Comments on: Cincinnati: A Midwest Conundrum

By: david

david — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 17:05:20 +0000

Great post. I guess that's why we're talking about it more than a year later. I live in Cincinnati, though have also lived in Seattle, Cleveland, Detroit and NYC, so I think I come to this with a pretty good perspective.
This IS a conservative place. But there is a vocal and active progressive community, as well. It's probably more of a struggle for them than in Ann Arbor or Madison. But they are heard. And they have an impact. Not enough for me, personally. But it is definitely a force.
A couple of corrections &clarifications to some of the earlier – much earlier – comments.
First, the city of Cincinnati is NOT a newcomer to curbside recycling. It's been going since 1989, making the city a fairly early adopter.
Also, with regard to the Mapplethorpe trial. Naysayers and Cincinnati-bashers love to cite the trial as an example of the city's arch-conservatism. The thing they neglect to point out is that the jury, of whom only two had ever been to a museum before, declared that the museum and its director were NOT GUILTY of pandering to obscenity. The jury members believed that they and others were capable of making their own decisions.
The prosecutor – now the county sheriff – is a backward-thinking fearmonger, in my opinion. But the public, as personified by the jury, declined to follow his lead.
Far from being a shameful moment, I think it is one to be quite proud of. If only my fellow liberals would work on their memories.

By: Katy

Katy — Mon, 18 May 2009 18:50:00 +0000

How much difference a year makes.

Cincinnati Rocks.

http://www.northside.net/

Northside’s Community Urban Redevelopment are spear heading LEED redevelopment on a grass roots scale, by building LEED certified homes and redeveloping existing structures to LEED standards!

http://www.wlwt.com/news/19453667/detail.html

OTR, and the Gateway are on the up:

http://www.3cdc.org/content.jsp?sectionId=4

Also, many people would be upset if we based the entire country off of what idiots like Limbaugh and Hannity say; why be irresponsible and paint a picture that the majority of Cincinnatians think Cunningham is more than a mouth breathing moron?

By: Ron Tunning

Ron Tunning — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 15:31:00 +0000

Loved reading your post and the subsequent comments.

Cincinnati is an anomaly with tremendous assets offset by equally significant liabilities.

I've often described Cincinnati as the northern-most southern city, the southern-most northern city, the eastern-most western city and the western-most eastern city.

It really is all of the above, and reflects those characteristics, not only as regards race, but also economic opportunity and growth.

What has most hampered Cincinnati over the past fifty years is its steadfast belief in its own public relations. It has always harbored a certain arrogance about its quality of life, its culture, and its economic stability, not realizing that those advantages are not nearly as pronounced as they once were.

By: The Urbanophile

The Urbanophile — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 01:38:00 +0000

anon 8:05 – You might be right. I have to confess that I based that on only the testimony of my college roommate, who hailed from the west side, who quite possibly was exaggerating for effect.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 01:05:00 +0000

As a lifelong Cincinnatian now living in the NKY suburbs, I think your analysis was very fair. This is definitely a curious town. But, that’s what makes it interesting.

However, I don’t know WHERE you got the notion that, “until recently you couldn’t buy a Playboy Magazine.” That is absoolutely false. During my college days decades ago, I was buying Playboy and Penthouse on a regular basis at a bookstore in Western Hills, the conservative side of town. In fact, Cincinnati was home to a Playboy Club in the 70s on 7th Street near the current Aronoff Center, (Not far from where Larry Flynt had his infamous Hustler Club).

By: Randy Simes

Randy Simes — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 10:45:00 +0000

^Sounds like you haven’t been to Cincinnati in a while. There are more clubs, bars, restaurants and activity during all times of the day and week than there has been in some time. Downtown Cincinnati is really progressing quite nicely and Over-the-Rhine is redefining itself as more of a sustainable neighborhood with residents, local shops and businesses.

If you would like, I could show you all the great things that have happened and I feel convinced that your opinion will be slightly different than the one you just shared above. Cheers.

By: T. Madwulf

T. Madwulf — Mon, 23 Mar 2009 22:52:00 +0000

I grew up in Cincinnati and watched as N. Ky improved its nightlife and built up the area, utilizing its riverfront while Cincinnati remained stagnant, giving into the demands of that asshat Paul Brown, destroyed a popular and historic landmark and replaced it with that hideous monolith of a stadium. I left as the race riots made the rest of downtown impossible to utilize. Now when I visit the places I used to love, they’re rundown or closed. It’s sad. I’m glad I’ve left.

By: Josh Henderson

Josh Henderson — Sun, 15 Mar 2009 20:40:00 +0000

“Ha, ha, ha! Sorry, but give me a city like any other city worth living in…”

I’m from Salt Lake City- believe me, depending on the weekend you’d have to try pretty hard to find something fun to do other than go to a bar. It’s still a city well worth living in. We make our own fun.

By: bmschoedel@gmail.com

bmschoedel@gmail.com — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 03:41:00 +0000

I must say I have an appreciation for the vast collection of architecture, art institutions, and beauty the city offers. Cincinnati was once a boom town. Almost every city has its hay day. I will say that there are only a few things the city needs in order to bring people back to the city center and reclaim the "Queen City" title.

1. Learn to appreciate different cultures and races.
2. Build great public schools in the poorest neighborhoods in order to bring hard working families back to the city.
3. Give jobs to the over the rhine residents in order to restore the german village and architecture to its former glory.

I have seen Venice before I die, fell in love in Paris, and currently reside in Naples. My heart is in Cincinnati and wish to spend my final days in appreciation of what it will become.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Fri, 30 Jan 2009 20:26:00 +0000

“Top notch cultural institutions. Because Cincinnati was a big city early, its moneyed classes were able to endow great regional institutions such as the Cincinnati Art Museum, the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, and Cincinnati Children’s Hospital. I can’t think of a similar sized city in America with this collection of top rank institutions.”

I agree that Cincinnati is a nice surprise, especially if you didnt have much in the way of expectations to begin with. But the obvious exception to the above is Cleveland (for the very reasons listed). The calliber of the institutions(and endowments)there dont get any better no matter what size the city. A notch above Cincinnati. But I agree Cincinnati has alot to offer.