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Your logic is flawed if you are equating protecting your heritage and cultural identity with complacency. It's interesting that every one of those things that you say forms Cincinnati's identity (other than the so-called "race riots", which were anything but) is news that dates back to the 1980s. If the outside world doesn't have anything more current than that to indict us with, then I'll sleep well at night.
And the "loud mouthed" guy that you refer to, well, he was a transplant from New York that we embraced and look how that turned out.
I'd agree with your point about complacency EXCEPT THAT part of Cincinnati's cultural heritage IS a tendency toward conformism, not questioning the status quo or authority, and settling for mediocrity. I really can't figure out a way to expound on this more specifically without sounding offensive toward at least two and possibly three of the subcultures that have made Cincinnati what it is today. Nor are these attributes unique to our community. But I think they are a distinct problem and the reason citizens don't demand more of government and community leaders.
My eyes get a bit twisted in their sockets when I keep reading about Cincinnatians settling for mediocrity. If all Cincinnatians do is settle for mediocrity, then why is there probably the largest concentration of world class cultural institutions in this part of the country? I won't go down the list, everyone knows them. Add to that two well regarded universities, one of which UC's Co-op program should be one of the models of education, created right here at UC. This settlng for mediocrity seems to be a cop-out for anything going on in the City itself which someone finds fault with.
Cite the specifics of anything you find lacking in the City, but don't just say Cincinnatians settle for mediocrity as I don't believe that.
I'd agree with your point about complacency EXCEPT THAT part of Cincinnati's cultural heritage IS a tendency toward conformism, not questioning the status quo or authority, and settling for mediocrity. I really can't figure out a way to expound on this more specifically without sounding offensive toward at least two and possibly three of the subcultures that have made Cincinnati what it is today. Nor are these attributes unique to our community. But I think they are a distinct problem and the reason citizens don't demand more of government and community leaders.
Cincinnati's cultural heritage has always been an undefined creole population that is perpetually dealing with the fact that we're at the crossroads of some very distinct cultural divides in the nation. The South, the North, Appalachia, and the Plains all converge here and it makes for a place in which you will ALWAYS encounter people with which you don't agree. We're also at the divide between urban and rural. Just look at Western Hamilton County. This has a lot to do with our topography as well. It's not all bad though. This is why we've got so many riots in our history, but it's also why we've the hub of so many consumer marketing corporations and the epicenter of national politics. Cincinnati has a weird way of doing things, but it also has a purpose. The last thing Cincinnati should do is try to water itself down to be more like other more popular cities. One thing Cincinnati NEEDS to do is market these unique qualities to the nation as something WORTH seeing. We've got a lot of cultural heritage here that is respected by virtually no one, including the locals.
It is with great objectivity that I call Cincinnati grungy and odiferous. After sensing this, I tuned into the dirt and smells of other cities when I was traveling. There is no doubt in my mind that the sidewalks, buildings, lamp posts, signage etc. need a power wash. Even the wonderful pedestrian comforts lining the Riverfront need a good scrub. I have compared Cincinnati's **** and span to Milwaukee, New York, Minneapolis, and Seattle in the past three months, and I must write that it just isn't keeping up. The smells are not from street vendors, trust me. My olfactory senses are reminded of Mumbai when I stroll up Vine from Fourth Street to OTR.
This is just a personal note because I'm from Milwaukee and visit regularly. In fact I just got back from there last night. There is NO WAY I can let anyone even imply that Milwaukee has cleaner and better infrastructure. Milwaukee has the worst, crumbling roads and bridges in the country. Going back this past weekend brought all sorts of warm feelings because there are some amazing things that Milwaukee does to improve quality of life...but repairing roads aint one of them. I'm sure it has a lot to do with the cold winters and whatnot, but Minneapolis doesn't seem to have the same problem that Milwaukee does. It stands out to me every time...Cincinnati's streets and sidewalks and light posts, and medians are practically gold compared to Milwaukee. Also, Milwaukee has its own problem with bad smells in the form of algae from Lake Michigan. Oy.
All that said, I REALLY miss the Bloody Mary's up there. I grew up expecting some meat in my Bloody (even the diviest bars put a strip of bacon in) and a side chaser of beer. Why is that so difficult to find down here?
Cincinnati's cultural heritage has always been an undefined creole population that is perpetually dealing with the fact that we're at the crossroads of some very distinct cultural divides in the nation. The South, the North, Appalachia, and the Plains all converge here and it makes for a place in which you will ALWAYS encounter people with which you don't agree. We're also at the divide between urban and rural. Just look at Western Hamilton County. This has a lot to do with our topography as well. It's not all bad though. This is why we've got so many riots in our history, but it's also why we've the hub of so many consumer marketing corporations and the epicenter of national politics. Cincinnati has a weird way of doing things, but it also has a purpose. The last thing Cincinnati should do is try to water itself down to be more like other more popular cities. One thing Cincinnati NEEDS to do is market these unique qualities to the nation as something WORTH seeing. We've got a lot of cultural heritage here that is respected by virtually no one, including the locals.
That's also where I disagree with the OP that Cincinnati is better served by abandoning its history and trying to be more "urbane," in that smug east coast intellectual or west coast hipster sense. Columbus often tries that and usually fails miserably at forging its own identity, becoming some sort of midwest blob of wannabe hipster cliches. "It's like the less impressive cousin of Austin." Columbus is at its best when it embraces its Middle American college town self instead, i.e. Jeni's Ice Cream or its well run malls.
Whereas, Cincy already has one of the most legitimately european cultures in the country if you look simply at cultural institutions, architecture and food tastes. It just doesn't get haughty about it like they do in Boston, thanks in part to the midwest and Appalachian influence. It has sophistication without the snobbery. It reminds me of Montreal and New Orleans in that way, albeit obviously German rather than French in influence. Because of this, the city doesn't necessarily have to be less welcoming of outsiders or their ideas, (nor is it, in my experience, despite its reputation otherwise) and shouldn't want to change or diminish the great cultural assets the city already has. Rather, the focus should be on using these assets as a springboard for inspiring other uniquely Cincinnati ideas from the next generation, whether they come from natives or transplants. As a new music fan, I think about Bryce Dessner's MusicNOW Festival as a great example of this, marrying new symphonic compositions with high quality pop and rock performances. LumenoCity also serves as a good cultural example from the CSO. In the business world we have Cintrifuse, the Brandery and CincyTech all doing unique things in the world of VC's and start-ups that are gaining some national attention. I also don't think it's coincidental that the culture and tech scenes are becoming innovative and taking off at the same time, it's similar to what's happened in other cities.
Which mall, Newport? It's okay for movies and places to eat, but I can't think of any store worth shopping at in there other than Barnes and Noble. Rookwood and Kenwood are relatively close, but require driving (meaning you can't shop there during your lunch break if you work downtown) and dealing with commuter traffic if you want to visit to them after work. I've decided not to on more than one occasion, preferring to stay in and order things I could be buying locally from online instead. I can't think of any major U.S. cities that have less downtown retail than Cincinnati, although Detroit would be equally bad if it didn't have the indoor mall at RenCen still.
The tower place mall closing followed the national trend, but most cities have replaced that downtown indoor mall experience with street level mixed indoor/outdoor shopping districts. Cincinnati has mainly filled its downtown street level with bars and restaurants over the past few years, with only a couple of shops that can be entered directly from the sidewalk. The Merc building, Carew Tower, and a couple of the other old buildings have classy indoor spaces that should be part of the revival if they can be refurbished, but there needs to be an integrated strategy using these in combination with street level stores and drawing customers in for all of downtown.
I agree that it doesn't look like it will happen soon, though. It doesn't help that the current mayor put the stop to a downtown grocer at 4th and Race, it's not quite the same as mall retail, but a lot of people in that higher income bracket do all of their shopping at once, and its no coincidence that there are several pricey grocers near Kenwood and Rookwood. A higher end grocer like Fresh Market or Whole Foods would have helped anchor the rest of the retail development for downtown.
Why did this city vote for such an Anti-Cincinnati mayor???
I'm assuming this means the 30 story apt tower and grocery store is being cancelled since this Anti-Cincinnati Mayor has stopped it...he single handidly is going to set the city back 20 yrs if council doesn't grow a spine and stop him.
My eyes get a bit twisted in their sockets when I keep reading about Cincinnatians settling for mediocrity. If all Cincinnatians do is settle for mediocrity, then why is there probably the largest concentration of world class cultural institutions in this part of the country? I won't go down the list, everyone knows them. Add to that two well regarded universities, one of which UC's Co-op program should be one of the models of education, created right here at UC. This settlng for mediocrity seems to be a cop-out for anything going on in the City itself which someone finds fault with.
Cite the specifics of anything you find lacking in the City, but don't just say Cincinnatians settle for mediocrity as I don't believe that.
My question to you would be: When was the last time Cincinnati actually gained a world-class institution? Likely, many or most of them came during Cincinnati's last true growth phase before 1950. What's ironic here is the discussion of a cultural unwillingness to change while promoting all the good things that came about during the last period that Cincinnati embraced it. There is a lesson in there.
That's also where I disagree with the OP that Cincinnati is better served by abandoning its history and trying to be more "urbane," in that smug east coast
intellectual or west coast hipster sense. Columbus often tries that and usually
fails miserably at forging its own identity, becoming some sort of midwest blob
of wannabe hipster cliches. "It's like the less impressive cousin of Austin."
Columbus is at its best when it embraces its Middle American college town self
instead, i.e. Jeni's Ice Cream or its well run malls.
Sorry, but that's total nonsense. I've seen people in Columbus promote the idea of learning what works for other cities given that so much of the population is from elsewhere, but taking good ideas and adapting them is not exactly the same thing as trying to be another city. Good ideas are still good ideas regardless of where they come from. And I'm also fully of the opinion that a city does not need to drag along a specific, defined identity. That, imo, is far too restricting. There is a lot to be said for preserving cultural and historic heritage, but it should not come only so that a city can cling to a narrow idea of what it should be. That, to me, is Cincinnati's biggest problem.
Jeni's is a homegrown business. Why shouldn't Columbus be proud of successful things like that? Because it doesn't match some label? Come on. Do you demand Cincinnati not be proud of its chili because it may not match its European influences?
Jeni's is a homegrown business. Why shouldn't Columbus be proud of successful things like that? Because it doesn't match some label? Come on. Do you demand Cincinnati not be proud of its chili because it may not match its European influences?
The chili is most certainly European in origin, southern European in fact. It reminds of a greek dish of baked pasta with spiced lamb that's very similar to Cincy chili spice and topped with cheese.
Also, I'm saying Columbus should be and obviously is proud of Jeni's. It fits the city's cultural identity well, and I think it's a perfect fit. OSU, L Brands, Abercrombie are also great fits. I think Columbus gets off the rails in embracing things that are not entirely true about itself as a city, or more so in pretending that things are true about it that aren't before their time. It's not a fashion center, for instance, yet the mayor suggests that it's important in this way. Statements like that make people outside the city roll their eyes and see the city in a lesser light simply because it's not ready to compare to known global fashion centers like NYC, Milan, Paris, etc... or even regionally to Chicago.
Cincinnati likewise shouldn't try to be anything it's not, it's not going to be Dallas or Silicon Valley, but instead build on what it already is. People act like you can't have Cincy's world class institutions, Cincy chili or Octoberfest and a health research corridor, a streetcar or protected bike lanes at the same time. It's not true.
Why did this city vote for such an Anti-Cincinnati mayor???
I'm assuming this means the 30 story apt tower and grocery store is being cancelled since this Anti-Cincinnati Mayor has stopped it...he single handidly is going to set the city back 20 yrs if council doesn't grow a spine and stop him.
Yep. The tower's going up with only 200 instead of 300 units and the city would now be on the hook for a big parking garage underneath rather than the grocery. So the end result is few savings on the original plan and less of what the city needs (housing and a downtown grocer) and more of what it doesn't (high rents and parking spaces.)
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