty

 

My tour of the western Gateway Quarter is done, so I continue north of Liberty into….the Northern Liberties?  Or is it called Findlay Market now?

 

I note that I am actually quite close to the market as I can see the furniture store at the corner of the market and Elm just a few blocks north.  I also note, on the west side of Elm and deeper into the blocks, evidence of demolition and vacancy, reminding me that the larger OTR district is still under threat. 

 

I finish the walk with some shopping in Findlay Market, and then even more walking...but thats another story.

 

 

 

I should mention that when I was at the market I got a copy of Streetvibes, which had a caption contest for that big mural on Vine Street, of the guy with the tux waving at you.  I thought it was Eisenhower, wondering why they have a mural of Ike in a tux.  Turns out the mural is of Jim Tarbell! 

 

 

>Not sure what the story is here, maybe parking for the pool or Music Hall? 

 

There was a 1960's-era school here until it was demolished two years ago.  Where the gravel is now an underground garage is planned with an extension of the park above.  The garage will have Music Hall visitor parking and parking for nearby housing. 

Thanks for the in depth report on the condition of OTR. I was recently down in the Gateway Quarter, and then drove to Findlay, and was quickly reminded of how much work OTR really needs to become viable again. IMO, large scale reinvestment in the whole neighborhood only happens with a streetcar.

One thing I'm learning is that this Gateway Quarter is not very large in land area (at least based on these north-south walks), but has a seemingly very large number of buildings in it, because of the narrow lots, perhaps, driving narrower buildings. So, it's dense in number of buildings as well as vertically.

 

If 3CDC really does control all those vacant properties and vacant lots, as I was speculating, this area will get rehabbed and infilled, streetcar or not.  But man, they could spend a decade on the Gateway Quarter before it's "finished".

 

The question is what happens beyond the Gateway Quarter.  I'd speculate the next good area to rehab would be the Findlay Market area south to Liberty.  Findlay just has to be a good node around which to redevelop as it's so popular and active. 

 

For my next walk I think I am going to walk the side streets , west to east, which will mean zig-zagging across the neighborhood.

If 3CDC really does control all those vacant properties and vacant lots, as I was speculating, this area will get rehabbed and infilled, streetcar or not.

 

You may be right, but it then will depend on how that development will take place.  Luckily with the early phases of development not much demolition was needed in order to provide parking, but later phases might prove more difficult (see Washington Park underground parking garage).  I tend to disagree with the notion that investment alone breeds success.  I think that the Gateway Quarter has been successful because of its proximity to the CBD and the amenities present there.  I don't think the same success could have been achieved if you simply took the same amount of money and invested in area x.

 

There are districts throughout OTR that can be redeveloped successfully without much else than investment, but I'm betting that many of the areas north of Liberty are either going to need improved access and connection with amenities in the CBD, Uptown, and the Gateway Quarter or there will need to be demolitions to provide the necessary parking needed to redevelop the area around the automobile instead of the pedestrian as it originally was.  This becomes quite costly and will drive up the price of units, or make developments cost prohibitive.

For my next walk I think I am going to walk the side streets , west to east, which will mean zig-zagging across the neighborhood.

I'm really looking forward to this Jeffery. Your descriptions so far have been very good.

 

There are districts throughout OTR that can be redeveloped successfully without much else than investment, but I'm betting that many of the areas north of Liberty are either going to need improved access and connection with amenities in the CBD, Uptown, and the Gateway Quarter or there will need to be demolitions to provide the necessary parking needed to redevelop the area around the automobile instead of the pedestrian as it originally was.  This becomes quite costly and will drive up the price of units, or make developments cost prohibitive.

 

This might be a good place to continue the conversation about parking requirements for OTR developments:

 

 

Parking Requirements and the Future of OTR Development

 

http://www.blogotr.com/otr/guest-post-parking-requirements-and-the-future-of-otr-development/