August 2007 Archives
Thanks to everyone who filled out the BuyCincy survey, it showed us a thing or two about or audience. For example, downtown/OTR is out in force, so we will make sure to make a special effort to find cool local retailers there. And now, the moment a few of you have been waiting for. The winner of the $25 Park + Vine gift certificate is..... Andrew Suchocki. Andrew, give us a quick email at: sean [at] buycincy [dot] com and verify your zip code with us (so we know it's you). Your gift certificate will then be waiting for you at Park + Vine.
What's the deal?
With about 80% of their 100+ craft artists residing in the Greater Cincinnati area, indigenous takes the buy local mantra to heart. And, with works running the gambit from jewelry to wall art to baskets and boxes, it looks to be the perfect place to add some flair to your own pad or find a unique last minute gift for somebody else. If you end up swooning over their goods, you won't be the only one - they recently were named a Top 25 store by the national art/craft retailing magazine Niche.
Where to find it?
indigenous is located in the O'Bryonville business district at 2010 Madison Road, 45208. Stop in Monday-Saturday 10-8 or Sunday from 12-5.
How much will it cost?
Works run from $10-$25 for select pieces of jewelry, pottery and art tiles to $4,000 for a handcrafted 3 panel stained glass room divider. Expect most pieces to be in the $25-$300 range, though.
Set aside the first Tuesday of every month for Quesday, the Gateway Quarter's monthly party. Starting next Tuesday, September 4th, check out Quesday at local retailers Park + Vine, City Roots and Metronation from 4-7pm. Then, check out the specials, raffles and new product launches before heading over to Below Zero Lounge for drinks from 4-8pm. While there you can also tour the chic condos throughout the Quarter. If you haven't checked out all of these great shops already, Quesday is the perfect time to do so.
Where?
Below Zero Lounge - 1120 Walnut Street, 45202. www.belowzerolounge.com
Park+Vine - 1109 Vine Street, 45202. www.parkandvine.com
City Roots - 1133 Vine Street, 45202. www.cityroots.com
Metronation - 1213 Vine Street, 45202. www.metronationcincy.com
What's the deal?
Essencha Tea House has so many different types of tea they need a menu to get you through your options. In all, over 80 different teas are available for either a cup at the store or loose-leaf varities to take home and brew. They also carry 2 different varities of matcha, a powdered Japanese green tea that boasts uber health benefits. Need help deciding? Essencha's staff will hook you up with a tea you are sure to like.
Where to get it?
3212a Madison Rd. in Oakley.
How much will it cost?
It all depends on how particular you are about your tea. While common loose-leaf varietals go for around $6 for a 4oz container, the same container of super high quality teas such as the Gyokuro Gold can be as much as $35. Matcha? Again, depends on the quality. The everyday Matcha Jade Bliss runs $15 for 4oz, while 4oz of the ceremonial grade Matcha Sawa will set you back $49.
Just a quick reminder for those that haven't taken our site survey yet, the last day to do so is this Thursday, August 30th. You will be entered to win a $25 gift certificate to the green goods experts at Park + Vine. The survey will give BuyCincy a chance to see who our readers are and what they are interested in. We wouldn't think of using our survey information for anything else (we hate it when people sell their customers' information). To prove we are serious, we aren't even asking for your email address. We will notify the winner in an announcement on this blog Friday. So , get your chance at scoring $25 worth of green swag...Take the BuyCincy survey.
With the release of their new Fifth and Vine Marzen, BuyCincy has been thinking a lot about where to find Christian Moerleing's new brew (and their other tasty offerings for that matter). So, here's the question: where do you get Chrisitian Moerlein on tap? I will go ahead and start it out with two painfully obvious choices.
- Arnold's Bar and Grill - 210 E. 8th St, downtown. You can't beat drinking in a bar started just 8 years after Christian Moerlein beer's inception in 1853. ::Arnold's Bar and Grill
- Kaldi's - 1204 Main St., OTR. Where else can you choose from great coffee or great beer? This should be your homebar for the Midpoint Music Festival.
What's the deal?
Ok, so we know we gave a shoutout to Shoetopia just last week. However, these boots just arrived at the store, and they are pretty killer. The Berlin boot can change from an ankle boot to a lace-up "riding boot" in mere seconds due to the magic of zippers and buttons. And, they are made with synthetic, cruelty-free material - which means they a-OK for the vegan shopper in your life.
Where to get it?
Both the brown and black styles of the Berlin boot are availble at Shoetopia - 4044 Hamilton Avenue in Northside.
How much will it cost?
Two boot styles for the price of one - $79.
BuyCincy has partnered with Cincinnati's green general store, Park + Vine, to give you a shot at winning a $25 Park + Vine gift certificate. All you have to do is take a quick 10 question BuyCincy survey to help us understand our readers a bit more. One reader will be randomly selected from the survey results to win the gift certificate, which will be waiting for the winner at the store. We will announce the winner's name next Thursday, August 30th, here on BuyCincy. It's just that easy to have a chance at scoring some green swag through your friends at BuyCincy and Park + Vine.
What's the deal?
It's the perfect loft bookcase. It's sleek, it's modern, it's metal, it's.....Italian. The alumiunum frame and cherry wood shelves will hold all the things you never use, but want to show off to guests (hello Collective Works of Shakespeare) in style.
Where to get it?
On one of the four floors of furniture and accessories at Contemporary Galleries downtown. Seriously, this place is McHuge. 211 W. Fourth St - between Elm and Plum.
How much will it cost?
This Italian goodness will set you back $784.
What's the deal?
Getting a cuff like this is having culture on your wrist. It is certain to invite questions about its origin and the story behind it. So what is the story behind it? This was hand-crafted in Turkmenistan, a central Asian country formerly a part of the Soviet Union. The cuff is intricately designed sterling silver washed over with 18k gold to make it literally shine. The gemstones are carnelians, a reddish-brown stone prevalent in Central Asian craft since at least the first century A.D. Not impressed yet with carnelian? Well, it is the official color of Campbell's soup, too!
Where to get it?
Get this, and tons of other really cool handmade goods from around the world at Mahatma - 639 Main St, downtown, just behind the Aronoff Center for the Arts.
How much will it cost?
Well, if the word "hand-crafted" didn't set off a cost alarm, then certainly the sterling silver/18k gold/carelian material combo did. However, at $298, it is comparable to many high-quality gold and silver jewelries, and undoubtedly much cooler.
According to a new report released by Forbes (and reported in today Enquirer), Cincinnati spends more money on transportation than all but five other U.S. cities. With an increasingly sprawling metropolitan area, and without a strong commuter transportation system, something Forbes pointed out, many Cincinnatians are driving long distances to and from work, and burning a lot of gas doing so. So, what does that mean for the local economy (and you favorite locally-owned shop)? It's not only the fact that for every gallon you buy, you don't have as much money to spend on new clothes, trinkets, or another pint of Christian Moerlein. The money that we pay for gas leaves not only our wallets, but also the city in a hurry.
CoolTown Studios had a recent article on Portland, Oregon, that drove this point home. Portland is home to the most microbreweries per capita, the second highest number of restaurants per capita, a lively nightlife, vibrant neighborhoods, and, not coincidentally, a strong allegiance to locally-owned shops. One large reason for this economic drive is the fact that Portlanders, on average, drive less than the rest of us by about 20%. Instead of giving money to the pump and watching it burn away, they use their money for pursuits after my own heart, food and drink. As 5chw4r7z commented when he submitted the CoolTown article to Cinplify, this seems to be another notch in the positive column for a Cincinnati streetcar. In the meantime, don't be afraid to walk, bike or bus to work or play. To reward yourself, you can enjoy a beer with the money you saved.
Photo Credit: Flickr - MReece
What's the deal?
There's an old adage that goes, "waste not, want not." Well, Vy and Elle takes care of the waste not part, but for some reason their handbags just make people want more. All of V&E's bags are made from recycled vinyl billboards, saving the PVC from living forever in the landfill. This makes each and every bag they produce slightly different, giving you bragging rights of truly having a "one of a kind" bag.
Where to get it?
Metronation sells the Ella Bag, along with several other varities of Vy and Elle gear from large totes to smaller handbags. 1213 Vine St - Gateway Quarter.
How much will it cost?
$70 for the Ella Bag, stop by Metronation to price the rest of the Vy and Elle line.
What's the deal?
Feeling stressed at home? Deadlines looming at work? Life just sucking in general? Put one of these beautfully tiny trees in your living room, and - voila! - you become an instant zen master.
Where to get it?
City Roots, the new urban gardening store located in the Gateway Quarter: 1133 Vine St (next to the Ensemble Theatre).
How much will it cost?
City Root's bonsais run $40-$300 depending on the size and species. For the bonsai connoisseur, City Roots will order specialty bonsais - but, be prepared to open your wallet for the rarer species.
What's the deal?
Shoe-aholics looking for something funky and interesting should be pleased by an eye-catching color scheme and a heel that doesn't double as a death trap. People who like funny company names should be pleased by the makers of the shoe, Naughty Monkey. Guys should be pleased that this shoe pulls off the sexy + elegant thing, and make a sure-fire gift that fools her into thinking you have taste (unlike the last pair of "light-up stilettos").
Where to get it?
These Naughty Monkey Highways, along with a number of other funky shoe choices, can be found at Shoetopia, 4044 Hamilton Avenue, in middle of the Northside business district.
How much will it cost?
A very reasonable $69. Colors include green (shown above) and the equally cool but less accurately named (try beige/brown) red.
As you may or may not know, MiCA, the sleek home furnishing store in O'Bryonville, is locating their second store in the new Gateway Quarter in OTR. Well, recent news from the MiCA blog states that you may have to wait in anticipation for a month longer than the expected September grand opening.
" Due to the build-out process, we won’t be able to open until October. We’re now aiming for an October 15th opening date, although we suspect we may not be up in full swing until the end of the month."
In addition, it looks like the name is changing from "MiCA in the Q" to "MiCA 12/v" (a namecheck to the 12th and Vine corner they will occupy). In the meantime, there's still the O'Bryonville MiCA at 2039 Madison Rd. Because both MiCA stores will be slightly different, they will both be worth checking out frequently.
Not that the coolest new store in Cincinnati needs any more press, but this sale is pretty killer. Through August, Park + Vine is offering 30% off green goods from bamboo clothing pioneers Sameunderneath, footwear companies Blackspot and Vegetarian shoes and the very hip handbag company Helen E. Riegle. 30% off! Go! Right Away! Where? 1109 Vine St. at the corner of Central Parkway (hence Park + Vine) in the new Gateway Quarter - or as all the hip kids are calling it, "The Q."
Full Disclosure: I recently bought a Buddy 125 Italia scooter from Metro Scooter and it rocks my world.
What's the deal?
If you want to get 90+ miles per gallon, the ability to jet around the city at up to 65 miles per hour, easy parking spaces and you want to look really really ridiculously cool doing it, a scooter is the way to go. Don't even get me started on the gorgeous two-tone olive green and the whitewall tires on this Series Italia, becuase I, like most scooter owners, would love nothing more than to talk about my scooter all day long.
Where to get it?
Metro Scooter has the Buddy scooter line, along with other Genuine Scooter (including the equally sexy Stella 150) and TGP two-wheelers and all the accessories you need to get out and ride. Check them out at 3176 Montgomery Rd, just north of the Dana intersection. Just look for the building with the huge scooter mural, you can't miss it.
How much will it cost?
The Buddy 125 Italia will usually set you back $2895, but during Metro Scooter's Summer Sale, they have taken $100 off all Buddy scooters - including the Italia Series.
Batsakes, a place that might very well be fedora central for Cincinnati, just celebrated its 100th anniversary. According to this article, Batsakes' super-stylish hats have been worn by the likes 2 U.S. presidents and even Pavarotti. Pava-freaking-rotti! Anyway, the owner, Gus Miller, was presented by the mayor and the mayor's hat-toting father a key to the city and a proclamation in recognition for 100 years of business. Check out Batsakes at the corner of 6th and Vine and just try to not buy a hat. We dare you.
::Via Cincinnati.com's Politics Extra
Are you a local shopowner? We are looking to showcase items sold at locally-owned stores and profile local independent retailers and restauranteurs.
If you are a shop or restaurant
owner who wants to be featured on BuyCincy and placed in our directory,
we want to hear from you.
- What We're Doing
- BuyCincy Shopowner Newsletter
- In-store Events
- Job Board
- Advertising
- Website Development
- Web and Traditional Marketing
What We're Doing
We are trying to build a virtual community for local businesses, so
please help us connect. We are attempting to do this through
getting together shop and restaurant owners via BuyCincy's retail owner
newsletter, giving locally-owned businesses an affordable way to reach
qualified, enthusiastic workers on our job board, giving local places a
venue to highlight their sales and events, and by giving affordable web
advertising only available to local businesses in Cincinnati.
BuyCincy e-newsletter
We urge you to sign up for our shop and restaurant owner-only newsletter (below).
In this newsletter, we keep local business owners up to date on
what BuyCincy is doing to help Cincinnati buy local. It is also
your chance to be the first to hear and participate in BuyCincy's
events highlighting locally-owned businesses (such as our yearly
Cincinnati Unchained event).
In-store Events
We want to know if you are hosting an event.
Having an art opening, music events or something else to entertain
the masses? Our "Enjoy Your Weekend" column gives BuyCincy readers a
heads up on weekend happenings. Email Dan at: dan [at] buycincy [dot]
com.
Job Board
Post your job openings. We offer a job board to help you find qualified and passionate workers (and we like to highlight our job postings on BuyCincy's main page). To get your first job posting free, contact sean [at] buycincy [dot] com.
Advertising on BuyCincy
If you are interested in advertising
on BuyCincy, we would be glad to work with you (and of course BuyCincy
understands the budgets of locally-owned businesses), just email us at
- sean [at] buycincy [dot] com.
Web Site Development
BuyCincy believes that having a web presence is one of the most
effective ways to stay in contact with current and potential customers.
We therefore offer a wide range of services for your website, from a
basic information site to the latest in interactive websites, graphic
design and web administration. Contact sean [at] buycincy [dot] com for
info and pricing.
Web and Traditional Marketing
Looking for more customers? BuyCincy offers marketing consulting
through both traditional media outlets and the SEO (search engine
optimization), paid search and word of mouth marketing to draw
customers to your site and your store. Email us at sean [at] buycincy
[dot] com for more info.
Let's face it, Cincinnati is not identified by Wal-Mart, Applebee's and Barnes and Noble. We are a city of Skyline, LaRosa's and Findlay Market. We are a city that still cheers for the world's first professional baseball team. We are the Carew Tower's gold accents, the art-deco masterpiece of Union Terminal, and the mist off the Lady of Genius. We even identify with our corporate "local" entities, buying Crest and Tide out of habit and going past 2 other grocery stores to get to Kroger. It is this local flavor that makes Cincinnati...Cincinnati, and we want to keep it that way. Locally-owned businesses contribute to a lively, vibrant, economically prosperous city.
Economically prosperous you say? Yes, we do say.
Local Shops - Rotating
Local Links - Rotating
