Considered to be one of the 50 things to do before you die, the 59th Annual Macy’s Fashion Show dazzled a sold-out crowd of 1,500 in Uptown Cincinnati while hundreds more participated in overflow watch parties nearby. The 2010 class of graduates showcased their work for some of the top names in the industry as they gathered in Cincinnati to recruit some of the best new fashion design talents.
For the second straight year, Seven/Seventy-Nine was tasked with creating videos that introduced each section of the show. With the themes – Adapt, Transform, Evolve – of this year’s show in mind, Seven/Seventy-Nine created the following videos to introduce and compliment the exciting visual experience that was the 2010 DAAP Fashion Show.
The last major motion picture to be filmed in Cincinnati was the 2000 box office hit Traffic which highlighted America’s relationship with drugs. In the movie, a conservative politician from Cincinnati was appointed as U.S. Drug Czar all while his young daughter deals with a drug addiction of her own. The wealthy politician, and his family, lived in the extraordinarily affluent Indian Hill neighborhood, and his daughter would travel into Cincinnati’s inner city to support her drug habits.
The movie focuses on the wide reach of drugs in contemporary American society and illustrates the role both wealthy and poor individuals play in the drug trade. The movie portrayed the inner city as a place of decay where the dirty elements of the drug trade take place.
Filmmakers chose Over-the-Rhine because of its urban form and its state of decay that helped tell the story at the time the movie was filmed. Since that time a dramatic revitalization has occurred throughout Cincinnati’s inner city that has included the renaissance taking place in Over-the-Rhine that has netted hundreds of new residents, dozens of new businesses, and plummeting crime rates.
Soapbox takes a look the locations used in Traffic ten years after the movie first entertained audiences. The video, produced by 7/79 ltd, shows that most all of the locations have been rejuvenated over that time, and those involved with the film say that Over-the-Rhine continues to be a draw for filmmakers as it provides an affordable alternative to filming in New York while providing a similar urban form to use.
“A big part of their decision to come to Cincinnati was Over-the-Rhine. They just fell in love with that whole area, and felt that it had a wealth of opportunities and architectural detail to offer the film,” said Deidre Costa, Location Manager for Traffic. “I would say hands down that the biggest selling point of Cincinnati has been Over-the-Rhine.”
As dismal economic reports continue to be made, MSNBC’s Chris Matthews shares his idea for how to get America out of this economic rut – build rapid rail.
On last night’s Hardball with Chris Matthews show Matthews shared, on more than one occasion, his disgust about the state of rapid rail in America. Asking at one point, “Why are we the slowest moving rapid rail nation in the world?” and further contemplating whether or not America would even build a subway system in a big American city today.
Much of Europe has already developed an advanced high-speed rail network that links those countries together, and China is in the midst of the most aggressive high-speed rail building campaign the world has ever seen. Other countries around the world are getting up-to-speed as well, and there is the possibility that northern Africa may even soon be connected to Europe’s extensive system.
“We need to build rapid rail…and it’s time we catch the movement,” exclaimed Matthews in the final show segment. “It will create jobs, it will catch us up to the rest of the world, it will cut our reliance on foreign oil, and it will give us something to believe in. President Obama…just do it!”
The 5th annual National Dump the Pump Day took place today and encouraged individuals to take public transportation instead of commuting to work by car. This year more than 120 public transportation systems participated in the Dump the Pump activities including Cincinnati’s Metro bus service.
According to the American Public Transportation Association (APTA), transit riders save on average $778 per month, and over $9,000 per year without the high operational and maintenance costs associated with car ownership. In addition to the cost savings, APTA states that public transit offers a travel option that has an immediate impact in reducing an individual’s carbon footprint while also reducing America’s dependence on foreign oil.
The Transit Savings Report released by APTA is calculated based on the average cost of taking public transit as compared to the average cost of driving using cost metrics defined by AAA. The cost of driving includes maintenance, operational, and parking costs. America’s top 20 cities as rated by transit ridership saw anywhere from $13,906 in annual savings in New York City, to $8,218 in Pittsburgh.
Cincinnati did not rank within the top 20 American cities for transit ridership, but Cincinnati’s Metro bus service is celebrating National Dump the Pump Day with a Facebook Page contest where those who leave comments on the page are entered into a drawing to win a month-long bus pass.
Take a moment, and share why you have dumped the pump in the comment section or on Metro’s Facebook Page.
James Geyer put together this interesting video of downtown Cincinnati. Not sure what to think of the music choice, but the imagery is visually pleasing and generally fun. The video highlights several prominent locations throughout Cincinnati’s center city while also showcasing a bit of the lifestyle found there.
