Move Norwood Forward: The Podcast of the Highlands | Norwood, Ohio

In January of 2011, Jay Andress and his daughter, Julie, were stuck in traffic on Wasson Road in Hyde Park when inspiration struck. That would make a great bike trail, Julie said, referring to the train tracks that run parallel to the road. Although Jay agreed, he thought the idea wasn’t feasible because of it’s train use. But after a little research, he realized that the tracks were no longer in use. Eight years later, the idea that Julie had is moving full steam ahead as the Wasson Way Bike Trail.

In July of 2018, the first phase of the trail opened between I-71 and Madison Road, behind Rookwood Commons. Later in 2019, the second phase will open, which stretches over I-71 and runs along the southern border of Norwood before reaching Montgomery Road. And that’s just the beginning.

In this episode you’ll hear about

• the biggest obstacles Jay and the Wasson Way board had to overcome
• how the project is being funded
• what the Wasson Way Bike Trail will mean for Norwood and the surrounding area
• and much more…

Listen here.

Learn more about Wasson Way, including the timeline for construction and how to get involved at WassonWay.org.

Eventually, the Wasson Way Bike Trail will connect with the Little Miami Bike Trail, which runs 78 miles through Southwest Ohio.

Otto Armleder Memorial Park is another bike-riding haven that Jay references in our conversation.

Watch the drone footage aerial tour of Wasson Way

See what a finished, thriving, world-renowned trail looks like by checking out Minneapolis’ Midtown Greenway.

A study of homes near the Little Miami trail found that homebuyers are willing to pay a premium for houses within 1,000 feet of the trail. If the same results held in the greater Cincinnati area, the trail could have an economic impact north of $36 million for homeowners.

Read more about the economic benefits of biking.

I couldn’t find much about Norwood Depot, but here’s some light reading.

Here you can find a more thorough map of the trail’s path, including where the proposed access points will be in Norwood, Hyde Park and Oakley.

Check out this recent article from Local 12 about Wasson Way’s arrival in Norwood.

Like the Wasson Way Project on Facebook.

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Move Norwood Forward aims to shed light on the people, businesses and happenings of Norwood, Ohio that are bettering the city. If you know of a person who should be featured on an episode, nominate them here.

The post Wasson Way Bike Trail is coming to Norwood! appeared first on Move Norwood Forward.

There’s been a lot of talk lately about the Norwood Quality of Life Plan. Maybe you’ve never heard of it. Maybe you’ve been involved with the weekly action team meetings. Wherever you are on the spectrum, this episode is a must-listen.

In the works since late 2017, the Quality of Life Planning Process has brought together dozens (hundreds?) of people from around town. Throughout the process, citizens have worked to cultivate a shared vision for Norwood’s future and put those plans into action.

With the community agreement rollout coming up on February 9, 2019, I sat down with co-chairs Mary C. Miller and Angela Pancella to learn about the origins of this initiative.

In this episode you’ll hear about:

• how the process came together and what happens next
• what the six different areas of our community are that have been emphasized
• why Mary C. and Angela are excited about Norwood’s future
• …and much more

Listen here.

Read the interview responses from the 70+ conversations that were conducted by the steering committee.

Learn more about the Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC) and their Place Matters program.

Check out Woven Oak Initiatives, which is the organization Angela leads.

See what’s going on with Norwood City Council, which meets several times a month.

Here’s the cartoon Angela mentioned when talking about equity.

Reserve your spot at the Community Rollout Agreement on February 9th, 2019.

Whenever you see this, if you want to get involved, send an email to [NorwoodQualityOfLife at gmail dot com].

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Move Norwood Forward aims to shed light on the people, businesses and happenings of Norwood, Ohio that are bettering the city. If you know of a person who should be featured on an episode, nominate them here.

The post What is the Norwood Quality of Life Plan? appeared first on Move Norwood Forward.

Decades ago, the Norwood stretch of Montgomery Road was known as “the pike.” Lined with cute shops and local businesses, the pike was a bustling business district which attracted people from all over Cincinnati. However, since Surrey Square arrived in 1975, many of those businesses have gone away. Enter: Off Pike Market.

In the summer of 2017, Taylor Provins had an idea. “What if Norwood had a market that could bring together local merchants with interested residents?” Something like Findlay Market, but in Norwood and with more than food — jewelers, artists and innovators could be there too. With the help of her husband, Jason Provins, the idea became a reality in November of 2017.

In the 15 months since their first market, the Provins have put on another handful of markets. Looking ahead to 2019, they are primed for even bigger things, thanks to a new location at Victory Park. But, if you ask me, they’re only getting started.

In this episode, we talk about:

• How they organized their first event
• Success stories of local vendors
• Their long-range hopes for what Off Pike Market can do for Norwood
• and much more…

Listen here.

Visit the Off Pike Market website to learn more about the market.

This is the article Jon mentioned about why small businesses are vital to Strong Towns.

Here’s where you can learn more about Shumrick & Leys distillery in Norwood.

Check out Gadabout Donuts and Native State, which were two of the businesses mentioned as rising stars from the market.

Read more about the concept of antifragile, which comes up when Jon asks Jason about Nassim Taleb.

Learn more about Third Spaces, which are vital to a vibrant community.

Like the Facebook Page for the Gem of the Highlands 5k to stay in-the-know about the 2019 event.

A few local businesses that Jason and Taylor mentioned are some of their favorites are Bluebird Restaurant and Churchill’s Fine Teas.

Get in touch with Jason and Taylor by sending an email to [Hello at OffPikeMarket dot com].

#LiveLifeInNorwood, rather than leaving town to work, play and volunteer.

Mark your calendars for 2019 season of Off Pike Market, which will be on the third Saturday of the month, May through September:

• May 18
• June 15
• July 20
• August 17
• September 21

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Move Norwood Forward aims to shed light on the people, businesses and happenings of Norwood, Ohio that are bettering the city. If you know of a person who should be featured on an episode, nominate them here.

The post Off Pike Market: Where Norwood comes together appeared first on Move Norwood Forward.

You may have heard that someone started a podcast about Norwood.

Yes, Norwood, Ohio.

Why on earth would someone do that?

That’s an excellent question and one that I’d like to explain.

You see, that someone is me, Jon Moore, and there’s a perfectly good reason for all of this.

Since moving here in August of 2018 with my wife, Jessica, I have dove head-first into all things Norwood. I want to learn as much as I can about this city. I want to get involved. And I want to see this place reach its potential.

In this pursuit, I decided to start this podcast about Norwood. You can hear my full explanation in the introductory episode below.

Listen here.

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Move Norwood Forward aims to shed light on the people, businesses and happenings of Norwood, Ohio that are bettering the city. If you know of a person who should be featured on an episode, nominate them here.

The post Yes, there’s now a podcast about Norwood appeared first on Move Norwood Forward.