by abbottasmith » Fri Feb 3, 2023 5:45:21 am
I live in Cincinnati these days and plan to attend the game with my wife. For those traveling here for the first time welcome. Dowtown sits on an oxbow in the Ohio river where four major rivers flow into the Ohio. The downtown is in a bowl ringed by hills. The main downtown is flat but venture afield and the city gets really hilly. All those rivers have an impact.
There’s a great beer scene here. The city has a long German Catholic heritage and that led to a thriving range of beer styles. For example Taft brewing does a wide selection of mild session beers that span a variety of flavor profiles. And they have an OTR location near the stadium. Brink brewing in the College Hill neighborhood won the microbrewery category at the national beer festival multiple time for good reason. Their dark beers are excellent. South of the Ohio river and you can access the KY Bourbon trail.
Things to see. The Over The Rhine or OTR neighborhood is near the stadium and has restaurants, shops and boutiques. It also has the Findlay Market which is a baby brother to the Pike Place Market. The riverfront includes all the non soccer stadiums as well as the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center. There are three main art museums here with the Taft and Contemporary museums being downtown and the Cincinnati Art Museum being on the hill just east of downtown. The main museum is free and only charges for special exhibits.
It’s an interesting city with a history that stretches back to just after tge Revolutionary War. Lots of interesting architecture. Prior to railroads it was the largest inland city in America. The dowtown Hilton has a cool Art Deco bar.
Three foods stand out here. First is the chili. This ain’t Texas. Cincy puts the kitchen sink of aromatic spices in their chili. Then they make it thin and put it on spaghetti with cheese and other toppings. If want the full experience, order the 5 way. Second is Goetta. This a German pork sausage amended with grain. This gives it a loose body a chewy texture. Most breakfast places serve it. Finally there’s Graeter’s ice cream. This Cincy product gets shipped around the world. I personally prefer Aglemessi’s ice cream because they use better chocolate, but give either a try.
One final note, Cincinnati is more conservative than Seattle. It is a very Catholic city. The Creationist museum and the Ark Experience are just south of here for a reason. The city hasn’t elected a Republican mayor in over 50 years but that can be misleading. The city is very proud and very inward focused. If a local asks where you are from they expect to hear what Cincinnati highschool you attended. The east side and west side communities rarely mingle. Also note that neighborhoods here are very schizophrenic. You can get in a very dodgy area very quickly. It’s a safe city but stay aware. The new soccer stadium and the OTR are both examples of gentrication.