BC celebrates 1st anniversary

Building Cincinnati is one year old today.

I really didn't know exactly where I wanted this blog to go when I first started.

When I look at January and February, I see a lot of random posts, suburban housing developments and "(Insert neighborhood here) gallery added". I was averaging about 20 posts per month and my readership was pretty weak.

At that time, I didn't know if I'd have enough content to sustain the blog, and I didn't know if there was enough local interest to keep the project viable.

I now have a much better idea, and I'd like to think that I'm doing a pretty decent job at it. Readership continue to grow every week, now up to several hundred unique visitors daily. Pretty decent numbers, but they could be much better.

I have made quite a few local contacts and have had opportunities opened up to me. I have continued to try to add features that will help both my humble blog and those of others who are trying to promote this City.

And I have tried to keep the blog focused by sticking to my core beliefs:

* Cincinnati has a rich architectural heritage, which should be celebrated.
* Cincinnati is not "dead", and there is a lot going on if you quit complaining and look around.
* Cincinnati needs more cheerleaders and fewer haters. (But that doesn't mean that one should never be critical.)
* Cincinnati has many unsung heroes working to improve their neighborhoods one house, street, or block at a time.
* Cincinnatians deserve walkable, clean and pleasant environments.
* Cincinnatians deserve several transportation options and all should be accomodated.

There are many more, which I'll be happy to share at a later occasion. You get the idea.

In the future, I'd like to add more content pages with more historical information. I might want to add a writer or two. And I'd definitely like to improve the photo galleries.

In short, I'd like to continue to grow this thing into one of the best websites in the City - one that residents just HAVE to read!


What can I do to help?

The best thing you can do is to keep reading. You can subscribe by RSS feed or by e-mail - just look in the left-hand column. And then tell a friend!

Another thing you can do is to take a short survey that I've put together. It's only 20 questions, and most of them are multiple choice. I took it and finished in a couple of minutes. This survey will help me determine who you , my reader, is and will allow me to make changes to my site that will be more useful for you.

I am also accepting donations via PayPal. Be sure to send your donations to buildingcincinnati@gmail.com.

You can also buy a $3.99 Building Cincinnati bumper sticker. These bumper stickers are based upon the blog's masthead and are being sold through my CafePress store, which is in its infancy. So far I have sold...zero. Be the first!

In the interest of full disclosure, all donations and purchases will be used to pay for:

* Web hosting, which will allow me to expand this site
* Transportation costs to collect more construction and neighborhood photos
* Business cards to help pass the word along
* Office incidentals