Share Your Own Queen City Discovery

Last summer there was a wide gap in posting. This website kind of died for awhile. From August 2008 until now I've tried to keep posting new updates regularly. I am very grateful for the response, both positive and negative, that I've gotten from those who view and read this website. That being said; I'd like to extend the chance for the many readers of this site and for those who often email me, to contribute their own Queen City Discovery to this site.



I will be going on vacation for a week over the summer and won't have time to do an update, so I'd like to give someone else a chance to photograph and write about their own adventure or subject. Subjects and story ideas are not limited to just the Cincinnati area, but rather the general "tri-state" area. Subjects and story ideas are not limited to abandoned buildings and history, but anything you think might be unique and interesting to the area. Even if you don't live here, as long as its relevant to the area, your idea may have a shot.

I'll take care of the html work while you submit the words and photos, they must be of your own work. Full credit will be given to you and a link will be included to your own blog/webpage/etc. at the end of the article. I'll narrow it down to the three best then the top three will be judged on their relevancy, subject, writing style and photographic ability to some length. You don't have to be the best photographer in the world, but interesting photographs help make a story better. Proposals must be sent in by 11:59 P.M. on May 7th, 2009. The winner will be announced via email on May 11, 2009 and the deadline to complete writing and photographs for the winner will be July 8. Please include examples of your writing and photography if you have any.

If you're interested, send your proposals to queencitydisco@gmail.com with the subject "QC/D story contest."

Thanks to everyone who reads, views and comments on Queen City Disco and good luck to anyone who chooses to participate.

-Ronny "Gordon Bombay" Salerno

Climbing to the Top of Mt. Hudepohl

The stars had aligned and surprisingly everyone in the usual crew was able to get together. Seicer, Zach, RJ and myself all made plans to meet up on a Thursday evening; one of the first nice, warm and sunny evenings of the spring. As the sun went down we piled into the borrowed 1996 Mazda MPV mini van until arriving at our destination. Like soldiers out of a Blackhawk helicopter in Somolia, we jumped out of the van and hit the pavement armed with our cameras as opposed to assault rifles. Cautiously walking with camera bags on our backs, tripods and flashlights in hand, we approached the target. Our mission had one goal: Reach the top of Mt. Hudepohl.



-Abandoned since 1985, the partially demolished Hudepohl Brewery is somewhat of an eyesore, but a great place to explore.

This building had served as the local Hudepohl Brewing Company's main headquarters from 1946 until 1987. Seicer and I had been here last January, but were only able to see the basement and cellars of the structure. This time we were going back with our resident climber a.k.a. RJ.

The building appears as if it is two buildings. It was actually, at one time, one large building. After being abandoned for quite some time, a company named Hudepohl Square L.L.C. purchased the property with the intent of renovating it. The remaining sections you see today were to be refurbished, but a large section of the middle of the building was demolished. For some reason or another construction was halted leaving the building as you see it in these photograhs. The building has actually been declared a public nuisance (according to the numerous papers stapled to it's outside) by the city. I assume the property owner doesn't want to invest anymore into it until plans for the new Brent Spence Bridge are finalized since a proposed new alignment would go straight through this property.




Ascending fences for someone like RJ is no problem at all. When you're a rower on a crew team your upper body strength is quite impressive, for the rest of us climbing can be a bit more of a challenge. While not as gracefully as RJ, I made it up over the chain link obstruction as Zach and Seicer followed. Crumbling and unsecured brick of the partially demolished brewery was the next challenge. An old wooden ladder, only God knows how old, helped us vanquish this second obstacle. Following the climbing, some of us were back in the Hudepohl Brewery once again, for others this was their first time.



-Inside the first floor of the Hudepohl Brewing Company.

Flashlights were turned on. The light from our electric torches gave view of old equipment, trash and remnants of the brewery's former life scattered amongst the floor. The stairs were located. Climbing over crumbling brick we made our way up to the second floor.



-The second floor. The "sketchy stairs" seen at top right.

The second floor had some sort of steel cage around one section of it along with shelving units and more trash. Easing our way towards the edge we could see out over the entire property. Uneasy about the height and the obvious drop off, I gripped onto a steel beam as I set up my camera. Reaching the top was the goal, not falling off.

After a photograph break we proceeded upward. There were two hallways of stairs. One lead through a network of catwalks up to a locked door, the other up to a sketchy set of stairs that can be seen in the above photograph. Since door number one was locked, we made our way up towards the "sketchy stairs." Here there were no doors, just a straight drop off down to the ground if you went straight or a climb up a set of stairs that seemed to have very little support to your left.



-Self portrait on the "sketchy stairs."

RJ was bold enough to tempt the support of the stairs, while the rest of us opted to find another way to the top. We retreated back down to the first floor, using flashlights to navigate our way.



-Outside light shining in on the first floor of the building. Without a flashlight this was about as much visibility as one would have.

As we searched for another staircase to the top we slowly walked through the room seen in the above photograph. Two of the high powered flashlights began to die leaving us only with a mini maglite and cell phones to light the path. I managed to trip over something and after stumbling to keep my balance, turned around to find this:




An old cash register! I'm not sure what it was used for at the brewery or if it was even used at the brewery. It may have just been stored here along with a lot of the other junk, but it was certainly an interesting find.



-Closeup shot of the cash register found inside the Hudepohl building.

Following some more photographs, stumbling and flashlight guiding, we found another staircase. There were no doubts about the integrity of this staircase. It was safe, secure and (hopefully) going to take us straight to the top of the building. The staircase also provided a nice view of the west side of the city as we climbed:



-The city skyline framed in one of the staircase windows.

This time, we found no locked doors at the top of a staircase. In fact, there wasn't even a door. We walked straight out onto the roof, greeting RJ who had been up here snapping photographs for some time.



-This structure atop the roof was once used to support the neon "Hudepohl" sign that once adorned the top of the building.

We took the next half hour to snap photographs from a perspective that not many have the opportunity to see, the nighttime view from the top of the former Hudepohl Brewery:


















-The other side of the abandoned brewery as seen from the top.

It was getting late. Some had to work to the next day, some had class, so we called it a night. We packed up our camera gear and descended back down the staircase and out through a secret entrance back to the mini van. A victory meal was held at Jimmy John's in Clifton and another exploration came to a close.



-Group shot atop the Hudepohl building. From left to right: Zach, Gordon (me), RJ and Seicer. Photograph by Seicer.

Part 3: Hudepohl Tour 3

To see more photographs of the building, a more detailed history and read about our adventure here this past January, check out: Queen City Discovery: The Ruins of Hudepohl Brewing Company

To find more information on Cincinnati's rich beer history, check out my friend Sarah's Brewtiful Cincinnati Blog.

Like what you see or read here? Consider becoming a fan of Queen City Discovery on Facebook or receive an instant alert each time the site is updated by signing up for the Queen City Discovery Newsletter.

Previous Update: 4/12/09 :: Streetcars, Bill Cunningham and a Field Trip to Over-The-Rhine

Streetcars, Bill Cunningham and a field trip to Over-The-Rhine.

This past Friday April 10, 2009 I was sitting at my desk listening to the "Bill Cunningham Show" on 700 WLW AM as I often do. I'm a fan of the show as well as many of the other programs on 700 WLW. I had never called into the show or spoken with Bill "Willie" Cunningham before, but the conversation I had with him on Friday would eventually lead to me winding up at the corner of 15th and Vine St. in the heart of Cincinnati's "Over-The-Rhine" neighborhood at the stroke of midnight.



-Photograph taken at the corner of 15th and Vine Streets in Over-The-Rhine at 12:05 A.M. on Sunday April 12, 2009.

Typically I see eye-to-eye with "Willie" on a lot of issues and understand his points, but there is one issue I very much disagree with Mr. Cunningham on: The Cincinnati Streetcar. On his radio show, Bill has been an outspoken critic of the idea to construct the starter phase of a modern streetcar line in Cincinnati. I would consider myself a supporter of the idea and personally believe the construction of a modern streetcar is a good way to spur economic progress and growth within the city and may eventually lead to expanding transit options benefiting the entire tri-state region.

On Friday afternoon, "Willie" had Jason Gloyd, a representative of the" Coalition Opposed to Additional Spending Taxes (C.O.A.S.T.)," as a guest on his show. I had recently heard of Mr. Gloyd after he had helped promote the recent, highly publicized "Cincinnati Tea Party" in which thousands turned out to Fountain Square to protest President Obama's stimulus plan. As someone also opposed to the recent stimulus plan, I was mostly in support of the "Tea Party." However, while Mr. Gloyd may have a legitimate gripe about the Federal Government's recent tax and stimulus plans, he really gets it wrong when it comes to the Cincinnati Streetcar. I was taken so aback by Mr. Gloyd's comments during the show Friday that I felt compelled to call in. Mr. Cunningham and his producer Jack Crumley were kind enough to grant me an opportunity to speak on behalf of the streetcar plan and eventually sent me on an eye opening field trip to the heart of "Over-The-Rhine," a Cincinnati neighborhood commonly believed to be a major hot bed of crime. I went on the air as "Ronny from Fairfield."



You can listen to an approximately 8 minute clip that consists of Mr. Gloyd's interview followed by my on-air discussion with Bill here (launches a streaming mp3 in a new window). The entire podcast of Friday's show can be found on 700 WLW's official site here.

Jason really makes some ignorant and blatantly wrong statements when it comes to the streetcar. He claims: "This is not to stop any development, this is giving the people a right to vote...", but when he goes on to call the plan a "boondoggle" and make other negative and false comments about the project, he's showing his true colors that he blatantly opposes the project. He has a right to have an opinion against it, but before you make up your mind and oppose it too, let's look at some of the things Jason said and see just how wrong they are as well as how my "OTR field trip" for Mr. Cunningham went.

Jason says that streetcars are "Coal burning locomotives in disguise."
- Not true, the streetcars run on electric motors powered by overhead wires. While the tri-state area gets some of it's power from various nearby coal burning plants, there would not be any need for any of these plants to increase production or increase the size of the region's power grid just to accommodate the streetcar system.

According to Jason the streetcar would be an example of "Fixed rail systems that can't change when downtown demographics change."
- Wrong. Just because it's fixed rail doesn't mean the lines can't eventually be extended or improved upon. As downtown continues to grow and change the streetcar could vastly be altered to include more, farther reaching lines to other destinations and stops within the city.

"It's environmentally unstable, socially unstable and economically unstable."
- I'm wondering how it's environmentally unstable when the streetcars would add no serious strain to the power grid and run on clean, electric motors. Economically unstable? No Cincinnati resident is currently being taxed to build the line, the city's money has came from other sources such as the sale of the Blue Ash Airport and a large portion of the funds will be financed by private donations. Socially unstable? How so Jason, maybe you should have elaborated. I fail to see how a development like this promoting development along it's route is "Socially unstable."

Bill Cunningham: "You're gonna go from the slave museum, up through Over-The-Rhine then turn around...and then what...turn around and come back?"
Jason Gloyd: "Turn around and come back."
- While Bill is right, the first phase of the streetcar would pass by the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center, or as he dubbed it "The Slave Museum," and through Over-The-Rhine, it will also pass by numerous other downtown attractions that are both along the Riverfront, throughout Over-The-Rhine and the areas in between. A full list of destinations along the streetcar's route can be found on the "Cincy Streetcar" website. I'd like to point out that the proposed streetcar route would pass right by Fountain Square, a major public gathering place where Jason is holding one of his "tea party" rallies this week. however, he would have you believe though that you just go to "The Slave Museum," through "Over-The-Rhine" and back.

According to Jason: "The energy percentage per passenger is far more efficient on a bus than it is on these coal burning locomotives."
- I'll just point out again that the streetcars run on clean, electric motors powered overhead electric wires, not on coal.

Jason mentions: "The argument is that this will benefit all of us, not just the select few downtown."
- Jason, I'm not one of the "select few" who live downtown. I'm a 20 year old college student in the process of transferring schools, currently living with my parents in the suburb of Fairfield. Would the streetcar benefit me? Yes, it would. I could definitely see myself utilizing the streetcar during the numerous times I work as a freelance photographer downtown or even just during the times I want to go down to an event such as a Cyclones, Reds or Bengals game. Having the ability to ride the streetcar would allow me to be able to pay for parking once then I could go on to enjoy dinner or entertainment at Fountain Square before hoping on the streetcar to catch a hockey game, baseball game or any of the other numerous downtown activities and locales.

"Everyone wants to point to Portland and Portland and Portland."
- You're right Jason, they do, because Portland has had great success with their streetcar system. Economic development along the Portland line has numbered nearly $2.8 Billion since it's completion. They're not just talking about Portland Jason, they're talking about Tampa, Little Rock and Kenosha too. Source.

"One of their big arguments is...fixed rail lines, that's a sign that we're really gonna be here and you can plan your development around it. Well, if you talk to the folks that run METRO, the vast majority of the METRO routes have not changed in 50 years, so what's more permanent than that?"
- What's more permanent than that? A fixed rail system is! Where does he get this notion that the vast majority of the METRO routes haven't changed over the past five decades? A claim like that is absolutely absurd. The METRO routes have continued to expand out towards the suburbs and have changed immensely within downtown as projects like the new stadiums, Riverfront Transit Center and the Fountain Square renovation have been completed. A fixed rail system is appealing, because it does show that the route is unlikely to change for some time and it has been proven to attract economic development in cities like Portland, Tampa, Little Rock, Kenosha and Seattle as they have installed similar systems.

Jason Gloyd and his C.O.A.S.T. cronies continue to pull at the heart strings of the public suffering from the current economic recession by advocating tax opposition, but when it comes to the streetcar they get it wrong. Organizations like C.O.A.S.T. continue to keep promoting the same old, tired misconceptions and stereotypes. Jason's interview on Bill Cunningham's show clearly shows that not only are they against the progress a streetcar would help promote, but they don't have all the facts right.

As for Mr. Cunningham's on-air challenge for me to go to the corners of 15th and Vine St. in the heart of "Over-The-Rhine" at midnight, I made good on my word. I told him I would go there, take pictures and email them to him. Now, to be honest I didn't go that evening due to the downpour of rain, so I took my "Field Trip" Saturday evening instead.






-The clock tower of St. Francis Church down the street at midnight. In case that's hard to see..



...here's a photo of my watch showing me there at midnight, just as Bill Cunningham asked me to do.



-A quiet night looking down 15th St.






-Not a single person bothered me. Four college aged kids passed by me as they made their way to local bars and a few other friendly people said "hello" and "how are you" as they walked by. Other than that it was as quiet as could be in Over-The-Rhine at midnight.

Bill, if you're reading this, I understand your concerns about crime in "Over-The-Rhine." Last year I rode along with three separate Cincinnati Police Officers during their regular patrols through "District 1" which includes Over-The-Rhine. I documented those experiences into a photojournalism essay entitled "Civilian Observer." I've seen firsthand the crime that can come out of that area. However, while there are legitimate concerns over crime in this part of town, it's often way over hyped. The streetcar would be used not only as a way to stimulate an economic revitalization of Over-The-Rhine and downtown Cincinnati, but as a way to help prevent and fight crime in the city. Streetcar operators would serve as an extra set of eyes on the streets with direct lines to police radio dispatch, similar to METRO drivers. This would be in addition to the Cincinnati Police Department's continued efforts to fight crime and help clean up Over-The-Rhine.

My "field trip" for Mr. Cunningham proves that Over-The-Rhine is not as dangerous as it's made out to be. Let's be real though, the area could definitely use some "cleaning up." However, with the continued support of the Cincinnati Police Department and the economic stimulus a modern streetcar would bring to the area, we can see real improvement not just in Over-The-Rhine, but within downtown Cincinnati in general. It's been proven time and time again in other cities: Streetcars impact communities both economically and socially in very positive ways! It would not only benefit the downtown residents, but also those of us who work, visit, play and enjoy downtown Cincinnati. This streetcar is a step in the right direction. Don't let the deceit and misconceptions of an organization like C.O.A.S.T. fool you. No one is currently being taxed to fund this line and it has not yet been made official as to whether or not federal stimulus dollars will be used in helping to fund it. Who knows, maybe this could be the start of something that is not only good for the city, but something that could be adapted to benefit the entire tri-state region in the future.

As for Bill Cunningham: Thank you for taking my call, allowing me to present a different view and sending me on my "field trip." You sir are a "Great American." I will definitely continue to be a listener of your show.

Get the facts and see just what a streetcar system could do for Cincinnati by checking out these websites:
Official city of Cincinnati Streetcar FAQ's.
Cincy Streetcar
Pro Transit

Thanks for reading Queen City Discovery and stay tuned for a return to regular updates soon.

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Previous Update: 4/6/09 :: A cold, rainy opening day.

URL Trouble

As many of you may have noticed, when you come to the url: www.queencitydisco.com, that URL stays in your address bar no matter what page on this site that you navigate to. Lately, I have found this quite frustrating. It makes it very hard for one of the fine viewers of this website to link to a specific page or article. I've been trying to figure it out, but have had no luck, but would anyone know how I could set it up to display: "www.queencitydisco.com/pagename" instead of just always "queencitydisco.com?" The actual URL of this website is www.mcflash.4000loavesanhour.com and queencitydisco.com is a domain name I own through godaddy. What I'd like to do is make it so I could display www.mcflash.4000loavesanhour.com/pagename as www.queencitydisco.com/pagename. Any help would greatly be appreciated and it would make this site so much easier to navigate. Any ideas? Feel free to comment below or send me an email at queencitydisco[at]gmail.com. Thanks for any help!

-Gordon

A Cold, Rainy Opening Day.

Yesterday it was 70 degrees and sunny. Today it was 38 degrees with rain, hail and the Reds losing their home opener to the New York Mets.




































-Darryl Parks (center) and the 700 WLW crew wrapping up.






















Despite the bad weather, the weathers on the field was in the mid 80's as David Weathers continued to be the best player on the Cincinnati Reds. Even though it was cold, today was a great day.

Check back next week for an urban exploration update about climbing and abandoned breweries...

Like what you see or read here? Consider becoming a fan of Queen City Discovery on Facebook or receive an instant alert each time the site is updated by signing up for the Queen City Discovery Newsletter.

Previous Update: 3/30/09 - Portrait of a Dying Mall: Cincinnati Mills