Whether you are new to the area, or you’re a Cincinnati native, you may be surprised to see these details about people and places in the town you call home.
What’s on the menu?
It is estimated that Cincinnatians consume over two million pounds of chili a year. A primary source is Skyline Chili which was started here by Nicholas Lambrinides in 1949. Other food and drink claims to fame include:
Montgomery Inn, founded by Ted “The Ribs King” Gregory in 1951. Buddy LaRosa opened his first restaurant in 1954 in Westwood. Today, there are 64 LaRosa’s locations across the Tri-State. Graeter’s Ice Cream, founded in 1870 by Louis Charles Graeter is a family-owned, fifthgeneration company. The Aglamesis brothers opened their first ice cream parlor in Norwood in 1908. Arnold’s Bar, one of the oldest continuously operating bars in the country, dates back to 1838.
As many as 80 craft breweries honor the rich brewing heritage of our city, once named the “Beer Capital of the World.” Forward thinking restaurants, like 50 West, add inviting spaces to the mix for family and friends to gather in a fun environment.
What are some ideas for getting out?
If you want to walk, bike or hike, Hamilton County is at the center of one of the country’s most extensive trail systems–with access to 840 miles of trails in Greater Cincinnati alone. The Little Miami Scenic Trail traverses nearly 79 miles through five southwestern Ohio counties. Other Cincinnati-only activities include:
• The Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden is one of the oldest and best zoos in the nation. A spring highlight is the 100,000-bulb tulip display.
• The American Sign Museum covers more than 100 years of sign history.
• Findlay Market in Over-The-Rhine is the oldest continuously operated public market in Ohio.
• Locally grown, but internationally known, Jungle Jim’s International Market is the ultimate destination for foodies. Two locations feature hundreds of thousands of products from over 70 countries. Stay for the fun with wine tastings, pint nights, cooking classes, food festivals and scavenger hunts.
• The Tyler Davidson Fountain is turned on every year on the day of the first Cincinnati Reds home game.
Who thought of this?
Cincinnati is a hotbed for scientists and inventors. Countless lives have been saved thanks to Dr. Henry Heimlich who developed the Heimlich maneuver in the 1970s while working as the director of surgery at The Jewish Hospital.
Other inventions, some more noteworthy than others include:
• Albert Sabin created the polio vaccine at Children’s Hospital in the 1950s.
• Born in Lockland in 1916, George Rieveschl invented the allergy symptom reliever now sold as Benadryl.
• Born and raised in Over-the-Rhine, Ronald Howes got the idea for the Easy-Bake Oven after watching street vendors use heat lamps to keep food warm.
• Play-Doh was originally created in the 1930s by Cincinnati-based Kutol Products to clean wallpaper.
• In 1944, Cincinnatian Albert Carter filed a patent for a toy that is now called the Magic 8 Ball.
• Merlin “Merle” Robbins, a barber from Reading, invented the card game UNO in 1971.
Where did they get their start?
Graduates from Cincinnati’s School for Creative and Performing Arts include actress Sarah Jessica Parker, Drew and Nick Lachey with 98 Degrees, and NCIS’s Rocky Carroll—all born in the Queen City. Earlier celebrities who were born here include: Media mogul Ted Turner, actress Doris Day, “King of the Cowboys” Roy Rogers, and singers of the 1959 hit “Shout” The Isley Brothers
What is the connection?
How incredible would it be to be taught aerospace engineering by Neil Armstrong? The first man to walk on the moon taught that course at the University of Cincinnati from 1971 to 1979.
Other notables who spent quality time in Cincinnati include:
• Rosemary Clooney got her start as a singer on Cincinnati’s WLW radio station. Her nephew George lived in Mason from 1968 to 1974.
• While living in Cheviot, Andy Williams attended Western Hills High School.
• “Mr. Dynamite” James Brown spent the formative years of his career with the Cincinnatibased King Records label.
• Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce and his brother, Jason Kelce, retired NFL center, both played football at the University of Cincinnati.