Today in conversation the topic of the 2001 Cincinnati race riots came up.
I had never heard of them until I moved to Cincinnati and began working at the theatre, which is located one measly storefront and about 15 strolling footsteps away from the corner of 12th & Vine.
12th & Vine in downtown Cincinnati – Over-the-Rhine – was, during the early 2000’s, known as “The Most Dangerous Intersection in the Country.”
Not in Cincinnati. Not in Ohio. In the country.
That’s a reputation you don’t want to have.
Can you even imagine a professional theatre company housed right on that very corner? Sirens wailing all through performances, the sounds of gun shots and shouting echoing all day and night, buildings on fire? In the morning the Artistic Director would clean needles, bullet casings, and drug remnants from the parking lot, and patrons and staff had to be escorted into and out of the theatre by armed guards. They were told by the police to close down the theatre many times because it was simply too dangerous. They didn’t.
Over-the-Rhine, a historically important neighborhood rich in vibrant culture and history that many people deeply love, hasn’t always been the most spectacular of neighborhoods to begin with (at least in the past 15-20 years), but it was the height of the race riots. Storefronts were burning, everything in sight set ablaze in protest, brutal attacks, scores of violence and fatal shootings, and lines of armed and masked police lined the streets.
Think about how that will affect your audience numbers.
I can’t think of many people who’d come downtown to see a show with national advertising like that.
After all, it wasn’t just your standard “bad part of town.”
It was epically bad.
12th & Vine, the most dangerous intersection in the country.
And the theatre survived.
Amazing.
Also amazing is 12th & Vine today.
And you should totally click this link and see this phenomenal pic of 12th & Vine today!
We still have Officer Nick who takes care of us at the theatre, mostly late at night or early in the morning and always during performances when the cast and patrons are present (because, let’s face it – downtown will always be downtown and a little added security ain’t a bad thing anywhere), but as a whole, without witnessing it first hand, it’s hard to imagine this sunny, renovated, clean, landscaped, urban, modern intersection as what it must have been 10 years ago.
Over-the-Rhine, Vine street, and the immediate 5 block radius around us now hosts over 40 new eateries, bars, and hip shops that have opened in the past year alone.
Three of those restaurants were voted onto Cincinnati’s “Top 10” list and many, many more of which are truly excellent as well, otherwise they would not have survived here. It’s like a college campus – only the really good places make it.
Patrons are no longer terrified for their lives to come to the theatre.
People know they will be greeted by well-manicured, clean, and well-lit streets with lovely trees, flowers and landscaping, and plenty of pay lots, meters, and monitored, renovated parking garages. They know it’s a foodie district full of drool-worthy, upscale eats, chill coffee shops, artsy organizations, trendy boutiques, and mod storefronts. There are bars swarming with people during happy hour, outdoor patios, and the restaurants are packed with business folk, tourists, patrons, and people out for a night on the town. You can even live there now in all the freshly renovated lofts and work right in the heart of the city.
Just up the street, no more than 6 or so blocks, is another story. The revitalization efforts haven’t extended quite that far yet, and you can still get a taste of what it was like before – back in the early 2000s.
It’s really amazing to stop and think about. How 10 short years ago Over-the-Rhine was, at times, a slaughterhouse, and now we can all safely live, work, dine, and play there.
On the intersection of 12th & Vine, where the theatre stood through it all.
And somehow art survives.
And somehow art helps our community flourish and become vibrant again.
