An Ode to the Queen City

As we have departed Cincinnati and hope to get our house sold soon (if you know anyone in the market…), we’ve decided to pull together a list on some of the things we enjoyed most during our time in the ‘Nati.  So without further ado…

• Indian Food, particularly Bombay Brazier in Montgomery.  Yes, it’s a true sit-down restaurant and more pricey than many of the other Cincy offerings, but the quality of Indian cuisine we had here always felt worth the additional cost.
• Local/regional chain restaurants, especially Penn Station (for Susan) and Dewey’s Pizza.
• Farmer’s markets – particularly in the past couple years there has been an explosion of weekly markets all around the city.  We had access to a market within 2 miles of our house 4 days of the week through the growing season.  And of course there is also…
• Findlay market – The grandaddy of all the markets in Cincy and open year around.  Although I never brought myself to buy much from the butcher and fishmongers in the inner market, I still enjoyed ogling the offerings.
• Ice Cream!  Graeter’s Ice Cream.  Oh yeah, and UDF (Homemade Brand) is pretty darn good too.
• Being the hometown of Kroger’s.  This allowed us to be the test market for all the concept stores they rolled out, including the fresh fares and marketplaces that allowed us to buy better food while still watching our budget.

Can you tell we like food?   …but switching gears…

• Town squares – Many of the townships and cities, particularly on the I-71 corridor, have nice walkable town squares.  Some of our most frequented include Madiera, Hyde Park, Mt. Lookout, Oakley, Blue Ash, and Mariemont.
• Kenwood Towne Center – Yes, it’s a major mall and has all the headaches associated with it.  However, with us living only a block away, it was our own walkable shopping district.  Passing through the parking lot during the Christmas parking wars was always a particular pleasure.  Also in the vicinity…
• Kenwood Theatre – In a small strip center across from the mall with an Orange Leaf Frozen yogurt and a Dewey’s included.  Kenwood Theatre was a much more intimate boutique theatre we could walk to, carry in Dewey’s take-out, get beer/wine from the concession stands, and even do wine tasings (at one point in time)
• Festivals – Cincinnatians take their festivals seriously.  They enjoy celebrating their Catholicism through a slew of impressive church picnics.  Moreso though, they flaunt their “Germanity” with Goetta-fests, Oktoberfests, and a series of other festivals in MainStrasse (Covington).
• The Cincinnati Reds – Finally becoming relevant again, but always a good way to spend a summer evening.  Tickets are reasonable and easy to get.  Access to pre/post game activities are convenient with the new Banks offerings, Newport across the river, and the ferry to/from The Beer Depot.  Great American Ballpark is a great place to watch a game, while also taking in views of…
• The Ohio River – It may smell funny, have murky brown water, and seem to be horribly polluted…but having grown up in Louisville and lived in Cincy for 5 years afterwards, the Ohio will always hold a place in my heart.

Finally, from a more social/family perspective…

• Location, Location, Location – Cincy was almost exactly half-way between Delphos and Louisville (1.5-2.5 hours), less than 4 hours from Hamilton Lake, about 5 hours from St. Louis, and provided direct and easy access to Lexington for UK sporting events.
• Cycling community – The list would not be complete without recognition of those on two wheels, particularly my friends and teammates from BSM cycling.  Along with the bike racing scene, there was also the QCW time trials, multisport clubs, family riding on the Little Miami Scenic Trail, too many great bike shops to name (but I will plug Element Cycles), an up and coming steel frame builder (!!!!) and a host of other activities to bring us bicycling enthusiasts together.

Susan and I are looking forward to what’s ahead, but will always remember our Cincinnati home. 

As I’m writing this, we are sitting in the airport getting ready to hop the pond to Europe for 3 weeks of awesomeness.  Check back for the full report.