Louisville is booming... What do we need next? (Lexington, Frankfort: neighborhood, living)

[stx12499]

Originally Posted by louroclou

Thanks, stx... I have been in contact with LFS for a while. They are doing wonderful things for film in the city and are definitely going to be a part in some way of creating an arthouse cinema. Their goals and techniques are a bit more guerilla than the enterprise I have been part of - but that is an extremely minor concern. Trust me: some big things are going to happen with film in Louisville. I wish UL had more film studies on campus, though. That would help, but as I've said, there's a not-so-quiet film underground in Louisville's large, gritty, irregular, surprising creative community.

Re: public transport... If I could snap my fingers and do something, it would be to 86 64 and build a monorail. Cool, practical, innovative, green, less disruptive. But if I had to choose between it and more pressing social concerns, well...

If we were serious about a subway, we'd have to stop everything right now and figure out where the big ditch could go. Does anyone know which cities in the country have public transportation systems that were built in, say, the last 20 years. What kinds are they? Have they been successful - useful and profitable? How big were those cities? What disruptions did they cause?

I love DC's Metro: cheap, regular, safe, well-mapped and constructed. But DC is a very special tourist-employment situation.

An arthouse cinema? That's great? Are we getting one? I think one would work quite well downtown, maybe in the ground of one of these mixed use buildings going in everywhere.

[louroclou]

I'm no longer an invested partner in the project - I withdrew my small investment when my business partner got truly big investors involved. The genesis of the project actually came from me during a conversation, but my partner really took the ball and ran with it. Originally we were expecting - because of the fees involved - to stick at first to cheaper stuff - second run foreign and independent; cult, classic, experimental. But now with bigger backing, it will be possible to book first-run stuff (probably avoiding the kind of "major minor" stuff [eg Juno] that Baxter is willing to book). The theatre should show foreign and truly independent... as well as showcase local and regional filmmakers.

The key to the success of the cinema - and profit - will be in the food and drink sales. The models for the two-screen theatre are Austin's Alamo Drafthouse Cinema (scroll down and check out "How things work at the Alamo") and the Ragtag Cinema in Columbia, Missouri (broken link).

If they can do it in a town like Columbia, why not here? I think the failure in the past with similar projects was lack of imagination, lack of advertising, lack of education. Louisville loves to turn things into social events. Serving food, and especially drink, will make it as hip a thing to do as going to Headliners. Of course, just as at Headliners, the problem may be making the audience respect the art more than the social element... but that can come.


You know, just in the last week, I've been to see art and hear music at the 930 Listening Room - an art opening and three great bands - one of which, the local group Interstates, showed experimental films during their set. The place was packed. And I went to see The Tempest - with music by Rachel's musicians -at Actors... a stunningly presented version of one of my favorite Shakespeare plays. There were no empty seats and the audiences was diverse - ages, types, race - and appreciative. This town takes chances; it eats art like food. Will an 'arthouse cinema drafthouse' succeed. I have no doubt.

Oh btw as of right now the theatre will be in the Clifton area (two possible sites) or on Bardstown Road. I don't want to say too much - I may have already -since I'm no longer a money-participant.

[Crew Chief]

Originally Posted by louroclou

Re: public transport... If I could snap my fingers and do something, it would be to 86 64 and build a monorail. Cool, practical, innovative, green, less disruptive. But if I had to choose between it and more pressing social concerns, well...

If we were serious about a subway, we'd have to stop everything right now and figure out where the big ditch could go.

Suggestion: Go look at Boston before you even THINK about moving large quantities of dirt around...

[Crew Chief]

And, YES, we're still mad that y'all got UPS to close their Dayton, OH hub!!!

[stx12499]

Originally Posted by louroclou

I'm no longer an invested partner in the project - I withdrew my small investment when my business partner got truly big investors involved. The genesis of the project actually came from me during a conversation, but my partner really took the ball and ran with it. Originally we were expecting - because of the fees involved - to stick at first to cheaper stuff - second run foreign and independent; cult, classic, experimental. But now with bigger backing, it will be possible to book first-run stuff (probably avoiding the kind of "major minor" stuff [eg Juno] that Baxter is willing to book). The theatre should show foreign and truly independent... as well as showcase local and regional filmmakers.

The key to the success of the cinema - and profit - will be in the food and drink sales. The models for the two-screen theatre are Austin's Alamo Drafthouse Cinema (scroll down and check out "How things work at the Alamo") and the Ragtag Cinema in Columbia, Missouri.

If they can do it in a town like Columbia, why not here? I think the failure in the past with similar projects was lack of imagination, lack of advertising, lack of education. Louisville loves to turn things into social events. Serving food, and especially drink, will make it as hip a thing to do as going to Headliners. Of course, just as at Headliners, the problem may be making the audience respect the art more than the social element... but that can come.


You know, just in the last week, I've been to see art and hear music at the 930 Listening Room - an art opening and three great bands - one of which, the local group Interstates, showed experimental films during their set. The place was packed. And I went to see The Tempest - with music by Rachel's musicians -at Actors... a stunningly presented version of one of my favorite Shakespeare plays. There were no empty seats and the audiences was diverse - ages, types, race - and appreciative. This town takes chances; it eats art like food. Will an 'arthouse cinema drafthouse' succeed. I have no doubt.

Oh btw as of right now the theatre will be in the Clifton area (two possible sites) or on Bardstown Road. I don't want to say too much - I may have already -since I'm no longer a money-participant.

Nice news.

This is late notice, but it may interest you or film buffs:

Jan 15, 2008 1:39 PM
Subject: Abbas Kiarostami's Taste of Cherry - Tonight @ 21C FREE!
Body: Tuesday, Jan. 15
Two screenings @ 7 & 9 pm
21C - 700 W. Main
FREE



Abbas Kiarostami is the most influential and controversial post-revolutionary Iranian filmmaker and one of the most highly celebrated directors in the international film community of the last decade. (1) During the period of the '80s and the '90s, at a time when Iranians had such a negative image in the West, his cinema introduced a humane and artistic face.
Kiarostami is a graduate of Tehran University's Faculty of Fine Arts in Painting. He was first involved in painting, graphics and book illustration and then began his film career by making credit-titles and commercials.

He founded the film department of the Institute for the Intellectual Development of Children and Young Adults (known as Kanun) where a number of the highest quality Iranian films were produced. He ran the department for five years and at the same time directed his first film, Bread and Alley, in 1970. Making educational films for children at Kanun, a non-commercial organization, helped him form his basic approach to cinema.

Although Kiarostami made several award-winning films early in his career, it was after the revolution that he earned a highly esteemed reputation on the stage of world cinema. 20 years after his ground-breaking debut feature, Report (1977), he was awarded the prestigious Palme d'Or (Golden Palm) award at the Cannes International Film Festival for his film Taste of Cherry in 1997.

by Mehrnaz Saeed-Vafa
Senses of Cinema

[cobolt]

I am glad to see that Lville is a nice progressive niche in the heartland...and that it's still an understated gem. I was wondering...and maybe this is a bit off topic...if Lville has a recycling program? Although I am not a leaf-licker, I do believe in being a responsible steward to our earth, and before I moved out west, recycling really wasn't on my radar. Let me tell you now...I shudder to think how wasteful I was before recycling. Our recycling program takes everything: you need not look on the bottom of a container at numbers or anything. We have 3 crates, one each for brown, green, and clear glass, and then a huge container that takes everything else (plastics, cardboard, paper, aluminum foil, pop cans, tin cans). You can even recycle lightbulbs. These bins are picked up weekly along with the regular trash. Honestly, the only trash I have is banana peels, egg shells sort of stuff and you would be amazed at how much more re-usable stuff you really throw out. The process of categorizing your own trash (rinsing it) etc that
1) becomes second nature (you find yourself looking around for the recycle bin if you are visiting someone) 2) makes you so aware of your "waste factor" and in fact, I think, that awareness allows you to change some of your habits for the better. I know when I travel back east and to the midwest, there doesn't seem to be a real respect for recycling. How does Lville score?

[censusdata]

In the old city limits (now the Urban Service District) every trash can also comes w/ an 18 gallon bin to place recycled materials. In addition, there are recycling centers through the old city and suburbs.

I would say that recycling is alot more popular in the more liberal areas of town (Old Louisville {a neighborhood}, The Highlands, Clifton). I know in the alleys of Old Louisville the bins are always full of newspapers, bottles, etc

LouisvilleKy.gov - Recycling - Curbside Recycling

[stx12499]

Originally Posted by cobolt

I am glad to see that Lville is a nice progressive niche in the heartland...and that it's still an understated gem. I was wondering...and maybe this is a bit off topic...if Lville has a recycling program? Although I am not a leaf-licker, I do believe in being a responsible steward to our earth, and before I moved out west, recycling really wasn't on my radar. Let me tell you now...I shudder to think how wasteful I was before recycling. Our recycling program takes everything: you need not look on the bottom of a container at numbers or anything. We have 3 crates, one each for brown, green, and clear glass, and then a huge container that takes everything else (plastics, cardboard, paper, aluminum foil, pop cans, tin cans). You can even recycle lightbulbs. These bins are picked up weekly along with the regular trash. Honestly, the only trash I have is banana peels, egg shells sort of stuff and you would be amazed at how much more re-usable stuff you really throw out. The process of categorizing your own trash (rinsing it) etc that
1) becomes second nature (you find yourself looking around for the recycle bin if you are visiting someone) 2) makes you so aware of your "waste factor" and in fact, I think, that awareness allows you to change some of your habits for the better. I know when I travel back east and to the midwest, there doesn't seem to be a real respect for recycling. How does Lville score?

Louisville has had an extensive curbside reclycling program for years, definitely as long as I have been here. You get a city issued orange bin at low cost to put the recylcing out. Incidentially, the city also issues nice large trash cans with rollers with a city "seal" on the side:

LouisvilleKy.gov - Solid Waste - Residential Garbage

LouisvilleKy.gov - Recycling - Curbside Recycling

There are also tons of free drop off sites:

LouisvilleKy.gov - Recycling - Drop Off Locations


Although Louisville is a merged city (making it one of the nation's largest by technicallity), some of its suburban districts retain their own power like recycling and garbage collection.

LouisvilleKy.gov - Recycling - Overview

Really, anythying you could want to know about Louisville is on her city website, which got rated one of the better ones in the country.

LouisvilleKy.gov - Mayor Abramson - Louisville's Top 10 of 2007


I am well traveled and have lived in several cities as both a child and adult. Louisville is easily the best city you don't know a damn thing about, or in many cases, have never heard of (recent trips back to the west coast have brought the question, you live WHERE?)

[cobolt]

STX----I know about that best city you don't know about...and I'm really happy to hear that Lville has been proactive in recycling. Just another positive. Looking forward exploring your wonderful city!!!

I used to live in an area where people didn't take recycling seriously. They put whatever in the recepticles, mixed the items, put dirty diapers there....terrible. Speaks volumes regarding the mindset of a people.

Great!!! AND a Trader Joes....see this is so exciting to me....

[louroclou]

... Are we really getting a Trader Joe's...?

Crew Chief let me know that there is an Ikea opening in Cincy in March. Talk about mixed emotions. It looks like it'll be about ten miles north of the bridge, so an hour and a half - two hour drive. We should have gotten that Ikea. They wouldn't locate another store this close. It's surprising they - and other similar enterprises - don't set up business in say Williamstown or Lawrenceburg or even Frankfort to hit customers in Greater Cincy, Greater Louisville, and Greater Lexington all at once. Nobody ever asks me. (what am I saying? I'm an urban living, urban spending booster!)

Speaking of urban living... My son sent me a couple of great links: Consuming Louisville (broken link)and backseat sandbar ... CL is just full of good writing and good images - and big love for the 'Ville. BS is more regional, but for a film and indie music fan like me, full of great info. There have been, thanks to the tireless stx, stickies for louisville photos, but maybe we need a thread for links to Louisville-related websites, sites that really reveal the flavor and character and activity here.

Speaking of stx... thanks for the Taste of Cherry reminder. Unfortunately, I couldn't make it. That 21C showing is part of the Louisville Film Society's efforts. I'd love to hear what kind of turn-out the showing got...