New Albany the defending champion as Neighborhood Derby 2010 gets under way.

It's Neighborhood Derby time again at Broken Sidewalk: Announcing Round One Of The 2010 Neighborhood Derby.

As you may recall, last year New Albany won it all.: New Albany Crowned BS Neighborhood Derby 2009 Champion.

We won because we played to win: Neighborhood Derby voting winding down ... limited supply of Kessler 1/2 pints remain in play.

Now we're seeded first. As my roomie used to say on his answering machine, "You know what to do, and when to do it."

"And the winner is… *drumroll*… New Albany."

New Albany Crowned BS Neighborhood Derby 2009 Champion

This was a marvelous opportunity to talk about the good in New Albany. As neighborhoods go, we're far from perfect, but there is value in articulating what's possible. Congrats, New Albanians.

Neighborhood Derby voting winding down ... limited supply of Kessler 1/2 pints remain in play.

It's the final hours of voting: BS Neighborhood Derby 2009.

Mr. G made a comment during the discussion at Broken Sidewalk, and it is well deserving of citation here. He is writing of the two neighborhoods that made the final, New Albany and Germantown/Schnitzelburg/Paristown.

I love both of these places and for roughly the same reasons–they’re gritty, got history out the wazoo, and a funky atmosphere that which includes residents who care about things even if it means being out of step with more gentrified folk.

Great bars and joints to eat? Yep. Plenty of creatives? Check. A bunch of different churches that care why they’re there and have members coming in from the burbs. You betcha’.

I frequently go to Sunergos for my beans, like Check’s and Flabby’s because they remind me of good old N’Awlins places and was sorry to see the Germantown Cafe close because Steve really did make the best fried chicken.

But you can stretch out more, get a view, and find more choices in the little places in New Albany. Studios has a better beer selection and a menu that lets anybody in your group be happy. We have mo’ better beer, and make it here. I can go the Preston’s on Pearl St. to buy my pens and walk over to Destinations for a better selection of good reading than any Borders holds. The Carnegie Center is a jewel, literally, and all this being on the river caters to some water rat spirit in me, here where I can’t have the sea or mountains.

I’m delighted these two odd neighborhoods made the finals, because they’re scrappy, hard-working, and full of promise, and so often overlooked by more gentrified folk who think the sun must revolve around their center of the universe.

BS Neighborhood Derby Final: New Albany and Germantown-Schnitzelburg-Paristown.

I was supposed to be eating Duck (not "cold" duck) and drinking Thunderfoot tonight, but my stomach turned up sour after a demanding day and I'm recuperating at home. I'm not happy about it, seeing as I've missed three potential evening activities all at once. So be it. Maybe I should be living a bit cleaner.

So far the neighborhood derby voting has been Bluegill's baby, and after he gets finished with his portions of Chef Josh's repast, perhaps he'd like to add his thoughts below. Jeff, feel free to alter this post.

Until then, here's the link to the finals between New Albany and Germantown-Schnitzelburg-Paristown, which upset number one seed Highlands.

Vote here: BS Neighborhood Derby 2009

Remember, folks: Don't be dishonorable.

By the way, rumor has it that Steve Price wants to vote against New Albany, and can't because there aren't any five-year-olds around to help him with Internet access.

BS Neighborhood Derby Final Four: NA vs. Butchertown-Nulu-East Market

When it comes to the BS Crown, the auto workers in Detroit may as well be copperheads in Birdseye.

Vote, or we'll turn it over like Michigan State. And Bob Seger will write songs about us. For Dan Coffey's eight track player.

BS Neighborhood Derby: The Final Countdown

*graphic from tournament host BrokenSidewalk.com

BS Neighborhood Derby, Round 2: NA vs. Clifton.

At the conclusion of the first round of Broken Sidewalk's Neighborhood Derby, NAC regular B.W. Smith proposed "...a new post to fire people up - why vote New Albany over Clifton/Crescent Hill?"

His suggested answers are below:

- We brew better beer. Nuff said.

- You can go and do anything in your tshirt and jeans, including spend three figures on a fine-dining meal at the Windsor, and no one cares.

-It's a realistic possibility that an average joe could own a huge historic home...and for peanuts compared to the other guys.

-YYYY MMMM CCCC A!

-Loop Island Wetlands

-We're in a blue state

Add your own in the comments section, and go vote.

BS Neighborhood Derby: Countdown To The Final Four

Bracket Busting: March Neighborhood Derby Madness.

Mirroring the NCAA tournament our Senior Editor is doing his best to ignore, Broken Sidewalk is holding a neighborhood competition, pitting up-and-comers against some of the more established areas in the metro.

The first round is nearly complete with the New Albany rubber against Beechmont/South Louisville currently in the queue.

The Highlands has posted the most points so far, tallying 163 votes in its defeat of the Anchorage/J-town/Norton Commons area. We've been averaging a little over three hundred readers a day here at NAC the past week. You do the math-- right after you go vote at the link provided.

BS Neighborhood Derby: Final Round 1 Match-Ups Begin

I'll keep you updated. Two clicks per round is all that I ask.

*graphic from Broken Sidewalk