Info about The Banks and surrounding area, please

[abr7rmj]

The line to get into Toby Keith's stretched the length of the block on Saturday, and the Holy Grail was jammed too. I can only imagine how difficult it will be to get into the Lager House.

[kjbrill]

Originally Posted by abr7rmj

The line to get into Toby Keith's stretched the length of the block on Saturday, and the Holy Grail was jammed too. I can only imagine how difficult it will be to get into the Lager House.

That all sounds very good. Let's hope it is sustainable over time. New ventures always spike people's curiosity. It is where they stand a year from now which counts. I remember when Dick Clark's American Bandstand Grill opened in Kenwood. In the beginning it was jammed. Where is it now - defunct. Most all entertainment/restaurant venues boil down to a combination of price, quality, and service. If all three are there they will remain successful. If not customers will show them very quickly by simply not coming back.

I particularly would like to see the Lager House succeed, as it might be capable of renewing some of the great brewing tradition of Cincinnati. I have a personal feeling for that as one of my Great Grandfathers came over from Germany to be a brewmaster at the old Christian Moerlein brewery in OTR back in the 1800s. I just wish I would have saved some of the ornate ceramic bottles they used to distribute their beer in.

[abr7rmj]

Originally Posted by kjbrill

That all sounds very good. Let's hope it is sustainable over time. New ventures always spike people's curiosity. It is where they stand a year from now which counts. I remember when Dick Clark's American Bandstand Grill opened in Kenwood. In the beginning it was jammed. Where is it now - defunct. Most all entertainment/restaurant venues boil down to a combination of price, quality, and service. If all three are there they will remain successful. If not customers will show them very quickly by simply not coming back.

I particularly would like to see the Lager House succeed, as it might be capable of renewing some of the great brewing tradition of Cincinnati. I have a personal feeling for that as one of my Great Grandfathers came over from Germany to be a brewmaster at the old Christian Moerlein brewery in OTR back in the 1800s. I just wish I would have saved some of the ornate ceramic bottles they used to distribute their beer in.

Well, considering the Holy Grail has been open for one year now, and the crowds are growing (it was impossible to even get in during a recent UC basketball road game), I'd say we're in pretty good shape.

And remember, one of the biggest concerns going into The Banks was "would people come during the winter when there are no Reds/Bengals games"? Well, there were no games this weekend but you couldn't squeeze into at least two of the spots - not to mention some packed places up at Fountain Square and on Walnut. When the Reds start playing again in April, that's 82 guaranteed crowds right at their doorstep.

I remember Dick Clark's ... didn't the entire chain face serious hardships? A quick Google search reveals that it's been reduced to a mere five locations in such places as Branson, Mo., and Chandler, Ariz. It struck me as a generic Hard Rock Cafe ripoff that couldn't decide what it wanted to be. I recall being in there once or twice and there wasn't even any music playing.

[CinciFan]

Originally Posted by kjbrill

I particularly would like to see the Lager House succeed, as it might be capable of renewing some of the great brewing tradition of Cincinnati. I have a personal feeling for that as one of my Great Grandfathers came over from Germany to be a brewmaster at the old Christian Moerlein brewery in OTR back in the 1800s. I just wish I would have saved some of the ornate ceramic bottles they used to distribute their beer in.

That's neat. My great-great grandfather also came from Germany and was a brewer and cooper at one of the breweries in the Mohawk area (I wanna say Clyffside Brewery). My great aunt was also married to a family member of Conrad Windisch (of the Windisch-Muhlhauser Brewery). It would be great to see our brewing history regain the recognition it deserves.

There was a great article in the Enquirer today about Cincy's history with German beer.

[jmecklenborg]

Many people in local government are upset about the actual physical appearance of what is there, since obviously they used cheap exterior materials on the Banks apartments that were recently completed. Everyone is amazed that these units rented so quickly, and the developer currently has enough income to borrow the sum necessary to build another apartment west of the Freedom Center similar in size to either of the apartment buildings that were just recently completed.

BUT, The Banks is currently less than 30% built-out, so there are plenty of chances for outstanding structures to be built on the blocks that haven't yet been touched, as well as a few spots on the blocks between the baseball stadium and the Freedom Center. In addition to the pad for an office building, there are also spaces along the north side of the Schmidlapp Event Lawn.

As for Toby Keith's, it won't be there in 10 years, neither will Johnny Rocket's or the other upcoming initial tenants. Look at the average neighborhood strip mall -- few businesses stay in place for more than ten years. The Banks is no different, so a restaurant closing shouldn't be seen as symptomatic of the project.

[John Blatchford]

I wish they would do more with the aesthetic of the banks. Such a great opportunity, but it's great to see such progress and success no matter.