Cincinnati has a well-established design district. Major design and branding firms such as Marsh Inc, KZF Design and Reztark Design Studio all sport stylish offices along 8th Street northwest of downtown.
But a few minutes' walk north of this district lies another stretch that appears to be on its way to becoming a design district of a different type. The storefronts along Main Street in Over-the-Rhine are rapidly filling up with ventures spearheaded by young design professionals, and the neighborhood appears to be welcoming them with open arms.
"It's a nice new energy on the street," said Julie Fay, owner of Urban Eden contemporary crafts and fine art, partner in Iris Book Café and one of the founding trustees of Merchants of Main Street. She estimated that most of the non-restaurant businesses that have opened on Main Street in the past year have been design or design-related businesses, many owned and founded by industrial and fashion design graduates from UC's College of Design, Architecture, Art and Planning (DAAP).
DAAP graduate and
Losantiville Design Cooperative co-founder John Dixon said a combination of factors are drawing design-, art- and craft-oriented professionals to Main Street. For one thing, the rent's pretty cheap.
"Our whole purpose was to have a transparent studio," he said, nodding to the studio's tall storefront windows. "You can rent a warehouse for cheaper than this, but you're a little cloistered. "The affordability and knowing things are going on down here makes it really cool."
Those 'things going on' include Final Fridays, monthly events where the art studios along Main Street open their doors into the night for an arts-focused block party. Dixon said Losantiville sees a lot of foot traffic from Final Friday gallery visitors who stop in to investigate the collective's furniture, lighting and sculptural work.
"It's cool to see people who are generally into this kind of stuff coming in here," he said. Now, the design-friendly makeup of Main Street appears to be maturing. Rather than purely client-facing design businesses or studios, the district is starting to attract businesses aimed at serving the designers themselves.
Alisha Budkie plans to open
Smartfish Studio and Sustainable Supply on Main Street later this summer. While the DAAP graduate does plan to include studio space in her business - she designs and fabricates a line of women's footwear - she also intends to provide fellow designers with access to sustainable, high-quality material for their work.
"I've seen how hard it is to source materials," she said, noting that as a design student, she spent a good deal of time finding the right materials for her work.
And based on Budkie's experience as she prepares to open her business, the other tenants of Cincinnati's new design district will welcome their new neighbor. "I've just found that whenever I've asked for help I've received it," she said. "Whether it's advice or support, I've received it."
Writer: Matt Cunningham
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