With the exception of Findlay Market, or the monthly Final Friday Gallery Walk, Over-the-Rhine doesn't have the distinction of being a shopping destination.

But that's changing. In less than one year, five stores have opened in the two blocks of Vine Street between Central Parkway and Thirteenth Street: Park + Vine, City Roots, MiCA 12/v, Metronation, and Lucky Step. At least three more, including Embrace Sweets and Outside, are scheduled to open this spring. Including the new Lavomatic restaurant, this little stretch will feature nine stores and places to eat before summer gets here.

And this is just the first two blocks of Vine Street's southern stretch, which also includes the Ensemble Theater of Cincinnati. Further down, there's Venice on Vine and Suder's Art Store in the 1300 block. Go two blocks to the east and find the Art Academy of Cincinnati, Below Zero
Lounge, Coffee Emporium, Know Theater of Cincinnati and Lucy Blue. One block over, Race Street has Devroe's and Enzo's.

These are pretty impressive numbers considering where this area was just two years ago and that a large number of people had largely written off downtown as a place to shop or visit. Now, it's common to find organic bedding, houseplants and apparel for little ones…to name
a few.

Sure, shopping choices have shrunk downtown in recent decades, but people are finding something new in our city's center. And they're not just downtown workers. In fact, our biggest days of the week are Friday, Saturday and even Sunday. Collectively, we've created a new
destination for Cincinnati.

The proof is in the numbers. A majority of Park + Vine's customers, for instance, come from downtown, Over-the-Rhine and Mt. Adams—all in zip code 45202. Large numbers come from Clifton, Clifton Heights/University Heights/Fairview Heights, Hyde Park and Northside.

While all these neighborhoods possess some of the most coveted business districts in Cincinnati, it's clear the city sees value in shopping in Over-the-Rhine.

It is working. Maybe people really do want things they can't find at a chain store. Maybe people are craving a different experience with a downtown vibe where local ownership and independence rule. Or maybe our combined passion for Cincinnati is rubbing off.

It may be all these things and more. Of course, we have our challenges, but we have the upper hand. The local Web site buycincy.com is helping the shop-local movement gain momentum. More people are living downtown. There's broad-based support for the Cincinnati Streetcar. To me, this says that a majority of Cincinnatians want this city to work.