Cincinnati Skywalks

Most people seem to have strong feelings about Cincinnati's skywalks. I have a love/hate relationship with them. As an urbanist I hate them, but when the streets reach 90f+ or drop below freezing I love them.
The Cincinnati Skywalk was built in segments starting in 1971 and at its height stretched for 1.3 miles around downtown. No more segments were added after the last one was completed in 1997. The skywalks were first envisioned for downtown economic development and a way to compete with suburban stores. Almost immediately people began to realized the skywalks were a big mistake as streets were emptied of pedestrians and the perception that no one went downtown became widespread. I always think back to when I first moved to Cincinnati and Fountain Square was always empty but crowds of people could be seen using the skywalk from the Fountain Place Bldg to the 5/3rd Building. When Fountain Square was redone and that section of the skywalk came down it seemed like magic when just like that there were hundreds of people on the square at any one time.
The Cincinnati Preservation Collective hosted a walk to view some of the remaining portions of the skywalk, I wasn't able to follow them across all the segments but I documented some of the sights.
The tour began where Cincinnati's 6th St Market once stood. It was torn down and replaced by a parking garage. The plaque on the market bell called it a simple brick building. I'll let you be the judge of that simple brick building.

sixth st market.
Skywalk
Skywalk
Skywalk
To navigate the skywalk system these days requires leaving and reentering the system every other block or so.
Skywalk
Skywalk
Skywalk
Skywalk
Skywalk
Skywalk
Skywalk
Skywalk
Skywalk
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Final Friday

That end of the month party in OTR to celebrate art is sometimes just a little farther out there, August's edition is a good example.
Pretty. Vacant. which opened at the Art Academy featured works from the Collection of George and Linda Kurz. The Kurz's followed Punk music and began collecting art that had the same influence, it is raw and sometimes offensive. The artists definitely aimed to get in the observers face. If you only see one art exhibit this month, make it this one.

Final friday August
Final friday August
Frameshop hosted a collection of photos featuring Ice machines and coolers. A tiny bit of Americana that while ugly and utilitarian are part of everyday life.
Final friday August
Final friday August
Final friday August
The Red Door Project held their show in Coffee Emporium's annex with a theme of, coffee of course.
Final friday August
Final friday August
To cap all that amazing art was Agar's amazing light and sound spectacular. A popup next to their office featured local music. Pretty cool end to the night.
Final friday August
Final friday August
Final friday August
Final friday August
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Sid Saturday

Sid
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Cleveland Subway

What are the chances we would be in Cleveland the one day they opened up the transit level of the Detroit-Superior Bridge? Apparently they haven't opened it to the public for years, we really lucked out. They kept calling it a subway but really it was just where the streetcar dove under the bridge. Cleveland used the PCC streetcar just like Cincinnati did. The PCC reputedly had the softest quietest ride of any streetcar, but by time they were developed it was too little too late to save the streetcar system.

Cleveland Streetcar tunnel tour
Cleveland Streetcar tunnel tour
Cleveland Streetcar tunnel tour
Cleveland Streetcar tunnel tour
Cleveland Streetcar tunnel tour
Cleveland Streetcar tunnel tour
Cleveland Streetcar tunnel tour
Cleveland's streetcars lasted a few years longer than Cincinnati's did. I guess there was a big todo when the mayor and council people all got brand new Chevy's after the city purchased new buses from GM.
Cleveland Streetcar tunnel tour
Cleveland Streetcar tunnel tour
Cleveland Streetcar tunnel tour
Cleveland Streetcar tunnel tour
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Lake View Cemetery

Lake View Cemetery was founded in 1869 and was modeled after the garden cemeteries of England. We probably drove past Lake View Cemetery in Cleveland hundreds of times when we lived up north but never went through. We remedied that over the weekend. The main reason I wanted to stop was to see the Haserot Angel, or if you prefer the official name of the bronze statue, the Angel of Death Victorious.

Haserot Angel
Haserot Angel
There were two other interesting grave-sites near the Angel.
Lakeview Cemetary
Lakeview Cemetary
A really cool bonus was seeing President Garfield's Memorial. And you could see the lake from the observation deck of the memorial. I'm guessing before all the trees were planted and became mature one could see the lake from all over the cemetery.
Garfield Memorial
Garfield Memorial
Garfield Memorial
Garfield Memorial
Garfield Memorial
Garfield Memorial
Garfield Memorial
Lakeview Cemetary
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FC Cincinnati

I've been hearing soccer is the sport of the future since the nineteen hundred and eighties, and I like to joke that it always will be.
That said, I love the energy and excitement that FC Cincinnati has generated. The whole movement has been fascinating, the soccer fans seem just a little more passionate than your average sport fan. Well, maybe not football, but definitely most any other sport.
So this whole FC Cincinnati vs. NY Red Bulls, even a non-fan like me knew this was special and amazing and not to be missed so I made a point to roll down to Fountain Square's watch party. David only beats Goliath in story books so I wasn't expecting FC Cincinnati to actually win this thing but I kept thinking what if.....
It ended pretty much how I figured, you got guys making $25K a year playing against guys making almost a million a year those are long odds. FC Cincinnati had a long string of success in the Open Cup and probably went farther than anyone expected.
FC Cincinnati watch party
FC Cincinnati watch party
FC Cincinnati watch party
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