So the story goes like this:  westside girl moves downtown and - WHAT? - that must be wrong because we all know that once a westsider always a westsider, right?  Perhaps in heart and in spirit, but believe it or not, I did it.  I even live on the "other" side of Vine Street.  Only by about 100 yards, so back off.  

When I moved downtown almost five years ago I remember thinking, "Wow, people don’t know what they’re missing, there’s a lot going on down here that they don’t even realize."  I can’t say that too many people are missing anything now; they obviously AREN’T missing it. Anyone who is even remotely curious has come downtown to check it out.  Hang around downtown on a random Tuesday, a weekend day, late night, a Sunday morning and you’ll see it.  YPs, DINKs (is that even a phrase anymore?), empty nesters, young families, out-of-towners.  All over.  They’re shopping, they’re eating, they’re playing, they’re living, more and more they’re riding their bicycles, they’re experiencing, they’re just taking it all in.  And in doing that, they’re making it a better, more interesting, vibrant city center.

Some cities are just starting into the "re-birth" of their downtown area.  Cincinnati is there.  As a resident downtowner I speak with a certain kind of passion and a unique sense of pride about how far we’ve come and the great things that continue to happen. One of the coolest things about living down here is not the ease, the liveliness, the huge variety of things to do every day.  It’s my fellow downtowners.  Nowhere will you find a more engaged, energetic, caring group of neighbors.  We’re in this together and, driven by a shared vision and excitement, have created some of the most neighborly neighborhoods in the city.  What might seem like a business as usual area is one of the warmest collections of people you’ll find.

The usual question of "where do you grocery shop?" appears to have even run its course.  Almost.  For the record, no one who lives downtown finds grocery shopping a challenge.  How can we when we have Findlay Market?  But, seriously, bring on the streetcar.  A more creative soul asked me instead what I would add to downtown.  I came up with: a bookstore on Fountain Square; more green space; a pedestrian only area; and a florist with fresh cut flowers every day out on the sidewalk that beckon me to them.  Am I getting greedy or in need of relaxation?   

Some of the secrets of downtown living?  City Cellars - Brian will help you discover a new love for wines you didn’t know existed.  Roma - the BEST eggplant parm in the city.  Shoe Haus - great European shoes sold by an even greater German couple who ditched the ‘burbs and moved downtown.  Tank’s 2X bus - $1.75 and 20 minutes later you’re delivered to the Delta terminal. The DCI Ambassadors - to whom we owe our clean streets, happy visitors, and never alone feeling.  Having a 4-year old car with only 24,000 miles on it. Running through the riverfront parks and across the bridges at sunrise.  12th & Vine - groceries, gifts, pizzaz. Tiffany. Okay, no secret there; but, really, is there anything that can add dazzle to a city center other than that robin egg blue? I could go on and on. So much to do, so many unique shops, people, ideas weaving this fabric that I now call my homebase, all the way down here, "so far away" from mom and 7 older sisters and families whom I’ve abandoned out west. But guess what: they love it down here too and now have a good excuse to visit regularly.

As I write this, I’m looking out on exciting new construction:  The finally developing Banks and the quickly rising Great American Tower at Queen City Square.  Sure, I’m also reading the latest on the city’s impending lay-offs that we all hope and pray won’t have to happen and will turn around soon.  It’s a tough environment we’re in right now.  But I can’t think of a better place to be weathering the storm than here in Cincinnati.  Why you ask?  Because we’re on roll.  Along with the tightened belts that we all feel, every day I feel something else percolating as I walk through the city center, as I meet with clients, and as I listen, read, and observe.  Look around.  Lots of business is alive and well.  Despite economic challenges, there is constant a buzz in the air that is created by only one thing: the coming together of many things - a diverse collection of people, business, and ideas, all willing to create a new way, a new face, to take it to another level.  It happens only when visionaries and risk-takers decide it’s time; and fortunately for all of us, we’re overflowing with both right now.

The vibe has definitely infected my law firm, Frost Brown Todd.  We’re in the midst of some of the most exciting changes to come about for us in decades.  We’re moving in 2011 to the gem that will be called Queen City Square, soon to be Cincinnati’s tallest skyscraper.  That it’s being built during the worst economic time in most of our lifetimes but is 80% full speaks volumes about what’s happening in our business core.  For us, this move is part of FBT’s commitment moving forward to the city, to our clients, and to all the great people who make our firm tick every day.  Each one will benefit from the energy and excitement that can come only from being part of such a grand, cutting-edge project of such symbolic and economic importance to all of us.  We’re also about to launch something cutting-edge of our very own:  a brand new apprenticeship program for our new lawyers. We’re among only a handful of law firms nationwide who are taking the proverbial bull by the horns, and making this change to build a strong future.  Through this one-of-a-kind program, we will invest in intensive "hands on" training for our new lawyers with the help of our gracious clients, lawyers, and friends who understand that well-rounded excellence is required to sustain a thriving legal community capable of serving a thriving business community.  Finally, we’ve recently implemented a new regional structure that boasts a renewed focus on serving each of the markets we call home.  Cincinnati, the market that houses FBT’s biggest office, couldn’t be a better place to invigorate us.  This is happening because we feel it, we see it, and we want to ensure that this city reaches its full potential.  Risky?  You bet.  But we’re here to stay in a big way. 

Yes, even a law firm has shed the stereotypical overly-cautious lawyer gig and is mixing things up.  What are you waiting for?