Downtown Parking Study...

Posted by dave in Taking Care of Business on May 30, 2008 | No Comments

With all the talk of new retail, office space and even new residential properties in downtown Kent we realized that we had to revisit the parking issue so last week an expert parking consultant began counting spaces and cars to get a baseline of what is, or isn’t available downtown. Parking has proven to be one of those in the eye of the beholder issues with opinions expressed in very strong language from both sides of the fence. There are those that will pound their fists on the table saying we need more parking downtown but likewise there are those that say we’ve got plenty of parking it just requires a willingness to take a short walk. Rather than pick a side and get in the middle of this argument unarmed we’ve hired a firm that specializes in quantifying parking needs and developing strategies that balance the competing interests shouting for more or less parking.

The parking data will be instrumental in our effort to make sure the new redevelopments have what they need to support more retail, office and residential space. But more importantly this data will be part of our larger effort to make sure we are thoughtful in our planning which means our goal is to be sure the new stuff works well with the existing downtown business needs.

We hope to accomplish that by bringing in an urban planning expert to work with a team of Kent businesses, property owners and city staff to develop a master redevelopment strategy that takes everything into consideration, including parking. We’re having final interviews for the urban planning firms this week so we should be able to get started in June. As that project moves forward I’ll be sure to keep you posted.

In the meantime, here was a very interesting article about the relationship between vibrant downtowns and on-street parking. We all know that for some unknown sociological reason, consumers are fine parking in garages and walking long distances through a mall to get to their stores but when it comes to downtown shopping consumers want on-street parking very close to where they want to shop. The report points out that ironically on-street parking is a critical part of creating a pedestrian friendly atmosphere which is what vibrant downtowns are all about.

Here’s the article:

What Street Parking Can Do For DowntownsBy NORMAN W. GARRICK AND WESLEY MARSHALL

May 18, 2008

As in other parts of the country, Connecticut towns and cities are struggling to revitalize their downtowns. Some of the planning and design decisions made in the 1950s and 1960s make this goal more difficult. One such decision is the elimination of street parking from many of our town centers.

Although this practice of not accommodating street parking is now routine, there has been little research done to assess its impact on urban centers. However, a growing number of urban planners have pointed out that centers that have retained street parking, along with other compatible features of pre-1950s town centers, are some of the most successful downtowns in the country.

In order to address this dichotomy between conventional practice and emerging urban theory, we at the University of Connecticut designed two studies of on-street parking and its impact on downtowns. One was based upon case studies of six New England town centers (West Hartford; Northampton, Mass.; Brattleboro, Vt.; Avon Center; Glastonbury Center and Somerset Square in Glastonbury). In the second study, we investigated how street design affected vehicle speeds and safety, based on a study of more than 250 Connecticut roads.

What we found through these studies was that on-street parking plays a crucial role in benefiting activity centers on numerous levels. Here are some of the main benefits.

• Higher efficiency: Users of the downtowns consistently selected on-street parking spaces over off-street surface lots and garage parking. The on-street spaces experienced the most use and the highest turnover.

• Better land use: Using the curbside for parking saves considerable amounts of land from life as an off-street surface parking lot. Medium-sized town centers can save an average of more than two acres of land by providing street parking. This efficiency can allow for much higher-density commercial development than is possible if the center relies solely on off-street surface lots.

• Increased safety: We showed conclusively that drivers tended to travel at significantly slower speeds in the presence of features such as on-street parking and small building setbacks. Slower vehicle speeds provide pedestrians, cyclists and drivers more time to react, and when a crash does occur, the chance of it being life-threatening is greatly reduced. In short, on-street parking can help to create a safer environment.

• Better pedestrian environment: Our study results showed that centers with on-street parking and other compatible characteristics such as generous sidewalks, mixed land uses, and higher densities recorded more than five times the number of pedestrians walking in these areas compared with the control sites, which lack these traits.

Nearly every town in the state has the street space available that could be used for on-street parking. Town leaders should consider it. Our results suggest that on-street parking is a tool that can help create a vibrant and safe town center environment.

Norman W. Garrick is an associate professor of civil and environmental engineering and director of the Center for Transportation and Urban Planning at the University of Connecticut. Wesley Marshall is a doctoral candidate in transportation engineering and urban planning at UConn.

Kent State Cartoonist makes Top 100 in the Nation ...

Posted by dave in City University Stuff on May 29, 2008 | No Comments

I blogged a few days ago about a picture being worth 1,000 words but I stand corrected by a news article that says Kent State’s student editorial cartoons are worth more like 10,000 words each. One of the best parts of living in a university city is the chance to watch students develop their passion and turn that passion into a a career which is exactly what Chris Sharron, an editorial cartoonist at The Daily Kent Stater, is doing. Chris was among the 100 honored May 21 by UWire, a news and networking organization for student media. UWire said it received more than 500 nominations from advisers, peers and professors on behalf of student journalists from more than 130 universities. Chris is due to graduate from Kent State in 2010 so we’ve got another 2 years to enjoy his art with our morning coffee.

Here’s some background information on Chris’ award from UWire:

This is journalism at its most pure: The 100 best student journalists in the country — hard workers, big thinkers and gifted storytellers — nominated by their peers and advisers for their potential to shape the media industry in the years ahead. Filled with energy and idealism, fueled by a hunger for new experiences and ideas, unpolluted by corporate culture or market trends, driven to be heard and make a difference, dispersed across the country and ready to be discovered by you.

With honors and awards, there’s always a great deal of subjectivity and imperfection surrounding the selection process. This is especially true when their best work is ahead of them. We created the UWIRE 100 because we knew we would never be able to just name, say, the top 20, or crown a single student, “the journalist of the year.” Each of these candidates boasts an honor-worthy resume and portfolio, as well as the esteem of colleagues and advisers.

Taken collectively, the 100 tell us something about the state of media today, and show us the faces who will be telling us the news in years to come.

You can view Chris’ portfolio by clicking here.

Short Bio written by Chris

I am a student at Kent State University where I am majoring in Art Education, but my true passion is editorial cartooning. I began drawing cartoons for the Daily Kent Stater while I was in high school, and I’ve been doing it ever since. As a result of my work, I finished as First Runner-up for the 2008 John Locher Memorial Award, and I was awarded Second Place in the 2008 Gold Circle Awards from the Columbia Scholastic Press Association for portfolios of my work in Editorial Cartooning and Newspaper Illustration, as well as Magazine Illustration. My entries in the category of Editorial Cartooning also won First and Second Place in the Society of Professional Journalists Region 4 Mark of Excellence Awards for 2007.

Kent Goes Glocal...

Posted by dave in City University Stuff on May 27, 2008 | No Comments

Before you get your red pen out to mark up what I’m sure you thought was a typo in my spelling of Glocal, think again. I wish I could take credit for the phrase glocalization but the truth is I read it awhile ago and I’ve been looking for an opportunity to use it so when I saw Kent State’s announcement of it’s ribbon cutting ceremony at Van Campen Hall honoring it’s partnership with Bahcesehir University in Istanbul Turkey I thought now was my chance. Interestingly Kent has developed a strong relationship with Turkey mostly through the Kent State Justice Studies program and our Kent Police Force but it has grown beyond that into friendships with high ranking officials in Turkey. Kent is on Turkey’s map, which is pretty cool given how different we are geographically and culturally. Which is exactly what glocalization is all about.

Kent is surprisingly globally local in many ways. Thanks to the university we have many international students, faculty and visitors that have made Kent their home away from home and while they’re here they add a terrific mix to our community. I keep thinking of that old comedy routine where the comic always said “what a great country” — the same could be said for Kent “what a great city.”

When you look down our list of community assets that make up the Kent brand the foreign flavor of the people that live here has to be near the top. Our neighbors can compete with us in many areas — they can even go out and build new historic downtowns to look like our real one – but they can’t copy our people matter (at least I hope not, if cloning ever becomes a division of the economic development department it’s time to get out of the profession).

So as a faithful supporter of leading with your advantages I feel like our rather quiet international contingent is a sleeping giant when it comes to Kent’s future. That’s why I’m anxious to do more to cultivate and integrate our foreign community better into the Kent socio-economic fabric. Which is a fancy way of saying I want to know what the City can do better or more of to make sure our global folks feel welcome, safe and excited by the opportunities that we have for them in Kent.

The University has numerous programs and services for international students and families but the City needs to be in that game too. Not just because we’re a socially conscious sort of community but also because when you look at some of our best business success stories that have spun out of the University many of them are led by foreign born entrepreneurs. This isn’t just philanthropy, this is economic development in a glocal world.

The business that helped me realize the power of internationalization was Alpha Micron. Earlier this year the CEO of Alpha Micron (Bahman Taheri) led me on a tour of his research facility here in Kent and as he introduced me to his staff I felt like I was on a UN Tour. Bahman has hired folks from all over the world on purpose because he says each culture brings unique strengths to the team which he has built into his business plan.

Bahman’s enthusiasm for cultural diversity is contagious and as a City Manager I’m trying to figure out what we can do to cultivate that same cultural energy throughout the community. Thanks to a little unexpected synchronicity, I had the good fortune of meeting a Kent State graduate who is looking for some work to do over the summer here in Kent rather than going back to her home in Romania. She speaks a half-dozen different languages and is really smart (she’s getting her 2nd master degree) so I have offered her an internship with the City to work with us on this really important part of our community.

It may be as simple as landing some new Thai or Turkish restaurants in Kent or it could be as complex as a new Cultural Commision. I don’t know yet but we’re definitely going to be looking at best practices this summer so that we can make progress on Kent’s version of glocalization.

Ceremony Honored Partnership between KSU & Turkish University

A ribbon-cutting ceremony honoring a new partnership between Kent State University and Bahcesehir University in Istanbul, Turkey, took place on Tuesday, April 8 at Van Campen Hall. An older building on campus, Van Campen Hall has been saved from demolition by this new agreement, which builds on Kent State’s internationalization plan to increase the revenue-generating capacity of the university’s international affairs, as well as increase the number of international students and scholars on the Kent Campus.

“Under the new administration, Kent State is expanding its global family of institutions to provide rich international educational opportunities for all of our students and faculty,” said Vice Provost Dr. Steve O. Michael. “This entails creating our presence in other countries and serving as a host to our partnering institutions from overseas.” Kent State President Dr. Lester A. Lefton and Provost Dr. Robert G. Frank as well as Bahcesehir University President Dr. Deniz Ulke Aribogan spoke briefly at the ceremony.

In addition, Bahcesehir University officially opened an office in Van Campen Hall today. They plan to move students into the facility by this summer or fall. “This type of institutional co-habitation and co-location is a new phenomenon in higher education,” said Michael. “It allows institutions to take partnership and collaboration to a new level, enabling institutions to become multinational, and providing an active pipeline for students and faculty exchange, as well as opportunities for joint-degree programming.”

First, the group will renovate the hall in collaboration with the Office of the University Architect. Funded by Bahcesehir University, the potential several-million-dollar renovation and lease of Van Campen Hall also will provide space to establish a Center for Turkish Studies. The center will offer students practical, experiential training in a program for English as a second language, in addition to conducting research and extending outreach services to companies interested in doing business in Turkey.

For the past six years, Kent State University and Bahcesehir University have had a memorandum of understanding, which includes sending faculty and students to Turkey and, in return, receiving their students and faculty at Kent State. Currently, 30 Bahcesehir University graduates are studying at Kent State for their master’s degree in areas such as education, technology and communication studies, in addition to taking ESL courses.

“Bahcesehir University’s presence brings international scholars and students to Kent State. The proposed Center for Turkish Studies will provide both learning and research opportunities. It is a win-win initiative for everyone involved,” said Michael.

A Picture’s Worth A Thousand Words — t...

Posted by dave in Safe City, Services News on May 23, 2008 | No Comments

Face it, lawyers use phrases and legal-ese that only they can understand, and the same holds true for engineers and their plans. I’ve seen enough plan sets to last a lifetime and I still struggle with visualizing what I’m looking at and more importantly what it will actually look like at the end of the project. Reading engineering drawings is like taking those tests where they show you a box and ask you what it would like like if you turned it inside out and upside down, and then looked at it in a mirror. Yeah right. My lack of what the testers call geo-spatial reasoning makes me really appreciate good old fashioned renderings that give the spatially challenged among us a chance to see something. With that in mind our City Engineer saw my shortcoming and offered up three renderings of the future Fairchild Avenue Bridge that I thought I’d share.

First off, let’s start with the original bridge concept drawing which is actually better than most engineering plans. This drawing uses some color and tries to give you a sense of perspective which most plan sets typically could care less about. So here’s a not so bad plan view of the new bridge which gives a good sense of the extent of the project — as you can see it’s much more than just a bridge. It’s a lot of new linear parks (in green) and road treatments (in red) that help it be more of a neighborhood asset rather than just a way to cut through town.

That sense of neighborhood-ness was really important in the design of the project and our City Engineer reported last week in Council that he thinks it is the most neighborhood-friendly bridge project that ODOT has ever done. So while it’s taken awhile to get this project out of the design phase, Kent’s persistence seems to have paid off.

As you can see in the series of renderings below the project is really going to transform the whole area around the bridge to make it a welcome addition to the neighborhood.

This rendering comes from standing on the new Portage Hike and Bike path south of the new bridge looking upstream with SR 43 just up the hill on the other side of the tiered plantings to our left. For reference purposes that’s the new bridge in light sandstone in the upper-right with a bike tunnel going through it.

This image is taken standing on the new pedestrian bridge that replaces the existing bridge (again looking north/upstream) that will connect downtown section of the Portage Hike and Bike trail to the new segment that will run through the rail yards behind Lake Street east up to Towner’s Woods.

And lastly, this is a view of the future intersection of Crain Avenue and Lake Street looking west to the new Fairchild Bridge on the right. The woman walking the dog is on Lake Street, with Crain Avenue in brick on her left, looking down S. Water Street towards the Mill. This view gives you a good sense of how the bridge relocation attempts to route traffic down Water Street through the commercial district rather than through the neighborhoods off of Crain. The brick is a nice touch to help delineate the Crain Avenue neighborhood.

The City Engineer has been very busy trying to wrap the design issues and work with ODOT’s consultant on right of way acquisition for the project. To create the linear parks and provide enough room to widen the roads heading into and out of the bridge, a number of buildings will be removed. I hate to do it to you but the best I can offer at the moment is an engineering drawing that shows which properties are affected by the bridge project.

Bear in mind though that some of the areas shown below as being affected are only temporary construction easments so not all of these properties are permanently affected. Engineering didn’t have a user-friendly map of the permanent property impacts so we’ll have to settle for a map that shows both temporary and permanent impacts for now, sorry.

The best way to stay current on the project status is to periodically visit the project web site on the City’s Capital Project Page.

This is going to be a challenging project to pull off but hopefull seeing the end result should make us all a little more patient with the temporary inconveniences.

Flushing Is A Good Thing...

Posted by dave in Safe City, Services News on May 22, 2008 | No Comments

From radiators to fire hydrants, flushing is a great way to make sure everything is in good working order. For obvious reasons we can’t have fire hydrants that don’t work when we need them so the annual hydrant flushing program gives the crews a chance to inspect each hydrant to make sure it’s good to go. I learned this lesson the hard way in a former city when fire crews hooked up to a bad hydrant to put out a fire and because of an unknown break inside the hydrant the hose got clogged full of rocks — meanwhile the fire raged on — not good. On top o fthat flushing is a good practice for ensuring water quality by turning over some of the water that may have been at the dead end of a line. Here’s the City of Kent’s hydrant flushing schedule for 2008.

The press release and 2008 schedule is below but here’s a Q&A on hydrant flushing that may also be helpful for understanding what’s going on and why.

PRESS RELEASE
May 20, 2008

2008 Fire Hydrant Flushing

The City of Kent Central Maintenance Division will begin the annual fire hydrant flushing program June 2^nd, 2008. Flushing will take place Tuesday through Friday, from 2:00AM to 7:00AM through the end of June.

Hydrants are flushed each year to clean and maintain the quality of the water lines, to inspect fire hydrants, and to maintain water pressure. This year Central Maintenance crews will conduct flow tests on the entire system during the flushing program.

When crews are flushing, you may experience a dis-coloration of the water in your household. This discoloration does not indicate that the water is unsafe but may have a displeasing appearance and can stain laundry. Because of the possible discoloration, the City recommends that the following procedure be followed during and after the time of flushing before washing clothes:

· Run water from your tap and fill a glass of water (allow water to run for 3 to 5 minutes before filling the glass);

· Check the glass for clarity. If clear, clothes may be washed.

PLEASE NOTE: Although the crews are scheduled to flush on your street, flushing on nearby streets may also discolor your water. Therefore, checking the water (as stated) before washing clothes should be practiced during the entire flushing schedule.

To notify resident’s City crews will be placing signs in strategic locations the day before crews are to begin flushing in that area.

Hydrant flushing is scheduled to take place as follows:

2008 FIRE HYDRANT FLUSHING SCHEDULE

SECTION #1 JUNE 2, 2008
Summit Street from S. Lincoln to the KSU Stadium, Loop Road, Athena, Artemis, Olympus, Fraternity Circle, Hickory Mills, Campus Center, Whitehall Blvd., Summit Gardens, University Town Homes.

SECTION #2 JUNE 3, 2008
Morris Road from Summit Street to Allerton, including Mae Street, Oak Street, School Street to Lincoln Street, Berkeley, Avondale, Allerton, Rellim Street to Lincoln Street, Bowman Street to Lincoln Street, Valleyview from Morris to Lincoln, Lincoln Commons Subdivision.

SECTION #3 JUNE 4, 2008
Kent State University Campus

SECTION #4 JUNE 5, 2008
State Route 59 from Luther Avenue east to Railroad Overpass, including Horning Road from State Route 59 to Rhodes Road. Rhodes Road from Horning to State Route 59, Luther Avenue, Elmwood, Oakwood, Woodhill, Frances, Overlook, Birchwood Circle, Franklin Hills and The Willow Ridge Subdivision, Holly Park, Dale Drive, Ryan’s Place Apartments, Acme Plaza.

SECTION #5 JUNE 9, 2008
Downtown, Main Street from Luther to and including Franklin Avenue, Summit Street from Lincoln to Franklin including Willow Street from Summit to Crain, Kentway, Tonkin Court, Day Street, College Avenue, College Court, Erie Street, Wilson from Main to Crain, Linden, Sherman, University, Lincoln from Summit to Crain, Highland Avenue, Crain from Luther to Water Street, Brady Street, Portage Street, Columbus, Water Street from Summit to Lake Street.

SECTION #6 JUNE 10, 2008
Lake Street from Crain Avenue Bridge to the City Limits including Costley Court, Lock Street, Starr Avenue, Marvin Street, Willow Street from Crain to Lake, Gatun, Edgewood, Woodside, Miller Avenue, Steele, Doramor, Dansel, Harvey/Wilson from Crain to Lake, Burr Oak, Lake Street Apartments, Mason, King, Davey, Graham, Walter, Anna, Perry, and Virginia Avenue.

SECTION #7 JUNE 11, 2008
S. Water Street from Summit to the City Limits including Franklin Avenue from Summit to Meloy Road, Vine Street, Depeyster Street from Summit Street South, Willow Street Ext., Lincoln Street from Rellim South, Morris Road from Allerton South, Campus Center Drive from Booster Station to Devon Place to S. Water Street, Chadwick, Ivan, Beryl, Rellim Drive from Lincoln to Water, Bowman from Lincoln to Water, Valleyview from Lincoln West, School Street from Lincoln to Franklin, Elm Street from Vine to Franklin, Oak Street from Vine to Franklin, Hall Street from Vine to Franklin, Williams Street from Vine to Franklin, Cherry Street from Water to Franklin, University Plaza, Jordon Court Apartments, Currie Hall, Statesman, Benjamin, and Sunnybrook, and Indian Valley Apartments Complex.

SECTION #8 JUNE 12, 2008
All Streets West of Franklin Avenue including Mogadore Road from Stow Street to Howe Road, Overholt Road, Enterprise Way, Cherry Street from Franklin to State Route 261, Plum Street, Harris Street, Dodge Street, Elm Street, Oak Street, Maple Street, Walnut Street, Pine Street, Cedar Street, St. Clair Avenue, and Martinel Drive.

SECTION #9 JUNE 16, 2008
N. Mantua Street from Fairchild North to the City Limits, Fairchild from N. Mantua to Majors Lane including Cuyahoga, Hudson Road, Randall Drive, Harold, Stinaff Street and Ext., Longcoy Avenue, Carthage, Wolcott Avenue, Riverside Court, Grant Street, Pleasant Avenue, Orchard Street, Standing Rock Avenue, River Bend East and West Subdivision, Davey Tree Complex, Roosevelt High School, Stanton Middle School, Needham, Allen, Delores, Robert Drive, Whetstone, Rollins Circle, Nottingham Circle, Clarksview Circle.

SECTION #10 JUNE 17-18, 2008
W. Main Street from bridge to Longmere including River Street, Gougler Avenue, Mantua Street from Haymaker Pkwy. to Fairchild, Woodard Avenue, Rockwell Street, Earl Avenue, Park Avenue, Pioneer Avenue, Pearl Street, Prospect Street, Whittier Drive, Lowell Drive, Chestnut Street, Grove Avenue, Short Street, Forest Drive, Bryce Rd, Majors Lane from Fairchild to Bryce Way, Stow Street, from Main to Mogadore Road, and Haymaker Pkwy. from Longmere to River Street.

SECTION #11 JUNE 19, 23, 2008
W. Main Street from Longmere to Deidrick Road including Sunrise, Sheri, Colleen, Gale Drive, N. Francis, Admore, Middlebury, Manchester, Paulus, Janet, Tallmadge Avenue, Leroy, Longmere Drive, Leonard, Meredith, Norwood, Gardenview, Elno Avenue, Jessie Avenue, Munroe Falls-Kent Road, Roosevelt, Ada, Hughey Drive, Beech Drive, Yacavona, Akron Blvd., Judith, Hampton Drive, Eton Road, Meadow Drive, Emich, Lower Drive, Marilyn Street, Overbrook, Laurel, Brentwood, Chelton, Irma, Garrett Street, Parmalee, Louise, and Deidrick Road.

SECTION #12 JUNE 24, 25, 26, 2008
Fairchild Avenue from Majors Lane to Newcomer Road including Spaulding Drive, Silver Meadows Blvd., Suzanne, Garth, Denise, Carol Drive, Silver Meadows Apartment Complex, Evergreen, Spruce Place, Pinewood Place, Forest Lakes Subdivision, Shady Lakes Drive, Kent Quality Care Center, Fieldstone Subdivision, The Lakes of Franklin Mills Subdivision, White Oak Hills Subdivision, Cottage Gate Subdivision, Erin Drive, Kevin, Allen Drive, Verona Avenue, Adamle Drive, Deleone, and Michaels Drive.

PLEASE REMEMBER THESE DATES ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE, LOOK FOR SIGNS PLACED IN YOUR AREA THE DAY BEFORE FLUSHING WILL OCCUR.

If you have any problems or questions regarding the flushing, please call the Service Department at 330-678-8105.

City of Kent , Ohio
Eugene K. Roberts
Director of Public Service

Plain Dealer Follow-up to the Arts District Idea...

Posted by dave in City Living, Taking Care of Business on May 21, 2008 | No Comments

Yesterday I posted about the arts happenings in downtown Kent and I added a story from Crains Business Magazine that talked about a new initiative to transform Cleveland’s Rust Belt into an Arts Belt. That arts initiative was the topic of conversation at a conference held in Cleveland that brought in examples from cities all over the country that have used the arts to turn their economy around. It turns out that the star of the show was Padacuh Kentucky. I know, I know, how the heck did Paducah Kentucky become the poster child for arts revitalization — it turns out they have a terrific artist relocation program that they used to transform an old blighted part of town into an art haven. If we’re serious about leveraging the arts in Kent the Paducah story is a must read.

If you’re one of those people that has to read the last chapter of the book first, here’s a great ABC News video clip that takes you right to the end explaining how the big paducahs in Paducah did it. If not, read on and enjoy the suspenseful build up.

ARTS AND THE ECONOMY
Key role of artists in urban development discussed at Cleveland conference
Friday, May 16, 2008
Steven Litt
Plain Dealer Art Critic

Artists see themselves as devoted to creativity. City planners now look at artists and see something else: a highly valuable form of urban fertilizer.

Sprinkle some galleries on a dying main street. Change the zoning to allow live-work loft space. Throw in some government money for facade renovation or mortgage assistance.

Voila: Property values will jump, and you’ll soon worry about how to avoid gentrification, which is what happens when people with money move into a former zone of blight.

This scenario, more or less, was the leitmotif of an all-day conference held at Cleveland State University on Wednesday, titled “From Rust Belt to Artist Belt.” Organized by the nonprofit Community Partnership for Arts and Culture, the event was intended to raise awareness about one of the latest trends in urban development – the rise of cultural districts in struggling city neighborhoods.

Nineteen speakers described how cities from Pittsburgh to Paducah, Ky., have lured artists, galleries and cultural organizations to areas formerly written off by developers and city governments. Keynote speaker Jeremy Nowak, president of the Philadelphia-based Reinvestment Fund, a nonprofit organization devoted to community revitalization, said artists are naturally gifted at what he called “place-making.”

“Artists and creative people are adept at uncovering and expressing and repurposing the assets of place,” he said. “In the great halls of philanthropy, we try to force these things.”

Cleveland is a “thought leader” in the new movement, said Esther Robinson, founder of Art- Home, a New York-based organization that helps artists attain financial literacy and homeownership.

This week alone, advocates of the arts in Cleveland announced progress on major projects to create a theater and entertainment district at Gordon Square in the Detroit-Shoreway neighborhood, and to create a District of Design along lower Euclid Avenue.

Linda Warren, president of Village Capital Corp. in Cleveland, said that 11 of 36 neighborhoods in the city are doing something to promote themselves as an art-friendly place.

Attended by 180 artists, developers, foundation officers, community activists and city planners, the conference examined programs and services that help artistic urban pioneers locally and nationwide.

Paducah spent $2.8 million to recruit artists to live in the formerly blighted Lower Town neighborhood, a 30-block area of crumbling Victorian mansions near the city’s downtown.

The investment generated $35 million in private economic impact and turned Lower Town into a regional attraction that garnered national media attention.

Conferees also sounded cautionary notes. Cleveland City Planning Director Robert Brown said the city hasn’t figured out yet how to reconcile building codes with a new live-work zone east of the city’s downtown.

The zoning allows artists to live and work in former industrial spaces, but the state building code still requires upgrades that can push the cost of loft living too high for artists.

Mark Barone, the artist and planner who led the revival in Paducah, lamented that sometimes, poor residents get pushed out as a consequence of the influx of wealth.

“Did we displace people? Yeah, I’m not going to lie to you,” Barone said. “Anyone who tells you they don’t is lying.”

Lillian Kuri, director of special projects at the Cleveland Foundation, said the answer is to plan cultural districts in ways that allow artists and prior residents to acquire equity so they, too, can benefit when property values rise.

Padacuh Kentucky … artist haven? How did that happen?

At a time when funding for the arts is constantly being cut, Paducah has established an environment where artists and the arts are flourishing. Paducah’s Artist Relocation Program was started in August of 2000 and is now a national model for using the arts for economic development. The Artist Relocation Program has been awarded the Governors Award in the Arts, the Rudy Bruner Award for Urban Excellence, The American Planning Association National Planning Award and most recently Kentucky League of Cities Enterprise Cities Award.

The Artist Relocation Program is about artist ownership, thus giving the artists a vested interest in our community. To date we have relocated seventy artists who have taken us up on our financial and cultural incentives.

These artists have relocated from Arizona, California, Hawaii, Illinois, Kansas, Maryland, Michigan, Missouri, New Hampshire, New York, North Carolina, Okalahoma, Tennessee, Texas, Washington, Washington D.C. and Wisconsin. It is with the vision of Paducah as a thriving artist community that our local leaders endorse the Paducah Artist Relocation Program.

The Details of the Program

Artist Relocation Incentives:

Lowertown is dual zoned for commercial and residential use. This enables residents to have gallery/studio, restaurant/ cafÉ, etc. and living space all under one roof.
100% financing for purchase and rehabilitation of an existing structure or the building of a brand new structure.
Basic loan package is 7% – 30yr. fixed rate up 300% of appraised value.
Free lots for new construction as available.
City will pay up to $2500 for architectural services or other professional fees.
National marketing of Lowertown Arts District and Paducah.

Proposal Requirements (Applies to city-owned lots and buildings. See Available Properties listing)

At a minimum, each proposal should provide the following items in detail following a logical format.

Purchase price offer for property.
Intended use of the property.
Detailed rehab plans & all changers and improvements necessary both to meet code requirements as well as to provide for the intended use must be specified and detailed.
Detailed illustrations of floor plans and use of space.
Front, side and rear elevations of exterior facades including any significant architectural details. Drawings/Renderings must be large, clear, and detailed.
Firm third party professional (engineer, architect, knowledgeable & experienced contractor[s]) estimate of the entire costs for rehab. Estimate should be broken down by cost centers and include a total.
Estimated firm timeline indicating the duration of the project from start to finish.
Proof of financial ability to complete the project in an amount matching the estimated costs. Proof must be in the form of a letter of credit, loan commitment, proof of cash on hand, or some other proof of financial ability acceptable to the City. Grants or special financing must be listed, but cannot count toward financial ability unless a copy of the award notice or other acceptable guarantee is provided
Proof of financial ability to complete the project in an amount matching the estimated costs. Proof must be in the form of a letter of credit, loan commitment, proof of cash on hand, or some other proof of financial ability acceptable to the City. Grants or special financing must be listed, but cannot count toward financial ability unless a copy of the award notice or other acceptable guarantee is provided (make this the first one in this list)
Priority for start to finish projects, which address the entire structure(s).
Priority for owner occupied properties
Priority for uses which serve the highest & best use of the property in the opinion of the board.

New York, Paris, Paducah? Kentucky Attracts Artists

Financial Incentives Draw Creative Types to Formerly Blighted Downtown

By WENDY BRUNDIGE

PADUCAH, Ky., Dec. 23, 2006 —

They’ve come from all over America: Artists from Washington, D.C., San Francisco, even New York City have somehow found their way to Paducah, a small Kentucky city on the banks of the Ohio River.

With a population of only 26,000, it’s a place where culture meant a trip to the one shopping mall or movie theater — or at least that’s what used to pass for culture in Paducah until a unique incentive program brought the artists, more than 70 in all.

They started coming in 2000 to buy and restore homes in Lowertown, Paducah’s oldest — and most blighted — neighborhood.

“We had drug houses, and we had crime, and we had ladies of the evening walking the streets,” said Paducah city planner Tom Barnett, who helped develop the program. “It was a neighborhood that was essentially abandoned and just avoided by the residents of Paducah.”

The city’s artist relocation program is the brainchild of Barnett and former Paducah resident Mark Barone. Barone was an artist living in Lowertown, and one morning in 2000 he witnessed a drug deal taking place on the porch of a nearby house. It was then that he had the idea of bringing artists to town in hopes of saving the neighborhood. He took the idea to Barnett, and the two joined forces.

“Artists are the kind of folks who see what can be,” Barnett said. “They see potential, and we knew that was what it was going to take when they came in to see the neighborhood in its current condition.”

Ira and Charlotte Erwin were the first couple to buy a house in Lowertown. The Erwins owned one of Paducah’s only art galleries at the time, but they were barely keeping afloat financially and had decided to close their business and move away. They even found a house they wanted to buy in Illinois. But when the relocation program started, they decided instead to purchase one of Lowertown’s dilapidated old homes.

“The first weekend that we were here & we were out in the yard, and 18 different people stopped & and said, ‘Thank you for buying this house. Thank you for saving it,’” Charlotte said.

It was the official beginning of a project that would succeed beyond anyone’s expectations.

“There were five of us, I guess, the first year,” Erwin said. “Then the next year, eight more came, and then it just mushroomed.”

“When we first started, we were just trying to fix up an old, rundown neighborhood,” Barnett said. “We blew through that in about the first nine months and started realizing what it could become.”

Now more than 70 artists live in Lowertown. Paul Lorenz made the move from San Francisco in 2003. After growing up in Chicago and spending all of his adult life in big cities, he said Paducah has been an adjustment.

“Three years later, I’m still adjusting to small-town living,” Lorenz said. “I get a little frustrated sometimes, but in general, creatively it’s been the best move I’ve ever done.”

Mark Palmer also traded city life for Paducah. He moved from Washington, DC in 2002, giving up a successful career in the hotel industry for a chance to restore one of Lowertown’s oldest buildings. He bought it for only one dollar, then invested more than $200,000 of his own. Palmer considers the deal a bargain.

“I don’t even think you can get a cup of coffee anymore for a dollar in DC,” Palmer said.

A big part of the draw for artists is the opportunity to own a home. In most other cities that have tried using artist housing to clean up neighborhoods, the programs have been based on renting. That means that as property values go up, rents also go up and eventually a lot of the artists are priced out the market. That can’t happen in Paducah.

“I can’t be forced out of here,” Erwin said. “I can’t be made to leave because I can’t afford to be in this space.”

The ownership-based program was made possible with help from a locally owned bank that was willing to take a chance on an untested idea. Paducah Bank offers artists who want to move to Lowertown no-down-payment, low-interest loans for the full cost of buying and restoring the property. That often means loaning much more than the appraised value of the home.

“When we first opened the program, we frankly didn’t know what to expect … [but] working with the artists has been really, really, really, really good for us,” said Paducah Bank Senior Vice President Larry Rudolph, who puts together financing packages for artists interested in making the move. “Some of them come from as far away as San Francisco and New York where they knew they would never have the opportunity to own their own home. They come to Paducah, they’re in their own home.”

The bank also makes no judgments based on an artist’s body of work. If applicants prove they can support themselves and pay back the loan, they’re approved.

“We kept it very open,” Barnett said. “We want it to be inclusive, and we figured that we just would keep the doors wide open, that we would let the chips fall where they may. And the people that would be attracted to come here would be the right people.”

Nearly seven years after the first artists came to Paducah, this blue-collar, red-state town seems to have welcomed them with open arms. But that wasn’t always the case.

“Naturally there’s a culture clash because you get these 70 people from all over the country suddenly here, in a town where nothing — especially this area, Lowertown — where nothing has happened in 50, 60 years,” Lorenz said. “So yeah, people are a little hesitant.”

“The first two, three months nobody even came through the door,” Lorenz continued. “And it really wasn’t until this year, where people are really more comfortable now … They come in, just walk right in to the work side [of the gallery], and they want to see what’s new and what’s going on.”

Paducah’s program is now a national model. Barnett says so many towns are interested in trying something similar that he now has to turn away some of the city planners who want to come see how the program works. And as for the future of Paducah itself, Barnett says the sky’s the limit.

“It could continue to grow and have an amazing effect on this community, and make it an arts and cultural destination for the entire country,” Barnett said. “I think our fate is in our hands, and we can decide what we want to do with it.”

Creative Resources in Downtown Kent...

Posted by dave in City Living, Taking Care of Business on May 20, 2008 | No Comments

When I first arrived in Kent 3 years ago there was an interesting movement afoot in the arts community to create a downtown arts district. Just like restaurant row and the car strips there’s a synergy in giving consumers choices for their business and arts districts seek to do the same for the arts industry. I understand from my artist friends that the arts district had a hard time getting traction so while it got a lot of heads nodding up and down it didn’t get the full embrace of the arts community. That’s not to suggest the arts isn’t a significant part of downtown Kent, it is, it’s just not under the single flag of an arts district. But lack of organization has never stopped artists from creating and you can see that on display in any one of Kent’s unique galleries including the newest gallery addition, Gallery Saggio, which will officially open it’s doors May 22 at 118 East Main Street (the old Key Bank building) with a reception from 6 to 9 pm.

Also, that evening, the Black Squirrel Gallery at 141 East Main Street will be open until 9:00 p.m. with their latest show “Recent Inspirations” by Jennifer Eddy and Cheril Walker. And if you go be sure to bring your latest stories (especially photos) of black squirrel sitings — I didn’t have a camera ready but I saw a Kent black squirrel logo down in Columbus last weekend. And if you have no idea what I’m talking about you need to check out the Gallery’s gallery of black squirrel sitings.

Kent Black Squirrel siting in Moscow

Then, starting this Saturday (May 24th) the Standing Rock Cultural Arts gallery is opening it’s 10th Annual Student Art Exhibition featuring selected works by the Students of St. Vincent, St. Marys High School. The works include charcoal, photography and watercolor paintings. This is the second year Standing Rock has collaborated with St. Vincent, St. Mary’s and the first time their students have exhibited outside the classroom. But it is also the 10th year Standing Rock has held an exhibition that highlighted the work of younger artists. This year 25 works were chosen out of over 500 for the annual student art show. The show featured 140 different artists who demonstrated their mastery of various mediums as they have progressed through the St. Vincent, St. Mary’s art curriculum.

Lest ye forget, Kent was also the site of the Artist as an Entrepreneur Institute informational sessions advising starving artists how to translate their artistic impulse into new business opportunities. Two weeks ago the Kent Regional Business Alliance (KRBA) hosted the sessions that ended up attracting twenty one artists that I hope are soon to be 21 new small business in Kent.

On top of all this local Kent stuff, Cleveland has recently announced a major initiative to fill up vacant storefronts with artisans in an arts district (sound familiar?) The initiative is sponsored by Community Partnership for Arts and Culture and is called “From Rust Belt to Arts Belt.”

As proof that this is more than another fufu artsy project, here’s the news coverage from that notoriously anti-fufu Crain’s Business Magazine.

Arts, culture advocacy group sees potential in region’s blight

President hoping to ‘retain creative work force’

By Shannon Mortland

What many see as detriments to Cleveland, Thomas Schorgl sees as opportunities. Some might view Cleveland as a city laden with foreclosures and shuttered businesses, but Mr. Schorgl sees a city that could offer residential and work spaces at much lower prices than other culturally rich cities.

Artists, meet Cleveland.

As president and CEO of the Community Partnership for Arts and Culture, Mr. Schorgl is leading the push to make that introduction through efforts such as “From Rust Belt to Artist Belt.” It’s the name of a new initiative by the arts and culture group to teach people such as developers, Realtors, lenders and community leaders why artists are a valuable asset to the community and how to lure them to town.

“We want to retain the creative work force we have and (increase) the migration of a creative work force to Cleveland,” Mr. Schorgl said. From Rust Belt to Artist Belt is a one-day symposium set for May 14 at Cleveland State University. As of last Thursday, May 1, about 100 people from Northeast Ohio and nearby states had signed up to attend, Mr. Schorgl said. A second symposium is planned for next year, he said.

The symposium is part of his group’s two-year Creative Compass program, which it’s launching this month with $60,000 from Leveraging Investments in Creativity, a nonprofit group in New York that has initiated a 10-year effort with 14 cities nationwide to improve artists’ working environments. The Creative Compass program aims to give Cleveland-area artists better access to residential and work spaces and to include them in revitalization efforts across the region, Mr. Schorgl said. Creative Compass also will help artists become more stable entrepreneurs and navigate government programs designed to assist them in their work and lives, he said.

In the fall of 2008 and 2009, Mr. Schorgl’s group plans to host a housing and space exposition for artists to promote “affordable space in a city that has a tremendously diverse artist ecosystem,” he said. In a study commissioned last year, the group polled professional artists nationwide and found that, of the 316 artists from outside Ohio who responded, 21% said they’d be willing to move to Cleveland if ideal space was available. Another 11% said they’d be very willing to move to Northeast Ohio if they had access to low-cost space.

However, housing is only part of a larger artist support system that Mr. Schorgl’s group is trying to establish under Creative Compass. He said the group is developing a web site that would be a “one-stop shopping center for artists” looking for information on things ranging from residential and work spaces to health insurance. The site, which Mr. Schorgl said will be up and running by the end of 2009, will enable artists to search for artist-friendly housing and would list artist shows, jobs and commissioned projects available in Northeast Ohio. The site also will provide information about the COSE Arts Network, a partnership with the Council of Smaller Enterprises that gives artists access to health insurance and other small business resources.

Vote of confidence

The Community Partnership for Arts and Culture began building a support network for artists five years ago with the creation of its

About 400 artists already have gone through the program in Northeast Ohio, and the group has signed licensing agreements to offer the program in Charlotte, N.C., and Broward County, Fla., Mr. Schorgl said. The group hopes its various efforts ultimately will make Cleveland and Northeast Ohio more attractive to artists. “Artists are willing to put sweat equity into their neighborhood, and we think there’s a lot of opportunity in Cleveland for that,” Mr. Schorgl said.

The efforts by the Community Partnership for Arts and Culture so far have impressed Leveraging Investments in Creativity. “CPAC has made terrific progress in its efforts to make Northeast Ohio a supportive and vibrant community for artists and to make visible the enormous benefits that artists create in places where they live and work,” said Judilee Reed, executive director of Leveraging Investments in Creativity. Artist as an Entrepreneur Institute, which teaches artists basic business principles such as marketing, accounting, fund raising and protecting their work legally. Artist as an Entrepreneur Institute to host seminars for artists about translating creativity into financial viability. These seminars were hosted just a few weeks ago and twenty one artists attended! The Kent Regional Business Alliance (KRBA) played a significant role in hosting the sessions so it’s clear that arts isn’t just about feeding creative impulses it’s about feeding our need for economic growth (and maybe even a few starving artists while we’re at it).

New Whitewater Page On The Blog...

Posted by dave in City Living, Taking Care of Business on May 16, 2008 | No Comments

At this point we’ve wrapped up the whitewater feasibility study for the Kent Whitewater project and we’ve submitted a grant application to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) to fund a significant portion of it. ODNR is reviewing the application and has indicated that they should probably be in a position to let us know the outcome of their review by the end of the summer. In the meantime we continue to get a lot of interest from residents, students and businesses about the project so I thought it was worth gathering all of the different articles, reports, drawings, etc. and putting them in one convenient web location — which is what we’ve now done.

You will find the link (Kent Whitewater Park) listed in the column in the right hand corner of the kent360 site. Here’s the direct link:

http://www.kent360.com/?type=cc&id=3562&53L3c73d=3562

As we get more information on the project or the grant we’ll be sure to post it which will should make it easier to keep current with this exciting project. Enjoy!

Weekend Activities...

Posted by dave in City Living on May 16, 2008 | No Comments

I haven’t looked at the weather forecast for this weekend but let’s hope for sunny skies because there’s a lot of events planned around town to enjoy. In the spirit of full disclosure I have to admit that this information comes complements of your Kent Chamber of Commerce staff who are working hard to keep Kent’s businesses busy by keeping us busy around town this weekend.

LIST OF EVENTS FOR MAY 16 and MAY 17th

Friday, May 16th:
POPs Concert! Friday, May 16th at Theodore Roosevelt High School, featuring the high school choirs and the jazz band.: Do you like Drive-in Movies? Well, the choirs are presenting POPs 2008-Night at the Drive-In on May 16th at 7:00 p.m. Tickets will be sold the week of the concert and it’s $5.00 for students and senior citizens and $6.00 for adults. At the door it will be $1.00 more. The concert sold out last year, so if you don’t have tickets, be sure to arrive early.
New World’s Children’s Theater Friday, May 16th at 7:30 pm Standing Rock Cultural Arts is presenting “Elyia and the Ghosts of The Missing Animals” (Saving the Dark Forest) – a theatrical production written by Kent kids, being performed at the Kent Stage, 175 E. Main St., Kent, OH. Admission is $7.00 Adults. $5.00 Kids 12 and under. Click Here for more information.

Saturday, May 17th events include:

Cuyahoga River Day – Events taking place throughout the day at various locations include: a River Day Program, Walk to historical Pioneer Cemetery, Liberty Garden Planting, Tours of the Kent Bog, Kent Historical Society Open House, and a Garlic Mustard Pull. For times, details and more information visit www.kentenvironment.org or www.kentohiohistory.org or call (330) 673-1193.

Poetry in the Park – At the Home Savings Plaza in downtown Kent, from Noon-2:00p.m. A DICE program presented by Standing Rock Cultural Arts, the event features student poets of the KSU Wick Outreach Poetry Program, along with poets David Hassler, Maj Ragain and more. Just bring a lawn chair. Click Here for more details.

Artists Reception at the Black Squirrel Gallery – for featured artists Jennifer Eddy and Cheril Walker. The reception is from 6:00p.m.-9:00p.m. at the Gallery, located at 141 East Main Street in downtown Kent. Come and meet the artists and see their fine works on display.

Housing Fair Event at Kent Free Library, this Saturday May 17th, 2008, 312 West Main St., Noon until 3:00 pm. Topics include: Short Sales, Credit Counseling, Foreclosure Prevention, Lenders Refinance, Title, Property Insurance, Real Estate Professionals and also includes light refreshments? This event is sponsored by Home Savings Bank, Portage Path Title Agency, and Allstate Insurance Company

New World’s Children’s Theater Friday, May 17th at 7:30 pm Standing Rock Cultural Arts is presenting “Elyia and the Ghosts of The Missing Animals” (Saving the Dark Forest) – a theatrical production written by Kent kids, being performed at the Kent Stage, 175 E. Main St., Kent, OH. Admission is $7.00 Adults. $5.00 Kids 12 and under. Click Here for more information.

Ohio Tourism Campaign...

Posted by dave in Taking Care of Business on May 15, 2008 | No Comments

I read this morning that Ohio has announced a new tourism campaign that focuses on not only getting people to come visit us but to actually stay here a night or two once they make the trip. Apparently Ohio is so easy to get to that people come and go all in the same day rather than spend the night (and more money) in Ohio. That easy-to-get-to-ness is what is helping spur new business activity in Ohio by companies that are looking to penetrate the northeast, mid-atlantic and mid-west markets without a lot of long haul but when it comes to stimulating tourism spending we’re a day-tripper more than a weekender. The campaign is built around Ohio being “Too Much Fun For Just One Day.”

Cleveland took a bit of a bashing over the Cleveland Plus marketing campaign and while it didn’t wow me with any particularly snappy tag lines, I still wholeheartedly support it since it promotes the region which we happen to sit right in the middle of. Who am I to complain when people are paying to help more people appreciate how much Kent has to offer.

So now the state is getting into the mix with their Too Much Fun For Just One Day campaign. I happen to agree with what they’re saying but I’m wondering how buzz-worthy this campaign is going to be. I’m no marketing guru but I didn’t find myself getting amped up over the new phrase. I guess the point is for others to get jazzed up not me so let’s hope it works it’s magic in our neighboring states.

Speaking of which I noticed that http://www.michigan.org/ is pumping visiting Michigan hot and heavy right now on local airwaves. They actually have some really good commercials. I’m not planning on going to Michigan anytime soon but my hat’s off to the advertisers that came up with their campaigns.

I was surprised to be hearing so many radio ads for Michigan but I guess with the gas prices being ridiculously high the tourism industry is figuring less long trips and more short trips so they’ve targeted the markets within shouting distance which we are to Michigan destinations.

After the Ohio news announcement below, I’ve copied the Ann Arbor text ads which not surprisingly share a lot of the same characteristics of Kent’s brand. I figure maybe we can borrow some of their best stuff for our own purposes. I also threw in some other notable unique university cities just for a bit of flavor. See what you think.

(remember the Kent Brand report can be viewed here if you’re interested)

Ad effort promotes overnight tourism

Ohio is ‘Too Much Fun for Just One Day’

Wednesday, May 14, 2008 3:11 AM

Tourism officials hope that cash-strapped and harried visitors from neighboring states will find Ohio “The State of Perfect Balance.”

The Ohio Tourism Division unveiled that new slogan yesterday, along with a $2.5 million advertising campaign to lure out-of-state visitors at the outset of the summer travel season.

The theme of the ad campaign, which launches this week, is “Too Much Fun for Just One Day.” The reason: Overnight stays generate much more revenue than do day trips, which make up about 80 percent of visits by tourists from outside Ohio.

Standing near several dozen booths promoting Ohio tourism on the Statehouse lawn, Lt. Gov. Lee Fisher said yesterday that tourism is a key component of the state’s economy.

“Tourism and economic development are one and the same,” said Fisher, who oversees the tourism division. “When CEOs decide whether to come to Ohio or to stay in Ohio, they don’t just look at taxes … they look at quality of life.”

Amir Eylon, state tourism director, said he is “cautiously optimistic” about the forecast for Ohio tourism this summer, given the economic downturn and soaring gasoline prices. He pointed to a survey released this month by the Travel Industry Association of America that found that six in 10 people said their vacation plans would be unaffected by the economy, while 40 percent said they probably will travel closer to home or try to save money while traveling.

One challenge is increasing overnight trips. Of the 172 million trips made by visitors to Ohio last year, only about one in five involved an overnight stay. But they accounted for about half of tourism revenue.

“There’s an opportunity to convert day trips to overnight travel and to increase the overall number of visits,” Eylon said.

Eylon called the new tourism ad campaign the “most aggressive in recent years.” He said about 70 percent of spending will be targeted to potential visitors in markets just beyond Ohio. Most of the campaign will run in May and June.

The ads typically suggest destinations for a three-day trip, including the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium, Cedar Point, the Armstrong Air and Space Museum, and Amish country. Jack Hanna and Cincinnati Reds star Ken Griffey Jr. are among the famous people appearing in the ads, created by Columbus-based Ron Foth Advertising.

The media mix includes TV and radio spots, print ads, billboards, on-screen cinema ads and ads placed atop gas-station pumps.

In a world that tries so hard to look and feel, like everything else, there is a place that knows exactly who it is-Ann Arbor. A place that embraces the unique and unusual. Where the art challenges the mind as much as it engages the eyes. And where trying new tastes is always on the menu.

So breakaway from the ordinary and come to Ann Arbor.

Discover a place that embraces the unique and unusual. When you need a break from the ordinary, come spend some time in Ann Arbor.

No matter where you are in the Ann Arbor area, it’s likely that fun is waiting for you right around the corner.

No matter your passion, the Ann Arbor area provides an attraction for you. From the celebrated and popular to the quirky and one-of-a-kind, you can learn, live, watch, touch, and be amazed. All right here.

Asheville : Edgy, Artsy and Inviting

Asheville is that type of unique, special place that lingers sweetly in your mind and memories for years to come. The city’s rich architectural legacy with its mix of Art Deco, Beaux Arts and Neoclassical styles is the perfect retro-urban backdrop to the edgy energy that emanates from the locally owned-shops and art galleries, distinctive restaurants and exciting entertainment venues. Known as an art colony, a healing resort and a home to notable luminaries, statesmen and bohemians, Asheville is one of the most welcoming, vibrant cities in America.

A bastion of cutting-edge art and technology in the Blue Ridge, the city also prides itself on its fascinating Appalachian past and celebrates this culture with annual events such as Shindig on the Green. While many cities underwent major overhauls in past decades, Asheville’s historic and architecturally diverse downtown remains beautifully preserved.

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