Moving to Cincy in a few weeks (Cincinnati, Union: apartment, condos)

[Pathwalker]

Actually, I think it depends on how you define "exciting". Everything I see happening downtown is also happening in the suburbs..... Restaurants and bars (some with live music) packed in the evening, parties going on, people shopping, picnics and sports in the parks, art galleries flourishing, boating along the other two great rivers in the area, live plays being performed, concerts at various venues....

[UncleRando]

Originally Posted by WCRob

Actually, I think it depends on how you define "exciting". Everything I see happening downtown is also happening in the suburbs..... Restaurants and bars (some with live music) packed in the evening, parties going on, people shopping, picnics and sports in the parks, art galleries flourishing, boating along the other two great rivers in the area, live plays being performed, concerts at various venues....

This is true...except for one key difference. The things to do Downtown are unique, whereas the things happening on Union Centre, Colerain, Fields Ertel, etc are all essentially clone stamps of one another. The only real exception would be the Kenwood Mall area where there are a good amount of unique things to do there in terms of shopping and dining. But even with that...Downtown still takes the cake.

[Pathwalker]

What sort of unique things, UR?

Bear in mind, it's all about how one's opinion and they define "exciting".

[UncleRando]

By unique I mean the restaurants that are Downtown are unique to the region (ie McCormick & Schmick's, Morton's Steakhouse, Boi Na Braza, Via Vite, Jeff Ruby's, Nicholson's, Oceanaire).

Not to mention there are a ton of things Downtown that don't even have adversaries elsewhere in the region (ie Aronoff, CAC, Taft Museum of Art, Blue Wisp, various art galleries, 2 major league sports teams, Freedom Center).

I understand that some of the 'burbs have things that Downtown does not, or that are completely unique to their locale...but for the most part they are part of the homogeneous communities we call suburbs. If you go down Union Center and then you go down Fields Ertel...you are bound to find a large number of repeats amongst the businesses their. The same relationship is not true between Downtown and any other place in the region.

[Pathwalker]

Originally Posted by UncleRando

By unique I mean the restaurants that are Downtown are unique to the region (ie McCormick & Schmick's, Morton's Steakhouse, Boi Na Braza, Via Vite, Jeff Ruby's, Nicholson's, Oceanaire).

Not to mention there are a ton of things Downtown that don't even have adversaries elsewhere in the region (ie Aronoff, CAC, Taft Museum of Art, Blue Wisp, various art galleries, 2 major league sports teams, Freedom Center).

I understand that some of the 'burbs have things that Downtown does not, or that are completely unique to their locale...but for the most part they are part of the homogeneous communities we call suburbs. If you go down Union Center and then you go down Fields Ertel...you are bound to find a large number of repeats amongst the businesses their. The same relationship is not true between Downtown and any other place in the region.

But does that necessarily make downtown better than the suburbs? I could easily name some unique restaurants, galleries, bars, etc...in the 'burbs and other outlying towns such as Lebanon, Oxford, Hamilton. As I said, it all depends on how one defines "exciting". It's a matter of personal tastes. Not all people will be impressed by the unique eateries downtown, and I personally feel the Aronoff Center is overrated. I actually have no interest in the CAC, and I'm not interested in major league sports. That doesn't mean I'm dogging those things. It just means there are aspects of the suburbs, no matter how "homogenous", that appeal to people. I can slip out my side yard right on up to a bike trail that takes me past several ponds, some historic sites along an old canal, and enjoy a bevy of wildlife and animals. You can't find that anywhere in downtown Cincinnati.

[UncleRando]

That's all well and good...and I even stated that you can find some unique things in the 'burbs. The issue we were discussing was that there was not nearly as much going on Downtown as there is in the 'burbs.

But the fact of the matter is that Downtown boasts lots of restaurants as do the 'burbs. I don't think anyone can argue that there is more arts/cultural things in the 'burbs. Really there is only one thing that the 'burbs have an advantage with more "going on" than Downtown and that would be shopping.

So in my view not only is there equal levels of things to do at each locale...but there is actually more to choose from and do Downtown vs. these suburban places.

[jlrosen]

Originally Posted by WCRob

But does that necessarily make downtown better than the suburbs? I could easily name some unique restaurants, galleries, bars, etc...in the 'burbs and other outlying towns such as Lebanon, Oxford, Hamilton. As I said, it all depends on how one defines "exciting". It's a matter of personal tastes. Not all people will be impressed by the unique eateries downtown, and I personally feel the Aronoff Center is overrated. I actually have no interest in the CAC, and I'm not interested in major league sports. That doesn't mean I'm dogging those things. It just means there are aspects of the suburbs, no matter how "homogenous", that appeal to people. I can slip out my side yard right on up to a bike trail that takes me past several ponds, some historic sites along an old canal, and enjoy a bevy of wildlife and animals. You can't find that anywhere in downtown Cincinnati.

oxford lebanon and hamilton aren't burbs, they are established smaller urban areas in their own right. Hamilton and lebanon are both the county seats of their counties. Oxford has the population densities that come with having a large univeristy in the city to make the generative function of urbanism take hold.

and you can find historic sites, trails, ponds, and wildlife and animals (I have seen several deer and many birds) in eden park, a short walk fromd downtown

[Pathwalker]

Originally Posted by UncleRando

That's all well and good...and I even stated that you can find some unique things in the 'burbs. The issue we were discussing was that there was not nearly as much going on Downtown as there is in the 'burbs.

But the fact of the matter is that Downtown boasts lots of restaurants as do the 'burbs. I don't think anyone can argue that there is more arts/cultural things in the 'burbs. Really there is only one thing that the 'burbs have an advantage with more "going on" than Downtown and that would be shopping.

So in my view not only is there equal levels of things to do at each locale...but there is actually more to choose from and do Downtown vs. these suburban places.

But downtown basically must have unique attractions if it's going to compete with the suburbs. I can't help it if the suburbs are all spread out, but if you compacted them into an area the size of downtown, you can bet that cumulatively they'd have a lot more to do than downtown. And then some.

Actually, you couldn't fit it all downtown. I can't imagine squeezing...

• The Beach waterpark
• Kings Island
• Jungle Jims
• IKEA
• a forthcoming Nordstrom
• the Lebanon Mason Monroe Railroad
• Perfect North Slopes
• major snow sledding hills (at Harbin Park, VOA Park, Beckett Ridge Hill, and others)
• the Indiana riverboat casinos
• tons of Bed and Breakfasts
• ponds and forests
• diverse foliage and fauna
• even ONE golf course
• the Ohio Renaissance Festival
• the Creation Museum
• fossil hunting
• Great Wolf Lodge
• River Downs
• and TONS of other unique things to do

.....all into downtown. So basically, without the suburbs, the Cincinnati area wouldn't be nearly as interesting. Therefore, I don't buy the whole "downtown is more unique and there is more to do down there" argument. Sorry. Not working for me.

As I said, I'm not dogging downtown at all. But there's no way anyone is going to tell me it is the end all-be all of unique living and excitement.

[Pathwalker]

Originally Posted by jlrosen

oxford lebanon and hamilton aren't burbs, they are established smaller urban areas in their own right. Hamilton and lebanon are both the county seats of their counties. Oxford has the population densities that come with having a large univeristy in the city to make the generative function of urbanism take hold.

and you can find historic sites, trails, ponds, and wildlife and animals (I have seen several deer and many birds) in eden park, a short walk fromd downtown

Ah, but we aren't talking about something that is a short walk from downtown, now are we? We are talking about the "neighborhood which IS downtown, as opposed to including West End, OTR or Mt. Adams". Or do you consider Mt. Adams as part of downtown? And if so, why?

[jlrosen]

Originally Posted by WCRob

But downtown basically must have unique attractions if it's going to compete with the suburbs. I can't help it if the suburbs are all spread out, but if you compacted them into an area the size of downtown, you can bet that cumulatively they'd have a lot more to do than downtown. And then some.

Actually, you couldn't fit it all downtown. I can't imagine squeezing...

• The Beach waterpark
• Kings Island
• Jungle Jims
• IKEA
• a forthcoming Nordstrom
• the Lebanon Mason Monroe Railroad
• Perfect North Slopes
• major snow sledding hills (at Harbin Park, VOA Park, Beckett Ridge Hill, and others)
• the Indiana riverboat casinos
• tons of Bed and Breakfasts
• ponds and forests
• diverse foliage and fauna
• even ONE golf course
• the Ohio Renaissance Festival
• the Creation Museum
• fossil hunting
• Great Wolf Lodge
• River Downs
• and TONS of other unique things to do

.....all into downtown. So basically, without the suburbs, the Cincinnati area wouldn't be nearly as interesting. Therefore, I don't buy the whole "downtown is more unique and there is more to do down there" argument. Sorry. Not working for me.

As I said, I'm not dogging downtown at all. But there's no way anyone is going to tell me it is the end all-be all of unique living and excitement.

I think we can agree with the following, downtown is more unique and intersesting per square foot than the suburbs.