Urban Eden

I've lived in Cincinnati my entire life, but until recently I've never had a desire to explore it. I interned at Cincinnati Magazine for a few months in college, and that was when I actually developed a desire to learn more about my city.

Over-the-Rhine (OTR) is the up and coming part of Cincinnati right now. There are tons of cool bars, restaurants, and boutiques - with more opening shortly! It's a great place to hang out, whether you are looking for a quiet Saturday morning or loud and crazy Friday night.

I recently took an entire Saturday and dedicated it to exploring OTR. I'll be sharing all about my adventures over the next few months, but I'm going to start with what I think was my favorite experience of the weekend.

Welcome to Urban Eden. I walked in and initially just thought it was a cute little shop that sold work by local artists - pottery, paintings, jewelry, jams, notecards and more. It definitely was - but the experience I had made the shop so much more than just an art boutique.

The owner, Julie, greeted me when I entered the store. I asked her if I could take some pictures for Passing Daisies, and her answer was, with a smile,  "Sure, as long as you only post nice things!" Naturally - how could I possibly say anything bad?!

Let me tell you - Julie knows everything. Seriously. I was blown away by her knowledge about the city and her willingness to tell me all the details about everything she sells. She knew every artist, where they lived, and what their most popular pieces are. She could tell me why she decided to sell their work and how their pieces related to Cincinnati history. We also talked about Senate, known primarily for their gourmet hot dogs and creative street food. She disappeared for a minute and came back with her personal, autographed copy of the restaurant's new cookbook (I want to buy it!).

"I wanted to show you this!" she said. She flipped through the pages and pointed various things out to me, all because I had mentioned that I loved food and had heard good things about Senate.

All I can say is that Julie is AWESOME. And check out Urban Eden, even if you don't buy anything. The customer service alone will bring you back the next time you're in town.