Neyer's Corner

After making another one of our tours through Hyde Park, I spotted yet another remnant of the city's past...

NW Corner of Delta Avenue & Columbia Parkway [2/17/8].
Zoom in several times to see the stairways at both ends of the wall.

With limited research, I didn't find much on the history of this corner, so those specific foundations' stories remain ambiguous. Though, this research jogged my memory about how long the Neyer Properties' "For Sale" sign (placed to the left of the housing remnants above) has been sitting on this site... way before many of my personal milestones: marriage, children, moving out of town, moving back, etc. - in other words, it's been awhile [articles from 2003, 2004, 2005].

Proposed construction at Delta & Columbia Pkwy (NW lot) [Neyer Props.].
This concept sits where the old foundations I photographed remain currently.

I wasn't even aware of this development in its early stages, but according to an opinion from a 2006 Citybeat letter, it's been a storied one:

"My co-workers and I have a pool going right now -- which will be completed first, Columbia Square along Columbia Parkway or The Banks on the riverfront? I'm not sure I'll be living here long enough to find out..." [full letter here].

Columbia Square plans, Columbia Tusculum [Neyer Props.]. Source: Amy.

Anyway, after recently settling back in Cincinnati, it's been nice to see the developments on the south side of Columbia coming along, not to mention The Banks, Fountain Square, OTR, the streetcar initiative... it's an exciting time.

I just wonder on which side that guy placed his bets.

• Details on the progress of this development (and all others in the city) are listed at the extremely informative & always interesting Building Cincinnati. Looser dialogue and repostings of recent news articles on Columbia Square can be found at UrbanOhio.

The Dregs of Mount Adams

I recently ran across the Cincinnati blog justforview, which included a great post on the evolution of the urban environment - in this case, one where nature has overcome, and revealed, the neglect of once thriving construction. Of course, I was attracted to this perspective because of my own recent infatuation with the historical nature of the ruins that lay scattered throughout the city, though, as justforview points out, there is also a beauty within this integration (as any Ecotecturist would rightly concur).

This has inspired me to post some extraneous photos (minus the historical research/significance), which I took en route to recording the subjects of several of my recent posts...

Oregon Street, Mount Adams [3/3/8].
Heading east on Oregon, I took this (and the following photos) on the way to researching the Incline. I like the dichotomy of the building styles & materials of the different eras, as well as the height in this shot - it could be a metaphor for some of the views on preservation in this city.

Oregon Street, Mount Adams [3/3/8].
This is further east on Oregon (the following photos are details of this wide shot).

Oregon Street, Mount Adams [3/3/8].
Looking down to Oregon from a deserted lot (on the right side of the wide shot).

Oregon Street, Mount Adams [3/3/8].
More details of the above wide shot.

Steps to Nowhere

Whenever Elizabeth and I are lingering near the heart of the city, we always make it a point to take an indirect route back home through downtown... an effort to not only delay the work waiting on our metaphorical desks, but to site-see. It may sound strange, being long-time inhabitants of the city and still portraying ourselves as tourists, but Cincinnati's rich architectural blood and provocative landscape almost assures one of finding hints of the past lurking around every corner. 

Berry Park (recent). 
At the foot of Mount Adams.

As an amendment to my last post (about unrealized development in the city), there is a notable rise in construction here, which is steadily altering the environment of every neighborhood (thanks mainly to 3CDC). Of course, you can always just drive down 71, hang out in Kenwood, or make the haul to Mason, but the most exciting developments take place by the river. Every stroll downtown seems cleaner, more modern, more livable than the last. With Cincinnati being such a compact city, meandering through the streets really lends to the urban feel of a much larger city - one that is increasingly becoming contemporary, yet still hints at the old floorboards under the new carpet.

Anyway, we were driving down by the river ("Riverside Drive") because Elizabeth hadn't seen the Theodore M. Berry International Friendship Park [more info here + here], but on our exit is when we ran into a bit of history:



We found these remnants of once-standing establishments driving up Kemper Lane to Columbia Parkway - a road I had never taken (or needed to take), due to its relative inconspicuous location just past the park. Though, I'm sure this whole area will soon be redeveloped to handle the load from juggernaut Cincinnati-developer Towne Properties' ever-growing Adams Landing project:

Captain's Watch at Adams Landing, Riverside Drive.

A development by Towne Properties.

Although seeing these pieces of the past is always interesting, finding them anywhere in the downtown vicinity is really no surprise, considering the whole area was once smothered with rooftops (that is, until the 50s highway boom)...

Downtown Cincinnati (1941). 

Source: Cincy Images.

These were not mind-blowing finds, but rather minor historical markers - unfortunately, reminders of the great American tradition: Tear-down and Rebuild. But, as we can see here, and as noted before, the rebuilding part is not always assured. There have been too many unique and culturally significant structures downtown that have met the wrecking ball over the years and occasionally replaced with parking lots. 

This sentimentality of Cincinnati's historically broad skyline (which could aptly be shared with most of this country's urban landscape) emphasizes the importance of history in everyday life: History is what draws tourists, maintains residency, and builds pride in the populous - and (note to Council) Cincinnati has heaps of it.

To quote Wright (on the near demolition of the Robie House by a Seminary to build a high-rise dorm), "To destroy it would be like destroying a great piece of sculpture or a great work of art. It would never be permitted in Europe. It could only happen in America...".