I just moved to Cincinnati. 5 things I learned in my first week
Being a former army brat and a short-time soldier myself, I've traveled all around this great nation, but never spent more than a few minutes in the city while driving from place to place.
I'm excited to learn more about what makes Cincinnati tick while photographing and writing about its citizens this summer. As a long-tenured Washington resident, my knowledge of Cincinnati has boiled down to two things: the Bengals and Skyline Chili.
Well, to my surprise, this cozy little city has more to it than I could have imagined before my arrival, so here are my five favorite things I learned about Cincinnati in my first week as one of its (albeit temporary) residents.
I'm sure this is no surprise to long-time locals of the area, but when I first laid eyes on a small postcard of Cincinnati legend Robert Burck, also known as the Naked Cowboy, playing guitar in a Speedo during a New York City blizzard, I was intrigued, to say the least.
Not every city is fortunate enough to be blessed with a guitar-playing, speedo-wearing cowboy who once ran for mayor of New York City and was featured in a Nickelback music video.
It's truly an honor to breathe the same air that Burck once did, and I'm praying for a sighting before my time is up.
Cincinnati drivers operate motor vehicles as if every day of their lives were the last. I'm not saying it's much better in my neck of the woods, but in a short five days since my arrival in this great city, I've already nearly been the victim of three vehicular assaults.
One from a woman checking her phone while turning right in a left turn only lane, one from a man driving a black Chevrolet 3500 at 80 miles per hour on an offramp with a 25 mile per hour speed limit, and one from a construction worker whose tire blew off his truck while he was trying to merge for the US 52 offramp like his life depended on it.
Needless to say, I'm hoping my future driving prospects turn out better than my former.
In Washington, we have trees, lots of them. We have universities, parks and marathons named after trees, and a tattoo of an evergreen is not an uncommon coming-of-age ritual. But in Cincinnati, you have – pigs?
A pig statue here, a pig statue there, a pig statue everywhere. The city even used to be referred to as Porkopolis and had a courtroom that held trials in the remains of an old pork slaughterhouse.
I love bacon as much as the next guy, but I think that's too much, even for me.
Before you ask, yes, I've had Skyline Chili, and I'm not sure why everyone won't stop asking, but no, I don't think it's God's gift to culinary excellence, and no, I don't want to have it again.
As a one-time Columbus resident many years ago, I casually tried Skyline's loaded chili bowl when I was in a hurry on my way to work one day.
It tastes like chili. Not bad chili, not good chili, just middle-of-the-road chili. Please don't cancel me.
Being named Otto and growing up in a German family almost certainly forces you to be interested in German history.
So, when I found out that Cincinnati had neighborhoods with names like Over-the-Rhine, I had to start doing a little digging, and what I found out blew me away.
Following the German Revolutions of 1848 and 1849, Germans started to come to Cincinnati in droves.
The nativist party known as the Know Nothings took issue with the sudden influx of immigrants, whose culture of drinking and joy disagreed with their own more conservative values.
This conflict resulted in a set of clashes in 1853 and 1855, with the latter ending in a full-out battle between the two over a mayoral election and included the use of a cannon in the streets of Over-the-Rhine.
At least one man was hit by cannon fire while he was driving a cart down Sycamore Street. He died in the hospital later that week, according to the April 5, 1855, edition of The Daily Enquirer.
The battle essentially marked the end of Know Nothing influence in the city and the birth of Cincinnati as one of America's great German cities, in which public drinking and breweries are a great source of pride.
God bless America and Cincinnati, too.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: I just moved to Cincinnati. Here are the first 5 things I learned
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National Geographic
04-08-2025
- National Geographic
Headed to the Pacific Northwest? Here's a first timer's guide to visiting Seattle
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Axios
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Seattle's I-5 closures are just beginning
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Yahoo
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Skyline Chili goes back-to-back as No. 1 regional fast food chain in America
What can we say, Cincinnati has good taste. Skyline Chili ranked as the No. 1 regional fast food chain in USA TODAY's 10Best Readers' Choice Awards, released July 16, for the second year in a row. The chili parlor, founded in Cincinnati by Greek immigrant Nicholas Lambrinides in 1949, has become a Queen City staple (or a source of controversy, depending on whom you ask). Today, there are more than 150 locations throughout Ohio, Kentucky, Indiana and even Florida, where locals can get their three-way and coney fix while on vacation. The chain's signature formula of chili with cloves, cinnamon and nutmeg, poured over a plate of spaghetti and topped with a mound of cheddar cheese, is arguably as emblematic of the Greater Cincinnati region as the Bengals or the Roebling Bridge. In a year since its last No. 1 ranking victory, Skyline has made headlines with unique collabs and creations, such as the Skyline Chili-flavored Graeter's ice cream, which drew a reaction from Vice President J.D. Vance. The chain also created a Guy Fieri-inspired 5-Way and a Mac and Cheese Way. After being vetted by 10Best editors and voted on by the public, the Cincinnati chili chain claimed the No. 1 rank among nine other regional chains (including the famous burger chain, In-N-Out). Here's a look at the top 10 best regional fast food chains, according to USA TODAY readers. Best Regional Fast Food, according to USA TODAY 10Best Skyline Chili (founded in Cincinnati, Ohio). Biscuitville (founded in Burlington, North Carolina). Lion's Choice (founded in St. Louis, Missouri). Farm Burger (founded in Decatur, Georgia). Runza (founded in Lincoln, Nebraska). Taziki's Mediterranean Cafe (founded in Birmingham, Alabama). Schoop's Hamburgers (founded in Hammond, Indiana). In-N-Out Burger (founded in Baldwin Park, California). Dick's Drive-In (founded in Seattle, Washington). Taco Cabana (founded in San Antonio, Texas). USA TODAY is owned by The Enquirer's parent company, Gannett. This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Skyline Chili named No. 1 regional fast food chain in America (again) Solve the daily Crossword
