Cincinnati's Numbers Game (Columbus, Dayton, Fairfield: home, neighborhood, camping)

[babigyrl5]

Originally Posted by unusualfire

To me, it sounds like you are single and can't find a man babigyrl. Good luck with your search.

very true! lol

[babigyrl5]

Originally Posted by Cincy-Rise

babigyrl5, what kinds of things are you into? Maybe I can help in your nightlife search.

open mic's, drag shows, NBA/NFL games, wine tasting, cooking classes, boutique shows, street car racing, paintball, laser tag, just about anything really...

[aquila]

I don't want to hear this B.S. that there is nothing fun to do in Cincinnati. I've heard people say that for years, and I honestly think they are too lazy to look around for all the fun stuff there is to do here.

Open Mics: What kind? Karaoke? Guitar? Piano? There are a lot of bars around that offer each of those. Boswell Alley - Open Mic Cincinnati

Drag shows: The Dock - Adonnis - Subway

NFL games: Duh....the Bengals. They may be losers, but hey....you asked. Can't help you with the NBA.

Wine Tasting, cooking classes: Are you actually LOOKING around at various community papers and bulletin boards to see when and where you can attend these things? I see announcements for them ALL THE TIME!

Boutique shows: What, you mean like a fashion show? Well, what can I say - this is Cincinnati, not New York, Miami, Chicago or LA. However, are you really wanting to avoid Cincinnati simply because of that?

Street car racing: I fail to see the fun factor in illegal street racing, but I'm sure it happens SOMEWHERE around here. I suppose there's a reason why they don't make huge announcements when those things take place.

Paintball: Hueston Woods - Cabin Creek - Ohio Paintball Country - Northern Kentucky Paintball - RUSH Paintball

Laser Tag: Laser Web - Lazer Craze - Scallywag

See, babigyrl5 - all you have to do is a little digging around for some information.

[goyguy]

Amen to "revitalizing all the neighborhoods." Million$$$ are being poured into OTR and the West End so that they'll turn safe and cute and gentrified. But everybody needs a place to live, and was a workable contingency plan in place for all the poor people getting pushed out of the core areas? Uh...no. Westwood, Mt Airy, Winton Place, and Price Hill in particular are paying the price for that. And no one seems to be lifting a finger while other communities like Carthage and Walnut Hills accelerate in their decay.

What Cincinnati has for a music scene leans heavily toward classical to this day. That's great if you love the May Festival, subscribe to the CSO, and so on. But lots o' folks (not only "young") who are into genres like jazz and indie rock have little to work with. One aspect of Boston that keeps me glad I moved out of Cincy is that on just about any given night I can catch a reggae group in one place, a touring classic-rock reunion in another, or a post-punk punk band down the street. There's also more than enough to choose from on the classical side of things. Riverbend seems to be helping in terms of getting big-name performers into town, but the city's perpetually "club challenged." How many times can you catch a gig at Bogart's, the Blind Lemon, or the Blue Wisp before you start to climb the walls?

Everybody should be in agreement, also, that when free n' easy singlehood phases into married life there needs to be more than a street with nice houses to keep the couple within the city limits. The school system has to show marked and sustained improvement, or else things will stay as they've been for decades: the offspring of Cincy's moneyed and/or connected go to private or parochial schools - maybe to Walnut Hills for high school if they pass the exam - and the rest keep the "district" high schools near the bottom of the performance heap. Good luck with that one.

I may be a car-free advocate for - and user of - mass transit, but IMHO streetcar lines ain't gonna do squat if they run through communities with lousy schools and high crime. Everybody's textbook example of a city gone to ruin (Detroit) built a high-tech monorail system around its downtown and even put tracks for "heritage trolleys" down a formerly upscale shopping street. Now the trolleys are in storage, and the monorail cars are mostly empty once they've gone past the Joe Louis Arena-Greektown stretch. Ask for a show of hands and there probably wouldn't be one upraised arm when the question, "Would having a streetcar at the corner cause you to move to the 1900 block of Vine St?" was put forth. Cincinnati sorely needs to improve public transportation, but that alone won't revive the city, no way.

Population, like age, is only a number. The times when Cincy boasted over half a million residents were also the times when reproductive choice was illegal and most women led their lives around staying at home and minding the kids. There are hundreds of rambling houses all over town that once comfortably sheltered families of six or more and are now home to singles or couples with maybe two children. 500,000+ souls also dwelled in the Queen City when Duck Creek Rd hadn't been largely obliterated - and Evanston torn open down the middle - by I-71, to name but one forced mass relocation by road construction. A healthy head count for the city today would be closer to maybe 435,000 - still about a third over what it is now.

[jstn]

Originally Posted by aquila

I don't want to hear this B.S. that there is nothing fun to do in Cincinnati. I've heard people say that for years, and I honestly think they are too lazy to look around for all the fun stuff there is to do here.

Open Mics: What kind? Karaoke? Guitar? Piano? There are a lot of bars around that offer each of those. Boswell Alley - Open Mic Cincinnati

Drag shows: The Dock - Adonnis - Subway

NFL games: Duh....the Bengals. They may be losers, but hey....you asked. Can't help you with the NBA.

Wine Tasting, cooking classes: Are you actually LOOKING around at various community papers and bulletin boards to see when and where you can attend these things? I see announcements for them ALL THE TIME!

Boutique shows: What, you mean like a fashion show? Well, what can I say - this is Cincinnati, not New York, Miami, Chicago or LA. However, are you really wanting to avoid Cincinnati simply because of that?

Street car racing: I fail to see the fun factor in illegal street racing, but I'm sure it happens SOMEWHERE around here. I suppose there's a reason why they don't make huge announcements when those things take place.

Paintball: Hueston Woods - Cabin Creek - Ohio Paintball Country - Northern Kentucky Paintball - RUSH Paintball

Laser Tag: Laser Web - Lazer Craze - Scallywag

See, babigyrl5 - all you have to do is a little digging around for some information.

That's a very good post and so very true. People always fail to realize opportunity is sometimes right in front of you.

[jstn]

Originally Posted by hillside

From many angles, Cincinnati seems to be stuck in a rut. It's not quite as hopeless as Detroit, but it's worlds away from Columbus. I believe population has a big role in this. If Cincinnati could get back to half a million, even 450,000, I could see the city taking off (rather quickly) to 700,000 and possibly further. This would work miracles for Cincinnati's image, entertainment scene, economy and the city core that's currently rotting. With that said, what would you do to get people back in the city?

$5.00 a gallon gas and better public transportation would help. Until then, people find it convenient enough to drive to their nice house, in a tree lined suburb that is surrounded by other nice tree-line suburbs. The fact is, for most Americans with the economic means, suburban life is more appealing. Less crime, less politics, less congestion, yet access to anything and more that a center city could offer - minus the occasional trip to a ballgame or performing arts event.

No matter how much gentrification people claim is taking place, I still think the overall crime levels and grittiness if you will, does not appeal to most people. If you look at most cities that have experienced a recent center city and immediate surroundings boom (Portland, Austin, Charlotte, Phoenix) they all have one thing in common. They are new cities with new development. It is much easier to build a city from the ground than it is from decaying property and neighborhoods saturated with struggling economies.

hillside, you said it best in another post "it's just weird seeing areas i grew up in in pictures, and people praising things i know should not be praised. siding does not make an area good, and neither does an abundance of old people."

[babigyrl5]

Originally Posted by aquila

I don't want to hear this B.S. that there is nothing fun to do in Cincinnati. I've heard people say that for years, and I honestly think they are too lazy to look around for all the fun stuff there is to do here.

Open Mics: What kind? Karaoke? Guitar? Piano? There are a lot of bars around that offer each of those. Boswell Alley - Open Mic Cincinnati

Drag shows: The Dock - Adonnis - Subway

NFL games: Duh....the Bengals. They may be losers, but hey....you asked. Can't help you with the NBA.

Wine Tasting, cooking classes: Are you actually LOOKING around at various community papers and bulletin boards to see when and where you can attend these things? I see announcements for them ALL THE TIME!

Boutique shows: What, you mean like a fashion show? Well, what can I say - this is Cincinnati, not New York, Miami, Chicago or LA. However, are you really wanting to avoid Cincinnati simply because of that?

Street car racing: I fail to see the fun factor in illegal street racing, but I'm sure it happens SOMEWHERE around here. I suppose there's a reason why they don't make huge announcements when those things take place.

Paintball: Hueston Woods - Cabin Creek - Ohio Paintball Country - Northern Kentucky Paintball - RUSH Paintball

Laser Tag: Laser Web - Lazer Craze - Scallywag

See, babigyrl5 - all you have to do is a little digging around for some information.

Thanks! I knew of most of these, I was just answering the question on what I like to do. I never heard of Subway though so thanks for that, Ill check it out!! Its really the people that takes me out of Cincy- my friends in Chicago and Lousiville like to do all these things, and usually have the money and time but all my friends here have babies, minimum wage jobs or arent interested And for some of these mentioned, the scenen in Columbs is better to me than in Cincy. Ive tried going to like urban singles mixers or YP functions but the people I met are so stuck up or are more there for networking! Im really laid back and though I have a degree I feel like it doesnt make me who I am so I really dont like hanging with people who use their degrees to judge people or justify why they are beyond doing some of this stuff. So I either go home, or meet them in Indy or hang with my peoples in Louisville or Columbus. Maybe its the conservative factor of Cincy? I love how in Chicago I got a good mix of friends but like here if I want to go to a drag show I have to go with my gay friends, or if I want to go camping or sky diving I have to go with my white friends or if I want to go to the open mic's I go with my black friends (Ive gone with my white friends but some of the spots we go to act like they have never seen a white person before and all they do is stare so its really uncomfortable!) but I miss downtown life- I love hanging out downtown people watching, eating and drinking. But oh well, Cincy has been great to me but I never intended on calling it home Great resources though, the list is well compiled

[aquila]

Originally Posted by babigyrl5

Thanks! I knew of most of these, I was just answering the question on what I like to do. I never heard of Subway though so thanks for that, Ill check it out!! Its really the people that takes me out of Cincy- my friends in Chicago and Lousiville like to do all these things, and usually have the money and time but all my friends here have babies, minimum wage jobs or arent interested And for some of these mentioned, the scenen in Columbs is better to me than in Cincy. Ive tried going to like urban singles mixers or YP functions but the people I met are so stuck up or are more there for networking! Im really laid back and though I have a degree I feel like it doesnt make me who I am so I really dont like hanging with people who use their degrees to judge people or justify why they are beyond doing some of this stuff. So I either go home, or meet them in Indy or hang with my peoples in Louisville or Columbus. Maybe its the conservative factor of Cincy? I love how in Chicago I got a good mix of friends but like here if I want to go to a drag show I have to go with my gay friends, or if I want to go camping or sky diving I have to go with my white friends or if I want to go to the open mic's I go with my black friends (Ive gone with my white friends but some of the spots we go to act like they have never seen a white person before and all they do is stare so its really uncomfortable!) but I miss downtown life- I love hanging out downtown people watching, eating and drinking. But oh well, Cincy has been great to me but I never intended on calling it home Great resources though, the list is well compiled

Awww....you make me want to hug you. I guess I misunderstood what you were saying in your post. My bad. I suppose Cincinnati can be a bit too family oriented. Maybe that's why I'm still single and gay and white and alone and lonely and so filled with righteous indignation. LOL!

[babigyrl5]

Originally Posted by aquila

Awww....you make me want to hug you. I guess I misunderstood what you were saying in your post. My bad. I suppose Cincinnati can be a bit too family oriented. Maybe that's why I'm still single and gay and white and alone and lonely and so filled with righteous indignation. LOL!

lol its ok, I live by Adonis and I go to their shows sometimes, you are welcome to come with me and my bestie! And I used to go to Yadda's on fridays but SO much drama popped off their with my ex I prefer not to run in to her if possible so i dont go there too much anymore. Bullfishes and Bronze supposedly is the new hot spots but I try to avoid those type of places because my ex hangs there lol. But its ok, Cincinnati it just very different. I was so scared when I moved here because I heard the police are racist and people are still upset over the riots but I havent had any problems with the police at all!

[Bigbluelandrover]

I don't want to hear this B.S. that there is nothing fun to do in Cincinnati. I've heard people say that for years, and I honestly think they are too lazy to look around for all the fun stuff there is to do here.
>>>

When my husband and I come back into town the only place we can think of to go is Newport on the Levee...and that gets old. I think if we had been able to make more $$ we would've found more things to do but I like places like Jazz bars, Poetry slams, Urban UPSCALE bars. (similar to Havanna but without the snobs). Wine tasting/making,boatride/parties, concerts,latin dancing, good soul food. Cincy is lacking for buppies that don't mingle with the hood crowd. Oh--we like driving those little racing cars too--there was a place in Sharonville but it closed down.