Leaving Cincinnati: pros and cons

Yes. It is finally happening. After years of wondering if I ever would, I will be leaving Cincinnati for good in about a month's time.

As much as I've bellyached about ol' Porkopolis, I must admit there are things that I will really miss about this place. Knowing me, it's mainly restaurants and other places to eat. In no particular order, the things I will miss the most:

Burnet Woods: This has been my backyard for the past five and a half years. I love water and will miss looking at this sight outside my window daily.

United Dairy Farmers: love their cherry cordial, butter pecan, and coffee ice cream and two or three pints for three dollars.....trust me, I have eaten gallons of ice cream from here in the past two decades.

Skyline Chili: I admit to having this acquired taste, the chili, onions, cheese and mustard is a good blend. And they're better than Gold Star Chili

Izzy's: I would bet that these are some of the best tasting rubens on rye outside of New York City. The pickles are so good and I always get an extra potato pancake!

Chicago Gyros: Mmm mmm good.....their gyros, burgers, and baklava are to die for. Will be missed for sure.

The Fountain at the corner of Ludlow and Clifton Avenues: I've always thought it was a neat statue and you may get a nice spray of water on a hot day if the wind blows the right way. 

Adriatico's: some of the cheesiest, greasiest best tasting pizza around. Even the squirrels will have to agree with that.

The Crosstown Classic!

Jungle Jim's: probably the best most interesting grocery store you'll come across in the entire midwest. What it has grown into since our family first arrived in Ohio is amazing. As a kid, I always looked forward to hearing that jungle beat by the "jungle animals" outside the store.

The Taste of Cincinnati: 'nuff said. Every Memorial Day weekend. Although I missed it this past year :(

The Young and Bertke sign, seen from I-75 through downtown.......for years the tin man's arms and legs never moved. Now, they move again, see the video below :)

Alabama's: mm mm good, tiny little cramped spot with 100 people crammed into it, in a line going out of the door, trying to get some of what is probably some of the most famous fish in Cincinnati....

  

Drunk University of Cincinnati students that can be heard in the distance on my street, screaming, laughing, yelling, playing their drinking games, cussing each other out, and jumping into Burnet Lake into the wee hours of the morning.  

The DAAP Building @ U. of Cincinnati, I was once kissed outside this building a long time ago. :)

The Florence Ya'll sign: It's technically not in Cincinnati or even the state of Ohio, but you know. Anytime I traveled down south and returning home, this was often the sign of a trip made safety back.

Frisch's Big Boy: The country fried steak sandwiches, the onion rings, the salad bar, and the cheesecakes/hot fudge cakes :)

Grippo's: some good barbecue chips. The pork skins aren't too bad, either.

"Touchdown Jesus" Thou shalt not have any false idols.....nevertheless, I enjoyed seeing the pre-lightening-strike-burning-up-on-fire Touchdown Jesus coming back from travels up north....

old touchdown Jesus

Touchdown Jesus on fire

The new touchdown Jesus....well, he's not so touch-downy these day.

Donatos: I'm sure there are some fabulous pizza joints in Georgia, but I will surely miss Donatos' tasty flat crust and edge to edge toppings.....ohhhhh.......***makes note to self to stop here three times at least, before leaving the Nati***

Seeing Amish families at Cincinnati Children's. I used to feel bad for them, looking kind of overwhelmed in what has to seem like a big electricity-fueled sophisticated setting with their sick children.....not sure that I'll see too many Amish people in Georgia, let alone Atlanta. 

Riverfront Pizza: Funny, I've never tried their pizza. But I've made quite a few trips across the river to get one of their delicious fish sandwiches on rye and those crispy little chicken wings. 

Things I WILL NOT MISS

Cincinnati dudes: If the very few eligible aren't taken and locked down, the leftovers are just stupid, dumb, idiotic, unattractive, thugged out, gay, lame, or dead. The attractive ones with jobs who aren't thugs are "husbanded up with the quickness." :) 

 


Cincinnati women: Mean, narrow-minded, money-driven, club hoppin', decency-hating chickens. Yeah, I know there's hood rats aplenty in the ATL. But I won't miss the Cincinnati ones. I don't even know that these women actually hail from Cincinnati. But they certainly look like it.

Avondale: I know there's plenty of ghettos/hoods in Atlanta, but good riddance, you ghetto MF.

Richie's: Your chicken was just okay because I had an ex who loved your chicken. Otherwise, I'd put you in the same category as Taco Bell and White Castle, consume only when drunk.

LaRosa's: I think Cincinnati-born folks are programmed from birth to love this pizza. It is just aiiight. It will never come close to being as good as Adriatico's or Donato's.

Things that have always bothered me/messed with my mind, about Cincinnati:

Why IS this? Can you tell me why? LOLOL

They love their Bengals and their Reds here......no matter how completely sorry they may be. They cheer no matter what and they make it to every game. 

Cincinnati weather, or just Ohio weather in general. Horrible. Just horrible. Never seen such bipolar weather in my life. It will not be missed.

This is all I have for now, but I'll have more to add later ;)