Tag: young professionals

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Development News

Over-the-Rhine condominium development to be converted into 16 apartments

Urban Sites completed the renovation of 16 condominium units at the Belmain Building approximately one-and-a-half years ago. The residential project has struggled with condo sales, and is now being transitioned to apartment units in a better performing rental market.

As a result Urban Sites and the Cincinnati Center City Development Corporation (3CDC) decided to transition the 16 residential units to rental properties just over a month ago. That decision has proved fruitful as NorthPointe Group has been able to lease 70 percent of the units thus far and has applications on the rest.

“The demand to live in Over-the-Rhine is incredible,” according to NorthPointe Group leasing agent JT Barse. “This is a place where people want to be, and a lifestyle that people want where they can be close to work and close to where they want to be after work.”

Even though many are moving into Over-the-Rhine to be close to work, Barse notes that some of the new residents moving in are just trying to take advantage of the urban lifestyle, and are reverse commuting to their jobs elsewhere.

“People have loved Belmain because they love being by Park+Vine and Neons Unplugged, and they love being on Main Street where it has such a vibrant community,” Barse continued. “Many people just want to live smart by being where they want to be.” The evidence of this smart living trend can be found in the projects for which NorthPointe Group is responsible.

The 48 rental units in Parvis Lofts filled up before the first unit was completed, and the development group is planning to add an additional eight to ten residential units behind Republic Street. Belmain’s 16 units will also be completely full by the time the first resident is able to move in on June 1.

Similar to the success at Parvis and Belmain, developers at The Banks saw 60 percent of its 300-unit first phase gobbled up before the first residents could move in. The success of the rental units in particular, Barse believes, is due to the demographics looking to move into the urban core.

“People are really recognizing that this is a great place to live, and for some people, it has been difficult to find this kind of quality at this price point. Plus, the success of downtown is helping drive success in OTR, and it’s all rolling together to be a good center city.”

LEED Silver-certified Belmain building photograph by Thadd Fiala for UrbanCincy.

Categories
Arts & Entertainment News

Southgate House to host Jason White concert this Friday

The Southgate House will welcome Jason White this Friday, April 22 for a concert highlighting work off his new album entitled The Longing which is due out May 7.

The Cleveland-born musician is coming off two critically-acclaimed albums, Shades of Gray and Tonight’s Top Story. The show at the Southgate House will include David Mead in addition, and prior to, White’s headlining performance.

While excited for the Cincinnati show, Jason White and promoters have expressed concerns about the scale of the audience as they see an increasingly saturated music marketplace and entertainment industry throughout the United States.

“These days, everybody is so inundated with entertainment information, but most of it feels to me like it’s mass-produced,” said White. “So what I hope is that people can listen to this record and hear that it’s homespun, that the songs were written very carefully and come from a sincere place, and that the process was very organic and genuine.”

The concert at Southgate House (map) is scheduled to begin at 8:30pm. Tickets cost $10 in advance (buy online), and $13 the day of the show.

Southgate House photograph by Dan Hewins.

Categories
Business News

World Food Bar Restaurant Group to open new restaurant in East Walnut Hills

Six months have passed since the opening of Mayberry Foodstuffs in downtown Cincinnati, and for Chef Josh Campbell and his business partners, it is time to try something new. The team will open a new restaurant called The Skinny Pig in East Walnut Hills this May. The restaurant, Campbell says, will feature flatbreads, salads, and his specialty – pork.

When Herbert Hood, owner of the buildings on Woodburn Avenue , first visited Mayberry Foodstuffs, he asked Campbell to open another small grocery concept in place of the beloved, and recently closed, Lucky John’s Market in his neighborhood.

After learning about Campbell’s cooking background, the pair decided that opening a restaurant would be a great use for the 750-square-foot space. After signing a 15-month lease the whirlwind renovation process, for which the World Food Bar group has become known, began.

Campbell, along with his business partner Jerry Murphy and sous chef Kevin O’Connell, say they are jumping in to the new concept and location head first.

“Everybody says when opportunity knocks, you should go for it,” Campbell says. “Why not? It’s a natural expansion of what we’re already doing, and we want to reach new people. I’ve surrounded myself with such great people, and it just makes sense.”

Collectively, the team works interchangeably between the Mayberry restaurant as well as Foodstuffs, and The Skinny Pig will be another hock of the hog. The pressure smoker for The Skinny Pig will be housed at the Vine Street kitchen, and the entire team, from Campbell to the dishwasher will work together to complete the trifecta.

The Skinny Pig will be located in the DeSales Corner business district of East Walnut Hills which already boasts other restaurants, luxury apartments and art galleries, and Campbell believes the neighborhood is the next up and coming area in Cincinnati.

“The downtown area is beginning to be saturated with restaurants,” says Campbell. “In this area you have Blue Cross Blue Shield, St. Ursula Academy with students who can go off campus for lunch, and several doctor’s offices filled with people looking for healthy, flavorful food options.”

Campbell says that the main menu concept is a variety of blue cornmeal flatbreads with assorted toppings, baked to order in a wood burning oven, along with unique salads. The goal is to operate an eatery that is accessible to every palate, with offerings running the gamut from wild mushroom pate to smoked pork shoulder, and everything in between.

After the first 30 days of operation, he intends to open an expansive courtyard, with an outdoor grill and live weekend music, that can accommodate an additional 20 to 25 people. With exposed brick, an open kitchen, and a relaxed atmosphere, visitors will experience a homey, accessible meal in a sit down, waited-table style, run by locals that genuinely care about the area and the dining experience.

“Lots of people in the city are investing in different areas of the city’s core,” says Campbell. “The suburbs – they come and go. We need to get back to that era of small mom and pop places that care about their customers and build relationships. I’m a businessman, but my goal is to grow and make sure that the people that are around me can survive, live well, and have fun at work. I’m trying to get that message out to people – to just do the right thing.”

Photograph of Chef Josh Campbell inside Mayberry by Jake Mecklenborg for UrbanCincy.

Categories
News Opinion

Restructuring positions UrbanCincy for further, long-term growth

Since UrbanCincy’s founding in May 2007 much has changed with the website, the city and its people. What began as a humble outlet to share my personal thoughts about the city with whomever chose to read it has become so much more. UrbanCincy now features exclusive and original content, publishes eight to ten times each week, runs a seasonal kickball league, organizes events throughout the year like Bikes + Brews, and has become the place for people to get their news on Cincinnati’s urban core.

For the third time in four years, UrbanCincy has been honored to be voted as one of the best blogs in Cincinnati. This year UrbanCincy was chosen along with Wine Me, Dine Me and 365 Things to do in Cincinnati. Each year I have been honored to even have UrbanCincy considered worthy of such recognition, but it was even more satisfying this year following a great deal of transition internally at UrbanCincy.

Over the past six months UrbanCincy has successfully begun a transition that is shifting more responsibility to Jenny Kessler, who is now Operations Manager for the site. We have also restructured the contributing team to best reflect time commitments and professional capabilities. Additionally, in fall 2010 UrbanCincy entered into an innovative content sharing agreement with the Cincinnati Business Courier which will further stregthen both entities. These moves allow me to take on a greater leadership role, while also maintaining leadership continuity at UrbanCincy when I am traveling domestically or overseas with work.

This transition was not easy. At the end of 2010 the website saw a significant drop in readership when compared to previous growth trends. This was, in large part, due to less content being published on the site. We have, I believe, solved those issues and have reaffirmed UrbanCincy’s long-term position within the Cincinnati community.

The bottom line is that UrbanCincy, while still a labor of love, is better positioned today and healthier than ever. And the team of writers (Andrew Oehlerking, Dave Rolfes, Emily Schneider, Jake Mecklenborg, Jenny Kessler, Nathaniel Hammitt), photographers (Jake Mecklenborg, Thadd Fiala) and general contributors (Bryon Martin, David Ben, Kevin Wright, Travis Estell) at UrbanCincy has you, the readers, to thank for this.

I hope that UrbanCincy can continue to grow and become an even more integral part of the conversation in Cincinnati in years to come. Please let us know how we might be able to do that by contacting us at UrbanCincy@gmail.com. Thank you, and please continue to support Cincinnati’s urban core.

Categories
Arts & Entertainment News

Clifton Heights Music Festival returns this weekend

Local music fans will get the chance to see over 80 performances this weekend as the Clifton Heights Music Festival makes its return. For the fourth installment, this Friday and Saturday (April 1-2), the CHMF will feature a variety of MCs, comics, and street performances in addition to more live bands and artists, and has grown to include seven venues: Rohs Street Cafe, Baba Budan’s Coffeehouse and Bar, Uncle Woody’s Pub, Mac’s Pizza Pub, Christy’s Biergarten, Murphy’s Pub and The Mad Frog.

Some of the artists include You, You’re Awesome, Josiah Wolf (of Why?) and Liz Hodson, Walk the Moon, No No Knots and The Harlequins. The festival also includes some regional artists such as Candidate from Lexington, KY and The Ridges from Athens, OH.

The Clifton Heights Music Festival started in October 2009 with just 35 bands. Over 7,500 people have attended the first three festivals, and the CHMF continues to grow.

“Our attendance…is a testament to our belief that neighbors coming out to support what their neighbors create has much worth, and can bring a community together in a positive way,” says founder and director, Rome Ntukogu.

Tickets are just $5 for one day or $10 for the full two-day festival when purchased in advance. Tickets will also be available at each of the venues for $6/$12. You can view the full schedule of all performances and a map of the venues at the CHMF website.