BuyCincy

How Green is Local Shopping? Tell Us and Win!

2008-05-14T00:32:52Z

BuyCincy, Live Green Cincinnati and Park+Vine are getting together for a Mythic Paint giveaway. Mythic Paint, just brought in by Park + Vine is a high quality low-VOC paint, which means it is eco-friendly and doesn't give off that terrible, certainly not healthy for you paint smell. All you need to do to get a chance to win a free gallon of Mythic is submit you best idea on how we can green Cincinnati by shopping locally. Everyone who enters will receive a $3 off coupon from Park+Vine for Mythic. We'll post the best tips on Live Green Cincinnati and BuyCincy. Thanks for participating!

The legal mumbo jumbo from LGC:

Just a few more things*:

Please play nice, it's good for your karma. In order to win a free gallon of Mythic Paint you must live in the Cincinnati area. You must provide an email address on your entry in order to be contacted if you win. One entry per person. The entry form will be removed from the website on May 28th. The winning entry will be chosen at random on May 28th. I'm not a lawyer and please don't make me have to be one. My mom says cheaters never win.

*By submitting the form, you are agreeing to our terms.

Click here to enter.

Enjoy Your Weekend (W/E May 11th)

2008-05-09T20:44:40Z

Mother's Day Weekend is here, and what better way to honor our mothers than to take them to enjoy local music they probably aren't familiar with? Details after the jump:

]]> What: The Seedy Seeds w/ others
Where: Taza
When: Saturday, May 10th @ 8:00 P.M.
Cost: ??

Make sure to check out this great local show at Taza, a recently opened coffee shop in Clifton:

Who's Playing
Seedy Seeds
Lightning Love
The Dandybeards

Market Watch: Findlay Market May Update

2008-05-09T01:57:15Z

Greetings from Findlay Market
Cheryl Eagleson, Marketing Director

Two weeks ago Cincinnati hosted the Society of Architectural Historians conference. Architreks conducted tours through our wonderful Over-the-Rhine to show off the collection of amazing buildings and districts of Italianate architecture. Naturally, many attendees made their way to Findlay Market. Why? Because of the significance of the Market's historical relevance to the city of Cincinnati's economic and cultural development.]]> Public Markets: A Norton/Library of Congress Sourcebook. In fact, she spent several hours at the Market on Saturday selling and signing copies of this book. She was delighted to listen to shoppers tell stories of the many public markets they visited in their travels or remembrances of their hometown markets.

This brings me to my suggestion for a quick and interesting set of history lessons the next time you visit the market.

As you walk through the Market, look for three Ohio Historical Society markers. These beautiful markers tell stories of the Market and neighborhood history. Each is a fascinating and easy read that opens up an important bit of local history as you stand in the Market square. The markers, mounted on low posts, contain text of a topic of interest on each side of the marker itself.

What are they and where are they located?

Race and South Elder Streets: Cincinnati Public Markets (northside)/The Northern Liberties (south side)

Elm and Elder Streets: Findlay Market (south side)/General James Findlay (north side)

South Elder and Pleasant Streets: Anti-German Hysteria (both sides)

I think you will be surprised and delighted at what you learn and your shopping experience will be enriched, knowing more about Cincinnati's living landmark - Findlay Market.

Enjoy the weekend and we will see you at the Market!

PS: For more information about Helen's book, visit the Norton Publishers web page: www.norton.com/npb/nparch/073167.html.

Lately, the weekends at Findlay Market are rain and shine! Regardless, shoppers and visitors alike are enjoying browsing through fresh flowers and bedding plants in the farmers market and along the rollup door spaces called Grow West. Temperatures are mild and familiar faces are returning to spend some time on Saturdays and Sundays in the festive atmosphere of Market in springtime.

The Queen City Bike Depot is open, inviting cyclists to take a weekend ride to the Market and learn more about cycling groups. Market Wines is offering casual and inexpensive wine and beer tastings on Saturdays.

May also brings out the gardener in many of us. It is that time when digging in the dirt creates the anticipation of looking out the window one sunny morning to see colorful flowers, blooming bedding plants and whatever your garden grows. So, mark your calendar for the 5th annual Findlay Market Garden Festival to be held on Sunday, May 18, 2008.

Here is your chance to purchase reasonably priced bedding plants and more from the participating farmers and greenhouses. Stop by an information booth and ask the experts your gardening and recycling questions. Pick up some fresh salsa or some interesting garden furniture and accessories for your deck or patio. There is no charge for the event and it is open to the public.

Here is a line up of the educational activities, cooking demonstration and entertainment in store:

Activities:

Plein Air Artists through out the market
Tai Chi demonstrations through out the event

Information Booths:

Greater Cincinnati Master Gardeners Association
Boone County Arboretum
Civic Garden Center
Cincinnati Horticultural Society Nutrition Consultant/Lifestyle Coach Jennifer Woods
Hamilton County Solid Waste Management
Garden Fresh Delivered,grocery subscription information

Food and Craft Vendors:

Tabor Baked Goods
Claddagh Farms Homemade Canned Goods
Herbs and Spice and Everything Nice
Maumee World Traders - Garden Furniture and accessories
Wild Design Jewelry and Everyday Sanctuary

Farmers/Plant Vendors:

Osterbrock Greenhouses, bedding plants
Lobenstein Farm and Greenhouse, bedding plants
Civic Garden Center, bedding plants and potted herbs
Neimeyer Farm, grafted apple trees, honey, green rhubarb
Giant Spruce Mountain Greenhouse, perennials
Thistlehair Farm, hostas, herbs, vegetable plants

Cooking Demonstration

11am-2pm Our Ohio Chef, Pierre Wolfe

Music in the Market

10am-noon The Sweeneys
noon - 1:30pm Random Acts of Hipness
1:30pm - 3:00pm Native American Flute Music with "Sunflower"

Enjoy the ever-changing May weather and we will see you at the Market!

Avril Bleh Sets Tentative Opening Date for Grocery

2008-05-07T20:46:23Z

What's the deal?

In their most recent issue, Soapbox Media released some long awaited news for downtown residents hungry for another grocery option (oh the puns!). Avril Bleh, the 114 year-old Court St. butcher, will be expanding into the adjacent building to carry, according to the owner, "dairy products, eggs, produce, bread, dry goods and other staples." The big day is anticpated to be soon, May 13, for the restored space to be unveiled. Downtowners, residents and workers, your new grocery awaits.

Where to get it?

35 E. Court St
Cincinnati, OH 45202

Photo Credit: Soapbox Media - Scott Beseler

Moerlein-Rookwood Barbarossa Steins

2008-05-07T04:37:44Z

To commemorate Christian Moerlein's Barbarossa Double Dark Lager, Rookwood Pottery has released its own limited edition "Barbarossa" stein. The anticipated unveiling at Bockfest Hall was delayed by inclement weather conditions, but now beer lovers all over Cincinnati are clamoring to get their hands on their own Rookwood stein (this writer included).

]]> What's the deal? (And Some Cincinnati History)
The release of this particular stein has a lot more gravity than you might expect. Barbarossa, or Frederick I, was the German Holy Roman Emperor from 1155 to 1190 AD. He was so beloved by the Germans that he was transformed into a messianic folk hero whose legend followed German immigrants all the way to Cincinnati. The first Christian Moerlein beer was named in his honor, and the recent reissue of this beer follows the original recipe extraordinarily closely. Local beer drinkers can rejoice at yet another sign that Christian Moerlein is reestablishing itself as a Cincinnati tradition.

Moerlein is not alone in its resurgence, however. Rookwood Pottery only recently reopened in 2006. Closing its doors in 1941, Cincinnati residents had long lamented the loss of this proud area staple. The convergence of these two institutions is thus a celebratory event, and aptly shown in the new "Barbarossa" stein.

The 2008 Moerlein-Rookwood "Barbarossa" Stein
One of three "Moerlein-Rookwood" commemorative steins, the Barbarossa Stein bears the images of Barbarossa and a cobblestone street corner depicting Over The Rhine in the late 19th century. "Barbarossa" is emblazoned on the front of the mug, with "Christian Moerlein Brewing Company" beneath. A shop on the back bears Rookwood's name. The stein is 7.25" in height, and hand signed by Chris Rose, President of Rookwood, and Gregory Hardman, owner of Christian Moerlein. The steins sell for $349.00, and must be ordered 6-8 weeks in advance.

We at BuyCincy are busy scraping together enough change from our couch cushions to catch one of these, and wish you the best of luck in your pursuit for one of your own.

Photo Credit:
Rookwood Pottery Company Website

Where to get it?
Orders should be placed at www.rookwoodcompany.com, where more information can be found. There is also an area of the page in which you can send questions directly to the company. Phone: 513-381-2510. Address: 2619 Glendora Ave/ Cincinnati, OH 45219.

Deals on Wheels Comes To Cincinnati for Bike Month

2008-05-07T02:56:42Z

The country is already a week into National Bike Month and Cincinnati is joining cities around the nation in celebrating. One event happening through May is "Deals on Wheels," headed by Queen City Bike. DoW is an effort by Cincinnati-area businesses to celebrate Bike Month by offering specials to those who cycle to the store. You can check out all of the shop and restaurant specials on our Cincinnati Bike Month page. So, get out and spend this beautiful weather on two wheels, trim your waist and keep your wallet fat.

Artworks Shopping Club: A New Take On Lunch Break

2008-05-06T04:31:00Z

Artworks Gallery is trying some new approaches to "office team-building," and the kicker is: they're having fun. Once a month, employees stage an office gift exchange that begins and ends over the course of their lunch break. How do they manage with such strict time constraints, you ask? They shop locally.

]]> Park + Vine, Vine St. Flower Shop, Cappel's, City Roots, and Friends of the Public Library Gift Shop. We've featured a number of these shops on the site before, and you can read those articles by clicking any of the highlighted names above.

The exchange usually involves 8 to 12 participants, which means they often run into each other while making their prospective purchases. Artworks told us, however, that this adds a whole new "clandestine" feel to the event, and keeps the exchange fun and engaging. The employees buy gifts in the five-dollar range, and draw names to keep their recipients a secret.

We at BuyCincy aren't surprised to hear that this exchange has proved to be a smashing success, and encourage you to consider a similar event in your own office. Tweak a few rules as you see fit, but make sure to keep the spirit of adventure that goes along with exploring local businesses you may not have considered visiting otherwise. While you're at it, stop by ArtWorks the next time you're at a Final Friday. It's a little off the traditional Main Street strip, but well worth it.

In picture from left to right:

Becca Birckhead, Adam Mysock, Allyson Knue, Cathy Wash, Danine Gier, Melanie Derrick, Amanda Checco.

Not pictured: Alyssa Deutsch, Tamara Harkavy, Elaine Lynch, Heather Sherwood, Colleen Stanton

Where is Artworks?
Artworks is on 811 Race Street/ Cincinnati OH 45202. Web: www.artworkscincinnati.org. Phone: 513-333-0388. All of the shops mentioned are in this general area, with more info available through links above.

Enjoy Your Weekend (W/E May 4th)

2008-05-02T17:18:57Z

All month long our friend Curtis Heuser has opened up his beautifully remodeled home for tours spanning the month of May, every Saturday and Sunday. The Covington home inspired Heuser's recently published book A Living Canvas. If design isn't your thing, stop by The Southgate House for a night chock-full of local music. Details after the jump:

]]>

What: Junior Revolution with others
Where: The Southgate House
When: Friday, May 2nd @ 8:00 P.M.
Cost: $8/18+ $5/21+

Make sure to check out this great local show at The Southgate house:

Who's Playing?
Junior Revolution
All The Day Holiday
The Hanks
The Upset Victory
Oh, Here It Is
Empire Empire

A Not So Radical Idea: Spend Your Tax Rebate Locally

2008-05-01T03:22:01Z

Instead of raining men (amen), it's about to start raining tax rebate checks all over America. More than 130 million household will receive between $300 and $1200 in order to help jumpstart the health of our economy. However, where and what you spend your tax rebate check on (assuming you, like a majority of Americans will not take that check straight to the bank) can drastically impact where the economy is boosted.

Sure, those tax refund specials from large multinational retailers are awfully tempting, but the economic health of your neighborhood, city and country are at stake.

]]> In order to get the most economic punch out of your rebate, you should ideally put your money towards products that are produced or sold locally. As we like to remind everyone we meet, locally-owned shops and locally-produced products are consistently proven to pump more money into the local economy than their big-box counterparts (up to 3x as much in some cases). This is because every dollar you spend locally gets recirculated in the economy as business owners pay employees, buy supplies and invest in more local ventures.

That mound of insanely cheap clothes at your typical big box? Odd are, they are not produced in Cincinnati, not produced in Ohio, and not even produced in the U.S.

So, here's what we urge you to do. Go to one of the area's great local shops, local restaurants or local arts institutions, buy a piece of local art or heck, go get a massage. All of this will help keep the local and national economy healthy and the American entrepreneurial spirit alive.

Photo Credit: Flickr - emdot

BuyCincy Now on Twitter

2008-04-26T16:16:05Z

That's right. Get your daily dose of inane minutia (although if you are on Twitter already, you know all about that) and BuyCincy post updates. Cincinnati twitterites can follow us at twitter.com/BuyCincy.

Enjoy Your Weekend (W/E April 27th)

2008-04-25T17:09:30Z

It may be extremely hard to believe, but regardless of what you believe, we've already reached the Final Friday of the month again. There will be plenty of worthwhile places to visit tonight, but the Pendleton is always a great place to start. Also, this Saturday BuyCincy writer Jordan Neff is playing with Mark Utley and Magnolia Mountain at the Comet, so stop by and say hello! Details after the jump: ]]> What: Final Friday
Where: Pendleton Art Center
When: Friday, April 25th @ 6:00 P.M. - 10:00 P.M.
Cost: Free!

Head down to the Pendleton Art Center for Final Friday. Artists will be on hand to answer questions you might have, and who knows, maybe you'll find that piece that would fit perfectly in your home.

For more info on Final Friday events visit the Cincinnati Arts website.

What:   Mark Utley and Magnolia Mountain
Where: The Comet (bar)
            4579 Hamilton Ave.
            Cincinnati, Ohio 45223
When: Saturday, March 26th @ 6:00 P.M. - 10:00 P.M.
Cost:   Free!

Come out to The Comet to check out some quality bluegrass Saturday with Mark Utley and Magnolia Mountain. Our own writer Jordan Neff will be backing Mark up, and it's sure to be a good time. For an idea of what you will be in store for, here's a description from their myspace:

Folk/country/americana band led by guitarist/vocalist Mark Utley. The starting point for this project is Appalachian folk music; the music it came from, the music it became, and the music it birthed.

Mark is joined by lap steel/dobro player Rockne Riddlebarger, mandolin/harmonica player Bob Lese, guitarist/harmony vocalist/multi-instrumentalist Jordan Neff, harmony vocalist Melissa English, upright bassist Bob Donisi, and drummer Matt Frazer. This ensemble, christened Magnolia Mountain, is now playing out regularly around the Cincinnati area. Anchored by an acoustic musical core and a strong commitment to vocal harmonies, the band is currently working out arrangements of Mark's original songs as well as an eclectic selection of covers that range from the Louvin Brothers to Son Volt, from Bill Monroe to the Flying Burrito Brothers, and from Hank Williams, Sr. to the Drive-By Truckers.

April Sitekeeping

2008-04-22T22:18:26Z

The last month has been a busy one here at BuyCincy HQ. On top of taking home 2 "Best of Cincinnati" award from CityBeat, we have added two new stellar writers to the fold: Jordan Neff and Stepfanie Romine. We've also been working on a couple parts of the site away from the main page that we though you might want to know about.

One, we have put another update into our local shop directory to add information about Duttenhofer's , Linden Noll, OUTSIDE, Campus Cyclery and Avril Bleh among others, check out the full directory here. And two, we would like to give a shout to Reser Bicycle, who a few weeks ago posted a blurb about themselves on the BuyCincy wiki. We are encouraging business owners to sign up for our wiki (its free!) and post a little information about their stores to help us spread the word about the plethora of great Cincinnati owned businesses. If you know a business owner that might be interested, send them over!

::Photo via Flickr - Marcin Wichary

BarrelHouse Brewery: Craft Brewing in Cincinnati

2008-04-21T23:39:06Z

BarrelHouse Brewery began as a brewpub in Over the Rhine with an immense selection of locally brewed, handcrafted beer. Operating as such from 1995 until 2005, BarrelHouse is now a full-fledged brewery in West End with distribution across Ohio, Kentucky, and Indiana. We at BuyCincy were afforded the opportunity of a tour and interview at this local craft brewery. ]]>
"When you say handcrafted, you're thinking of this," BarrelHouse told us. BarrelHouse's staff is of the size that any employee must work in all aspect of the brewing process. The brewer we spoke with told us that he lifts the +50 pound bags of grains and sugars himself, stands with the wort, and stirs every batch with a large paddle. "There's no mechanization, we don't push any buttons to make your beer."

In the end, though, BarrelHouse is so unique because it is one of the last of our renowned local brewers. The past decades have seen brewers come and go, but BarrelHouse is still going strong with a line up of four year-round beers with additional seasonal brews (summer's hefeweizen is on its way).

Year-Round Beers:
Duveneck's Dortmunder Style Lager
Cumberland Pale Ale
RedLegg Ale
Boss Cox Double Dark IPA

Seasonal Beers:
BarrelHouse Bock
Hocking Hills HefeWeizen
BarrelHouse Oktoberfest Lager
Belgian Style Winter Ale

Perfect For?
Folks in the tri-state area who like fresh, handcrafted beer.

Where To Get It?
BarrelHouse can be contacted directly for orders for half-barrels, sixth barrels, and cases at 513-421-2337. Their address is 544B West Liberty Street/ Cincinnati OH 45214. Any questions can be sent to Brewers@Barrelhouse.com. Or you can check out their website for more info on the company and their distributors www.barrelhouse.com. Finally, just check out your local bar! A fair number of bars carry BarrelHouse on tap in our area, call around and try it out!

How Much?
A draft at a bar can run you 3-5 dollars. The 22 oz. bottles typically cost anywhere from 2-4 dollars. Barrel, keg, and case information needs to be requested from BarrelHouse or their distributors.

Earth Day the BuyCincy Way

2008-04-21T18:25:49Z

Just a quick reminder that Earth Day is tomorrow, April 22 and some of our favorite shops have special eco-friendly events going on both tomorrow and throughout the week.

Nicholas Gallery, Park + Vine, Artworks and Below Zero are teaming up to present an event that combines art, music and vodka into one tidy (or not so tidy depending on how much vodka is involved) package. This Friday (Final Friday for April), the 25th, "Nonsense to Greensense" kicks off with recycled art from the Art-O-Matic and music from Jake Speed and the Freddies at Artworks, music and eco-friendly art at Park + Vine and Nicholas Gallery (featuring our good friend and soon to be BuyCincy contributor, Maya Drozdz, among others) and an afterparty featuring 360 vodka, "the world's first eco-friendly vodka" at Below Zero. Our little Earth Day advice, nine times out of ten, locally-produced items are more Earth-friendly than traditional "eco-friendly" products (less transport equals less carbon emissions), so feel free to celebrate Earth Day with Cincinnati's very own Woodstone Creek vodka, which we believe is also available at Below Zero.

]]>

Shoetopia comes into Earth Day week with a round of voting for their first ever eco-challenge. Clever Shoetopia-ites (Shoetopians?) have refashioned old shoe boxes into everything from a magazine holder to a "Barbie urban eco-village." You can vote for your favorite on Shoetopia's website.

indigenous is highlighting their year-round selection of goods made from recycled materials. Of particular note is local artist Paul Borian who creates pottery from local clay via a kiln powered by veggie oil. Cool!

Finally, tomorrow on Fountain Square, the "Eco Go Go" Fashion Show will be taking center stage at 11:30 a.m. The show will feature eco-friendly clothing from Park + Vine (you had to know they would be involved in multiple Earth Day events) and Nati Evolvement. The new Aveda-certified downtown salon, Deviate Salon and Spa (soon to be featured on BuyCincy), is providing hair and makeup for the models, who will walk through the Square's Spring flower carpet.

Enjoy Your Weekend (W/E April 20th)

2008-04-18T17:27:10Z

Guess what? In case you hadn't noticed; earthquakes aside, it's nice out! Cincinnati has, as far as I'm concerned, some of the best parks I've been to, and what better way to enjoy your weekend than to visit them? If you have a canine companion, why not let them go wild at the Mt. Airy Dog Park? How about a round of Frisbee Golf (Frolf) at Winton Woods? Or, take a trip down to Eden Park for the opening of the Butterfly Garden at Krohn Conservatory. It's nice to buy(into)cincy, but sometimes you just need to enjoycincy.(com?).

Visit the general Cincinnati Parks website to find one a park close to you, and enjoy yourself.