‘Welcome to Cincinnati’ is a song and video produced by University of Cincinnati students Jeff Stephens and Jeremy Powers. Pretty fun all around, with lots of great views of one of the world’s most beautiful campuses.
Tag: uptown
Cincinnati has been making bold efforts recently to establish itself a more bicycle friendly city. New bike lanes, sharrows, on-street bicycle parking, bicycle parking development requirements, a bike share program, a bicycle commuter station and a bold new Bicycle Transportation Plan are all helping to change Cincinnati’s bicycling community for the better.
So far, the City’s Department of Transportation & Engineering has made bicycle infrastructure improvements in several city neighborhoods including Clifton, University Heights, O’Bryonville, Walnut Hills and Northside. City officials hope that the new bicycle infrastructure and public policy will double the number of people bicycling regularly for transportation in five years. Many local bicycling advocated believe that some of those future improvements need to start happening now.
“We’re urging the City to immediately begin putting bike lanes and other improvements in place on Riverside Drive, Madison Road and Spring Grove Avenue,” stated Gary Wright, President, Queen City Bike. “Those three streets must be a critical part of any serious bike network in the City, and doing this now will show that this is not a plan that will sit on the shelf.”
Of those three streets Wright mentioned, Madison Road is scheduled to be repaved this year making for a perfect opportunity to install bike lanes at the least possible cost to a major transportation route between eastern neighborhoods like Hyde Park to the center city.
Wright adds that Spring Grove Avenue runs right through the epicenter of Cincinnati’s bike culture in Northside and that additional investment along Riverside Drive could bolster that corridor from the popular recreation route it is now to something much more.
“Adding bike lanes now and making other changes to slow traffic through the East End community will encourage more people to give street riding a try while also doing a lot to enhance the neighborhood,” Wright explained. “Bike lanes along Riverside will not serve as a substitute for completing the Ohio River Trail, but they will also make the Little Miami Trail connection planned for Lunken more accessible to a few more riders right away.”
Following eight months of surveys, open houses and on-the-street focus groups, the City is ready to release a draft of the plan and receive final comments from the public. The release of this plan will take place on Wednesday, May 5 from 6:30pm to 8:30pm at the Clifton Cultural Arts Center (map).
The Bicycle Transportation Plan calls for additional infrastructure improvements, educational and encouragement efforts, and enforcement programs. Those interested in providing feedback may do so by contacting the City with comments online or by calling (513) 591-6000 prior to Friday, May 14.
The Christ Hospital has been recognized as the nation’s first hospital to achieve LEED for Existing Buildings: Operations & Maintenance certification by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). This certification has been verified by the Green Building Certification Institute (GBCI).
The announcement comes as the Cincinnati region continues to position itself as a green building leader in the Midwest and even nationally. The recently completed Christ Hospital Imaging Center received LEED Silver certification for Commercial Interiors due to its lighting systems, heating and air systems, low-flow water fixtures and Energy Star-rated appliances among other things.
“Our employees have been incredibly supportive of efforts to bring green concepts and technology into our hospital, and it is an honor to be a national leader among hospitals for LEED certification,” said Susan Croushore, President and CEO, The Christ Hospital. “By reducing our costs on energy, water and other resources, we are able to better serve the healthcare needs of our patients, their families and the entire community.”
The 555-bed hospital in Uptown achieved the certification for its energy use, lighting, water and material use in addition to other sustainable efforts. The sustainability measures are seen as more than a gain for the environment, but also an economic gain for the families, businesses, workers, taxpayers and community involved.
“With each new LEED-certified building, we get one step closer to USGBC’s vision of a sustainable built environment within a generation,” said Rick Fedrizzi, President, CEO & Founding Chair, U.S. Green Building Council. “As the newest member of the LEED family of green buildings, The Christ Hospital is an important addition to the growing strength of the green building movement.”
The Design Revolution Road Show is a traveling exhibition that has visited 22 schools and covered thousands of miles in the course of 75 days with just one mobile trailer. The exhibition is the brain child of Emily Pilloton who founded Project H Design – a San Francisco-based non-profit that focuses on design that improves health, habitats, humanity and happiness. The road show has taken Project H’s message on the road and will visit Cincinnati today.
Over the past two months the Design Revolution Road Show has traveled all over the country visiting high schools and colleges in an attempt to inspire students to step up and change the world. In addition to the message, the traveling exhibition features 40 humanitarian design solutions that were previously highlighted in Design Revolution: 100 Products that Empower People which was also written by, you guessed it, Emily Pilloton. The designs vary, but range from homemade water filters designed for those living in developing countries to educational toys for mentally challenged children.
Design Revolution Road Show at NC State – photo from Project H Design.“Each product is an example of how design can enable and improve life, rather than simply take up space as a commodity or accessory,” described Pilloton. “We believe design can change the world, and we’re taking the show on the road.”
The University of Cincinnati (UC) was chosen as one of the sites because of the university’s prominent college of Design, Architecture, Art and Planning that is world renowned for its design innovations and talent. According to Pilloton, the hope is to create a stronger connection between education and design that is both provocative and socially relevant to the problems facing society today. Students at UC will be presented the evidence and tools for designing solutions with a social impact.
The Design Revolution Road Show will be at the University of Cincinnati today from 10am to 4pm. The mobile trailer known as ‘The Airstream’ will be parked on McMicken Commons in the heart of UC’s main campus. Project H Design founder Emily Pilloton will be giving a free lecture that is open to the public from 12:30pm to 2pm in room 4400 inside the Aronoff Center for Art & Design (map). Parking is available throughout UC’s campus parking garages for a fee, or you can try your luck at nearby on-street parking. Several Metro bus routes also provide service to the Aronoff Center for Art & Design, and a great deal of bicycle parking is located just feet away from the entrance to the building.
Deep India is the new kid on the block, a brave new contender joining the ranks of Cincinnati’s awesome Indian food scene. It’s located in the old Jersey Mike’s space, and settles in nicely between Thai Express and Tea N’ Bowl, completing an almost entire block of ethnic food restaurants. The unassuming Deep India might leave you wondering what to expect, and with such a solidly established Indian place (Krishna) right around the corner, it can be a little nerve wracking even giving the new guy a try.
Do not be afraid though, after a couple quick visits I can I say that it was worth the risk. Don’t get me wrong, I’m one of Krishna’s biggest fans. I can see it from my house, and I had yet to find another restaurant that makes Saag Paneer in the same way – that is until I tried Deep India.
For $10.50 I was able to get an overflowing box of delicious creamy spinach goodness, garnished with chopped green onion and perfectly spiced. The paneer (homemade cheese cubes) was creamy, melty almost, not rubbery in the slightest. Meanwhile the Garlic Naan (a type of flat bread) was bubbly, lightly browned on the bottom and not too crispy.
There are some definite perks to Deep India. The decor is plain and unassuming, there are two televisions playing sports and movies, and eventually they’re going to sell beer that you can grab to go with your carry-out. And unlike their Krishna counterpart, the interior table arrangement leaves plenty of room for both diners and those waiting for their carry-out.
Deep India photos taken by Jenny Kessler.
After sitting down with one of the owners I found out why Amandeep Singh wanted to establish himself in the Clifton Heights area. Singh’s family has been in the restaurant business in Cincinnati for quite some time – his father was a chef at another local establishment for several years, and his cousin and partner, Rajwinder, has worked at several Cincinnati restaurants including Krishna and Cumin. Singh said that he saw a need for another Indian restaurant at the top (meaning southern end) of Clifton Avenue; one that had a little more room for patrons to spread out and enjoy their food.
Singh is definitely on to something, and I recommend you check it out too. Deep India is located at 211 W. McMillan Street (map) in Clifton Heights and is open Monday through Thursday from 11am to 10pm, Friday and Saturday from 11am to 10:30pm, and Sunday from 11:30am to 9:30pm. Prices range from $1.50 to $11.95, and carry-out and delivery orders can be placed by calling (513) 421-6453.