So here's Susan Gets Native Guide to Cincinnati:
- The circle freeway in Cincinnati is I-275. I think of it as a clock...Tri-County Mall is at 12, Northern Kentucky is at 6, and so on. and I-275 goes through three states: Ohio, Kentucky, and Indiana.
- The two main "artery" expressways are I-75 and I-71. I-75 travels along the west side of town and I-71 goes along the east. They also merge to become I-75/I-71 in Northern Kentucky.
- The two big sports teams are the Reds (Baseball) and the Bengals (football).
- Food that Cincinnati is famous for: First and foremost, SKYLINE Chili. It's not a Tex-Mex chili...it is a Greek recipe developed by an immigrant who will now go down in history as the Father of Cincinnati Chili. Two of the best ways to have Skyline...with spaghetti and topped with cheese, or a coney: Hot dog, steamed bun, chili and cheese. Another Cincy favorite is Montgomery Inn ribs. And Graeter's Ice Cream. If you come here, I will personally take you out to get all three.
- Cincinnati was founded mostly by German immigrants, and you can tell by some of the traditional foods: One is Goetta. (That's pronounced ged-da) It's basically oatmeal sausage. Don't knock it until you try it. Some smart-ass called it "Cincinnati Caviar".
- Our airport isn't in Cincinnati. It's in Kentucky. I know, I don't understand it either.
- With the northern growth of the metropolitan area, it is theorized that someday Cincinnati and Dayton will be merged. (Like Dallas/Fort Worth)
- You can guess someone's age by what they call State Route 126. If you are over 30, you call it "Cross County Highway". If you are younger, you call it "Ronald Reagan".
- Old timers here don't pronounce Cincinnati the way the rest of us do. I remember my grandmother, who was born in 1900, calling it "Cincinnatah".
- We hold the second largest Oktoberfest in the world. "Eins, zwei, drei....G'SUFFA!" Come enjoy Gemutlichkeit in your Lederhosen!
- If you need a hospital while you are here, most of them are near the University of Cincinnati. All of them are sitting on top of what we call "Pill Hill". University (General), Good Samaritan (or Good Sam, as we call it), Deaconess, Christ...all in the same area.
- Unfortunately, the majority of Cincinnatians are Conservatives. But there are small pockets of good ol' pinko liberals....like in Clifton, an area near University of Cincinnati. That's where you go to see (or be) the freaks. Independent films, hemp clothing, forward thinking people...you can get it all in Clifton.
- Famous people who were born in, or lived at one time in Cincinnati:
William Howard Taft-27th president
Albert Sabin-creator of oral Polio vaccine
Tony Snow-current White House Press Secretary (Yuck)
George Clooney (Oh, yeahhhhhhhh)
Rosemary Clooney
Doris Day
Ted Turner
Carmen Electra
Annie Oakley
Sara Jessica Parker
Tyrone Power
Roy Rogers
Stephen Spielberg
Jerry Springer (he was a news anchor, mayor, and that guy who got caught when he paid a hooker with a check)
Andy Williams
98 Degrees (Boy band from the 90's...lead singer was Nick Lachey, that guy who married Jessica Simpson)
Harriet Beecher Stowe
Pete Rose
Charles Guggenheim
*from areas surrounding Cincinnati or just from Ohio, because I like making lists:
Neil Armstrong
John Glenn
Erma Bombeck
Dorothy Dandridge
Clark Gable
Thomas Edison
Dean Martin
Paul Newman
Halle Berry
Drew Carry
Arsenio Hall
Gloria Steinem (Burn those bras, ladies!)
Tecumseh
Warren Harding-29th president
Rutherford Hayes-19th president
George Custer
Ulysses S. Grant-18th president
James A. Garfield-20th president
William McKinley-25th president
*Notice all the presidents from Ohio? Ohio is called the "Mother of Presidents". Eight were from here.
Now, no post of mine would be complete without a bit of humor.
Check out this ad from back in the day:
Check out this ad from back in the day:
Are YOU everyone's PAL?
