Tag: Cincinnati

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Business Development News

Developers, city leaders welcome first residents to $80M first phase of The Banks

Developers and city leaders gathered at The Banks development along Cincinnati’s riverfront to welcome the first residents of the $80 million first phase of the project called Current @ The Banks.

Over 60 percent of the project’s initial 300 residential units have been leased. The first phase includes two, five-story buildings bounded by Main Street to the east, Walnut Street to the west, Second Street to the north and the Cincinnati Riverfront Park to the south.

Last month the Carter/Dawson development team welcomed the first retail tenant to the development when the Holy Grail Tavern & Grill opened at the corner of Main Street (Joe Nuxall Way) and Freedom Way. Additional retail tenants including The Wine Loft, Toby Keith’s I Love This Bar & Grill, La Crepe Nanou, Johnny Rockets, Huey’s 24/7 Diner will open over the next several months as interior finishes are completed on the 96,000 square feet of retail space.

UrbanCincy photographer Jake Mecklenborg attended a ribbon cutting ceremony this morning that welcomed the development’s first residents. Mecklenborg then took a tour of some of the available apartments that range in price from $800 per month to $2,400 per month for a two-bedroom, two-bath luxury apartment overlooking the Ohio River. Those interested in touring the apartment units are asked to contact leasing agents at (888) 277-6611, or by visiting the project’s leasing website.

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News Transportation

Metro officials looking for feedback on preliminary Google Transit interface

UrbanCincy has been contacted by thousands upon thousands of Cincinnatians clamoring for Google Transit to come to Cincinnati. Virtually every bus-related story published on UrbanCincy over the past three years has included at least one comment expressing this desire.

Those who ride buses operated by the Transit Authority of Northern Kentucky (TANK) have had the pleasure to use this intuitive transit planning system for some time, and most major transit systems around the country also are included. In Cincinnati, however, the Southwest Ohio Regional Transit Authority (SORTA) has had difficulty working with Google officials in sharing data and getting the system functional for the region’s largest transit operator.

Cincinnati bus riders rejoice over Google Transit announcement

SORTA is currently working with Google and is in a testing phase for the transit mapping system, and they would like Metro bus riders to provide feedback to ensure that the service is working correctly before it goes live to the public.

Those interested in testing it out, and providing feedback, can do so by visiting Google Transit and simply entering in a beginning and end destination which you would like to travel by bus. The mapping system works exactly the same way as directions on Google Maps.

Once you give it a test drive, you can then provide feedback to SORTA by emailing MyMetroStory@go-Metro.com, or by taking their short online survey. SORTA officials are asking that feedback be as specific as possible, so when referring to something you noticed, please provide the map URL and describe the error or positive result you received.

Those who contribute before Friday, May 6 will then be entered into a drawing where three randomly selected individuals will receive gift certificates for a month of free rides on Metro. Once testing is complete, SORTA officials hope to promote Metro on Google Transit to the public this summer.

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Arts & Entertainment Business News

Talib Kweli to celebrate Record Store Day in Cincinnati this Saturday

Saturday, April 16 is the 2011 version of the national celebration known as Record Store Day. This is the fifth annual day to celebrate all things great about locally owned and independent record stores around the country as there are specific qualifications for a store to participate.

Organizers say that for a shop to be included they must have a primary focus on a physical store location, whose product line consists of at least 50 percent music retail, whose company is not publicly traded and whose ownership is at least 70 percent located in the state of operation.

In Cincinnati, that means we have three participating shops including Mole’s Record Exchange uptown, Everybody’s Records in Pleasant Ridge and Shake It Records in Northside. On Saturday, each store will be celebrating music and trying to attract customers to their shops mainly through in-store performances and special limited edition vinyl releases that can only be found at certain stores throughout the country. Therefore record collectors and the curious shopper can find different releases at each store.

The in-store performance fun gets started at Everybody’s Records at noon and runs until 6pm with performances by Cletis T & the Poontingers, Quick Turns, and finally State Song. Uptown meanwhile, Mole’s Record Exchange will be focused primarily on special releases this year.

The biggest party will be at Shake It Records. National hip-hop recording artist Talib Kweli will be on hand at 1pm for an in-store performance and a signing of his newest release. Additionally local rockers Wussy will be playing at 7pm and another Cincy band heading for the big time, Foxy Shazam will play at 9pm.

Ben Harper says, “Independent record stores are much more than the name suggests. They are an international community and platform where music has an outlet and an opportunity to grow over the long term, in a way that sincerely connects with community and culture.”

This is totally true so take the time to get out and support three of Cincinnati’s contributions to this community. And here, we’ll leave you with a cut from Talib Kweli’s new album.

Categories
News Transportation

CycleCincy website unites regional bike riders

Inspired by the work of photographers Dmitry Gudkov and Angelo Calilap, a group of Cincinnati-area photographers have started a website and collective for area bicycle enthusiasts called CycleCincy. Like Gudkov’s #BikeNYC, the name #CycleCincy refers to the Twitter hashtag which allows disparate people to talk to each other about everything related to cycling in Cincinnati. The idea is to meet other people who cycle in the city and take a cool portrait of them with their bike.

The concept, initially suggested by the brains behind OTRMatters, encouraged local cyclists and photographers to team up for portraits with their rides in an urban environment. A month later, the mission behind the site has evolved to include working alongside other cycle advocacy groups in the area, including and especially Queen City Bike, and fill a previously empty niche.

“It [CycleCincy] all started as a bunch of cyclists and photographers wanting to geek it out, but I think the project also highlights the desire to have a more cycling aware culture in Cincinnati,” says Dan Reid, local cyclist and OTR resident. “I think we’ve all had our share of run-ins with ignorant people in cars and it’s a real shame that people can’t co-exist.”

Those interested in joining the crew, be it photog or cyclist, are encouraged to visit the website and register a profile, which is easily synced to a Facebook account. In addition to providing a space for fellow bikers to meet and ride, members have suggested starting a casual monthly bike co-op/building space in Over-the-Rhine, connecting to the city-wide Bike Month, and celebrating bike culture through art. Ultimately, increased cycle awareness is the key.

“I believe CycleCincy will help unify Cincinnati cyclist and in turn force a higher level of awareness amongst car drivers,” said Chad Shackelford, another CycleCincy catalyst. “The core issue shouldn’t be as much about getting bike lanes and paths as it should be about teaching awareness and respect for cyclist and their right to safely occupy roadways.” 

Cincinnati Bicyclists photograph by Sherman Cahal.

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Arts & Entertainment News

Junior League brings spring fashion show to Scene Ultra Lounge

This past Thursday the Junior League of Cincinnati hosted the Cin City Style Spring 2011 Fashion Show at Scene Ultra Lounge in downtown Cincinnati. The event featured new spring fashions from Fetish Boutique, Stella & Dot Jewelry and Amanda Kelly Salon. Luckily for UrbanCincy readers, Thadd Fiala was there to capture it all.