Swings!

Browsing on Good Magazine's website, I stumbled upon a brilliant street art project by French artist Jerome G. Demuth (also known as "G"). He's been installing swings in public places around Paris!



Check out the article here and more photos of his work here.

Things to Love, Take Two

Four quick things I'm crazy about these days:

Studio 1a.m Measure Me Stick-



I saw these featured on a blog a few months ago, though I can't remember which one. I am a fan of the old-school marks on the wall to measure a child's growth, but I understand that not every parent wants to make marks on their walls. (Heck, my dad would have never done it.) For parents like that (or for folks who want a growth chart they can take with them when they move), this is a great option. And, unlike most growth charts, it isn't painted to look like a cartoon frog or tree or anything like that. Classic. I like that.

Little Sapling Toys-



This Etsy store is full of great wooden toys--from teething rings like the Ohio state one pictured here to toy cars, peg boards, and rocking horses. Aren't they adorable? The store is family-owned and they claim to plant a tree for every toy sold. Even their photos are beautiful!




BLDGBLOG.blogspot.com-




The Building Blog is a collection of "Architectural Conjecture, Urban Speculation, and Landscape Futures." The writer, a gentleman named Geoff Manaugh, collects stories, articles, and photos from across the world. I can't figure out exactly what he's most interested in writing about, but I love it all. Some posts are building and architecture-related; some are more anthropological or sociological. I found the blog linked from another that I frequent. The story was about The Duplicative Forest in Oregon and you can read it here.



Minihipster.com




Okay. So, ignore the language. Ignore the pretentious fashion culture. And ignore, for a moment, the fact that the clothing on some of these kids means that their parents have either too much money or too much time on their hands (or both). Just pay attention to how awesome these kids look. Seriously. I was the least-cool kid in the world before I entered middle school. And, even then, I was a weird, eccentric thrift-store junky with no concept of color or texture. (And I'll openly admit that it's easier to dress my son than it is to dress myself most days.) Unlike me as a child, the kids featured on this blog/site are super hip and super cute.


Enjoy!

Summer in the City

Between buying a house, packing up our apartment, wrapping up the busy season at work, my husband beginning his busy season at work, and taking care of my mother in-law after spine surgery, blogging hasn't been a priority in the McEwan house.

But.

I wanted to take at least a moment to share my favorite things about summers in Cincinnati, Ohio.

Tall Stacks Festival-
Tall Stacks is supposed to happen every three or four years, but hasn't happened since 2006 and can't find any information about when we can expect the next festival. The festival features national, regional, and local music acts, loads of expressions of Ohio river culture, and appearances by dozens of fabulous riverboats. Highlights from 2006: Heartless Bastards, Wilco, Medeski Martin & Wood, Over the Rhine, Blind Boys of Alabama, and Rosanne Cash. I sure hope they schedule another one soon... (Does anyone know any insider information about this?)

Fountain Square-
Cincinnati really does it up on the Square during the summer. There are public events scheduled nearly around the clock, with everything from family-friendly movie nights to wine tastings. You can expect live music nearly every night of the week (Friday nights courtesy of Midpoint Music Festival) and some days during the lunch hour (I'll be playing an Acoustic Thursday on August 26th). It's nice to know that I can walk down to Fountain Square on any given day and find tons of people milling around. The energy is infectious.

Kayaking on the Little Miami-
Although I haven't been since my son was born, taking a day-long kayak trip down the river is easily one of my top five favorite summer activities. I don't have my own boat, but I have rented multiple times from Morgan's Canoe Livery and have always been pleased (though the price has increased quite a bit since my first time five years ago). Does anyone else have a favorite Livery?

Backpacking at the Red River Gorge-
Confession: I've never been to the Gorge in the Summer, but I'm sure it's just as fantastic as it's been in the Spring. If you're looking for a nice extended weekend backpacking trip within a few hour drive, it can't be beat. And if backcountry camping is not your bag, you can find rental cabins with basic amentities to soften the wilderness experience. Try Red River Gorgeous on for size.

Local State Parks-
Growing up in Chicago, with the beautiful Lake Michigan in the city and (seemingly) millions of fresh water lakes within driving distance, lake culture is in my blood. Since I can't drive the 6 hours to Michigan where my family has a small summer cottage, it's nice to have other lakes nearby. The only one I've spent a decent amount of time at is at Caesar Creek State Park, where the beach is clean and swimming-friendly, if a bit cold. A lot of my friends frequent East Fork State Park, as well. (There was a national rowing regatta held there last weekend. How cool is that?)

The Public Library-
I know that the library is not a particularly summer activity, but hot summers do give me a new appreciation for the downtown library's convenient, walkable location and it's air conditioned comfort. It's the perfect place to pop-in during a hot walk downtown, use the bathroom, change a diaper, and see what's new on the shelves. They just held their summer Friends of the Library book sale, which was awesome. (Sorry if you missed it!)

Biking to work-
I'll admit it--I'm a fair weather bicyclist. But, since I live a mile from my office, I have absolutely no excuse to drive to work unless necessary. Since the onset of Spring, I've walked or biked to work about 80% of the time and it's proven to be a great decision. Not only do I get some exercise, but I get to see bits and pieces of downtown in a way I wouldn't if I was driving. And, I actually save a bit of time when I ride my bike since I don't have to worry about finding free parking near City Hall. (Parking tickets suck.) I hope I can continue this into the Fall (and Winter?).

gratisfest-
Gratisfest is like that favorite coffeeshop that you love too much to keep secret, but way too much to tell everyone about, lest it become everyone else's favorite coffeeshop and, suddenly, you can't find an open table. It's a small, mostly private (though not invite-only) music and arts festival on a family farm in SE Indiana. It's super family-friendly, but also super grown-up (which is awfully hard to find), with good food, good music, communal art projects, camping, beer, and fresh air. Suffice to say, when the patron saint of Gratisfest birthed the event a few years ago, he brought something amazing to life and I've been honored to be included in the fun the past few years. It's the perfect way to end the summer.


What about you?
What are your favorite things about Summer in Cincinnati?

We Did It! (Well, we're going to do it.)

We're buying a house!

As you can imagine, the buy-a-house-before-the-tax-credit-runs-out adventure has taken a lot of energy for both me and my husband, hence the reason I have had nothing to say on this blog for the past few weeks.

Suffice to say:
The house is in Over-the-Rhine.
It is a single-family home.
And it has a backyard.

As long as the few last-minute things come together, we will be in the house by the 4th of July (and then maybe climb out on the roof to see the fireworks!).

I couldn't be happier.

More later...

We're Trying to Buy a House

My husband and I are trying to buy a house. Not one house in particular, but a house in general.

We've found about four homes in the past six months that we're willing to purchase--under the right conditions. Those conditions being: selling price and financing and... well, mostly financing. Needless to say, nothing has come together quite yet. Either the price is always out of our range or there are financing restrictions due to the renovation costs, etc.

I know we're not the only potential homeowners who are having a hard time actually purchasing a home. And with the deadline for the government's glorious "first-time homeowners" incentive looming so near over us, we're quickly losing steam (and losing hope).


The homes we've seen and loved have all met one of two qualifications:

1. A single-family home that is downtown ("downtown" loosely referring here to the valley between the hills that surround the central business district of our city--as opposed to "Uptown"), large enough for us to have another child or two (or three) before we need to consider up-sizing, some sort of parking (even if just one off-street or nearby space for my husband's work vehicle), and a historic home (as opposed to the new, builders' grade Drees homes in the West End) with minimal crappy renovations done by the previous owners.

2. A multi-family building or a historic single-family home on a large property that we can use to further our crazy shared vision for a nonprofit organization and housing co-op. We would prefer this to be as near downtown as possible (we had a potential property in the West End), though I've told my husband I would be willing to sacrifice being downtown for either a walkable business district or a large city park.



So, who wants to sell us their house?
You've got twenty-three days and counting.

Urban Revitalization

A few weeks ago, I represented my organization by sitting on a panel for a Give Back Cincinnati "Sounding Session." The topic was urban revitalization. I was supposed to be representing the nonprofit perspective on what it takes to revitalize a community, what stands in the way, and how an individual can help the cause in their community. I may have had a few things to say as a "professional," but I actually walked away with more personal reflection than anything else. In fact, I've been thinking about the topic ever since.

A few thoughts on the issue:

- One of the biggest deterrents to urban revitalization is both the transient nature of many would-be urban dwellers and a city's neglect of amenities that would encourage long-term commitment from residents. Because of the rapid life changes that many residents will go through (college graduation, first jobs, marriage, first child, third child, retirement, etc.), they feel the need to move to a different neighborhood every five years to accommodate those changes. Whether it is the sheer absence of single-family residences, a lack of greenspace and natural areas, parking issues, or safety concerns, most families would not consider living in the same location where they rented their first college apartment. And most residents are simply unwilling to commit to staying put in a community where they are not certain they will be comfortable in 25 years. I believe that the issue here is as much imagined as it is realistic, which leads me to my next point...

- Perceived issues are sometimes more a deterrent than real issues. For example, people may believe it's impractical to live in downtown Cincinnati because "there is no place to buy groceries," but they are wrong in their assumption. And even if they were correct, it would be no more difficult to drive from their downtown home to the nearest large grocery store than it would be for them to drive from their Mason home to the nearest grocery store. In fact, it might be nearer to them and take less time. Another example is the popular notion of how "terrible" the schools are. Not only is this an improper assumption, but it is irrelevant given that in Cincinnati parents can send their children to the public school of their choice, anywhere in the city. All it takes is some ingenuity and effort on the part of the parents and their children can have the same quality education as a child who lives next door to Fairview German School or Walnut Hills High School. (And don't even get me started on the ridiculous notion that once a couple decides to have a child, it is time for them to move to a new subdivision on the outskirts of town, where all the families live. UGH!)

- Poor housing and real estate stock is a serious deterrent to revitalization. There is often a shortage of single-family homes in urban areas and, even where there are homes, parking is an issue. In addition, most parents want a backyard for their children and would even settle for a small, fenced courtyard if given the option. But, concrete reigns supreme instead. In many lower-income areas, beautiful single-family residences have been chopped into poorly-maintained and tastelessly-renovated multi-family buildings (Cincinnati's Avondale neighborhood is a prime example of this). In addition, many vacant buildings cannot be developed because they are owned by absentee landlords who are either slumlords or speculators.

- Quality and diversity of commerce is important for the revitalization of a community. One common theme that I heard at the Sounding Session was that residents and visitors want to see and support businesses that can only be found there, in that community. Sometimes we call these "Mom and Pop" businesses and they are sometimes the best thing drawing people and money to an area. I will add to this, though, that the mere presence of these businesses is not enough. Residents must continue to support them financially on a regular basis. (See the 3/50 Project website for more a comprehensive writing on this issue.)

- No one person, family, or business can revitalize a community alone. In order for a community to experience real renewal, it must be a cooperative task between neighbors, friends, and organizations. In my exercises in community organizing for work, I have seen that the issue of cooperation (or lack-there-off) can really make or break a community. First, those in control of community resources (money, real estate, connections, etc.) must consider the shared vision of those in the entire community or either watch their single vision die or become an unwelcome guest. Now, add to this every person's need for deep and authentic relationships. This makes it simply impossible for one entity to accomplish anything great alone, unless they have the support of those around them. I have all sorts of crazy ideas related to this issue, but I won't go into it now.


All in all, this entire issue of "revitalization" is huge and impossible to conquer in one conversation or one blog post. In fact, most people who dedicate their lives to seeing their community revitalized may not witness the fruits of their effort in their lifetime. This is, indeed, big work. And this issue quickly becomes a battle of ideologies, ethics, culture, and politics, which so often ends the conversation entirely.

Suffice to say this (for now):

I have committed myself to never simply residing in my community.
If I am not somehow benefiting it--creating something, bringing something new to life (or bringing something dead back to life), making it safer or stronger, or more beautiful, then I am a waste of space and have surrendered my rights as a resident of the community.



So, I suppose this is where the real conversation begins:

What are you doing to bring your community to life?

Do This: Ohio State Roadway Cleanup

I know it might be a little taboo to promote a work event on my personal blog, but here goes:

With millions passing through Cincinnati every month, potholes and heavy traffic aren’t our only problems.

Would you like to know that your concerns about highway litter are being answered? Are you ready to be a part of the solution?

For years, the Ohio Department of Transportation and volunteers with Keep Cincinnati Beautiful have been working to keep litter off of our Ohio State roadways. This year, as a part of the annual State Roadway Cleanup on March 27th, we’ve asked for your help in choosing the cleanup locations! The results are in and will be used to mobilize volunteers during the State Roadway Cleanup, an extension of the nationwide Great American Cleanup.

Now, you are invited to be a part of the solution by volunteering on Saturday, March 27th for the annual State Roadway Cleanup, a partnership between Keep Ohio Beautiful, Keep Cincinnati Beautiful and the Ohio Department of Transportation. To volunteer in the Cincinnati area, you can complete the online volunteer form at KeepCincinnatiBeautiful.org. Once your volunteer form has been submitted and accepted, you will be sent a confirmation email with complete event details and volunteer information. Please allow a few days to process your volunteer form.

Saturday, March 27, 2010

8:30am- Registration;

9:00am- Kick-off Event;

9:30-12:30pm Cleanup Event

Meeting Location:

Cincinnati Union Terminal 1301 Western Avenue

Cincinnati, OH 45203-1123

All State Roadway Cleanup volunteers who sign up through Keep Cincinnati Beautiful will receive a $1 coupon for the Cincinnati Museum Center’s new Omnimax film: Under the Sea and are eligible to receive one of five pairs of tickets that will be raffled during the event kick-off press conference!

Volunteers will meet in the Cincinnati Union Terminal parking lot, participate in a state-wide kick-off ceremony, and then be mobilized to their respective cleanup locations. This kick-off event will include a special appearance by Cincinnati Bengal Andre Smith, live music by local favorites Jake Speed and the Freddies, and light coffee breakfast.

Volunteers for the State Roadway Cleanup events in Cincinnati must be aged 18 or over, as all cleanup locations will be on or near Ohio State highways. Carpooling to Union Terminal is highly recommended. Some volunteers will ride together in a bus; others will transport themselves to the cleanup locations. All cleanup locations will be overseen by ODOT staff and all proper safety measures will be observed. All cleanup supplies will be provided. Volunteers should dress for weather conditions and light outdoor manual labor. Closed-toed shoes are required. For more information, visit KeepCincinnatiBeautiful.org, call (513)352-4384 or email liz.mcewan@cincinnati-oh.gov