King Shu

What was once a supposed comedy club:


Is now apparently a shoe store:
 

Court Street is strange

[where: 36.5 West Court St., Cincinnati, OH 45202]

The Senate's Vestibule

I noticed that The Senate has installed a vestibule on the sidewalk. They got a "revocable encroachment" permit from the city to construct this in the right-of-way. (In this part of the city, the property lines are right at the front of the building, and the sidewalk is usually about 11-12' wide and in part of the city ROW). We should encourage more overlap of encroachment between the public sidewalk and the private storefront. Retail stores have long tried to blur this edge and to make it easy to walk into their store while window shopping. Zaha Hadid made a whole building built on the theme of the "urban carpet", and you can walk down to Sixth and Walnut and experience her plain interpretation of this sometimes complicated dance that buildings make with the sidewalk. Anyway, IMO more of this would be ok, as long as the building owners don't just impose on the the public realm, but also open up and let the public space flow inside...  

Other storefronts

Mannequin

Mannequin, new store on Vine. 1405 Vine, vintage clothing
 

New Stores on Upper Vine

I noticed what looked to be a vintage clothing store about to open, and we now have a new shoe repair place, both in the 1400 block of Vine: 

Kudzu Capitalism

A good post on the Food Carts of Portland. Cincinnati should do all it can to encourage such "kudzu capitalism".

Tom + Chee Moving Far

Tom + Chee apparently is moving
 

Taqueria Mercado Open on 8th

Friday, Taqueria Mercado opened at the old Javier's location at 800 Walnut Street. I met the owner, Lordes, and she said that she will be open 7 days a week, days and evenings. I know her food from her other restaurant (by Jungle Jims in Fairfield) and I highly recommend eating here:
 

UPDATE: More and more Latino business owners in Butler County may be moving to Cincinnati because of the Sheriff up there.

Passage Lounge

601 Main doesn't seem like the most likely spot for a new bar IMO, but coming soon:
 

Green Dog Cafe in Columbia Tusculum

I went here in the fall, when it first opened. When we were there, we were just about the only customers. I think it will have a hard time making money. My gut tells me that the overhead is too high here to support this kind of restaurant. The location may be it's savior, as it certainly would never survive on the westside of town. The Yelp reviews concur with me. Quality is high, but the prices are too high for the lunch-type of food offered.

Outside:
 

Interior finishes:
 

Anytime Fitness is next door:
 

Senate

Senate Restuarant, about to open:
 

[where: 1212 Vine Street, Cincinnati, OH 45202]

Court St Comedy

Anybody know anything about this new occupant?

The Comedy Box, Inc. I like the flower pots.
[where: 36.5 West Court St., Cincinnati, OH 45202]

Take the Cake Before After

Next to Cluxton Alley Coffee Roasters, is "Take the Cake". They were once located on Main Street in OTR.

I have a before picture of this building somewhere, but couldn't find it tonight. So I got the before picture from the Hamilton County Auditor site. It was just a concrete block facade. I'm not sure who did the design or paid for the new facade, but they did a great job:

Take-the-Cake Before:

After:

[where: 4035 Hamilton Avenue, Cincinnati, OH 45223]

Cluxton Alley Coffee Roasters

Cluxton Alley Coffee Roasters is a hidden business in the rear of a building in the first block of Hamilton Avenue from Knowlton's corner, near Blue Rock. The owner, Jan is a long-time Northside resident who studied coffee roasting and established this business last year in the rear of her building. The coffee is excellent and it is becoming a daytime gathering spot. She sells roasted coffee beans and also has local artwork on display, notably that of Nicola Mason, the editor of the Cincinnati Review (an excellent publication, more on that later). Get your coffee beans here, you will return, I guarantee:

[where: 4037 Hamilton Avenue, Cincinnati, OH 45223] in the rear alley

George's Grocery, Ehrlich's Shoes, Rader Gallery

1986:

Today:

Close up of Ehrlich's shoes sign:

[Where: 1600 Main Street, Cincinnati, OH 45202] nec Liberty and Main UPDATE I originally made this blog post in August 2009. Over past few years I have been contacted by people who used to shop here, and by the Ehrlich family. Below is a great picture sent in by the family. In the photo is Emil and Otto Ehrlich in July 1943. The photo was sent in by Otto's son, Ron. Thanks Ron  

Rookwood Pottery New Home

Rookwood Pottery has almost completed renovations to the old Catanzaro warehouse buildng on Race Street, about a block north of Findlay Market. I couldn't stay for the tour, but they had an open house yesterday, and the operation is impressive. The guy doing this, Chris Rose, is a visionary: 

[where: 1920 Race Street, Cincinnati, OH 45202]

Update: an advert from an 1921 architectural magazine:: ""

Gig Pig Music

New store opening on Court Street: Guitars Amps Drums opens Dec 1st:

 

Iris Book Cafe on Main Street

 

This guy who used to be a partner in Kaldis has tons of books, and is apparently setting up another coffee house. I look forward to this, as Kaldis has turned into a drinking bar now, and Main Street needs a real coffee house/third place. Should be opening for real sometime this summer.

[Where: 1331 Main Street, Cincinnati, OH 45202]

Furniture Stores Downtown

When we were looking for furniture a few years ago, we felt lost. We couldn't find anything we liked. The only place downtown we knew of was Contemporary Galleries and we did end up getting a few things there, but never could find shelving that we liked. We didn't like much of the stuff at the department stores. Now, I realize we missed a few places:

Abode

High Street

Mainly Art

Metronation

With these downtown, and a Crate and Barrel in Norwood and an IKEA in West Chester, it will soon be easier to furnish a home.

And apparently A Lucky Step is a furniture store soon to open on Vine (1218 or 1220?). I googled this store, and found and interesting article about the owner:

For Angelita Jones this time, the tears that flowed were tears of joy.
The Home Builders Association of Greater Cincinnati awarded her third place in the contemporary favorite decorating category at Homearama 2002, held in South Lebanon a week ago.

“This is wonderful,” Mrs. Jones said. “I don't care if it is third place or whatever or whether it was for decorating toilet paper. I am just glad to be a winner.”

Mrs. Jones, who owns A Lucky Step furniture store in Evendale, was among the 57 winners given awards for traditional, transitional and contemporary interior and exterior decorations; favorite landscaping, family room and great room, kitchen and dining room; favorite home, bedroom suite, bath, lower level, outdoor living and family gathering area.

She has kept the store going after witnessing the shooting death of her husband, Stephen Jones, there last August.

Mr. Jones was a co-owner with her in the business they started two years ago. She called 911 and reported the shooting. Alonzo Campbell, 38, of Walnut Hills, was arrested and charged with aggravated murder, murder, felonious assault and illegally possessing a weapon as a convicted felon.

He was convicted and sentenced to 20 to 100 years.

Mrs. Jones has struggled to put the incident behind her while continuing to operate the furniture store and her other business, Eastern Personnel Services in downtown Cincinnati.

“I don't have anything else to do but keep going,” she said.“This award will help lift my spirit.”

The home she decorated was built by Perry Bush Custom Homes in Fairfield. Other winners in that category were: Eagle Custom Homes Inc., Sycamore Township, first place; and Shonave Custom Homes Inc., Mason, second place.

Contemporary Galleries Closing

I was just thinking last week that I should do a post about Contemporary Galleries, the longtime furniture store on Fourth Street, and now I read that they are closing the business and selling the building to make condos.

Most of their furniture is way too expensive for me, but they did have discounted stuff on the top floor, and they offered great service, including delivery and installation. I suppose this might be a good time to get out of the business with a new Ikea about to open and a new furniture store about to open at 1220 Vine Street. I’m sorry to see them go.

Reliable Going Out of Business

 

Court Street seems to be in some trouble/transititon lately. Much more vacancies than it should be, I think. These storefronts get tons of lunchtime foot traffic, and the right store should do fine. Reliable has a great location, and has been in business for 99 years. It was a neat place that carried stuff that can't be found anywhere else. The owner Gene, bought and fixed-up old bikes and was a committed downtowner. Despite this, I never was quite sure how he made any money. I'm not sure why he is closing, and maybe it doesn't matter, as long as something else useful fills the space.

Sign at 29 E. Court Street: