BIGGEST IMPACT ON THE DEFINITION OF A
NEIGHBORHOOD:
Watching Over-the-Rhine mold over the past several years has
been like watching a child grow into maturity. It’s blossomed into a
meaningful, beautiful adolescent with a true, vivacious personality —
but it’s not anywhere close to reaching its peak. The renovation of
OTR’s Washington Park, which will include an overhaul, expansion and
installation of a massive underground garage, will result in a complete
metamorphism of a pivotal metropolitan space and truly streamline OTR
with an already-hopping downtown scene. The $48 million overhaul will
include a dog park, water playground, event plaza and a performance
stage. The park couldn’t be in better company; once it comes alive, it
joins the likes of Music Hall, the burgeoning Gateway District, the new
SCPA and Memorial Hall. 1230 Elm St., Over-the-Rhine, 513-352-4080,
3cdc.org.
BEST PLACE TO FIND CLASSES TO
GET YOUR GARDEN GROWING:
The Civic Garden Center offers classes and training to the public to
foster environmental stewardship and to teach all of us how to grow our
own gardens — including community gardens through a community garden
program, which they started in 1980. If you’re only interested in
growing green in your own backyard, the center offers frequent classes
(generally for $10) on topics like permaculture, composting, organic
gardening, fruit tree pruning and how to build rain barrels. If you want
to take your green thumb to the public, the Community Garden
Development Training program focuses on the technical assistance,
leadership training, horticulture education and start-up materials
needed for Cincinnatians to start their own community garden. The
training program is a free, 12-class series that educates community
residents on how to organize, plan, build and sustain their own
community garden. 2715 Reading Road, Avondale, 513-221-0981,
civicgardencenter.org.
BEST PLACE TO BUMP INTO RYAN GOSLING:
The best “paparazzi” pics from when Ides
of March was shooting in town weren’t of boy George and papa
Nick chatting in Northside or Paul Giamatti devouring Chalupas at the
Norwood Taco Bell (that one may have been a case of mistaken identity on
our part) — they were at the Cincinnati Zoo. The adorable shots of the
adorable Ryan Gosling playing with various adorable animals at the
Cincinnati Zoo fit perfectly in our The Notebook
scrapbooks. And now stalkers know to set up camp at their local pet
shops and zoos if a Gosling shoot ever comes to their hood.
BEST CINCINNATI TRANSPORTATION NEWS OF THIS
CENTURY/MILLENNIUM:
It was a long, rancorous fight — optimistic progressives
versus all those embittered, depressive naysayers who believe there’s no
future for the urban core or Over-the-Rhine — and there are still
skirmishes going on, but construction for the Great Cincinnati Streetcar
started in February outside Memorial Hall. Best of all, during the
years of debate, activities along the route have blossomed — The Banks,
downtown restaurants and housing, a newly remodeled Washington Park, a
revived Findlay Market — so that the streetcar will be connecting
development as much as it will be sparking it.
BEST WAY TO SAY ‘IN YO FACE, NEWPORT!’:
While Newport, Ky. is certainly part of Greater Cincinnati, there’s
always been a bit of competition between the two shorts of the Ohio
River. Newport on the Levee became a hotspot while Cincinnati’s side
was, well, not as hot. Thankfully, that is no longer the case. With our
own brew house, Moerlein Lager House, plus countless other developments
on the Banks, locals now have two riverfront entertainment destinations.
moerleinlagerhouse.com.
BEST PLACE INSIDE THE CITY LIMITS TO FISH:
Green space within city limits outside of a few shabby
patches of grass along the sidewalk is a scarcity. It’s even more rare
to find blue space — water (puddles and fountains don’t count). Find
both at Burnet Woods, the scenic city-park decorated with a lake,
walking trails, a bandstand, a playground, picnic areas, a Frisbee golf
course and ample woodland to make you forget you’re in one of
Cincinnati’s noisier neighborhoods. The staff stocks the lake annually
with bluegill, largemouth bass and channel catfish, and if you’re
ambitious enough, you can take your catch home and have your own fish
fry, as long as it meets the size requirements. You don’t need a fishing
permit, so cast your line ’til your arm hurts. 3251 Brookline Ave., Clifton,
513-751-3679, cincinnatiparks.com.
BEST GUIDED UNDERGROUND TOUR:
Want to see the city from a different angle?
Then make your reservation for the Queen City Underground tour. This
guided tour not only takes you through historic buildings and landmarks
in the Gateway District, which were once home to more than 130 saloons,
bars and theaters (which hosted the likes of Charlie Chaplin and Wild
Bill Hickok), the tour also takes you below ground to explore hidden
burial vaults and the winding tunnels that were vital to Cincinnati’s
brewing history. Tours start at the Cincy Haus, 1218 Vine St.,
Over-the-Rhine, 859-951-8560, americanlegacytours.com.
BEST REASON TO CLEAN OUT YOUR GARAGE:
Before Pawn Stars and Auction
Hunters, there was Antiques Roadshow.
This July, the OG appraisal show will film an episode in Cincinnati and
hopefully make few locals a little bit richer. If you’ve got some
garage gold, apply for tickets (free, but randomly awarded) to the show
by April 16. The episode will air on PBS sometime in 2013.
pbs.org/wgbh/roadshow.
BEST WAY TO BUILD INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS WITH
MUSIC:
Surely you’ve heard about this summer’s World Choir Games, but do you
know just how amazing it is that the event is taking place in
Cincinnati? The Games are the largest choir competition in the world —
think Olympics of vocal arts. This seventh WCG, July 4-14, is the first
to take place in the United States, and Cincinnati will welcome
thousands to the States, many for the first time. The Games will feature
more than 400 choirs from 60-70 countries across the globe. Tickets are
now on sale. 2012worldchoirgames.com.
BEST PLACE IN A BUSY CITY TO STOP AND SMELL (AND
SEE) THE FLOWERS:
Krohn Conservatory in Eden Park has a new florist, Bethany
Butler, whose first show is an urban dazzler. Sparkle
and Bling sets off colorful spring flowers with hand-strung
beads, shining glass and recycled wine bottles. It’s as if Mardi Gras
revelers created the Garden of Eden. And after you visit it, tour the
soothing greenery in the rest of the building. The show is up through
April 8. 1501 Eden Park Dr., Mount Adams, 513-421-5707,
cincinnatiparks.com.
BEST NEW PROPOSAL FOR CINCINNATI’S ONGOING DOWNTOWN
REVIVAL:
It isn’t a formal proposal yet, just an idea being floated
about — but we sure hope it lands on terra firma. As The
Enquirer reported, Cincinnati is trying
to lure dunnhumbyUSA headquarters to a new midrise building at Fifth and
Race that would also include a specially designed “urban” Kroger
grocery store.
We hope it happens, maybe even with a fresh vegetable
garden and salad bar on a green rooftop and a build-your-own
sorbet/gelato station indoors. And we also hope Kroger keeps its
Over-the-Rhine store.
BEST YEAR-ROUND FARMERS MARKET
:
Since 2001, The Northside Farmers Market has been serving the community
locally raised meats, produce, baked goods and other prepared foods.
Setting up shop at Hoffner Park at the corner of Hamilton and Spring
Grove avenues in the warmer months, the market moves to the North
Presbyterian Church (4222 Hamilton Ave.) from November to April.
Regardless of location, every Wednesday from 4-7 p.m., patrons can come
and get their fill of local and organic seasonal foods. You’ll get fresh
veggies in spring and summer, farm-raised turkeys in November and
fermented foods, local honey, micro-greens, eggs, soap, coffee, handmade
goods and more, year-round. Of course they aren’t the only year-round
market (e.g. Findlay Market, Madeira Farmers Market), but the Northside
Market constantly got a great selection of quality and quantity food and
goods. For more information or to see a list of vendors, head to
northside.net.
BEST WAY TO EXPERIENCE ANOTHER CULTURE/RELIGION
WITHOUT LEAVING
CINCINNATI:
Can’t make the mecca to India this summer to have the exotic vacation
you’ve been dreaming of? Yea, neither can we. Luckily, a trip to The
Hindu Temple of Greater Cincinnati allows visitors to become completely
immersed in the world’s third largest religion and experience a culture
ripe with zest, history and color. Especially under rays of sunlight,
the temple looks a bit like something from Aladdin
come to life, and expect to see attendees wearing traditional garb
including bindis and exquisitely ornate saris. Let the setting send you
across the seas; maybe someday, it won’t be just your imagination. 4920
Klatte Road, Anderson Twp., 513-528-3714, cincinnatitemple.com.
BEST PLACE TO IMMERSE YOURSELF IN THE WORLD OF
LITERATURE, MEET A WRITER OR EXPLORE AN ESOTERIC SUBJECT:
The Mercantile Library is so well hidden you’d almost think
they didn’t want you find it. This gem is an urban sanctuary waiting to
be discovered. Channel your inner geek with books more than 100 years
old, plop down in a comfy leather chair with a magazine or just get some
old-fashioned peace and quiet somewhere between the shelves. Members
are also encouraged to bring a lunch; if you’re looking to escape the
downtown bustle, this is the place to do it. Ornate decorations and
artwork scream scholar, but the serenity whispers it. The library also
hosts lectures from luminaries such as Seamus Heaney and Joyce Carol
Oates, special exhibits, poetry societies and book readings. You have to
be a member to check out anything, but members of the public can peruse
to their pleasing any time. 414 Walnut St. #1100, Downtown,
513-621-0717, mercantilelibrary.com.
BEST WAY TO NAVIGATE A BAR CRAWL:
What better way to cruise around town than on a giant, pedal-powered
cart? Jack Heekin and Tom O’Brian created the Pedal Wagon to give locals
a unique way to experience all the bars, historical sites and landmarks
Cincy has to offer. It works like this: Thirteen passengers sit around a
rectangular wagon with pedals underneath the seats. Those passengers
provide the power while a driver steers the wagon along. The Pedal Wagon
can be seen at area parades and festivals, and is available for rented
“Pedal Parties.” The crew plans to join forces with American Legacy
Tours this summer. 513-201-ROLL. pedalwagon.com.
BEST $5 SPENT ON A SUNDAY (OR SATURDAY)
:
Wine! Yea! Market Wines in Findlay Market is the perfect pit stop for
your weekend grocery trip (or a destination in and of itself). With more
than 500 wines in stock, Market Wines does some tasty tastings every
Saturday and Sunday from 11 a.m.-3 p.m. For a mere $5, anyone can stop
in and taste four wines. Then you can buy some and keep drinking, or
head home to take a nap. 128 W. Elder St., Over-the-Rhine,
market-wines.com.
BEST WAY TO REAWAKEN YOUR MIND-BODY
CONNECTION:
Stacy Sims entered middle age as a self-described “alcoholic woman with a
serious panic disorder.” Then she found a 12-step program and Pilates.
In 2010, Sims sold her very successful Pendleton Pilates business to
embark on a year of dance and contemplation, including a trip to work
with trauma victims in Cambodia. Her new mission is the True Movement
program. This program works with clients (long-term Pilates students,
yogis, runners, someone who hasn’t exercised at all, or someone
recovering from a physical or emotional injury) to create wellness
through balance and function. Her private classes focus on a “highly
personal study of how a well body is organized for strength, agility,
peace of mind and flexibility and what a body looks like and feels like
when dysfunction begins to occur.” Sims is also the founder of the True
Body Project, which helps girls engage their bodies and minds in an
intense study of self-discovery and connection with others. She is a
specialist in alignment for injury rehab, pelvic floor issues, anxiety,
addiction and trauma. 513-470-5548, truebodyproject.org.
BEST PLACE TO MEET HOT SINGLES WHILE LIVING IN A
PIECE OF CINCINNATI HISTORY
:
The American Can Lofts in Northside offer green living in
New-York-style, light-filled spaces nestled in an energy efficient
renovated 1920s can factory. With secure entry, urban views, rotating
art shows, special events, low-flow plumbing, well-curated display
remnants of the original factory supplies and a cool neighborhood, it’s
become the place to live. Like a college dorm for adults, this
loft complex is a great place to run into attractive strangers while
paying as little as $525 a month. 4101 Spring Grove Ave., Northside,
513-827-5638, americancanlofts.com.
BEST HISTORICAL LIBRARY:
The Cincinnati History Library in Union Terminal has been
collecting and preserving Greater Cincinnati materials and ephemera
including pamphlets, photographs, manuscripts and more since 1831. Great
for research (and should be considered another riveting historical
aspect of this museum), students, authors, historians, genealogists and
the curious will find one of the most significant regional history
collections in the United States — and a staff of incredibly helpful and
knowledgeable librarians. Definitely worth a stop next time you’re at
Union Terminal. 1301 Western Ave., Queensgate, 513-287-7030,
cincymuseum.org/library.
BEST WILD PARADE
CELEBRATING AMERICA:
Everything seems a little funkier in Northside, and the
annual Fourth of July parade is no exception. Paraders old and young
join in the festivities, donning wacky floats and even wackier costumes
for the mile-long parade route, which is the longest in Hamilton County.
Among the do-gooders, catch scantily clad belly dancers, Segway
advocates, veterans and, of course, the Lawn Chair Ladies Brigade. It’s
been a tradition for the community since 1854, so nothing is half-assed.
It’s the perfect place to do something wholesome with 4,000 other
attendees before you pair alcohol and explosives later on. Hamilton
Ave., Northside, northsidejuly4.com.
BEST NON-STATICY PUBLIC CONCRETE SLIDE:
All slides are not equal. There’s no better way to throw off
the qi of a perfectly pleasant playground experience than with a
static-y slide sending shock waves around your tush. The powers that be
at Alms Parks took that into consideration when they created the zippy
concrete slide, which is a straight, smooth chute that’s fun for kids
and adults alike. Plus, it’s huge. 710 Tusculum Ave., Columbia-Tusculum,
513-352-4080, cincinnatiparks.com.
BEST NEW DOWNTOWN COMBINATION OF HOTEL
AND CUTTING-EDGE ART MUSEUM:
The folks at Louisville’s 21c Museum Hotel — Laura Lee Brown
and Steve Wilson — may or may not have realized the urban trend they
were starting in 2006 by combining a hotel with a museum devoted to the
new century’s most challenging, thought-provoking and invigorating
contemporary art, but it’s become a model that every city wants. That
they chose Cincinnati’s old Metropole Hotel for an early expansion
speaks volumes of their belief in our capacity for arts tourism. This
will be art you’ll want to sleep with. The hotel is set to open late
2012. 609 Walnut St., Downtown. 21cmuseumhotel.com.
BEST PANORAMIC VIEW OF THE CINCINNATI RIVERFRONT:
No, you don’t need to walk over the Purple People Bridge or
drive up Devou Park for the most spectacular view of our river city.
Rather, step back in time by going to the downtown Public Library’s
Cincinnati Room to view the stunning restoration of Fontayne and
Porter’s 1848 daguerreotype photograph of two miles’ worth of the
riverfront. The panorama was returned to glory last year. Pat Van Skaik,
the Library’s Genealogy Department manager, spent years on this project
and it was worth every moment. 800 Vine St., Downtown, 513-369-6900,
cincinnatilibrary.org.
BEST MUSIC-LOVING, FREEFORM-STYLE, IRREPRESSIBLY HIP
ROCK-AND-SOUL DISC JOCKEY IN CINCINNATI:
Mr. Rhythm Man, whose live show on non-profit WNKU-FM at 6
p.m. on Saturdays has become both a joyous institution and a refuge from
the awfulness of local commercial rock radio, keeps spinning those
platters and improvising the appropriate patter to fill the breaks.
Reaching back to the 1950s (or earlier) for the formative R&B of
Richard Berry & the Flairs or the early Drifters (“Honey Love”),
he’ll move through the decades to newer deeply soulful material by the
likes of Alabama 3 or Eli Paperboy Reed. For three hours of weekly
popular-music greatness, tune into 89.7, 104.1 or 105.9 FM, wnku.org.
BEST CATCH AND RELEASE PROGRAM
:
Ohio Alleycat Resource & Spay/Neuter Clinic is a nonprofit
organization that helps control feral cat colonies (i.e. that cats that
live under your porch or car) using humane methods such as their
Trap-Neuter-Return program. TNR is basically what it sounds like. They
lend humane traps to catch feral cats, neuter them with high-quality
spay/neuter services (which they also offer to house cats), and then
return them to their habitat. OAR also runs a small rescue operation
with adoptable cats and kittens. They have placed thousands of
rehabilitated and socialized abandoned cats, after removing them from
their feral colonies, into loving, well-screened homes. They also foster
pregnant females kitties and newborn cats who have limited experience
with humans and are very afraid. 5619 Orlando Place, 513-871-7297,
ohioalleycat.org.
BEST BIG-TIME POWER MOVE:
Last year, the Cincinnati Zoo helped the city become a focal
point of the global quest for a clean energy solution with its huge
solar initiative. The Zoo is saving a bundle on its utility bills, but
the visibility of the installation — the panels cover nearly four acres
of the Vine St. parking lot, making it impossible for zoo-goers (and
commuters) to miss — is the most important aspect. The attention to the
project, both locally and across the country, has led officials in other
cities to take a look at solar power alternatives. cincinnatizoo.org.
3400 Vine St., Avondale. 513-281-4700.
BEST BIG SCREEN COMMERCIAL FOR CINCINNATI
TOURISM:
Cincinnatians usually have to wait for Monday Night Football
to see some breathtaking views of our town that make the Queen City look
like the beauty she truly is. With no MNF for the Bengals last season
(probably a regrettable decision for the NFL the way things tuned out
for the team), Ides of March was a more
than apt substitute, putting some great footage of a glorious array of
local landmarks and cool spots on the big screen. From The Stand in
Mount Lookout to Xavier’s Cintas Center to the Roebling Suspension
Bridge, the intimate, perspective-shifting scenes were much more
compelling than the usual “stadiums” and “nearest Skyline restaurant”
shots of so many bumpers during local college basketball games on ESPN.
BEST WAY TO WORK OUT WITHOUT EMBARASSING
YOURSELF IN FRONT OF A BUNCH OF PEOPLE:
Especially when you’re first getting in the swing of working
out, it can be tough to do it front of a bunch of people. Falling off a
treadmill in the middle of a crowded gym takes its toll on a person.
Clear Wellness yoga/fitness studio caters to antisocial exercisers in an
intimate, private environment; classes are limited to four students per
session. Small classes mean personalized attention and feedback from
your instructor in a judgment-free environment. 2452 Woodburn Ave., East
Walnut Hills. 513-800-9645, clearwellness.net.
BEST PLACE TO ENJOY THE FIRST NICE DAY OF SPRING:
The best things in life never seem to last — that’s why it’s
worth it to hightail yourself to the Hinkle Magnolia Garden in Eden Park
on just the right day to catch the magnolia trees in bloom. A picnic
among these blossoms with a pair of sunglasses and a good book is
serendipity at its finest — the picturesque gazebo and nearby fountain
don’t hurt the mood, either. 1501 Eden Park Dr., Mount Adams,
513-357-2604, cincyparks.com.
BEST SPEAKER SERIES:
Organized in 1835, the Mercantile Library is
a private library and one of the oldest cultural institutions in the
Midwest — its reading room is one of Cincinnati’s most notable and
historic interior spaces. The library offers a vast collection of books
and a rich schedule of events, including the open-to-the-public author
speaker series. The author lecture series this year offers reading and
conversation with authors including Peter Cozzens, Chris Abani and
Cathleen Schine. This year’s prestigious Niehoff Lecture features Irish
poet, writer and Nobel Prize winner Seamus Heaney. Previous Niehoff
Lectures have featured legends including John Updike, Ray Bradbury,
Julia Child, Joyce Carol Oates and more. Lectures generally cost around
$20 (except the Niehoff Lecture). 414 Walnut St., Downtown,
513-621-0717, mercantilelibrary.com.
BEST USE OF THE WORD ‘BITCH’
:
Bitch’s Brew is an all-star powerhouse of talented female poets — a
collective of badass bitches, if you will — organized by writer, editor,
educator and artist Kathy Y. Wilson. With a name paying homage to the
Miles Davis album “Bitches Brew” — and so-named to reclaim the powerful
rights the generally negative term “bitch” — these ladies (“funky
flowerchild” Abiyah; “sardonic loud-mouth” Murray; “punk DJ” Apryl
Reign; and Yvette Nepper, whose graceful way with words inspired
Wilson), come together for regular evenings of fast-paced spoken word
and poetry. The Brew preforms two sets of readings every other month at
The Greenwich Tavern in Walnut Hills. The sets are followed by a
five-slot open mic for anyone who feels so inclined to get up and
express themselves. The Greenwich Tavern, 2442 Gilbert Ave., Walnut
Hills. facebook.com/thebbrew.
