5.24.11

When our show airs in July, you will see me posing awkwardly quite a bit, kind of like this:

My self-conciousness about my outfit, stomach, hips, thighs--everything I know the camera will add ten pounds to--tends to make my hands fidget around my mid-section. 


But that isn't the point of this blog, nor is it the point of that photo (although consider it fair warning). 


This photo was taken on one of our "reveal" field trips today. We go to a store and they tell us what rug, night stand, lamp, etc., was selected by America to go in our room. 


The store this photo was taken in is called John Williams Home, and when we heard it was in Over the Rhine (OTR), Greg and I both freaked a little.


We've been suburb dwellers for awhile now--suburb dwellers who don't get out much in the city. The last time I was in OTR, it was a quick drive through with the doors locked and eyes low. 


Imagine our jaw-dropping awe when we pulled up to a bustling revitalized Vine Street, full of funky young people strolling freely in the late spring sunshine, enjoying an after work beer at an open air bar, surrounded by trendy shops located in Cincinnati's oldest and coolest buildings that have been renovated and now truly shine--sparkle, even.


If this month's intention is longevity, then I think there is something to be said about the longevity and sustainability of one of Cincinnati's oldest neighborhoods.


For a long time, OTR was the ugly stepchild of the city. It had a terrible reputation for homicides, drugs, and all other bad things that could possibly happen in an episode of Law & Order. 


But a group of people believed in the neighborhood (and when I say "group of people" I mean several revitalization groups and when I say "believed" I mean spent years and years and years convincing Cincinnatians that the neighborhood was worth saving and investing in)--these people saw the potential in the area as a hub for people who are open and progressive and creative. 


In fact, The New York Times just profiled the turnaround in OTR in it's Travel section this past Sunday. You can view the photos and read the article here.


So this afternoon, Greg and I learned our bedside table lamps and bedside tables. We left the film crew at John Williams and walked back to our car, past the open air bars, art galleries, and restaurants, and we vowed to support the longevity of the neighborhood. We look forward to dinner here next weekend.