Reviews
Kyle Ezell, an urban planner and author from Columbus, Ohio, said Elmwood's increasing star power was inevitable. e~I knew that was going to happen,e(tm) said Ezell, who surveyed 42 neighborhoods in 30 cities for his book of ratings called e~Get Urban.e(tm) Unique and alluring e~seede(tm) businesses, such as Kuni's, that settle in before high-wattage popularity clicks on, are the keys to attracting attention so that city districts take off, he said., Urban dwellers might scoff at these seemingly elementary questions, but they are legitimate concerns to the millions of Americans who have never known anything but life in the suburbs, says Kyle Ezell, a city planner in Columbus, Ohio, and author of 'Get Urban,' a how-to guide for adopting an urban lifestyle., When Kyle Ezell touts the joys of urbanization, he isn't just blowing smog. The author of Get Urban! The Complete Guide to City Living and other handbooks -- which are full of tips encouraging suburban folks to migrate back to the city -- is also a seasoned city planner with firsthand experience in urban-redevelopment projects., Urban dwellers might scoff at these seemingly elementary questions, but they are legitimate concerns to the millions of Americans who have never known anything but life in the suburbs, says Kyle Ezell, a city planner in Columbus, Ohio, and author of e~Get Urban,e(tm) a how-to guide for adopting an urban lifestyle., "Another useful book is 'Get Urban! The Complete Guide to City Living' by Kyle Ezell. It is filled with information on the best urban neighborhoods in any one of 35 cities in the US. Each is analyzed for its benefits, along with tons of advice on how to make the most of urban life. If you're thinking of moving to a new location, you will greatly benefit from the data and insights provided on cities such as Los Angeles, Baltimore, Jacksonville, Las Vegas and many others." Alan Caruba, Bookviews.com, June 2004 "Kyle Ezell probably wouldn't describe himself as an urban tour guide, but if you've ever wondered if the asphalt is grittier on the other side of the highway, he'd be the man to ask. The Columbus city planner's first book, 'Get Urban!' (Capital Books), profiles 35 urban neighborhoods by atmosphere, architecture and location. It's also a smart, accessible reference manual for anyone interested in negotiating the uniquely rewarding challenges of modern urban living. Ezell distinguishes between suburban and urban landscapes (cartoon squiggles versus grids), explains the potential indicators of a successful urban area (a businesses' proximity to a street curb versus its nearness to a wireless zone), and highlights some unusual side-effects to city living (the dreadful tunnel effect of downtown high-rises)." Nikki Davis, Columbus Alive, June 2, 2004 "City planner and author Kyle Ezell will tell you that when it comes to urban living, most people don't know how to match their personality and tastes with a downtown neighborhood. Ezell, who is the project coordinator for Urban Revitalization in Columbus, Ohio, and author of 'Get Urban,' is a dedicated city-lover.... Ezell is also the founder of Get Urban America, an organization devoted to revitalizing cities with new urban dwellers and ideas. 'Get Urban' is a primer for the would-be urbanite that begins with a quiz to discover your true urban style." Frances Ingraham Heins, Albany Times Union, May 30, 2004 "The Columbus, Ohio, planner believes his profession's fixation on talk of zoning codes has distracted everyone from a more urgent problem - getting suburbanites to notice that smallish cities have neighborhoods capable of making even finicky sorts happy. His book is a guide to cool city neighborhoods across the country, including the Elmwood Avenue district....The former Tennessee country boy writes to gently teach suburbanites how to choose city neighborhoods to best fit their personalities....He developed four categories of such city sections he calls 'urbs' for their contained cluster of shops, parks, housing and other assorted amenities that exist in cities he has profiled, including Omaha, St. Louis, Wichita, Phoenix, Jacksonville and Buffalo." Michelle Kearns, Buffalo News, April 20, 2004 "For suburbanites who yearn to take up urban living, a Tennessee native who grew up in a small town has written a book offering some guidance.... Ezell, a project coordinator for urban revitalization for the city of Columbus, Ohio, clearly is a passionate and idealistic urban dweller....Ezell's book lays out what to look for in urban neighborhoods, using layman's language, not the urban planning-ese so often used to confuse neighborhood people trying to figure out why a certain zoning restriction overlay is needed." Richard Lawson, The Tennessean, April 1, 2004 "In 'Get Urban: The Beginners' Guide to City Living,' Ezell helps his readers determine which of four main types of urban settings, or 'urbs,' is best for them....In his book, Ezell profiles 47 examples of these four kinds of urbs that he has found in 35 American cities which he deems desirable places to live...And he goes into urban survival skills, including searching for a city home, dealing with the threat of crime and, above all, learning the joys of walking instead of having to drive." Claudia Pearce, San Diego Union Tribune, March, Kyle Ezell, an urban planner and author from Columbus, Ohio, said Elmwood's increasing star power was inevitable. 'I knew that was going to happen,' said Ezell, who surveyed 42 neighborhoods in 30 cities for his book of ratings called 'Get Urban.' Unique and alluring 'seed' businesses, such as Kuni's, that settle in before high-wattage popularity clicks on, are the keys to attracting attention so that city districts take off, he said.
Table of Content
CONTENTS Preface 1 Introduction: This Book Can Change Your Life Are you ready for a life adventure? Normal Suburbia "Weird," Exciting Urbia The Ready and Willing Urban Migrant Changing Your Values Systems Urban Draws and Suburban Flaws Let the Transformation Begin 2 The Urban Quality Checklist Ten universal elements to look for in a quality urban environment 1. Choose a Close-in Urban Location 2. Position Yourself 3. Seek Out "Mallternatives" 4. Look for Active Sidewalks and Streets 5. Notice Construction 6. Find the Places That Offer Transportation Choices 7. Find Great Urban Parks 8. Seek a Wide Diversity of People 9. Find Creative Places 10. Detect Urban Optimism 3 Finding Your Urban Lifestyle "101" A ten-step mini-course that will help you find an authentic city life. Lesson One: Go Toward Trendy Lesson Two: Understand Urban Energy Lesson Three: Identify Urban Street Shapes Lesson Four: Avoid Streets with Suburban Shapes Lesson Five: Rethink "City" Lesson Six: Identify the Authentic City Lesson Seven: Conceptualize an "Urb" Lesson Eight: Detect Urb Personalities Lesson Nine: Beware of Fake Urbs Lesson Ten: Recognize Different Types of Urbs 4 Post-Industrial Urbs: Every City Has a "SoHo" The Rustbelt is Cool SoHo Started it All That Edgy Post Industrial Feeling Post-Industrial Markets The Loft Qintessential Urban Living Post-Industrial Style Post-Industrial Urb Examples The Old Market, Omaha Southside, Chattanooga Historic Third Ward, Milwaukee River Market, Kansas City Shockoe Slip, Richmond Bricktown, Oklahoma City Downtown Memphis Downtown Dayton The Strip, Pittsburgh Historic Core, Los Angeles WashHo, St. Louis Old Town, Wichita You Are a Post-Industrial URBanite if you ... Finding the Post-Industrial Urb(s) in YOUR City 5 Garden Urbs Every City has a "Savannah" It's Cute. It's Quaint. It's an Urban Garden The Parks of Garden Urbs Lush Gardens "Martha Stewart" Homes The Model Garden City - Savannah Garden Urb Examples Old Louisville Mount Vernon, Baltimore Quawpaw Quarter, Little Rock Historic East Nashville German Village, Columbus, OH Soulard, St. Louis Roosevelt, Phoenix Oregon, Dayton Near East Lexington Springfield, Jacksonville You are a Garden URBanite if You ... Finding the Garden Urb in Any City 6 Eclectic Urbs Every City has a "Greenwich Village" Calling Diversity Funky Defined Greenwich Village -The Original Eclectic Urb Eclectic Urb Examples The Short North, Columbus, OH Northshore, Chattanooga Little Italy, San Diego Ohio City, Cleveland Northeast Quad, Indianapolis The Fan District, Richmond The Elmwood Village, Buffalo East Rochester You are an Eclectic URBanite if you ... Finding the Eclectic Urb in Any City 7 Blank Canvas Urbs Every City has a "Detroit" Introducing a New Movement-Urban Activism That Blank Canvas Feeling Latent Urban Energy Detroit: A Gallery of Blank Canvases Blank Canvas Urb Examples Fort Worth South Farrish Village, Jackson, MS Inside the Inner Dispersal Loop of Tulsa Downtown Huntsville, AL Downtown Las Vegas East Village, Des Moines Solo, Kansas City Midtown, Birmingham King-Lincoln, Columbus, OH You are a Blank Canvas URBanite if you ... Finding the Blank Canvas Urb(s) in Any City 8 Consid
