Downtown Dayton & Oregon District - One and the same?

Many if not most people in the Dayton region consider the Oregon District as part of Downtown Dayton.  Those of us that live downtown know that the OD and CBD (Central Business District) are actually two separate districts.  Not to mention that if you are at a Dragons game, Canal Street Tavern show or Cannery Art Gallery event - you are in yet another district - Webster Station.  While I believe these three distinct neighborhoods deserve their own identities, I along with many others have often wondered why these three downtown districts (along with Wright Dunbar, Grafton Hill and McPherson Town) aren't marketed together.  One main reason:  the downtown S.I.D., or Special Improvement District, and the boundaries that have dictated who pays the S.I.D. tax and gets included in the overall marketing that is provided by the Downtown Dayton Partnership.  This organization was formed in the early 90's and is responsible for the bi-annual Urban Nights event, Holiday Festival, Street Ambassador program, First Bloom downtown beautification program (along with Wegerzyn Gardens), and various business retention programs, etc. 

The following article indicates a major shift in thinking, as the DDP appears to have convinced the OD to join forces.  I agree that this new partnership can be mutually beneficial (as long as they play nice together), and the potential for a longer-term consolidation means more bang for the marketing buck.  And as the region struggles to consolidate even the simplest things like emergency dispatch, the urban core of Dayton is coming together to build the synergies necessary for growth - all while maintaining the individual neighborhood identities that define our city.

Link: Partnership to provide services in Oregon District - Dayton Business Journal:.

The Downtown Dayton Partnership will start providing services to the Oregon District Aug. 6.

Members of the Oregon District Business Association ­-- composed of businesses on Fifth Street and within the historic neighborhood -- entered into a one-year contract to receive services from the partnership, according to a release issued by the partnership Tuesday.

How walkable is YOUR neighborhood?

Here is an interesting website I came across while catching up on UrbanOhio.com - www.WalkScore.com.  I tried it for where we live in Downtown Dayton and we scored a 94 out of 100.  And yes, that is one of the reasons we enjoy living here - we can walk to places and leave the car in the garage!

What is YOUR score?

Thank you, South Park!

Last evening I had the pleasure of attending a fantastic neighborhood party in South Park, thanks to an invite from our friend Maureen (a contributing blogger on MostMetro).  I met a lot of great people, and I could tell right away that this was a tight-knit community.  Conversations about each others rehab experiences could be heard all around - a subject that seems to be the common denominator that unites this diverse and eclectic group of urban enthusiasts.  And a remarkable thing I noticed was the fact that the owners of the two development groups who are busy rehabbing dozens of historic homes (Theresa Gasper of Full Circle Development, LLC. & Michael DiFlora of The Home Group LLC with their respective spouses Dave & Holly) were right there with everybody else, and they too were very much a part of this community.  If one didn't know any better, it would have been easy to assume that these two couples were simply fellow neighbors who lived next door.

This is exactly what it means to live in a vibrant urban community.  People invest in the neighborhood not to simply flip a quick buck but because they are passionate about the neighborhood.  Neighbors don't just know each other - they look out for one another and form tight friendships.  People are tolerant of each other's differences, and diversity is considered an asset.  And neighborhood parties are not rare but common.  In fact, last night's party was the second of three scheduled for this summer!

Thanks to everybody I met last night - especially Kathy (who hosted the first half of the party at her house) and Kevin & Amanda - who hosted the second half at theirs).  It was great meeting all of you and I look forward to the next time...