Author: Randy A. Simes

Randy is an award-winning urban planner who founded UrbanCincy in May 2007. He grew up on Cincinnati’s west side in Covedale, and graduated from the University of Cincinnati’s nationally acclaimed School of Planning in June 2009. In addition to maintaining ownership and serving as the managing editor for UrbanCincy, Randy has worked professionally as a planning consultant throughout the United States, Korea and the Middle East. After brief stints in Atlanta and Chicago, he currently lives in the Daechi neighborhood of Seoul’s Gangnam district.

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News

Cincinnati’s Premier University

Well the beginning of the school year is about to begin at the University of Cincinnati…so I thought that I would do a little write up about the university. Keep in mind that I am a University of Cincinnati student, and I have a little bit of a bias towards my institution. But I am just trying to convey facts and information with this one. UC will surprise you with its history, accomplishments and stature.

Starting as a medical school in 1819, Dr. Daniel Drake received a charter for the Medical College of Ohio (the 2nd medical school founded west of the Allegheny Mts). In 1870 the estate of Charles McMicken left money to the City of Cincinnati to establish the University of Cincinnati. This absorbed the Cincinnati College and also took in the combined Ohio-Miami Medical Department in 1909. In 1962 the university then absorbed the Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music. The university later became one of Ohio’s state universities in 1977.

McMicken Hall – University of Cincinnati

UC also boasts the nation’s first co-operative education (co-op) program which was invented by Herman Schneider in 1906. The co-op program is considered the 3rd best professional practice program and is the largest program in the nation. The program engages over 2,000 companies in 43 different countries.

Ranked as one of America’s top 25 public research universities and in the top 50 of all American research universities, UC has an annual enrollment around 35,000 or so students (both graduate and undergraduate).

Mews Gardens – University of Cincinnati

The university also boasts many excellent programs. Most notably the College-Conservatory of Music (CCM) and the College of Design, Architecture, Art and Planning (DAAP) are well respected as some of the best schools in their respective disciplines. Programs ranked in the Top 25 and well respected programs nationwide include:

Interior Design, Architecture, Industrial Design, Graphic Design, Urban Planning, Criminal Justice, Operations Management, Marketing, CCM – Voice, Composition, Piano, Musical Theatre, Drama. Other well respected programs include the College of Law, College of Pharmacy and the College of Medicine.

Lindner Athletics Center – University of Cincinnati

The University of Cincinnati’s campus has also been recognized as one of the most architecturally dynamic campuses in all of America. The university boasts works done by such architects as Frank O. Gehry, Peter Eisenman, Thom Mayne and Michael Graves.

You can view more photos on the University of Cincinnati HERE!!! If you would like to see more of the surrounding area, you can look through the Cincinnati neighborhood galleries.

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News

Fountain Square Dazzles!

In case you have been living under a rock lately…Downtown Cincinnati continues to make great progress and the Fountain Square transformation continues to dazzle. Sometimes pictures are just better than words…so check out this recent photo thread of Fountain Square by montecarloss from UrbanOhio/CincyImages. Here is a teaser:

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News

Monthly Throwdown

Well today is the last day of the month…and similarly the last day you can vote on what you think about downtown’s progress (or lack thereof). So what I (and I’m sure others) want to know is…why did you vote the way you did? Is it anything specific, pure emotional response, what?

Hopefully this can stir some good discussion, about different opinions, regarding downtown. A new poll will be coming for the month of September, and this discussion will most likely become a regular monthly event (I like the name “Monthly Throwdown” for some reason). Lets hear it and please…don’t hold back, just make sure it is constructive dialog. I don’t like to moderate comments (only deleted 1 comment ever) and I would like to keep it that way…so keep it civil.

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Development News Politics

Atlanta…What I’ve Learned

In case you may or may not know…I have been working down here in Atlanta for the past few months, and will be returning to Cincinnati very soon. I had a goal of not only getting lots of great job experience, but I also wanted to learn as much as I could about this often ballyhooed city. Here are some of the things I’ve learned and just some of my observations.

1. Atlanta is often considered to be THE spot for blacks to live. While I noticed a lot more middle-class blacks I also noticed that Atlanta still suffers from the same issues of racism that everywhere else does. There are people who resent the fact that Atlanta is such a destination spot for blacks…and since you have a good number of middle/upper-class blacks you see prejudice from those individuals towards the lower-class blacks. As I have said before…I think prejudices and segregation result more so from economics than race or anything else.

2. The reason Atlanta is such a great place for young people is that there are a TON of young people down here. The bars I’ve been to in Virginia Highlands and Midtown have been good, but not better than the bars of Mt. Adams in my opinion. Now, there are much better clubs and a lot more of them. But like I said, what makes it a great place for young people…is all the young people (chicken or egg).

Midtown Atlanta

3. It is hot, humid, muggy and buggy…not at all my style. Give me Cincinnati’s bipolar weather behavior any day over this shenanigans.

4. I’ve never heard the term ‘Yankee’ used more in my entire life. Actually to be honest…I don’t know that I ever heard it used in normal conversation in Cincinnati.

If you would like to see more visuals of my Atlanta Documentaries you can check them out over on UrbanOhio. Here is the list of places I have up so far:

Atlantic Station | Buckhead | Midtown

*Please note that I use the term ‘blacks’ instead of African American because not everyone that is black is African American. Furthermore, the Census Bureau uses this classification for racial breakdowns in many cases.
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News

Zinzinnati’s German heritage

Cincinnati has a one of the richest German histories in all of America. The German history dates back even to the inception of the city in 1788. German immigrants came to America in large numbers due to a variety of reasons from religious freedom to the availability of mechanized manufacturing of goods. As a result they were attracted to America’s heartland and formed what is now called the “German Triangle.” The triangle was formed by St. Louis, Milwaukee and Cincinnati…with Cincinnati being the largest of those cities and also the city containing the largest German influence. So, who cares?

Well what would Cincinnati be like today without the strong German influence of the past? We can attribute that strong influence to the current day butchers, bakeries and ice cream shops that still exist in nearly every neighborhood in the region. Over-the-Rhine was built by those German immigrants and thus the creation of the largest collection of Italianate architecture in America. Cincinnati’s built environment was greatly influenced by those same immigrants. They built a dense urban core with streetcars and all, not to mention they helped build what is considered to be America’s first major boomtown.

Oktoberfest Zinzinnati 2006: Photo from Cincy Images

It is also by no mistake that the largest Oktoberfest celebration exists in Cincinnati (outside of the Munich event). We also have the only Hofbrauhaus outside of Munich, Germany. In addition to that Cincinnati boasts the Fairview German Language School and one of the largest German-American book collections at the University of Cincinnati. In addition to that, roughly 50% of all people in the Cincinnati claim German as their ancestry…again, one of the largest percentages in the nation. A few other notable Cincinnati landmarks created or inspired by German immigrants are: Fountain Square, Roebling Suspension Bridge, Cincinnati Zoo, Spring Grove Cemetery, Music Hall, Findlay Market and the Cincinnati Park System.

Cincinnati’s German heritage has surely shaped the physical environment of our city, and has also shaped the social environment over the years as well. I just don’t think that Cincinnati would be the family-friendly place it is today without those unique Cincinnati features of being able to go to Humbert’s Meats or Servatii’s pastry shop. What do you think and how does Cincinnati’s heritage affect your day to day life? How would Cincinnati be different without this German influence…or is it even relevant today?

I have done a photo thread on Over-the-Rhine over at UrbanOhio, entitled Über-der-Rhein.