New downtown entertainment attraction expected to draw over 500,000 spectators (Cincinnati: restaurants, bars)

[cincydave8]

Originally Posted by DaveGl

Cincy needs to play on the positives of this event, which were major. I've been disappointed that Tall Stacks seems to have been relegated to the dustbin. So sad. I hope BLINK happens again next year and for the foreseeable future.

I'm hearing it will be a regular thing but will probably be every 2 years because it takes so much money and planning. More planning is needed since they expected 500,000 but drew 1 Million.

[motorman]

What's monumentally important about BLINK is that not only did it it shatter all attendance records, but it also bestowed upon Cincinnati a new self-conception. In the best ways possible, this spectacle moved the goal posts by challenging the city to break out of its alleged provincialism and propel itself forward. After last weekend, no longer can the fiction stand, as Mark Twain once proclaimed, that nothing ever changes in Cincinnati. The fact is that BLINK provided a portal into a brand new Cincinnati narrative, wherein over one-million merrymakers took their first steps.

[SalamanderSmile]

Originally Posted by motorman

What's monumentally important about BLINK is that not only did it it shatter all attendance records, but it also bestowed upon Cincinnati a new self-conception. In the best ways possible, this spectacle moved the goal posts by challenging the city to break out of its alleged provincialism and propel itself forward. After last weekend, no longer can the fiction stand, as Mark Twain once proclaimed, that nothing ever changes in Cincinnati. The fact is that BLINK provided a portal into a brand new Cincinnati narrative, wherein over one-million merrymakers took their first steps.

I appreciate the lyricism of this response.

The two things that I appreciate about Blink compared to other "free" events around town is that 1.) it connected the disconnected parts of the city in a way that most happenings do not 2.) it was not alcohol fueled.

When I think to myself do I want to go to/take my kid to Octoberfest. I think, "No, it is too beer focused and full of drunks.". When I think about the fireworks, same response + bonus drunk redneck factor. Do I want to go to a "Party in the park" well the question is really "Do I want to watch Mandy from accounting get plastered.". I can go to MidPoint but that is not free. Lumenocity I never attended as it was a strange competitive process to get tickets for something I didn't really understand.

I am all for more more more art and less beer.

[13th Alphabet]

Originally Posted by SalamanderSmile

I appreciate the lyricism of this response.

The two things that I appreciate about Blink compared to other "free" events around town is that 1.) it connected the disconnected parts of the city in a way that most happenings do not 2.) it was not alcohol fueled.

When I think to myself do I want to go to/take my kid to Octoberfest. I think, "No, it is too beer focused and full of drunks.". When I think about the fireworks, same response + bonus drunk redneck factor. Do I want to go to a "Party in the park" well the question is really "Do I want to watch Mandy from accounting get plastered.". I can go to MidPoint but that is not free. Lumenocity I never attended as it was a strange competitive process to get tickets for something I didn't really understand.

I am all for more more more art and less beer.

I agree with everything written here. I was pleasantly surprised and delighted how tame and “quiet” the event was considering the amount of people that showed up and the fact that it took place at night.

It was a great way to showcase how much downtown and OTR has changed within the past few years.

My only gripe with BLINK is there could’ve been more continuity between exhibits. If you were not lucky enough to have a map, at times it was like a scavenger hunt trying to find the next exhibit.

Overall, it was a good event and great for the city. It was good to see downtown and OTR crowded, vibrant and full of energy.

[Sarah Perry]

Originally Posted by Wahl_Wrighter

I agree with everything written here. I was pleasantly surprised and delighted how tame and “quiet” the event was considering the amount of people that showed up and the fact that it took place at night.

It was a great way to showcase how much downtown and OTR has changed within the past few years.

My only gripe with BLINK is there could’ve been more continuity between exhibits. If you were not lucky enough to have a map, at times it was like a scavenger hunt trying to find the next exhibit.

Overall, it was a good event and great for the city. It was good to see downtown and OTR crowded, vibrant and full of energy.

I just hope if they do it again they make some kind of transportation provision for people who can't navigate 22 blocks of crowds either on foot or in a wheelchair, etc. That probably affects more people than some of you might think. Clearly from the reports of gridlock, driving a personal car wasn't the answer, nor was the overcrowded streetcar. I'd certainly be willing to pay for something like a dedicated bus or the like.

[SenseofPlace]

Originally Posted by Sarah Perry

I just hope if they do it again they make some kind of transportation provision for people who can't navigate 22 blocks of crowds either on foot or in a wheelchair, etc. That probably affects more people than some of you might think. Clearly from the reports of gridlock, driving a personal car wasn't the answer, nor was the overcrowded streetcar. I'd certainly be willing to pay for something like a dedicated bus or the like.

If they continue the event, I am most certainly sure some type of planning will go into it to make it easier for everyone, and much more of a success than it was. Really a great event!

[jmecklenborg]

^^Keep in mind that in the upside-down world of John Cranley, we only briefly had all 5 streetcars in operation. On Friday and for most of Saturday, one of the streetcars sat unused in the car barn. The fifth streetcar only came out for 2-3 hours on Saturday. This is because the streetcar budget established by Cranley appointee Amy Murray makes it almost impossible to put an extra streetcar in operation for special events, let alone all five.

In addition, the streetcars were jammed in traffic thanks to Uber & Lyft and the goddamn pedal wagon. Next year the pedal wagon should be banned from operating during this event and Uber & Lyft should be forced to pick up and drop off well away from the action. There is absolutely no justification for a rideshare car waiting 5 minutes outside a bar while 3 drunks pay their tab holding up a streetcar with 150 people in it.

[Sarah Perry]

Originally Posted by jmecklenborg

^^Keep in mind that in the upside-down world of John Cranley, we only briefly had all 5 streetcars in operation. On Friday and for most of Saturday, one of the streetcars sat unused in the car barn. The fifth streetcar only came out for 2-3 hours on Saturday. This is because the streetcar budget established by Cranley appointee Amy Murray makes it almost impossible to put an extra streetcar in operation for special events, let alone all five.

In addition, the streetcars were jammed in traffic thanks to Uber & Lyft and the goddamn pedal wagon. Next year the pedal wagon should be banned from operating during this event and Uber & Lyft should be forced to pick up and drop off well away from the action. There is absolutely no justification for a rideshare car waiting 5 minutes outside a bar while 3 drunks pay their tab holding up a streetcar with 150 people in it.

Just wondering if this is your response to my earlier posting asking for the benefit of your extensive knowledge and expertise about transportation to address the issue of people with mobility issues being able to participate in this event. Put one additional streetcar into service and keep Uber and Lyft out of the immediate area? Gee, thanks. That was helpful.

[Wilson513]

Originally Posted by Wilson513

I was down there tonight.

It was a mess.

Gridlock for the cars, pedestrians were packed in so tight on the sidewalk one could not possibly navigate with a mobility device. The connector was getting passed up by the horse drawn carriage.

Very poorly planned.

And, again, a big nothingburger.

After digesting the experience for a week, I admit to changing my mind.

No one venue was worth the hassle. That, I reiterate. But, having the entire City involved was actually pretty cool. And, I am sure that vehicle and pedestrian traffic could be separated by closing alternate streets to cars leaving venue streets and Connector streets for the pedestrians. That way, people could be dropped off and picked up but cars full of gawkers would not be clogging the streets.

Anyway, let's give it another shot.

[motorman]

Cincinnati's most successful and highly attended public event, BLINK, will be returning! Here are three local media updates...

https://www.wcpo.com/news/local-news...n-october-2019

BLINK is returning to Cincinnati October 2019

https://www.bizjournals.com/cincinna...ming-back.html