5chw4r7z:: the ethos of downtown Cincinnati

the future is now

You know that feeling you have when you are tearing presents open on Christmas morning?
You know that feeling you get when get something you've worked and fought for?
You know that feeling when you've been laser focused on one thing and you forget football exists?
That, times 3, was my weekend.

Ms 5chw4r7z and I decided to volunteer and hang out at the Fountain Square stop to pay it back.
Or pay it forward.
Whichever it was an amazing afternoon talking to people and seeing one smiling face after another. And people asking, "did this really just happen in Cincinnati?"
But why shouldn't awesome projects happen in Cincinnati?

When you give a damn about transit, this is what it looks like. ~ John Yung, UrbanCiny contributor.

I met this couple, now I can't believe I didn't get their names, that drove from Erie, Pa. to ride the streetcar. He writes books about rail projects all over the country and wanted to pickup some souvenirs from Cincinnati. I met another older couple who because of the pleasant Saturday morning jumped in their convertable and drove from Indiana to ride the streetcar. For some reason everyone was eager to share their story as they waited on the platform for the next streetcar to come.

The Museum Center had people riding the streetcar Friday dressed in period costumes.

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the Cincinnati Streetcar begins revenue service today!

Its been a long time coming and a long hard battle to get to this point. I feel more ownership in the streetcar than I really deserve, I was just a drop of water in the stream. But enough drops of water can move mountains. And I feel like that is what we have done in Cincinnati, move mountains. I believe it truly took everyone in the city to get this project done.
But the day had come, I felt like Christmas morning and these were two of the first people we saw Friday morning. I couldn't get over all the 3,4, 5yr and older t-shirts I saw being worn.

I knew the streetcar was a big deal, but it didn't really hit me just how big a deal the streetcar was until the mayor of Portland walked into Taste of Belgium while we were eating breakfast. Then we ran into a group of streetcar supporters from Kansas City who have our sister streetcars. And after that we met a group of streetcar advocates from Poznan, Poland.

Earl Clark, was one of the final riders before Cincinnati's streetcar ended operating on April 29, 1951. I heard he is a huge rail buff and rode the last streetcar for hours until it was shut down and he was literally the last person off.

But first, we had speeches, lots of them. And kicking it all off was Mr. Streetcar John Schnieder continuing with all the others who contributed. You may notice there was a lot of finger pointing. And they were all pointing to Uptown! Lets do it

Chris Seelbach: "Things just got rail!"

"When I say: 'Let's go!' You say: 'Streetcar!' " Simpson shouted.
Let's go!
Streetcar!
Let's go!
Streetcar!

And then instead of cutting a ribbon they powered the streetcar up with Cincy Red Bike pedal power.

And then we were off and running..............
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2 streetcar bells

Pike Street Social and the Old Kentucky Makers Market

Sponsored by Renaissance Covington and its streetmates on Pike, Mister Softee was handing out free cones last Friday. Pike St. on a late Friday afternoon/early evening is still a little quiet. But big changes are coming with a hotel and apartment. Pike St won't be so sleepy in a year or so. But while it is it is kinda cool that an event on a Friday still feels social. I still remember years ago when Final Friday in OTR felt just like this.

Its a happy face!

Bellevue, KY just tore a page out of the place making play book. Take on unused/underutilized space. Add music, crafts, food and beer. create a giant party.
Walking along Fairfield Ave looking for the Old Kentucky Maker's Market, we were assaulted with traffic noise the whole way. I have to say it was the most unusual experience to have that disappear and be replaced with laughter and people talking as we approached Johnson Alley. Bellevue has to be pretty happy with the turnout which isn't really that unexpected with how walkable the place is.

After is was down the street to Siam Orchids where we scored an outdoor table, people watched and caught snippets of crazy out of context conversations.

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5 more days until the Cincinnati streetcar begins passenger service!

Friday morning, after multiple speeches, a ribbon cutting and a ceremonial loop around the circuit with VIPs the Cincinnati streetcar will begin carrying passengers.
the streetcar will be free to ride Sept 9-11th as you've undoubtedly heard. Stores, bars and restaurants along the route will have special items and special offers all weekend. I think my favorite offer so far is the streetcar cookies at taste of Belgium but I'm sure there will be more.
I'll see you there.

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Sid Saturday

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bikes and boards at City Streets

I had so many pictures from Northside's City Streets I cut all the bike and skateboard pictures to their own post. The guys from Spun always put on a good show.

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RIP Martha, Sept. 1 1914

Martha, died 102 years ago today at the Cincinnati zoo. The last of over a billion birds that once roamed America.

The New York Times NATHANIEL RICH wrote about Martha and he said;

"On Sept. 1, 1914, Martha, the last captive passenger pigeon, died at the Cincinnati Zoo. She outlasted George, the penultimate survivor of her species and her only companion, by four years. As news spread of her species’ imminent extinction, Martha became a minor tourist attraction. In her final years, whether depressed or just old, she barely moved. Underwhelmed zoo visitors threw fistfuls of sand at her to elicit a reaction. When she finally died, her body was taken to the Cincinnati Ice Company, frozen in a 300-pound ice cube and shipped by train to the Smithsonian Institution..."

Treehugger says she's stuffed but not on display at the Smithsonian.
From RoadsideAmerica;

Martha spent her last years in the Cincinnati Zoo, in a pagoda aviary that has been restored. It's an official National Historic Landmark... Perched on a rock in front of the hut is a life-size bronze likeness of Martha. Also here is the stuffed carcass of the last Carolina Parakeet, "Incus," who died in this same aviary in 1918, four years after Martha. That makes this place a uniquely bad spot in the history of bird extermination.