Another Walk 2

A New Years walk is turning into a bit of a tradition with my son. I love the quiet companionship on a cold day walk. First came upon the recently demolished 1314 Vine Cornice laying on ground  

Stones intended for Washington Park to match old stones around perimeter 

SWC Walnut and Mercer, demolition happening this week 

Somehow never noticed this doorway before 

This nondescript building on E 14th hides an upscale residence 

This is a very strange building, seen from Findlay Street is kindof an annex to the building at the corner of Vine and McMicken  

[where: 3 West McMicken, Cincinnati, OH 45202](rear) Vacant and condemned buildings owned by a church located in Washington DC,,, What a waste.. 

Northern end of Findlay Playground 

Two vacant houses on the northernmost stub of Republic Street 

private alley between Vine and McMicken 

Only a few buildings on lonely Kirk Alley, heading up to Ohio Street Steps 

This single family house with an unusually huge front yard at 104 W Clifton backs up against Kirk Alley above.  It is for sale for $110K 

Steps that once went somewhere  

Looking back down 100 steps, Ohio Street  

Mulberry in the distance. I was reminded of the area to the left which a commenter on a previous post said was called Little Bethlehem.  

When at Adriatico's last week, I noticed that their delivery map listed some sub-neighborhoods that I had never heard of, including Little Bethlehem and Jerusalem...The blue line is zip code boundary  

The same map had Frenchman's Corner near Brighton Corner (but now under I-75) and Rohs Hill at the top of Straight Street  

Civil war era house at high point on Ohio Avenue in bad shape.  

(where: 2210 Ohio Avenue, Cincinnati, OH 45219) It had been a gray cold day, but just as the sun set, it broke through the clouds  

On the way back down the hill, we found fossils on the steep cliffs of West Clifton Ave.  

Son really wants to climb this cliff. Maybe next time.  

Almost home, Prince of Peace church with moon,  

Slow Cars When Near People

It’s a sad fact that you have to get out of your car, occasionally, and at those times you’re vulnerable if you’re anywhere near a street. -Michael van Baker

Obesogenic Motorgenic Cincinnati

I want to do what is good, but I don't. I don't want to do what is wrong, but I do it anyway. - Romans 7:19

I believe this newly invented word obesogenic is helpful in thinking about how our environment and culture affect our individual bodies. I have had times in my life in which my environment was much healthier, and as a result I was physically much healthier.

For example, in 1986 (I think), I lived for a few months in Spain. While I was there, I had no access to fast food, junk food or even any dairy products. However, I ate whenever I wanted and drank whatever I wanted. I found when I returned home that my clothes were all loose and I felt fantastic. My tastes in food had even changed. Since then, I have tried to recreate that diet, but it is difficult because diet is so integrated into our culture and lifestyle.

I find more and more that the idea that we are all independent and that we are each as individuals totally responsible for our well-being to be false. Yes of course I am responsible for my own actions, but it is an acutely American way of thinking that disallows common action for improvement.

For example, I hate bike riding,... at least in Cincinnati. Yes the hills are one reason, but mostly I ride in the basin, so that is not the main reason. It is just way too dangerous, especially with children. And to take two kids with me on bikes is a huge ordeal. Just getting 3 bikes out the door with 3 helmets and bike locks and lights if it is dark, is just ridiculous. And downtown is not much different than many suburban areas (except that you have a garage to keep all the bikes). I really don't see that many suburban kids out riding beyond their cul-de-sac... because cars rule and it is too dangerous. Nothing like this.

I saw an item a few weeks ago a woman was prosecuted after her son was killed by a car while jaywalking. Frankly, I don't think jaywalking should even be a crime on any residential street. The prosecution of this poor woman is just an indication of how backwards American thinking is about walking vs cars. Cars rule, period.

We live in a motorgenic environment. Motorized vehicles rule our public streets and pedestrians and bicyclists are scared and pushed to the fringes. This attitude ruins cities. It destroys shopping streets, public spaces, streets and sidewalks.

Cars and walkers can only successfully mix if the actions of the car are restrained and the actions of the walkers and bikers are liberated.

We need to change from a motorgenic environment to a muscle-powered, socially oriented, pedestrian friendly environment.


‘We live in an obesogenic environment – a plethora of fast food outlets, reliance on cars, and offers enticing us to eat larger portions …’Professor Mike Kelly – as quoted in the Telegraph 8th October 2003

Join the movement to move your feet

Sunday Walk

View Sun Walk in a larger map

A couple weeks ago, on a warm Sunday afternoon, we had nothing to do, so we explored a bit. We first headed up Vine and then turned up some steps by Smiling Sams Furniture and ended up above Mulberry Street in a quiet valley. I don't know if this area has a name, but it is a nice quiet area with lots of potential. Then we continued on through the edges of Mt Auburn and circled back down to Pendleton and OTR:

Vine and McMillan
 

Peete Street, end closest to Vine
 

steps from Peete dead-end to Mulberry
 

Rice Street forgotten home
 

Looking up Winkler with Christ Hospital parking garage on top of the hill
 

116 Winkler forgotten and overgrown
 

120 aqnd 122 Winkler Street
 

136 Gage Street
 

Looking back over quiet valley of houses tucked behind Vine Street Elementary (currently Rothenberg)
 

Dramatic Gage Street steps with tall stone retaining wall connect to Mt Auburn behind Christ Hospital
 

Along our walk we met some people and talked with some, but generally it was quiet and not many people around. Every time I take a walk like this I am also amazed at how many vacant buildings are sitting there waiting to be rehabbed.

path to Jackson Hill overlook
 

view from Jackson Hill is not kept trim like Ohio Street and Fairview and Eden Park overlooks
 

there is a sharp cliff on either side of this grassy path in this rarely travelled section of Jackson Hill park. There are remnants of a asphalt path and stone steps down the hill to Rice Street, but it is totally overgrown.
 

grassy knoll in Jackson Hill park
 

hacking through the thicket 

We hack our way through the weeds and came out in someone's backyard on Dorsey Street. I wouldn't recommend others take this route, but we were exploring and sometimes things like this happen.

Dorsey St, insular IMO
 

heading back up to Mt Auburn
 

steps from Mt Auburn to Goethe in OTR
 

this horribly ugly modern house at the end of Eleanor Place has moss on flat roof and needs maintenance all around, but has a Jaguar parked in the driveway.
 

ugly house again
 

path from Walker Street to Filson Pool
 

not a kid in sight
 

pool building Mt Auburn
 

steps down from Mt Auburn to Prospect Hill
 

resting
 

Neighbors in Liberty Hill take care of the spaces along the steps
 

down steep hills of Liberty Hill
 

stone stoops on steep hill
 

raised stone stoops
 

last set of steps down from Liberty to Pendleton
 

Krohn-Fechheimer Co
 

13th and Broadway, what a pitiful building
 

Positively no Loafing Ms Sophie says
 

No Loitering