Streetcar Film (short version)

modern streetcar via ProTransit.com


If you didn't make it out to the Carnegie Arts Center in Covington to see the screening of "Taken For a Ride", the film about how GM killed America's streetcars... don't worry.

You can catch it on Youtube, in two parts.





Obviously the people who need convincing about the need for streetcars and light rail were not in attendance, but plenty of like minded people like myself were present. We all hooted and hollered, and laughed at some of the blatant propaganda showcased in the film (A mother stands up in her town hall meeting and states, "highways are the best thing for our children and their future!" The other mothers started weeping)

I didn't know that streetcars were America's mode of transportation for so many years. Many, many people were not happy when they were gone. As in, riots. Protests. Visits to congress. But they took out the light rail and put in the diesel bus, advertising "the wave of the future" and "the modern way". The modern way that clogged up traffic and was slow and inefficient. The effect? Buy a new (GM) car, of course!

Now... we can't even fathom life without a car.



the LA street car circa 1912



LA as we know it today

Cincinnati's Public Spaces Seriously Rock

I've been a little quiet lately, but, I've been keeping up with other blogs. It seems that everyone has been hating on the City of Cincinnati recently. Granted, from the Black Wednesday debacle to this anti-rail amendment business (don't even get me started) there's a lot to be negative about.

Honestly, I'm an optimist at heart, especially when it comes to our fair Queen City. So in lieu of the negativity, I bring you what is possibly my favorite thing about Cincinnati:

Its parks and public spaces!!



According to the City's parks website, Cincinnati is home to 5 regional parks, 70 neighborhood parks, and 34 nature preserves. That's not even mentioning the 3 nature preserves, an abortoreum, and Krohn Conservatory, which is one of the best conservatories in the country.

In downtown Cincinnati alone there are beautiful, places to hang out, play, see and be seen. One of my favorites is Lytle Park, a little gem of a green space that is tucked away on the East side of downtown next to the Taft Museum. There's a really interesting memorial that describes the history of the Lytle area - home of the first Krogers!

When i was in Denmark studying architecture last summer, the very first lecture the dean of the school gave my class revolved around this point:

People love to be around people.

This is not just applicable to the park system, but the other public spaces in Cincinnati. Fountain Square, The fountain near Ludlow Ave and Clifton Ave, Hyde Park Square... it is obvious that Cincinnatians love to be out and about.

So, despite all the crummy things going on lately, don't forget to look on the bright side, and go visit a park!

A new bin!!!

So I finally got my butt in gear and finished the second bin for Michelle... and I wanted you to see it.

Someone at Park + Vine gave me all these cool organic bread bags. They're really colorful, and I think the combination of clear plastic with the color is pretty sweet.

So...

check it out!

Diary of a DAAP kid: co-op (part 3)

Wouldn't it be great if the people you bought supplies from at work came to your work and fed you delicious food and gave you things in exchange for you listening to them talk about their supplies for a half hour?

Maybe you should think about working at an architecture firm.

These strange and wonderful lunchtime occurances are called "Lunch and Learns." Representatives from companies that sell building supplies and interior finishes (fabric, carpet, furniture, flooring, windows, brick, etc) do circuits of firms around town to show off their new products and make friends with the designers that will (hopefully) specify their product in whatever building they happen to be designing at the moment.

So the sign up sheet goes around, and sometimes you get to pick which Panera boxed lunch you'll receive that day. Or maybe they'll bring in a gigundous Servatii's pretzel sandwich (which is awesome!!)


panera = lunch and learn

For me, it means free lunch, and sometimes little goodies. The firms will hand out pens, sticky notes.. heck, I've gotten everything from cloth lunch bags to little tins of organic wheat grass to grow at my desk. They're cheap, plastered with logos, and a little slice of awesome for an intern like me.

At the last place I worked they had two Lunch and Learns a week (one for architectural products, one for interiors) lined up almost the entire time I was there - it was a new place with lots of work, and the reps really wanted to get their business!


Maybe this is a very common thing that everyone has heard of, but I just wanted to profess my undying love of the Lunch and Learn.