February 9, 201510 yr And "Voted by Zagat as the #1 Mall/Shopping Attraction for Families in the United States..." WTF? When Wendy's had signs up saying Zagat Rated, they jumped the shark IMO.
February 9, 201510 yr I know of one off the top of my head: https://maps.google.com/maps?q=Cincinnati,+OH&ll=39.088544,-84.481647&spn=0.001368,0.00284&cid=7636836732440187671&hnear=Cincinnati,+Hamilton+County,+Ohio&t=m&z=19&layer=c&cbll=39.088474,-84.48222&panoid=_S8R50YhLcC1jOP1CY64mQ&cbp=12,307.77,,0,2.31 My friend used to work at that mansion and lives a block away in a nice old home and the view on his front porch is phenomenal. Or I should say "was" phenomenal. There's now a gigantic builder house that is insultingly bad across the street that, though not directly in front of his, kind of ruins the view. It's the one there were articles about at some point recently. They received a variance to use the highest elevation on the corner as the baseline for how tall the building could be which means, because they combined three lots, that as it goes down the hill it became gigantic and three full stories plus roof. And it's a hideous houses to boot. But back on topic, I'm so glad to see this giant lot go. This is more than likely going to do wonders for NotL.
February 9, 201510 yr I know of one off the top of my head: https://maps.google.com/maps?q=Cincinnati,+OH&ll=39.088544,-84.481647&spn=0.001368,0.00284&cid=7636836732440187671&hnear=Cincinnati,+Hamilton+County,+Ohio&t=m&z=19&layer=c&cbll=39.088474,-84.48222&panoid=_S8R50YhLcC1jOP1CY64mQ&cbp=12,307.77,,0,2.31 What about Mt. Echo Park or the back of the Incline Public House? Not sure if you will see the Newport cranes behind Covington, but maybe.
March 3, 201510 yr Could one of our resident photographers grab a nice shot showing all the cranes on both riverfronts? Would be a sweet pic! My attempt (view full size at Flickr):
March 5, 201510 yr Can anyone photoshop/scale the new levee apartments into a shot of Newports riverfront?
March 10, 201510 yr A few shots of construction from my walk home today. Looks like they are already a floor up on the northernmost residential portion, the hotel portion is still drilling pilons however.
May 18, 201510 yr Coming 2016 http://www.cincinnati.com/story/money/2015/05/17/newport-levee-future/27443925/
May 18, 201510 yr So is Newport threatened by the success of OTR/The Banks? I remember back in 2006-2010, Newport was the place to be. I was going to Miami U and every so often we would go down to Cincinnati and always end up at the Hofbrauhaus. Now I go to Cincinnati to visit the same friends and I haven't been to Newport in years.
May 18, 201510 yr This looks just like the one built in Seattle a few years ago. My guess is it goes the way of the Millennium Tower and won't get built. I don't think it would generate enough funds to provide a return, unless they get a bunch of government aid. Seattle has a much bigger tourist population too.
May 18, 201510 yr i hope it gets built it would have great views! the nywheel on staten island seems stalled too. they are supposed to be building it in conjunction with an empire outlets mall, which is kind of weird, but i guess that will help pay for it. its to be on the waterfront by the ferry and next to the aaa baseball park.
May 18, 201510 yr I don't understand the negativity. Since we are not as connected as some other regions in the country, each city has to try to compete. I think it adds to the vibrancy of the area. I hope it does get built. It certainly would have a wow factor!
May 18, 201510 yr I'm not against the concept in general. However this would solidify Newport on the Levee as a shopping mall / amusement park type of destination, which is something that has not been working out very well for them. They were moving in the right direction by trying to add apartments and a hotel, to become a more mixed used type of neighborhood. So this ferris wheel feels like a step in the wrong direction.
May 18, 201510 yr I'm not against the concept in general. However this would solidify Newport on the Levee as a shopping mall / amusement park type of destination, which is something that has not been working out very well for them. They were moving in the right direction by trying to add apartments and a hotel, to become a more mixed used type of neighborhood. So this ferris wheel feels like a step in the wrong direction. That's a good point. I sort of like the idea from an amusement standpoint (meaning I'll probably ride it once and then never again), but otherwise, it doesn't seem like the best move for Newport.
May 18, 201510 yr I'm not against the concept in general. However this would solidify Newport on the Levee as a shopping mall / amusement park type of destination, which is something that has not been working out very well for them. They were moving in the right direction by trying to add apartments and a hotel, to become a more mixed used type of neighborhood. So this ferris wheel feels like a step in the wrong direction. I agree that adding apartments and a hotel is movement in the right direction. However, the most successful things at NOTL are attractions like the Aquarium and AMC. I think they're just trying to add more components that fit that mold now, instead of retail which has clearly been a struggle/failure. Personally, I've never understood the return to popularity of ferris wheels and carousels, but they seem to be working out well in other cities. I was also encouraged to see "riverfront development" mentioned as a long term goal, because Newport's many weekend festivals would benefit greatly from mature trees and a better event space.
May 18, 201510 yr To be fair, Newport has, for much of the last century, been an amusement area for Cincinnati. The name of the amusement (gambling, red-light district, now shopping/dining) may change, but the idea is the same.
May 18, 201510 yr paint it to look like a giant riverboat wheel (paddle?, not great on my old timey boat terminology)
May 18, 201510 yr hmm i understand the rep, but why not run with that as long as its a perception anyway and more importantly as long as the ferris wheel goes along with a mix of apts and some retail? i think it could work out fine. even if the wheel doesnt run all the time it will be iconic and a draw in the summer or whenever it does run. i think it could be a fun place for young people to live around it -- with a view of it. or starter families or retirees.
May 18, 201510 yr Just the other day I heard people saying "We need one of these at the Banks". Honestly, I don't see any of it as competing. Wouldn't it be great if suburbanites parked once, walked between NOTL and The Banks and took the streetcar to OTR and then back? I want the Covington riverfront to boom- it's kind of lacking! Having the Banks take off, and newport and covington and otr all take off is something every urbanist should support. Having a thriving core of our region is key. I tweeted that they better just make sure it's not an island, but that it's easy for pedestrian connectivity, etc.
May 18, 201510 yr I was just complaining the other day in the Smale riverfront park thread that I wished the carousel would've been a Ferris wheel because I though it attracted a wider audience (not just kids). So wish (possibly) granted! (across the river)
May 18, 201510 yr This is another reason why we not only have to work on the street car connecting downtown to uptown (which is very important), but also connect Covington and Newport via the same streetcar system. The Newport destination is different from OTR and The Banks and the streetcar making the connections to the many areas would make it very convenient for visitors whether you are local or out-of-town visitors. I'm sure there would be many people that find it much more convenient to float around to the many different areas via streetcar, but instead just visit one area or the other and leave.
May 18, 201510 yr I rarely go over to NKY and it's because I generally don't want to drive around to get to where I'm spending my night. As such I generally stick to OTR/Downtown for most nights out since it's super convenient for me. I like a handful of the areas in NKY, but not enough to want to deal with driving over there, parking, etc. But if I could just walk out my door, go to the streetcar stop a block away, and ride the streetcar over while figuring out plans with people, I'd be over there way more. And that's the major benefit of a streetcar system connection NKY-Downtown-OTR-UC. It gives more people more options. The more options people have to use the streetcar for, the more likely they'll ride it. When they ride it, they'll likely support its further expansion. CBD/OTR is great, but it definitely mostly caters to a certain crowd at the moment. Sure, people will use it during big events, after games, etc. who aren't normally down here, but for the most part it'll be people who already live and work in the area. By connecting to other attractions that differ in audience you are likely to get a wider range of supporters.
May 18, 201510 yr Ive ridden the skywheel in myrtle beach a couple times and really like it. This will give great views of the skyline. Something that would be cool is in myrtle beach theirs is by the boardwalk area, which the outside of notl by the aquarium feels that way a bit, it would be cool if they continued to expand on that to attract more tourists and connect to the river more. I agree even if its perceived as competition, this and the banks and riverfront parks will help concentrate the whole river area as one tourist destination with many facets/attractions.
May 19, 201510 yr Newport on the Levee officials and the Price Group, the Levee's owner, said earlier this week they have a letter of intent to build an observatory/Ferris wheel on the riverfront to offer views of Downtown and Northern Kentucky. http://www.cincinnati.com/story/news/2015/05/18/newport-observation-wheel/27559703/
May 19, 201510 yr I rarely go over to NKY and it's because I generally don't want to drive around to get to where I'm spending my night. As such I generally stick to OTR/Downtown for most nights out since it's super convenient for me. I like a handful of the areas in NKY, but not enough to want to deal with driving over there, parking, etc. But if I could just walk out my door, go to the streetcar stop a block away, and ride the streetcar over while figuring out plans with people, I'd be over there way more. And that's the major benefit of a streetcar system connection NKY-Downtown-OTR-UC. It gives more people more options. The more options people have to use the streetcar for, the more likely they'll ride it. When they ride it, they'll likely support its further expansion. CBD/OTR is great, but it definitely mostly caters to a certain crowd at the moment. Sure, people will use it during big events, after games, etc. who aren't normally down here, but for the most part it'll be people who already live and work in the area. By connecting to other attractions that differ in audience you are likely to get a wider range of supporters. Redbike will help this as well once they get some stations in NKY. Also, if your out drinking just use Lyft/Uber its really not far. I'll be honest OTR does have a lot of the coolest stuff in Cincy these days, but sticking too much to one neighborhood isn't a good way to really become famliar with the town you live in - it also reinforces a lot of very neighborhood centric vs region as a whole viewpoints.
May 19, 201510 yr I don't drink so I have the benefit of not having to worry about someone being DD or paying for a cab/uber/lyft. I spend a lot of time on the East Side (I work in Hyde Park and have friends in Hyde Park, Oakley and Mt. Lookout), a lot of time in Uptown (friends still in grad school and my brother currently lives up there) and live in OTR and frequent OTR and Downtown obviously. My problem is that I just don't necessarily enjoy the NKY areas enough to make the trip over. There are some cool places that I do go to occasionally, but NOTL doesn't do much of anything for me, Hofrauhaus is probably my least favorite bar in the region (I'd rather go to Toby Keith's or an Applebee's) and Mainstrasse, though cool, is not somewhere my group seems interested in going. I'm hoping better connections to it from the rest of the region will change that since it's definitely the most interesting part of NKY in my mind. But I don't agree whatsoever with your last statement. I want these places to be successful. Having personal preferences is human. It doesn't matter where you are, everyone has preferences for what they want to experience. Much of NKY's nightlife doesn't appeal to me. I don't bad mouth it, I don't want it to do poorly, I don't view it as a separate entity from the rest of Cincinnati. It's just not my cup of tea. Not only that, but I've lived here 8 years. I've gotten to know this city pretty well in that time. Nightlife is just one aspect of my life and having a preference on where I go to dinner and out to bars most frequently does not do any of the things you're claiming it does. I often go out and aimlessly wander this city and explore places I haven't seen yet. Exploration is what I thrive on, whether in Cincy or somewhere else. You're making assumptions and that's troublesome.
May 19, 201510 yr Yeah about the only really interesting thing for me when I'm in town is the movie theater in Newport - redbike would make getting there a lot nicer. Sorry to make assumptions about you (I know you aren't a native) - I just got burned a lot by people only wanting to go to the same 2 places over and over again when there were far more cool places - there is such a weird complacency with a lot of Cincinnatians to not venture further than what they are comfortable with oftentimes IMO leading to repeated trips to the same lame places (city has changed a lot since I officially lived down there though).
May 19, 201510 yr Yeah I actively try to search out new places as to not get burnt out. I have some go-to places I really enjoy when I just want to walk to a place instead of making a trip elsewhere, but I try to change things up if possible. Thankfully it seems like more and more places are opening up all over that are adding a nice diversity to the entertainment scene in Cincy in various neighborhoods which is helping make nightlife more varied wherever you go.
May 19, 201510 yr Yeah I actively try to search out new places as to not get burnt out. I have some go-to places I really enjoy when I just want to walk to a place instead of making a trip elsewhere, but I try to change things up if possible. Thankfully it seems like more and more places are opening up all over that are adding a nice diversity to the entertainment scene in Cincy in various neighborhoods which is helping make nightlife more varied wherever you go. Its pretty awesome to see happen. You almost don't know how well you have it these days ;)
May 19, 201510 yr Yeah I actively try to search out new places as to not get burnt out. I have some go-to places I really enjoy when I just want to walk to a place instead of making a trip elsewhere, but I try to change things up if possible. Thankfully it seems like more and more places are opening up all over that are adding a nice diversity to the entertainment scene in Cincy in various neighborhoods which is helping make nightlife more varied wherever you go. There are a lot of good places in Newport; they're just not at NOTL. A few of my favorites: Carabello Coffee Katharina's Cafe-Konditorei La Mexicana Newport Pizza Co The Crazy Fox Four Red Bike stations are being installed in the next few months, so check it out. Also make sure that you tool around the East Row Historic District, because there are some amazing homes there.
May 19, 201510 yr Yeah I actively try to search out new places as to not get burnt out. I have some go-to places I really enjoy when I just want to walk to a place instead of making a trip elsewhere, but I try to change things up if possible. Thankfully it seems like more and more places are opening up all over that are adding a nice diversity to the entertainment scene in Cincy in various neighborhoods which is helping make nightlife more varied wherever you go. There are a lot of good places in Newport; they're just not at NOTL. A few of my favorites: Carabello Coffee Katharina's Cafe-Konditorei La Mexicana Newport Pizza Co The Crazy Fox Four Red Bike stations are being installed in the next few months, so check it out. Also make sure that you tool around the East Row Historic District, because there are some amazing homes there. These are the ones I like: Newport Pizza co has Cincinnati chilli topped pizza La Mexicana is the most authentic taqueria in the Cincy area (Make sure to order the Horchata on a hot day, most refreshing drink ever). Carabello Coffee has the highest quality coffee in the Cincy area that I've had. I think Monmouth is going to be a pretty awesome district once it gets 2-way'd which isn't too far off as I understand it.
December 18, 20159 yr Earlier this week, we had a work outing to Axis Alley at Newport on the Levee. I was surprised that none of my coworkers knew where anything was at the Levee. I mentioned something about the "mall" part of the Levee and one of my coworkers said, "there's a mall here?" I just expected that most people who are from the Greater Cincinnati / Northern Kentucky area would be somewhat familiar with NOTL. I guess it just goes to show how irrelevant NOTL has become in recent years and how far it's fallen in terms of being a shopping, dining, or nightlife destination.
December 18, 20159 yr I've got a few more construction photos from Aqua at the Levee as well... Sept. 27, 2015: Nov. 7, 2015:
December 20, 20159 yr Earlier this week, we had a work outing to Axis Alley at Newport on the Levee. I was surprised that none of my coworkers knew where anything was at the Levee. I mentioned something about the "mall" part of the Levee and one of my coworkers said, "there's a mall here?" I just expected that most people who are from the Greater Cincinnati / Northern Kentucky area would be somewhat familiar with NOTL. I guess it just goes to show how irrelevant NOTL has become in recent years and how far it's fallen in terms of being a shopping, dining, or nightlife destination. It was packed on Start Wars opening night!
December 28, 20159 yr I know there were discussions of the new observation wheel at the levee, which I haven't heard anything more about, but I hadn't seen anything about its proposed location. I stumbled upon this image from Southbank's website however and thought I would share it. I really like the idea of making that area more ready for festivals instead of the asphalt parking lot it currently is. It hosts goetta fest, italian fest, labor day fireworks and other big festivals throughout the year, so that alone looks like a worthwhile project. I also think adding the observation wheel would firmly cement NOTL as the family/touristy destination downtown too and help to distinguish it from the banks.
June 1, 20169 yr Sky Wheel coming to Newport: http://www.cincinnati.com/story/money/2016/06/01/developer-newport-agree-plan-10m-sky-wheel/85202936/
June 1, 20169 yr That's amazing! I'll take this over the bell tower - and it will have fantastic views to boot. I can't wait to pop out some skyline shots from the top :)
June 1, 20169 yr Yeah, this is a great move for Newport on the Levee. Not only will it offer a really good view of the skyline and the river, it will look really cool at night from the Ohio side. Excited to check this out.
June 1, 20169 yr New garage opens at Newport on the Levee Jun 1, 2016, 6:47am EDT A new garage is now open beneath the additions being made to Newport on the Levee, the Enquirer reports. The garage at Aqua on the Levee includes a total of 815 parking spaces beneath the development’s hotel and apartment complex across from the Levee at Saratoga Street and Washington Avenue. http://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/news/2016/06/01/new-garage-opens-at-newport-on-the-levee.html
June 1, 20169 yr Does anybody know where the SkyWheel will be placed? In the rendering, it looks like it would go in between the aquarium and Barnes & Noble. Based on the rendering, it appears to completely cover Mitchell's Fish Market, but that might just be due to a sloppy rendering. It looks like they're going to construct it on a platform jutting out next to the stairs that go up the levee to the aquarium.
June 1, 20169 yr Does anybody know where the SkyWheel will be placed? In the rendering, it looks like it would go in between the aquarium and Barnes & Noble. Based on the rendering, it appears to completely cover Mitchell's Fish Market, but that might just be due to a sloppy rendering. It looks like they're going to construct it on a platform jutting out next to the stairs that go up the levee to the aquarium. I posted this a while back in the Newport on the Levee thread, it shows the Skywheel sitting on what is now the sloped levee hillside on the north of the existing concrete path. The rest of the park and re-works to the north can be ignored for now, but this at least shows the location of the Skywheel.
June 2, 20169 yr Wondering if it will be on top of a landshark cafe like in Myrtle beach, lol...Didn't realize it's only the 3rd of this brand in the country.
June 2, 20169 yr I truly hope the SkyWheel succeeds*, but I'm a bit afraid because Myrtle Beach and Panama City are so different from Newport/Cincinnati. *Success - in my definition - simply means that it continues to have funding to operate on a daily basis. But "success" to the developers probably means a higher standard of profitability. Myrtle Beach and Panama City are built around an economy focused entirely on attracting tourists to town, who want to spend money on attractions and cheap thrills. That is NOT the case in our region. The vast majority of people at the riverfront are from the local region and are looking for ways to entertain their family WITHOUT spending a lot of money. To do a little crude back-of-the-envelope math (based on zero understanding of the ferris wheel industry), if SkyWheel investors expect a modest 5% ROI, they need ~$500,000 in net income each year, which comes out to ~$41,666/month or $1388/day... which is about 115 tickets/day at average ticket price of $12 (based on kids being $9, adults being $14 and some VIP $35). So, to make a 5% return on investment, they need to average more than 100 visitors daily ABOVE their break even point (I have no idea what operating costs of a ferris wheel are, so I'm not sure what their break even point is). I can imagine all kinds of promotional events to get people to ride the SkyWheel, but those promotions would bring down the average ticket price. Anybody have an educated guess as to what the annual operating costs are for a wheel like this? I wonder if Newport and/or Newport On The Levee are willing to subsidize the SkyWheel if it isn't profitable, as a way to attract more visitors to the area, hopefully spurring on more spending at nearby shops, restaurants, etc. Anyways... I just hope that in 10-20 years we are able to look at the SkyWheel with pride, but if it becomes too costly to operate and sits idle, it could become an eyesore tribute to hubris.
June 2, 20169 yr I think the SkyWheel will be a nice attraction and I hope it has enough riders to continue to operate. However, I think this shows the drastic difference in how Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky view their urban development projects. Cincinnati's revitalization has been so strong because it has had a strong residential component all along. Newport's attempt at revitalization was to build a shopping mall on the riverfront, and as that project continued to flounder, convert some of the space to office or other uses. They have added residential and a hotel component with NOTL Phase 2, and I hope that helps, but they still seem to have a tourist attraction focus the addition of a ferris wheel and the type of businesses that they continue to attract to NOTL.
June 2, 20169 yr "Mom and Dad - can we go on vacation to Newport, Kentucky?!" -Said no kid ever [sorry to sound harsh. I don't mean to beat up on Newport because I actually think it has a lot going for it as a neighborhood.]
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