Locals’

Guide to
Metro
Living
•••
May
2008
 Yo u r l o o k . Yo u r s t y l e .

Free gift
to all first time
customers.
Offer good thru
May 31st.

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550 Reading Road
Cincinnati, OH 45202
513-721-3600
CITYLIVING

www.josephwilliamshome.com Monday-Friday 11-6

www.myspace.com/josephwilliamshome Saturday 12-5

02
 CITYLIVING • 05 •

Venture Fourth
A new spark on Fourth Street downtown
By Christine Mersch • Photos by Emily Maxwell

• 09 •

The Charms of Urban Living

Downtown has what you need
By Tana Weingartner • Photos by Raven Bull

• 11 •

Going Green with Mother Nature

Rain barrels make a splash
By Chris Charlson

• 13 •

All-Weather Entertaining
Hosting a memorable party
By Chris Charlson • Photos by Raven Bull

• 14 • Start recycling today!

Sharing Their Back Yard
Downtown residents work on their own ‘neighborhood’
Get a bin and use it, Cincinnati!
By Julie Hotchkiss • Photo by Joe Lamb
Get your FREE recycling bin!
• 15 •
Call 513-591-6000 or sign-up

City Notes
Why Cincinnati is less affected by the housing crash
at www.cincinnati-oh.gov.

By Julie Hotchkiss Live in an apartment? Use

our downtown drop-off boxes!
• City of Cincinnati Parking Area located at
Court Street and Cutter Street

• City of Cincinnati Parking Area

811 Race St. Fifth Floor, Cincinnati, Ohio 45202 • 513-665-4700 located at Third Street and Butler Street
Fax 513-665-4368 (sales/accounting) 513-665-4369 (editorial)
letters@citybeat.com • City of Cincinnati Parking Area
Editor and Co-Publisher: John Fox located at McFarland and Central Avenue
General Manager and Co-Publisher: Dan Bockrath
CityLiving Sales Manager: Brian Kitzmiller • Hamilton County Public Library near the
Sales Account Managers: Rebecca Angelastro, Lisa Czerwonka,Tony Frank, Betsy Hodges, library book return at 9th Street between
Jenn Owens,Adam Runyan and Max Yamson
Vine Street and Walnut Street
CITYLIVING

CityLiving Section Editor: Christine Mersch

Art Director: Sean Hughes
Production Artists: Jason Kidwell and Patty Robisch Visit www.cincinnati-oh.gov to learn what items can be recycled
ON THE COVER: Bang heats up Fourth Street (photo by Audrey Schnur) 03
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04
Venture
Fourth
New housing, dining and the arts
come together on downtown’s
West Fourth Street
BY CHRISTINE MERSCH • PHOTOS BY EMILY MAXWELL

R ecent issues of CityLiving have covered developments in

Over-the-Rhine and the east side of downtown Cincinnati.
But there’s a lot happening over on the opposite side of
downtown, too.
The western side of downtown, specifically on and near
Fourth Street, has seen growth with some brand new arts and
dining establishments and some mainstays along with new
housing options.
Some of these places you certainly know and love, and
some you might be hearing about for the first time. Still, we
encourage you to broaden your downtown experience and sup-
port these local businesses.

Living
Middle Earth Developers are all over western downtown liv-
ing. One development, Kinsey Flats (327-345 W. Fourth St.), is
home to 25 loft-style one-bedroom apartments. Opened in
January 2004, these contemporary apartments feature hard-
wood floors, exposed beams and ductwork and stainless steel
appliances.
“The entire space is true loft style, unlike anything else in
the business district,” says Jay Voss, a founding principal of
Middle Earth. “It’s a very industrial feel.”
Just down the street at 335 W. Fourth St. are Williamson
Lofts. The interiors of the 26 one- and two-bedroom apart-
ments include oversized windows, fully equipped kitchens and
walk-in closets. Popular exterior amenities include secured
parking as well as intercoms and video monitoring in the
entrances.
“I would say 100 percent of the apartments and 80 per-
cent of the condos are single- or dual-income families with no
kids, mostly 21-35,” Voss says. “The condos have a smatter-
ing of empty nesters.”
Another project coming on board for Middle Earth is Parker

CONTINUES ON PAGE 06

CITYLIVING

Exciting art galleries, clubs and restaurants mix

with new living spaces to bring new energy to
West Fourth Street downtown. 05
 Apartment building at 231 W. Fourth St. Rent for these apart-
ments ranges from $600 to $895 a month and includes high-
speed DSL Internet access, maid service and a heated
rooftop pool.
Slightly farther east are The McAlpin condominiums at 15
W. Fourth St. Designed with a contemporary exterior, these
condos exude class and elegance. Features include bamboo
flooring, sound deadening construction, private outdoor bal-
conies with glass doors and walk-in showers with ceramic
tiling.

Arts
The AVS Art Gallery recently opened at 315 W. Fourth St.,
run by artist and gallery owner Andrew VanSickle. He says he
got into the art business when two friends of his, one a real-
estate developer, told him about the space. He checked it out
and immediately knew it would make a great gallery.
“I took one look at the space and thought it looked like a
New York gallery,” VanSickle says. “High ceilings, large
spaces, no exposed brick — it’s not a coffee house. You can
present seriously high-class work here.”
He says he expects his gallery will attract people who have
new spaces downtown and therefore have blank walls to fill
Andrew VanSickle with distinctive art.
“The goal of the art I sell is to offset a room,” he says,
keeps his art gallery “not to match with the couch and drapes.”
open in the evening, The uniqueness of the art he sells translates to his unusu-
especially late al hours. AVS is open 12-6 p.m. Tuesday-Friday and 11 a.m.-6
p.m. Saturday, though VanSickle reopens the gallery on
Saturday nights, to Saturday nights from 10 p.m. to 1 a.m.
attract the active He says that since many of his customers are upscale cou-
people who live and ples or singles who enjoy evenings out at Twist Lounge, the
still-new club adjacent to Jean-Robert at Pigall’s (both Jean-
play on West Fourth Robert de Cavel projects), or Bang nightclub (314 W. Fourth
Street downtown. St.), he wanted to open his gallery to accommodate the hours
they’d be in the area. One Saturday, he had between 25 and
30 people visit the gallery during his late hours.
VanSickle certainly saw this during his tenure as Club
Clau’s art director. In 2003-04, he worked to fill the club with
art from local artists.
“People were drinking and having a crazy time, but they
were buying art,” he says. “Art goes hand in hand with drink-
ing, dancing. It’s a cultural phenomenon.”
His first attempt at owning a gallery, VanSickle held a “soft
opening” on April 4 with a 20-year retrospective exhibition of
his own work. On April 25, he had a more official opening to
show the artwork of Kevin T. Kelly, a nationally known
Cincinnati artist. VanSickle plans monthly exhibitions and
group shows featuring both world-known and local artists.
VanSickle attended the University of Cincinnati, where he
had his first art showing. He remembers attending Final Friday
events in the 1980s on Fourth Street at a string of different
art galleries in the area. He says he looks forward to more
galleries opening downtown and hopes easier transportation
options in the downtown area — for instance, the proposed
streetcar — encourage a greater interest in viewing art.
Other art galleries in the area are the Michael Lowe Gallery
at 338 W. Fourth St. and Main Auction Galleries at 137 W.
Fourth St.

VENTURE FOURTH: FROM PAGE 05
Flats (355 W. Fourth St. at Central Avenue). When completed
in June, you’ll find 55 condominiums with 11 different floor
plans. Amenities include stainless steel appliances, contem-
porary lighting fixtures and all-glass exterior walls with
retractable windows so you can easily take your party out-
doors. The condos range in price from the upper $180s to the
mid-$350s.
Voss says the attraction of the Fourth Street area is that
there’s so much there.
“It’s a very quiet area, and there are very few bus stops at
CITYLIVING
Dining
Driving into downtown from the West side, you can easily
see Campanello’s large sign. This down-home diner (414
Central Ave.) has a small interior that immediately makes any
outsider feel like one of the gang. The Campanello family has
been doing business in this location for a century.
In 1906 the family’s patriarch arrived from Italy, and his
wife came in 1910. The couple opened a grocery store on the
first floor and later served lunch, and in the early 1970s the
restaurant opened for dinner as well.
“We do get a lot of hotel business,” Mary Ann Campanello
says. “The condos and apartments that are being built and
renovated put a new spark in the downtown regulars that fre-
quent more and more.”

night,” he says. “But it’s within walking distance to restau-
rants and Fountain Square. And during Bengals games it gets
crowded.”
Another living option in this area is the Fourth & Plum
06
Campanello says some of their customers no longer come
downtown and some of the older customers have passed
away.
“Business has changed for a number of reasons,” she
says. “Some of our businesses have moved away to the sub-
urbs. I am sure the city didn’t do much to try to keep any of
them. Our department stores have dwindled away one by one.
I think that a good retailer could make a go of a store down-
town.”
A sign above the door says “Three blocks from the beach,”
a phrase started by Mary Ann Campanello’s dad. He said that
depending on how high the river rose the restaurant was clos-
er or farther away. Mary Ann runs Campanello’s today with her
brother.
“My brother makes all the bread, soups, sauces and just
about everything else,” she says. “I am the dessert maker. We
have award-winning soups, and rumor has it that the tiramisu
is one of the best ever.”
Just down the street from Campanello’s is Tina’s, another
local favorite at 350 W. Fourth St. The bar serves up lunch
and dinner mostly to downtown workers or those attending
events at the nearby stadiums. Bar food is the feature here,
or you can munch on free popcorn with a beer.
If you’re searching for more exotic fare, try the Jordan
Valley Restaurant (211 W. Fourth St.), a Mediterranean diner
that dishes out authentic Greek food such as falafels, Greek
salads and babaghannous.
You can have a more upscale evening at Jean-Robert at
Pigall’s (127 W. Fourth St.), one of the city’s best restaurants.
Here you can sample a three-course fixe price menu for $74
or five courses for $97. ©
Mary Ann Campanello senses “a new spark”
on the western edge of downtown as condo
projects bring in new faces.
CITYLIVING
Middle Earth Developers’ Parker Flats condo
project will anchor the corner of Fourth and
Central when completed in June. 07
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 CITYLIVING

Add a little color to your life at Outside, a new Over-the-Rhine store.

W ith all the great things going on in So far, Lee says his personal line of out-

The Charms of
downtown Cincinnati, sometimes it’s
easy to overlook everyday needs.
What if you just moved in and need to figure
out what to do with your recycling? Or per-
haps you took a new job downtown and are
looking for the perfect place to exercise after
work or on your lunch break.
door sculptures, “Sticks + Stones,” has been
one of his best sellers. That’s a good thing,
too, since after spending many years in retail
he decided to open his own store so he could
sell his line directly.
Outside also offers a wide selection of
plant containers, patio furniture and outdoor

Urban Living
Downtown has what you need
BY TANA WEINGARTNER • PHOTOS BY RAVEN BULL
Look no further, CityLiving has done the
legwork for you.
Inside Outside
We here at CityLiving love the up-and-com-
ing Gateway Quarter in Over-the-Rhine (see
“Opening the Gate” in the March issue).
There are so many great shops to choose
from and new ones arriving every few months.
The newest neighbor is Outside, the per-
fect place to pick up everything you need to
transform a dingy urban patio or balcony into
decor you won’t find anywhere else. (Find it at
16 E. 12th St., Over-the-Rhine, www.outside-
inthecity.com.)
Paper and plastic
The city of Cincinnati contracts with
Rumpke for weekly trash pick-up, and the
waste hauler also offers several recycling
options for city dwellers. Anyone living inside
the city limits can get a green recycling bin by
calling the city at 513-591-6000.
Curbside pick up is available at no extra
CITYLIVING

a relaxing hideaway. Owner Terry Lee opened
Outside in April, offering outdoor living prod-
ucts with an emphasis on contemporary and
urban designs.
charge for single-family homes and apartment
buildings with fewer than four units. If you live
CONTINUES ON PAGE 10
09
 SPRUCE UP YOUR URBAN LANDSCAPE: FROM PAGE 09
in a larger building that doesn’t already have a commercial size
recycling container, ask your landlord to order one.
Mayor Mark Mallory and the city are trying to boost recy-
cling numbers downtown by making it easier to get rid of your
Pull up a wicker
ottoman (from
Outside) and invite
some friends over.
plastic bottles and other materials. Four drop box locations
were recently installed at these intersections: Court and Cutter
streets, Third and Butler streets, McFarland and Central Avenue
near the Hamilton County Public Library book return and Ninth
Street between Vine and Walnut.
On May 15, you’ll also have an added incentive to sort your
CITYLIVING
trash, as Mallory kicks off a community recycling challenge.
This competition pits Cincinnati’s 52 neighborhoods against
each other to see which can recycle the most.
10
There’s also another alternative for scrap wood and other
construction waste. Instead of sending it to the dump, try the
Building Value Nonprofit Re-use Center, which accepts every-
thing from lumber and siding to bathtubs and windows. The
Walnut Hills organization has been around for more than 30
years and provides hands-on job training in construction and
retail for people with disabilities. Donations are tax deductible,
too.
Another great option for getting rid of old furniture and stuff
you don’t want anymore is freecycle.org. Post your unwanted
items on Cincinnati’s Freecycle Web site
(groups.yahoo.com/group/cincinnati_freecycle). As it might turn
out, your trash really may be someone else’s treasure.
Work out in the city
Whether you live in the urban core or just work downtown,
finding a workout facility that’s convenient and right for you
could be a challenge. But here’s one secret we learned: You
don’t have to be female to join one of the best downtown
gyms. The YWCA (898 Walnut St., Downtown) offers a full-serv-
ice fitness center with cardiovascular equipment, circuit and
free weights, an indoor walking/running track and a full-court
gymnasium.
Health and Wellness Director Ami Brown says the gym is
often open for evening shoot-arounds, and pick-up basketball
and volleyball games are popular during the lunch hour. The
YWCA also boasts downtown’s largest indoor pool with four 25-
yard long lanes.
Other amenities include a whirlpool, a dry-heat sauna and
the ever important complimentary towel service. The facility
offers a full line of group fitness classes as well, including
yoga and two of the hottest workout trends sweeping the
nation: Boot Camp and Zoomba.
Brown also points out that the YWCA’s fitness center is
managed by TriHealth, meaning it provides medically based fit-
ness. All staff members have degrees in health or fitness and
are certified in their area of expertise. The YWCA is an adult-
only facility, though children are welcome at certain times.
Just a few blocks over, the YMCA (1105 Elm St., Over-the-
Rhine) also offers a fully-equipped fitness center, indoor lap
pool and gym. Group exercise classes are available as are
handball, racquetball and squash courts and, yes, free towel
service.
Both Y’s offer no contract memberships and sliding scale
rates. One bonus with the YMCA is that your membership is
good at all area YMCA branches.
If neither of these makes you break a sweat, check out The
Gym at Carew Tower. If you work for a large business down-
town, your company might offer an in-building gym or have a
special membership deal with a particular center.
Get booked
The Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County is defi-
nitely one of the best library systems in the country. If you’re
looking for hard-to-find editions or rare books, though, check
out two of downtown’s less well-known lenders.
The Mercantile Library (414 Walnut St.) is a nonprofit mem-
bership institution dating back to 1835. The musty stacks and
charming wooden accents are inviting and offer a collegiate
feeling.
Don’t be fooled, as the library also has modern additions:
It’s a WiFi hotspot and has up-to-date titles from popular
authors. A basic yearly membership is $45, and the library
hosts numerous authors, lectures and music performances
throughout the year.
The Lloyd Library and Museum (917 Plum St.) is open to
the public and also offers new materials as well as older
tomes. The difference is the Lloyd focuses on the sciences,
offering botanical, medical and pharmaceutical editions. The
library also offers a multitude of research materials and pro-
grams for children.
Cincinnati is full of hidden gems with new jewels arriving all
the time. Take the time to invest in the downtown community —
you might just find the city has more to offer than you think. ©
CITYLIVING

Going Green with

Mother Nature
Rain barrels are making a splash in the Cincinnati area
BY CHRIS CHARLSON

A pril showers might bring May flowers, but what do show-

ers in June, July and August bring? For some resourceful
residents, they bring a healthier environment and signifi-
cant savings in water bills through the use of rain barrels and
rain gardens.
The eco-friendly tools gather and store excess storm water
from runoff and reintroduce it into the environment.
At the Civic Garden Center, Neighborhood Garden Program
Coordinator Peter Huttinger says the organization decided to
offer a single class last month in rain barrel construction. Due
to an overwhelming response, the center added three extra
sessions.
The use of rain barrels started centuries ago, according to
Huttinger, but he believes the renewed interest stems from a
desire to be environmentally conscious. He adds that the ben-
efits can be twofold.
LOOKINGFOR 
“The reason we advocate this is because we’re extending CARS
organic and sustainable urban agriculture,” he says. “We think FURNITURE
it’s an important practice. For one thing, it keeps your water SINGLES
bill down, but it also provides a healthy source of water for
plants.” SPEAKERS
Once assembled, the system collects water from the down-
spout of the gutter into a large barrel that generally ranges in
size from 40 to 100 gallons. In turn, the water can be used
for watering indoor and outdoor plants, watering lawns or fill-
ing bird baths. Huttinger says the water should not be used
for drinking, washing clothes or doing dishes.
Depending on whether residents purchase a prefab system
or do it themselves, he says costs range anywhere from $80
to $200 depending on size, volume and design. But construct-
ing a system does require some planning and resources,
since the overflow of water must be routed back into the
storm drain system.
“And there are a couple of reasons why you’d want to do
that,” he says. “One is you don’t want to flood your own base-
ment, and second is you don’t want to flood your neighbor’s
basement. Getting the water back into the storm water system
is not that difficult but something that needs to be done, and
people need to understand that.” .com
While the organization plans no more classes this year, )TS,IKECRAIGSLIST/NLY"ETTER
Huttinger says those interested can call the Civic Garden
Center at 513-221-0981 or visit the Web site at www.civicgar-
dencenter.org for more information.
Entrepreneur Leland Reilich says he became interested in
rain barrels after taking a class several years ago. When a
man selling 55-gallon plastic barrels approached Reilich, he
says the timing seemed perfect to start a mini-business in
CITYLIVING

rainwater reclamation.
Converting his newly acquired 80 barrels into rain barrels

CONTINUES ON PAGE 12 11

 GOING GREEN WITH MOTHER NATURE: FROM PAGE 11

required installing a spigot on the front, mos- task, as the project would require virtually

URBAN SITES quito and debris netting for the top and an
overflow system for when the barrel fills.
Simple systems will start at around $70
tearing up the entire city, she says. Runoff
into rivers and streams often becomes a
major problem, as it was in the Mill Creek,
per barrel, with a price increase depending she says, an area still in the stages of

GIVES YOU THE BEST on additional hardware. Reilich says he’s sur-
prised that he’s pretty much the only game in
town when it comes to selling the barrels in
cleanup after being decimated by sewage.
“People always think factories and large
corporations are responsible, but the number

REASONS TO the area.

While not officially advertising, he says set-
ting up a few barrels around the neighbor-
hood created great word-of-mouth interest
one pollutant of rivers and streams is poor
storm water management,” Decker says.
“Basically, if people would reroute the
drainage, it would prevent this from happen-

GO URBAN and spurred orders to pour in. (Contact

Reilich at 919-270-4903.)
ing.”
Mill Creek Watershed Council of
Communities
Program Director
Leslie Cohen says
PROUDLY PRESENTING creating rain gar-

THE TRIDECA LOFTS...

dens offer a viable
solution to rerouting
storm water runoff.
THE SAME PEOPLE WHO BROUGHT YOU A rain garden con-
THE AWARD WINNING DUVENECK FLATS. sists of absorbent
“People always think factories and large corporations native plants and
As part of the expanding GATEWAY QUARTER, are responsible, but the number one pollutant of rivers soil preferably
Trideca Lofts is located in the center of an urban placed on a down
renaissance designed to further home ownership,
and streams is poor storm water management. slope.

retail, services, and business in Over The Rhine.

Basically, if people would reroute the drainage, The shallow gar-
den will absorb up
Situated on the corner of 13th and Vine, Trideca Lofts it would prevent this from happening.” to an inch of rainfall
is the latest addtion to this exciting and popular area. per hour, leaving the
excess to the tradi-
— D. Decker, Mill Creek Watershed Council of Communities tional drainage sys-
9 loft style units • Granite countertops • Exposed brick tem, she says. The
water completely
Contemporary amenities • Decks and Balconies soaks in within 24
to 48 hours, not
From $185,000 allowing enough
time for mosquitoes
breed but replenish-
ing vital waters to
“People are becoming more and more the aquifers below ground she says.
aware of the environment, and it’s just anoth- To spruce up the non-traditional look of a
er one of those technologies people are rain garden, Cohen suggests surrounding it
starting to look toward again,” he says. with rocks or a fence to give it a more gar-
Greater Cincinnati residents might not be den-like appeal. The Mill Creek Watershed
aware of one of the more egregious conse- Web site provides classes throughout the
quences of excess storm water — the merg- year on how to construct a rain garden and a
ing with sewage water and inevitable over- 12-page PDF download at www.millcreekwa-
flow. According to D. Decker, the project tershed.org.
assistant of Mill Creek Watershed Council of “Cincinnati has the oldest sewer system in
Communities, studies prove Cincinnati’s anti- the country, so we’re trying to figure out ways
quated waste system simply can’t handle the to alleviate that problem,” Cohen says. “So

Bill Baum’ s
Urban Sites Properties
capacity when heavy rain and runoff combine
to overwhelm the sewer system.
Unfortunately, reworking the current
sewage system remains an insurmountable
the more green initiatives we can implement
in the city with rain gardens and rain barrels,
that will alleviate some of that water going
into the sewers. Every little bit helps.” ©

Actively working in OTR since 1985

gatewayquarter.com

Historic structures transformed

into modern Loft Apartments &
Condominiums with amazing
natural light & spectacular views.
Reasons to live Downtown!
CITYLIVING

513.621.6246
12
www.urbansites.net
CITYLIVING
All-Weather Entertaining
Hosting a memorable party when the temperature heats up
BY CHRIS CHARLSON • PHOTOS BY RAVEN BULL

I t’s time again to plan that sizzling summer

soirée. But looking for cool ideas to make your
party the “hot” one everyone remembers can be
a difficult order to fill.
Before throwing in the towel, check into local
specialty retailers, party planners and caterers and
trendy ideas and shortcuts to allow you and your
“Liquid propane allows the customer to have a
more portable grill,” he says. “With natural gas, it’s
more of a permanent fixture because the gas line
into the grill doesn’t allow it to be moved around
the deck or patio. People do it for a convenience
factor because natural gas is cheaper.”
A second step is to make sure you have all the
exciting twist, Boehner suggests the ever popular
pig roast.
The caterer delivers the cooked whole pig and
carves it on site — an experience guests seem to
love, he says. Boehner warns party planners to
give the caterers plenty of notice in order to really
arrange something unique.
Jay Dickerson of The
Party Source (below)
says you’ll really
enjoy your party if
you’re prepared.
Jerry Boehner of
guests to enjoy the fabulous festivities. necessary party accessories. Outside, a party “Don’t call just three or four days ahead and try
Vonderhaar’s (above)
The first step aspiring party planners need to store that’s been opened for just more than a to throw something together,” he says. “It’s just
take is to scrutinize their space to make it fit the month in the Gateway Quarter in Over-the-Rhine, going to appear thrown together because you did- suggests hiring a
festivities. At Watson’s in Sharonville, Assistant certainly lives up to its name when it comes to out- n’t give us some notice. If you give us some caterer to help.
Sales Manager Robert Shackelford says the trend door entertaining. Owner Terry Lee says the store notice, we can really come up with some creative
seems to be to move the indoors outdoors using blends urban, modern and contemporary styles to ideas.”
deep seating groups, such as outdoor sofas and create a “young and happening Smith & Hawkins.” Hosts looking toward the do-it-yourself party
love seats, as opposed to just a table and chairs. Self-proclaimed as “untraditional,” he says the need to look no further than The Party Source in
He says many people want to create a conversa- store is a riot of color boasting selections from Bellevue, says EQ Operations Manager Jay
tion nook where guest can recline with nice deep bright yellow and lime green table accessories to Dickerson. (EQ is the name of the Party Source’s
cushions. day-glo pink martini glasses. The store also offers cooking school and demonstration kitchen.)
The price on outdoor furniture varies dramatical- snap-in-place table settings, grills, barbeque grilling The store creates fresh party trays and sells a
ly from inexpensive discount retailers such as picnic basket sets and a variety of durable large variety of frozen appetizers, sauces and
Target or Loews to higher end furniture available at melamine and acrylic dinnerware and glassware, all desserts. For specialty parties and upcoming sum-
Watson’s, he says. But in the long run, buying good in an explosion of color. mer holidays, Dickerson says the store sells an
quality furniture makes for a better investment. “A party is all about having fun,” Lee says. array of decorations about two months prior to the
Shackelford says the lesser furniture wears out in “Make fun using ice kabobs or Marilyn Monroe event.
a year or two, where- plates. We even have Besides the ever popular keg of beer, Mojitos,
as higher-end furni- brightly colored acrylic Cosmopolitans and the Brazilian Caprinas seem to
ture can last up to that looks like paper be the big trend this year for summer cocktails, he
20 years. plates. It’s all about says — but those still undecided can visit the
“That’s really the adding fun elements store’s Virtual Bartender computer that offers drink
difference, quality to the party.” suggestions for specialty parties.
manufacturing ver- Next on your list is “Try to make the party really easy and do as
sus Chinese what to feed your much as you can ahead of time,” Dickerson says.
import,” he says. guests. Catering to “Choose a signature cocktail and premix a pitcher
For the perfect myriad budgets, of it before the party. The more prepared you are,
cookout, the retailer Vonderhaar’s in the more you can enjoy your own party.”
also offers a wide Reading supplies all But hosting a successful party involves more
range of Weber grills the fixings for a than simply serving food and beverages, says
with some exciting causal outdoor barbe- Kenwood-based Eventsetc owner Kay Nelson. As a
new features, cue all the way up to planner for both private and corporate events, she
Shackelford says. an elegant sit-down recommends hosts incorporate a theme to bring
New this year, summer wedding people together and stimulate conversation.
Webber offers illumi- reception, says She suggests throwing a garden party reminis-
nated grilling knobs General Manager cent of the English countryside complete with
to allow backyard Jerry Boehner. The guests dressed in white. Another idea is to throw a
chefs to grill essen- caterer provides pret- culturally themed party such as a luau or a fiesta
tially in the dark ty much anything peo- to tie an event together and make it more colorful.
using incandescent ple would need for To include those who might not know others at
light that doesn’t events including grills, the party, she often hires psychics, magicians,
attract bugs. tables, linens, serving palm and aura readers to work the crowd. As for
As for a grill dishes and staff — the menu, she prefers using food stations as
selection, the store all that’s required of opposed to seated dining so people mingle instead
sells both liquid the host is to provide of being confined to a table. She says the key to a
propane and natural the people and the successful party begins with lots of preparation
gas that can be place, Boehner says. and giving guests about six weeks notice to pre-
hooked up by run- For summer par- pare.
CITYLIVING

ning a line from the ties, he says people “That’s one of the reasons you hire a party plan-
home, he says. The often request stan- ner — you have someone to do all this for you,”
difference depends dard grilling fare such Nelson says. “It really takes the stress away, and
on convenience and as brats, burgers and then you as the host can enjoy your own party.” ©
cost. hotdogs. But for an 13
 CITYLIVING
Sharing Their Back Yard
Downtown residents work on their own ‘neighborhood’
BY JULIE HOTCHKISS • PHOTO BY JOE LAMB
C incinnati has 51 neighborhoods, each with its own unique quali-
ties that make it an interesting place to live. Every neighbor-
hood also has its advocates, including downtown.
“We’ve got larger buildings,” says Downtown Residents Council
President Conrad Thiede, explaining what makes the downtown busi-
ness district a little different from other Cincinnati neighborhoods
even though it is a residential neighborhood that’s growing swiftly.
The number of people living downtown has doubled since 2000.
Currently there
are more than
4,000 resi-
dents in the
central busi-
ness district
from Third
Street to
Central
Parkway.
Forecasts
by Downtown
Cincinnati Inc.
Small businesses in its 2006
such as Universal city profile
indicate that
Grille enjoy the
by 2010 there
support of down- will be almost
town residents. 8,000 resi-
dents in the
central city
and more than
14,000 people
living downtown if the Gateway Quarter, from 12th and Vine streets
to Washington Park, is included.
The Downtown Residents Council (DRC) was formed in 1985 to
serve as the community organization for people living downtown.
The council grew slowly at first, according to George Verkamp, a cur-
rent member of the DRC board of directors, but under the leader-
ship of the previous president, Travis Ard, and Thiede, who started
his second term in April, membership has expanded.
“In the past five years,” Verkamp says, “there has been a lot of
new and exciting activity and a lot of growth.”
The DRC meets on the second Tuesday of every month at the
Public Library Tower Room. People attend meetings even before
they move downtown, according to Thiede. They want to find out
more about living downtown when they’re considering the neighbor-
hood as a new residence, and Thiede and his fellow board mem-
bers are enthusiastic about encouraging prospective residents to
make the move.
Some people perceive the area as catering to “young profession-
als,” but Thiede says it’s attracts a diverse group of all ages and
backgrounds. There are plenty of people who work downtown, but
many retired people are moving there, too.
Thiede, who’s vice president of development for an educational
foundation in Oxford, says he’s not the only “reverse commuter” liv-
ing downtown. Thiede moved here from New York and liked the
CITYLIVING
urban atmosphere downtown. He also found he was downtown
almost every evening, so he decided to live there.
“I sensed a change coming to our downtown,” he says, “and I
wanted to be a part of it, as a resident and participant.”
14
The DRC and its members are strong supporters of the arts com-
munity because that’s one of the main reasons why people move
downtown. They also work with other downtown organizations to
sponsor events such as the Downtown Tour of Living held each fall.
(To find out more about upcoming events, check the calendar at the
DRC Web site, www.ilivedowntown.com.) The council works coopera-
tively with Downtown Cincinnati Inc., 3CDC and the Over-the-Rhine
Chamber of Commerce on a variety of downtown events.
But their closest relationships are with the local businesses,
such as the Universal Grille, Below Zero and MetroNation — all are
great neighbors, according to Thiede. He points to a market and dry
cleaner that are now open on Saturdays as evidence that the resi-
dents and businesses recognize the need to work with each other.
“They depend on us for their business,” Thiede says, “but we
also rely on them, because they’re making downtown a true neigh-
borhood.”
Manu Hazeley, general manager of Universal Grille, agrees with
Thiede, saying the Downtown Residents Council has been a positive
force in the neighborhood, bringing in fresh and interesting ideas.
“It’s good to have people working with the small businesses in
town, not just the big companies,” Hazeley says.
The DRC has a good relationship with City Hall, too. Thiede says
that the responsiveness from city government is “extraordinary,”
and the mayor’s staff often reaches out to downtown residents to
invite them to be involved in a decision or give their views on an
issue.
A plan was recently proposed for a downtown dog recreation
area, and a willing DRC member was recruited to serve on the com-
mittee looking into it.
The cooperative spirit extends to the relationship the council has
with Cincinnati Police, especially the Downtown Services Unit, which
includes horse and bicycle patrols. The unit’s officers are “customer
friendly,” Thiede says, and proactive in dealing with issues. They
look for the source of a problem rather than focusing on incidents
individually, an approach that’s helped the downtown area post dou-
ble-digit decreases in crime statistics since 2002.
“I hope other community councils can work with their police dis-
tricts as well as we do,” Thiede says.
DCR does its part to make downtown a better place, too. The
city’s Neighborhood Support Projects (NSP) program provides funds
annually for projects in every community, and Verkamp has been
NSP manager for the Downtown Residents Council for several
years.
“My wife and I are both Realtors and focus on the downtown
area, so we wanted to be involved in downtown organizations,”
Verkamp says. “Now we live downtown and have for the past couple
of years. I want to do what I can to be involved.”
The Downtown Residents Council uses its NSP allotment for sev-
eral projects, including decorating Piatt Park during the holiday sea-
son. One the favorite programs, according to Verkamp, is the Youth
Art Sponsorship project, which they coordinate with the Main Public
Library each summer. The program was in danger of being eliminat-
ed when the DRC became co-sponsors, and now the council pro-
vides volunteers as well as funding to help introduce school-age
children to art of all kinds.
Thiede zeroes in on why so many city residents are active in the
Downtown Residents Council.
“Downtown is everybody’s living room, but it’s our back yard,” he
says. ©

City Notes
Real estate trends: Why Cincinnati’s less affected by the housing crash
BY JULIE HOTCHKISS
H ousing crash? What housing crash? That’s what Realtors
in downtown Cincinnati have been asking recently, despite
all the national news about a stagnant real estate market,
falling property values and widespread foreclosures.
The “housing bubble” might have burst in many places, but
Cincinnati is in a better position than many other cities — just
outside that bubble.
Property values here never made the meteoric rise seen in
cities like Las Vegas, and the stable prices have been a good
thing in the long run — prices had a lot less far to fall. And in
some parts of town, the local real estate market has been re-
energized.
Stacy Richert, an agent with Huff Realty, has been selling
real estate in downtown Cincinnati for just a few months, com-
ing from a suburban office.
“We are seeing sales at full price and a lot of activity,” she
says. “There’s a lot of positive energy in the real estate mar-
ket in downtown Cincinnati right now.”
Her business partner, Holly Redmond, notes that they’re
averaging a sale a week associated with condominiums in the
Gateway Quarter development, and more than 100 more con-
dos will be available in the development soon. The Gateway
Quarter encompasses 16 buildings in the area from 12th and
Vine Streets to Washington Park in Over-the-Rhine.
“We’re selling like crazy down here,” Redmond says. “And
most of the properties we are selling have been at list price,
which is a big difference from property sales in the suburbs.”
She says there has been an influx of buyers interested in
downtown properties, and they tell her that a lot of this inter-
est has to do with high gas prices. Young professionals who
work for many of the large companies located downtown want
to be able to park their cars and walk to work, and their inter-
est in downtown property has sustained a positive market.
City neighborhoods near downtown are benefiting from the
stable property values, too.
“The housing market in Cincinnati never collapsed because
we weren’t at the top of the housing bubble,” says Matt
Strauss, director of the Housing Resource Center in Price Hill.
Trends look fairly positive for the city’s neighborhoods, he
says, and he’s been hearing anecdotal evidence that the worst
of the foreclosure crisis is over locally.
A recent report from the Cincinnati Board of Realtors con-
firms Strauss’ feeling that things are getting better. It indicat-
ed that pending sales of homes in the area in February 2008
were only 0.3 percent lower than sales in the same month in
2007, so there are almost as many people buying homes this
spring — the busy season for real estate sales — as there
were last year.
One difference, however, is that more people might be buy-
ing existing homes rather than new houses. Some major
homebuilders in the area have scaled back or left the market
in recent months.
Atlanta-based Beazer Homes announced in February that it
wouldn’t build any more new homes in the Cincinnati market,
and Ryland Homes, a California-based construction company
that’s built approximately 3,000 homes targeted toward first-
time buyers, announced that it was pulling out in April.
The suburbs have been harder hit than the city of
Cincinnati. Until last year, the usual ratio of foreclosures was
60 percent city properties and 40 percent in the suburbs, but
now the statistics have flipped, Strauss says — 60 percent of
CITYLIVING
foreclosures are in the suburbs.
Still, the entire Cincinnati metropolitan area is faring well
compared to parts of Ohio such as Cleveland and Akron.
Foreclosure rates are so high there that some entire neighbor-
hoods are “clearing out,” Strauss says, and those areas
account for some reports that Ohio has led the nation in num-
bers of foreclosures in the past year.
And some properties have dropped in value, as many sell-
ers and investors can attest.
“The market is in flux,” says Jim Shapiro, a Cincinnati real
estate investor and active member of the local chapter of the
Real Estate Investment Association who owns property
throughout the city, from Anderson Township to Bridgetown.
“It’s a buyer’s market, and some of these houses are great
deals for buyers and investors who are getting houses at a
fraction of what
they sold for a few
years ago.”
Shapiro is also
quick to point out
that property
appreciation in “It’s a buyer’s market, and some of these houses are great
good times here deals for buyers and investors who are getting houses at a
was only slightly
higher than infla- fraction of what they sold for a few years ago.”
tion, so even a
small drop in the
—Jim Shapiro, Cincinnati real estate investor
value of property
can have a major
impact.
“At the prices
they are getting for
some of these
houses now, the owners (of foreclosures) could have kept
their homes,” he says.
Foreclosures have caused some problems for renters, too,
who come home to find a notice telling them to clear out. On
the other hand, there are plenty of other places to rent, so
they might be disrupted by a sudden move but are in a better
situation than property owners who face foreclosure.
Cincinnati and surrounding suburbs are facing a period of
transition in the real estate market.
“It’s impossible to know what values will end up being when
we get past this period,” Shapiro says, but he believes that
overall they’ll be lower than they were.
And that will have a ripple effect in the area. Lower property
values translate into lower tax revenues in Hamilton County,
where property taxes are the second-biggest source of county
income. The county auditor’s office will update the values of
more than 300,000 homes this year, and officials predict that
the change in values will fluctuate from neighborhood to
neighborhood but remain stable overall.
Cincinnati hasn’t entirely avoided the fallout from the
national housing crisis, but it might turn out to be more of a
housing hiccup here. Investors and sellers are feeling the
effects of lower values and a sluggish market, especially in
CITYLIVING
the suburbs, but buyers who can qualify for standard mort-
gages find themselves in a good position right now, with plen-
ty of properties on the market and some great deals, too.
CONTACT CITY NOTES: cityliving@citybeat.com 15
 CITYLIVING

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