5chw4r7z:: the ethos of downtown Cincinnati

Memorial Hall

Last week we got a bit of a sneak peak at the newly restored Memorial Hall when they hosted the Red Door Project, a Final Friday roaming art gallery.
Designed by Samuel Hannaford, Memorial Hall is next to Music Hall and across Washington Park from the School for Creative and Performing Arts. The biggest change was a six foot extension to allow for movement behind the stage and also a new service elevator that was added.
Restored and rebuilt, it all kicked off with a $1.0 million donation from the Annie W. & Elizabeth M. Anderson Foundation. That combined with $1.5 million from the Hamilton County Commissioners and $4.1 million in Ohio and Federal Tax Credits enabled the restoration. Memorial Hall is even more dramatic now then it was before. You can imagine, 150 years of wear and tear scrubbed away. The hall looks much brighter and when I remarked not remembering the big second floor windows I was told that for years they were behind heavy curtains.
You'll have to check it out yourself in person, I still can't get over how amazing the building looks.

[where: 45202] best place to learn how to live downtown cincinnati ohio the ethos of Cincinnati
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shop local

I've preached this for years, your dollars are votes, and when you spend money in your neighborhood/city at a locally owned shop you are voting for the kind of neighborhood you want to live in.
Do you want vibrant streets or boarded up windows?
Shopping local also gives you access to products your neighbors have created, unique quality gifts that will stand the test of time and no one else will have. Your money will compound since artists are essentially small businesses. 73% of money spent at a locally owned business stays in your neighborhood while only 40% of the money spent at a chain will.
You can also avoid mall traffic by riding the Cincinnati Streetcar or Cincinnati Metro to a neighborhood business district to shop local!
You get the neighborhood you deserve when you make your shopping decisions.
I found two local blog posts listing some cool local places to support and shop. The lists are by no means exhaustive but they are a start. Just visiting these will expose you too all the other cool shops in the area. But you don't have to travel to OTR or downtown to find cool stuff, look for the closet neighborhood business district to where you live and support them.
Nia the YP and 3 Reasons to #ShopSmall
Tour de Cincinnati and her Favorite Five

And since no neighborhood worth its name should be without a coffee shop, make sure to support your local baristas!

[where: 45202] best place to learn how to live downtown cincinnati ohio the ethos of Cincinnati
2 locally sourced gifts

Sid Saturday

[where: 45202] best place to learn how to live downtown cincinnati ohio the ethos of Cincinnati
1 kitty treat

they're crafty!

Now that the holidays, ie: spend all the money days, are here people are beginning to think about gifts.
But instead of heading to the mall, everyone really should support independent artists and craftspeople. And luckily for us, they keep upping their game year after year. Even the branding this year I noticed took a giant step up. But then, when everyone is producing goods of this quality and imagination its probably the branding that will differentiate one from another.
Needless to say we got a headstart on gifts at the Crafty Supermarket Holiday Show.

but first. COFFEE

I didn't buy anything from them today, but these ceramics by Linnea Campbell were my favorite of the show.

trophies for the best of

[where: 45202] best place to learn how to live downtown cincinnati ohio the ethos of Cincinnati
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Sid Saturday

[where: 45202] best place to learn how to live downtown cincinnati ohio the ethos of Cincinnati
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Your Friends & Neighbors/Ledge Gallery

People have a tendency, when something totally extraordinary and beautiful happens to quickly take it for granted. I constantly strive to not do that because, beauty always fads, or disappears.
Case in point, the totally ridiculous and almost unaccessible Ledge Gallery located at Tiny Town, aka Maya's apartment. Don't worry, The Ledge Gallery hasn't disappeared, it has only moved up the hill to Walnut Hills. But keeping with tradition I guess The Ledge gallery still isn't a stand alone gallery. It is now located in Maya's new project Your Friends & Neighbors a small handmade home goods shop inside the Leftcoast Modern annex. The Ledge Gallery's first exhibit which coincided with Walk on Woodburn featured an exhibition of new mixed media work by Kristian Geer. Mr. Geer takes some amazing instagrams using a seemingly endless supply of toy figures. If you don't already give him a follow.

This modern dollhouse was pretty cool, I would have been tempted to buy it if it wasn't almost as big as my condo.

Your Friends & Neighbors is stocked with all kinds of quirky little products like this set of die for foodies. Part game, part dinner decision maker. Dinner really is a roll of the die now.

Maya is another of those uber creative people I know who is always blur of activity.

Just down the street at the Manifest Gallery an exhibit with a display of perspective and perception.

[where: 45202] best place to learn how to live downtown cincinnati ohio the ethos of Cincinnati
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love trumps hate

Saturday and the outpouring of emotions were incredible. Upset that a self professed pussy grabber could be elected president people took to the streets of Cincinnati in protest. Starting at Fountain Square they merged with Black Lives matter who were marching in protest to Tensing's mistrial.