Here was the formula for a happy Black Friday Nov. 28 in Over-the-Rhine: pleasant weather, pent-up interest in doing a little holiday shopping at locally-owned stores downtown, and a promotion that gave customers 20 percent off everything they could fit in a special neighborhood bag.

This news release from the wonderful Kelly Leon at 3CDC sums it all up:

NEWS RELEASE
Contact:
Kelly Leon, VP Communications & Community Relations
3CDC
513-621-4400, ext. 113
513-235-3836 cell
kleon@3cdc.org

More than $600 donated to Tender Mercies thanks to Gateway Quarter Holidays in the Bag promotion
Shopping event held on Black Friday

Hundreds of people who made a point to “shop local” the day after Thanksgiving have also given a great gift to Tender Mercies…$630. Gateway Quarter merchants organized “Holidays in the Bag” to promote shopping local in Over-the-Rhine, Cincinnati’s most historic neighborhood. Shoppers bought a bag for $3, used it in one of 14 Gateway Quarter stores and restaurants and received 20 percent off their purchases. Proceeds from the sale of the bags have been donated to Tender Mercies, providing permanent supportive housing to mentally ill homeless adults for more than 20 years.

“We are so grateful to our neighbors in the Gateway Quarter for organizing this event and including Tender Mercies,” said Russell Winters, CEO of Tender Mercies. “This is an unexpected donation that will go a long way toward helping us secure basic cold weather necessities for the 120 people who currently call Tender Mercies home.”

Generally centered at 12th and Vine streets, the Gateway Quarter is a district in Over-the-Rhine (OTR) that includes shopping, renovated loft-style condominiums and a thriving arts district. The area encourages and celebrates urban living.

The next holiday event for the Gateway Quarter is “Caroling in the Quarter” 6 to 9 p.m. on Thursday Dec. 11. Members of the Cincinnati Men’s Chorus will travel from store to store singing Christmas carols for shoppers. The evening ends at Below Zero Lounge, 1122 Walnut St., for more caroling and holiday cheer.

For more information, visit www.otrgateway.com

Tender Mercies CEO Russell Winters (white shirt) is surrounded by happy Over-the-Rhine Gateway Quarter merchants. First Row: Fred Arrowood (Joseph Williams Home), Dan Korman (Park + Vine), George Crawford (Metronation), Lisa Yunker (City Roots), Gloria McConnaghy (The Little Mahatma), Julie Fay (Urban Eden, Iris BookCafe). Back Row: Terry Lee (OUTSIDE), Mike Deininger (MiCA 12/v), Bertie Ray (Switch), Nigel Cotterill (Below Zero Lounge)

We had one of our busiest days ever during BuyCincy’s Cincinnati Unchained event this past Saturday. Supporters of Sierra Club Miami Group, which received 15 percent of our Unchained sales, and other shop-local supporters kept the store full most of the day. One woman said she hit all 45+ participating stores. That’s a lot of shop-local love.

The Unchained movement continues the day after Thanksgiving 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Nov. 28 in Over-the-Rhine during Holidays in the Bag. Participating stores are offering 20 percent off everything you can fit into a special neighborhood shopping bag ($3), purchased at the Gateway Quarter Information Center across from MiCA 12/v. Bag sales benefit Tender Mercies.

Participating stores include:

1. Park + Vine, 1109 Vine St.
2. City Roots, 1133 Vine St.
3. MiCA 12/v, 1201 Vine St.
4. The Little Mahatma, 1205 Vine St.
5. Switch Collection, 1207 Vine St.
6. Incredible Creations, 1209 Vine St.
7. Metronation, 1213 Vine St.
8. Joseph Williams Home, 1232 Vine St.
9. A Lucky Step, 1220 Vine St.
10. OUTSIDE, 16 E. 12th St.

Be sure to leave room for coffee, lunch, or a cocktail at Enzo’s 1106 Race St.; Lavomatic, 1211 Vine St.; Coffee Emporium, 110 E. Central Parkway; Mixx Ultra Lounge, 1203 Main St.; or Below Zero Lounge, 1122 Walnut St.

Typically, a new parking lot might not bring much cause for celebration. They’re usually ugly, dead spaces. The reality is that even a walking paradise such as Over-the-Rhine requires some parking. As long as parking is located to subordinate the car, people on foot, bicycles and wheelchairs remain the centerpiece of the neighborhood.

This brings us to the city of Cincinnati’s new parking lot at 1521 Vine Street. It’s just north of the Joseph House and now features a new ArtWorks mural and the city’s first permeable surface in a parking lot.

New ArtWorks Mural: “Over-the-Rhine: Into Its Renaissance”

The Central Vine Street Business Association in cooperation with the city of Cincinnati is holding a “green” parking lot dedication 10 a.m. Oct. 28 at 1521 Vine Street, across from Crossroad Health Center. Central Vine Street Business Association community development committee chair Greg Smith is leading a 15-minute ceremony that includes brief remarks from City Manager Milton Dohoney and representatives from ArtWorks and Crossroad Health Center. The dedication concludes with a demonstration of the parking lot’s aforementioned permeable surface.

We’re giving away energy bars and coffee to anyone who rides his or her bike–or scooter–to Eco-Main-ia noon to 5 p.m. Sept. 14. Just visit the Park + Vine table on Main Street between Thirteenth and Fourteenth and get a free Love Force raw and organic energy bar and a free cup of Doerr’s Alley Dark from Brutopia. The final Second Sunday on Main of the season is all about celebrating the Earth and will include live music, demonstrations from celebrity chefs and a kids’ activity zone.

It’s great to welcome these three new businesses to our neighborhood:

Business Courier of Cincinnati

The Gateway Quarter, the renovated residential/retail district in Over-the-Rhine, will welcome three new stores in September, the Cincinnati Center City Development Corp. (3CDC) said.

The stores are:

• The Little Mahatma, which previously announced its move from Main Street downtown. The retailer of unusual jewelry, art and artifacts will be open at its 1205 Vine St. address Monday-Friday, 11 a.m.-7 p.m.; Saturday, 11 a.m.-6 p.m.; and Sunday, noon-4 p.m.

• Switch, a new store featuring decorative fixtures, will open at 1207 Vine St. The store will feature designs from South America, Europe and Scandinavia, as well as fluorescent and LED fixtures. It will be open Monday-Friday, 11 a.m.-7 p.m.; Saturday, noon-6 p.m. and by appointment.

• Incredible Creations, a barbershop and beauty/nail salon, will move to 1209 Vine St. from Gilbert Avenue. Hours are Tuesday-Thursday, 9 a.m.-8 p.m.; Friday-Saturday, 8 a.m.-7 p.m.; closed Sunday and Monday.

The retailers join several other recently opened stores on Vine Street, including Park + Vine, City Roots, Mica, Metronation and restaurant/wine bar Lavomatic.

Some people may have to drive to these events, but their central locations intuitively encourage bicycling, walking or bus-riding:

Blue BBQ Aug. 2-3
There will be Christian Moerlein beer and local music flowing at Blue BBQ 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Aug. 2-3 at Findlay Market. We’ll be there 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. or so Aug. 2 purveying reusable water bottles and bags, compost buckets and locally-made energy bars.

Over the Rhine Community Festival Aug. 2
Get immersed in Over-the-Rhine’s diverse culture at the Over-the-Rhine Community Festival noon to 6 p.m. Aug. 2 at Washington Park. This event is all about the people who live in OTR. There will be plenty of food, games and entertainment. Call 513-381-4242 for information.

Morning Glory Bike Ride Aug. 3
The local media continue to turn their backs on capturing the visual impact of more than 2,000 area cyclists riding along CAR-FREE Columbia Parkway the first Sunday of August. Still, while most of the city sleeps, these early-risers will head downtown for the 27th annual Morning Glory Bike Ride on Aug. 3. Hosted by the Miami Group Sierra Club, the 17-mile ride starts at Sawyer Point at 4:30 and 5:30 a.m. We’ll be there showing off some of our bike-friendly wares directly across from the breakfast area.

Here’s a column from the Cincinnati Enquirer where the columnist, Carolyn Pione, rightly observes how locally owned and operated businesses are transforming our little section of Over-the-Rhine and serving as a model for incremental–not forced or rushed–community development:

12th and Vine a good start for OTR

Steve and I made an expedition into Over-the-Rhine for dinner last Saturday with two other Hyde Park couples. A stream of people flowed past our table to dine on the terrace at Lavomatic, Jean-Robert’s months-old restaurant in the Gateway Corridor. But it was a humid night, and we opted to sit inside its cool, green walls to eat chilled cucumber dill soup and sample smooth English beers.

Afterward, we wandered next door to Metronation, which we were surprised to find was converting to a clothing shop. There’s other furniture being sold on this block now, owner George Crawford said. “Our customers told us what downtown needed was women’s clothing.”

If you haven’t visited 12th and Vine streets lately, you might be surprised by the activity. Last summer, Park + Vine, City Roots and Metronation opened there. Then, Lavomatic and Mica, among others, and in April came outdoor entertaining store Outside.

Next to open are Mahatma jewelry and accessories, Incredible Creations hair salon and Switch lighting store.

“It’s become a destination shopping area for people who are looking for a unique type of product that they aren’t going to find in a typical big-box store,” Outside owner Terry Lee said.

But as Lee and Crawford point out, the retail growth is about more than one cool block of shopping. It’s creating economic growth they hope will emanate throughout Over-the-Rhine.

Outside’s sales are strong, and Lee is pleased about the number of people coming in from the suburbs.

“Some of them are saying they haven’t been downtown for a long time because of the fear factor, and they are pleasantly surprised,” Lee said.

Last August, at the Cincinnati Center City Development Corp. offices in the Kroger building overlooking Over-the-Rhine, board member Joe Pichler pointed out the window to this very corner. In 2004, he said, there were 249 calls to the police from there. In 2005 3CDC purchased the site, and since 2006, there have been four calls.

Safety is what it’s all about, Pichler said then. The density and bustle helps make OTR safe for the hip people moving in and the suburban people visiting, as well as for its longtime residents.
Soapbox District

Downtown Cincinnati Inc. is having a party Wednesday to showcase new businesses in a part of downtown recently dubbed the Soapbox District, in honor of Cincinnati’s strong soap history.

The district runs from Central Parkway to Elm, with a center of gravity on West Fourth Street. As downtown evolves, DCI is trying to highlight the identities of different “districts.” This one is marked by loft condos, ad agencies, nightclubs and now shopping.

Bang is hosting the party 5-7 p.m. Call DCI for details: 513-421-4440 or RSVP to david@downtowncincinnati.com.

Carolyn Pione is business editor. E-mail cpione@enquirer.com

Little Mahatma’s move from 639 Main St. to 1205 Vine St. in Over-the-Rhine is official, and they’re bringing two new friends with them:

Mahatma jeweler moving to Over-the-Rhine
Business Courier of Cincinnati – by Lisa Biank Fasig Staff Reporter

Little Mahatma, the downtown jeweler that for almost 20 years featured one-of-a-kind designs hand-picked from around the world, is moving for the second time in so many years, to the expanding Gateway Quarter on Vine Street in Over-the-Rhine.

The shop, recently renamed from Mahatma, will move to 1205 Vine from 639 Main St. in September. Heading the transition will be its new owner – also its founder and former owner – Gloria McConnaghy, who bought the shop back in the spring.

The 1,000-square-foot jewelry shop will be joined by a pair of other tenants on Vine, just north of 12th Street: Switch, a lighting shop; and Incredible Creations, a barbershop and hair salon. The trio will be located between Mica, the modern gift and housewares store, and Lavomatic Café.

“I realized that specialty retail does better when it’s coupled with others,” McConnaghy said. “Even though we’ve been in business many years now, we feel very isolated. People have to work to find us and it’s not on its way to anything else.”

Mahatma moved to its space on Main Street, next to the Aronoff Center for the Arts, in April 2007. Prior to that it had operated since 1989 in a tiny, 108-square-foot space at the Carew Tower. Crow Grando, who purchased Mahatma from McConnaghy more than seven years ago, had operated the shop during its move to Main Street.

Next to Mahatma will be Switch. Operated by Drew Dearwester and Bertie Ray III, the 1,000-square-foot store will feature modern lighting not just from Europe, but from Brazil, Argentina, Australia and Japan, Dearwester said.

“We’re trying to make it more like a lighting gallery,” he said. “I’m kind of trying to find innovative, fresh new lighting talent out of different countries.”

Lastly, Incredible Creations will be operated by Devan Johnson, a barber for the Cincinnati Bengals, and his wife, Kim Johnson, according to Kathleen Norris, who is the commercial saleswoman for the Gateway Quarter.

Mahatma, Switch and Incredible Creations will all be part of the 26-unit Duncanson Lofts, Norris said. Twenty of those condominiums are now occupied.

“We expect everybody to be open by the Downtown Tour of Living on Sept. 27,” Norris said. “We’ll have that part of the block on its way and then we’ll start working on 13th Street.”

Among those celebrating the opening will likely by Jim Moll, a residential real estate broker. Moll is a longtime friend of McConnaghy and is the one who told her months ago to consider moving to Vine Street. “All the stars aligned,” he said. “The universe and the stars got happy and we had a Kumbaya moment and we got Mahatma up where it belongs.”

For McConnaghy, it was a matter of sustaining the store she founded 19 years ago. “I just felt for the health and longevity of the business that’s where we needed to be,” she said. “It’s a cool place, also.”

Just a few days ago, we said goodbye to the venerable M. Hopple & Co. Now, we’re saying farewell to Nick Paddock’s intimate Nicholas Gallery on Court Street. After two years of passionately championing downtown entrepreneurship, local art and city life, the always-humble Nick is closing up shop in August. While we’re sad to see our friend go, we’re glad that he’s staying in Cincinnati and that he’ll likely reemerge in another visual arts position. Thank you, Nick, for bringing a bright spot to Court Street and for your emphatic support of our little green store.

Photo credit: BuyCincy

At the same time that Nicholas Gallery is winding down, Enzo’s, 1106 Race St., is up and running again after a short hiatus. The menu at the Over-the-Rhine breakfast and lunch spot is pretty much the same, and so are the hours: 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Friday. Welcome back, Nancy Brashear and friends.

If there’s ever a weekend to see Over-the-Rhine in all its glory, this is the one.

During the May 30 Final Friday gallery walk, designer paper birdhouses will be on display at MiCA 12/v, Park + Vine, Metronation, City Roots, and Outside. These biodegradable birdhouses from Over-the-Rhine’s GreenBird are made from 100 percent recycled die-cut paperboard. Each birdhouse will be auctioned off “silently” with proceeds benefiting Over-the-Rhine Community Housing.

This coincides with first-birthday celebrations for City Roots, Metronation and Park + Vine May 30-June 1. The fun continues with the Go OTR 5K May 31, where Mayor Mark Mallory will officially kick things off at 10 a.m. The Fringe Festival, a collaborative arts festival that includes theatre, dance, music, poetry, visual art, film and everything in between runs May 27 to June 7.