Dayton isn't a city that tends to get a lot of national attention beyond the standard Rust Belt narrative. But Dayton has been quietly rebuilding itself into one of the most livable small cities in the Midwest. It's
bike friendly,
immigrant friendly,
LGBT friendly, and
racist-unfriendly. The city has its share of urban problems just like most other cities in the region, but the community here is very strong and is actively working to build a city for all of its citizens. Below is a brief rundown of some of the activity going on in the urban core.
IMG_9702 by
Ethan Kocjan, on Flickr
Greetings, Dayton!
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Ethan Kocjan, on Flickr
Dayton has over 300 miles of paved bike trails, and these new wayfinding signs have begun to pop up along some of them.
IMG_9700 by
Ethan Kocjan, on Flickr
Watersports on the Great Miami River are always a big draw.
IMG_9701 by
Ethan Kocjan, on Flickr
Overlooking downtown is the Dayton Art Institute, which is currently getting a top-to-bottom makeover.
IMG_9707 by
Ethan Kocjan, on Flickr
We'll pop through the McPherson neighborhood before heading downtown.
IMG_9709 by
Ethan Kocjan, on Flickr
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Ethan Kocjan, on Flickr
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Ethan Kocjan, on Flickr
Both the tapas bar (foreground) and Riverfront Grande apartments (background) are new in 2019.
IMG_9713 by
Ethan Kocjan, on Flickr
The Water Street apartments were one of the first new-build housing developments in recent years.
IMG_9716 by
Ethan Kocjan, on Flickr
And this Fairfield Inn was the first new downtown hotel in decades.
IMG_9717 by
Ethan Kocjan, on Flickr
The beautiful Delco Lofts opened last year.
IMG_9719 by
Ethan Kocjan, on Flickr
The Centerfield Lofts are scheduled to open later this year.
IMG_9721 by
Ethan Kocjan, on Flickr
They have a great view!
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Ethan Kocjan, on Flickr
The 2nd Street Market has helped attract more people to the eastern half of downtown.
IMG_9726 by
Ethan Kocjan, on Flickr
These townhouses are a couple of years old now.
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Ethan Kocjan, on Flickr
Another old warehouse on its way to become lofts.
IMG_9729 by
Ethan Kocjan, on Flickr
The Dayton Steam Plant is now an event center.
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Ethan Kocjan, on Flickr
The building on the right is Class A offices, while the building on the left is becoming a hotel.
IMG_9734 by
Ethan Kocjan, on Flickr
Woodard Developments out of Columbus bought this warehouse complex. No word what they're going to do with it yet.
IMG_9737 by
Ethan Kocjan, on Flickr
The new library is still looking spiffy.
IMG_9740 by
Ethan Kocjan, on Flickr
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Ethan Kocjan, on Flickr
More new townhouses.
IMG_9743 by
Ethan Kocjan, on Flickr
One of the first loft conversions in the city.
IMG_9745 by
Ethan Kocjan, on Flickr
The Wheelhouse opened last year.
IMG_9748 by
Ethan Kocjan, on Flickr
Reza's is a new Turkish coffee joint that opened in the Wayne Avenue Coffee District. Dayton has a sizeable Turkish refugee population.
IMG_9750 by
Ethan Kocjan, on Flickr
Crafted & Cured is one of my favorite bars in the city.
IMG_9753 by
Ethan Kocjan, on Flickr
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Ethan Kocjan, on Flickr
A new brewery. There are five in the immediate downtown area.
IMG_9758 by
Ethan Kocjan, on Flickr
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Ethan Kocjan, on Flickr
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Ethan Kocjan, on Flickr
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Ethan Kocjan, on Flickr
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Ethan Kocjan, on Flickr
Some houses being fixed up in the South Park neighborhood.
IMG_9763 by
Ethan Kocjan, on Flickr
People aren't afraid of color in Dayton!
IMG_9764 by
Ethan Kocjan, on Flickr
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Ethan Kocjan, on Flickr
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Ethan Kocjan, on Flickr
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Ethan Kocjan, on Flickr
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Ethan Kocjan, on Flickr
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Ethan Kocjan, on Flickr
Moving into the Oregon District, Dayton's oldest neighborhood.
IMG_9777 by
Ethan Kocjan, on Flickr
Dayton is the second-oldest major Ohio city, so it has a disproportionate amount of antebellum architecture compared to many other Rust Belt cities.
IMG_9778 by
Ethan Kocjan, on Flickr
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Ethan Kocjan, on Flickr
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Ethan Kocjan, on Flickr
IMG_9782 by
Ethan Kocjan, on Flickr
IMG_9785 by
Ethan Kocjan, on Flickr
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Ethan Kocjan, on Flickr
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Ethan Kocjan, on Flickr
This church is now used as a rock-climbing gym.
IMG_9790 by
Ethan Kocjan, on Flickr
IMG_9791 by
Ethan Kocjan, on Flickr
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Ethan Kocjan, on Flickr
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Ethan Kocjan, on Flickr
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Ethan Kocjan, on Flickr
IMG_9797 by
Ethan Kocjan, on Flickr
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Ethan Kocjan, on Flickr
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Ethan Kocjan, on Flickr
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Ethan Kocjan, on Flickr
When it opened, the Neon was a Cinerama theater. It inspired LA and Seattle to open new Cinerama theaters of their own.
IMG_9806 by
Ethan Kocjan, on Flickr
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Ethan Kocjan, on Flickr
Dayton has the oldest electrified transit network in the country, dating back to 1888.
IMG_9811 by
Ethan Kocjan, on Flickr
IMG_9812 by
Ethan Kocjan, on Flickr
IMG_9813 by
Ethan Kocjan, on Flickr
Some more new construction, for the insurance firm Caresource.
IMG_9815 by
Ethan Kocjan, on Flickr
The building in the foreground is being converted into a hotel. In the midground is the late Cesar Pelli's Performance Place tower.
IMG_9817 by
Ethan Kocjan, on Flickr
Dayton's tallest.
IMG_9820 by
Ethan Kocjan, on Flickr
I.M. Pei designed the building in the foreground.
IMG_9823 by
Ethan Kocjan, on Flickr
The Dayton Arcade is undergoing a massive renovation currently.
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Ethan Kocjan, on Flickr
Both of these buildings are part of the same Arcade complex, which spans an entire city block.
I hope this little walking tour was an insightful look into a city that doesn't show up around here very often!