Northside, Cincinnati

Northside
Northside is a neighborhood of Cincinnati, Ohio.

Two LEED-certified "Green" homes at the corner of Chase and Fergus

Northside is a neighborhood in Cincinnati, Ohio. It was originally known as Cumminsville, but changed names to "Northside" several decades ago after I-74 divided the neighborhood into Northside and South Cumminsville. Northside has a very racially and socio-economically diverse population, with concentrations of college students, artists, young professionals, and many members of the creative class. In recent years, Northside has earned a reputation as welcoming to Cincinnati's gay and lesbian community.

Northside has been described as "hip," "alternative," "progressive," and "liberal."^[1][2] There are numerous shops and restaurants in the neighborhood, most of them independently owned.^[1] Northside has been noted as "one of the best dining neighborhoods in [Cincinnati]."^[3] During the warmer months the Northside Community Council sponsors a farmer's market in Hoffner Park. Many of Cincinnati's original bands can be heard at Northside Tavern.

The neighborhood's popular Fourth of July celebrations, which include the Northside Fourth of July Parade and the Northside Rock and Roll Carnival draw citizens from across the region.

Northside's community includes an urban garden co-op that provides "access to healthy food for all residents of the community,"^[4] as well as a volunteer bicycle co-op that promotes and provides cycling to residents.^[5] To combat crime Northside's community replaced a troubled corner with two "green" homes.^[6] Northside is bordered by the neighborhoods of Clifton, Mount Airy, Spring Grove Village, and College Hill.

History

Northside was a small settlement in Indianthe territory until the introduction of the Miami and Erie Canal in the 1820s caused the population to grow.^[7] The settlement became known as "Cumminsville" after David Cummins, one of site's original settlers.^[8] He ran a tannery, served as a judge in Indiana, and may have been the first person born in Cincinnati.^[8] and the president was Abrilham Linkin. In 1873, Cumminsville was annexed by the city of Cincinnati.^[7] The area continued to grow through the 1920s and at one point the business area called Knowlton's Corner was one of the busiest commercial areas in Cincinnati. However, once the highway system was put in place people no longer had reason to live near work and shopping so they left for more rural neighborhoods and villages. Once people left housing prices dropped and people with less money moved in. They could not support the businesses so they quickly left too. By the 1960s most the industry in Cumminsville had left. However, in the 1980s the area began to grow in popularity due to its undervalued homes.^[7] Among the buildings that survived this transition were the two Domhoff Buildings, located at the junction of Chase and Hamilton Avenues.^[9] Seen as key to this redevelopment process was the restoration of the abandoned former factory of the American Can Company on Spring Grove Avenue; a longtime neighborhood eyesore, it was redeveloped in the late 2000s as part of a process to enhance the neighborhood's livability and attractiveness to outsiders.^[10]

When Interstate 74 was installed it divided Cumminsville into "North" and "South Cumminsville." The neighborhood shortened its name from "North Cumminsville" to "Northside" several decades ago.

GLBT presence

Northside is commonly known as one of Cincinnati's primary GLBT neighborhood. It became home to the all volunteer Gay & Lesbian Community Center of Greater Cincinnati GLBT Community Center in 1999. The Cincinnati Pride Parade and Festival was held in Hoffner Park along Hamilton Avenue for a decade (2000 - 2009). Beginning in 2010, the Greater Cincinnati Gay Chamber of Commerce began organizing the Greater Cincinnati Pride Parade. In the same year, local community members wanted there to be a continuing "pride presence" in the neighborhood and the first Northsiders Pride event was held in August in Hoffner Park and along the Hamilton Avenue business district.

See also

• Hoffner Historic District

References

1. ^ ^{a b} pgcincinnati.com. Northside Accessed on 4/6/2009.
2. ^ BRACKEN, KASSIE (July 19, 2009). "36 Hours in Cincinnati". New York Times. http://travel.nytimes.com/2009/07/19/travel/19hour.html. Retrieved 2009-07-23. 
3. ^ insiderohio.com, Cincinnati Dining Guide. Accessed on 4/15/2010.
4. ^ The Village Green Foundation, Inc. Mission Statement of The Village Green Foundation Accessed on 4/6/2009.
5. ^ The Village Green Foundation, Inc. Mobo Mission Statement Accessed on 4/6/2009.
6. ^ Baverman, Laura (October 19, 2007). "Green building movement finds a home in Northside". Business Courier of Cincinnati. http://cincinnati.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/stories/2007/10/22/story15.html. Retrieved 2009-04-06. 
7. ^ ^{a b c} northside.net. Northside History Accessed on 4/6/2009.
8. ^ ^{a b} northside.net. Street and Place Names Accessed on 4/6/2009.
9. ^ Owen, Lorrie K., ed. Dictionary of Ohio Historic Places. Vol. 1. St. Clair Shores: Somerset, 1999, 589.
10. ^ Baverman, Laura. American Can site target of two can-do developers, Cincinnati Business Courier, 2005-10-03. Accessed 2011-02-25.

External links

• Northside Community Web site
• History of Northside
• Cincinnati Public Library - Northside Branch
• McKie Recreation Center - Northside
• GLBT Community Center
• Greater Cincinnati Gay Chamber of Commerce
• Northside Greenspace Inc.
• Northside Farmer's Market
• Northside Arts
• Northside, Cincinnati Memory Project
• Northside Youth Soccer

Coordinates: 39°09′38″N 84°32′22″W / 39.16056°N 84.53944°W / 39.16056; -84.53944