Cincinnati

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On Paris in Cincinnati

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This post is one that I’ve wanted to do for many years. As part of my cleaning out the blog closet project, I had to remove the thought from my mind. Although I’ve taken the Paris-Cincinnati flight several times, I’ve never visited the City of Lights. Surely I have to get there someday.

Meanwhile, this will have to do because Paris is alive and well in Cincinnati. In no way am I comparing the two cities, but a touch of Paris is in my area – and some close to my residence. To rid this blog idea from my mind, I got images from elsewhere, but I have visited these locations.

Paris 1900: City of Entertainment was a temporary exhibit at the Cincinnati Art Museum in early 2019. For whatever reason, I didn’t attend, but you can see the exhibit by clicking here. Meanwhile, onto the tour.

 

Kings Island is an amusement park located away from the city center northeast of downtown Cincinnati. Opening in 1971, its Eiffel Tower (one-third of the size of the original) serves as an iconic landmark that is easily visible by motorists driving by on I-71. When I first came to the area, I could see the tower and the nightly fireworks from my balcony. Today, I can still hear them in the distance. Kings Island is also a popular destination for roller coaster enthusiasts.

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Chateau Laroche is also known as Loveland Castle. Don’t you think it has a French look? This unique structure is built on the banks of the Little Miami River. Amazingly, one person (Harry Andrews) built it from stones he carried from the river over 50+ years to create this place based on a castle in southern France. Upon his death, Andrews donated the castle to his Boy Scout troop – Knights of the Golden Trail. Of course, the castle is open to the public. Here’s the website.

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St. Mary’s Cathedral Basilica of the Assumption in Covington, Kentucky (directly across the Ohio River from downtown Cincinnati) is a stunning must-see for visitors to the area. I’ve never been to the famed Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris (and given the fire, I may never). However, the Covington Basilica gives me the feel of what it may be like, but on a much smaller scale.

Dedicated in 1901, the outer west face is an exact copy of the famed Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris and the inside is stunning. Below are two resources to learn and see more

Hope you enjoyed this Paris-Cincinnati connection.

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On Local Intrigue

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One never knows what encounters lie ahead when strolling through the city.

Batsakes is one of the few custom hat makers remaining in the US (for those who want to know more about this local treasure, here’s a short video)

 

Because of Larry Flynt’s (of Hustler Magazine fame) love affair with local law enforcement, there is a Hustler Store … Did you see the movie?

 

This is what happens to old location of a major department store … What has happened to old department store buildings in your area?

 

The Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County (with its main location in city center) dates back to 1853

 

For those who watch Shark Tank, these guys won … but have since sold off

 

Cincinnati had Kings Records back in the days of vinyl recordings, but I didn’t know about this studio

 

Cincinnati has a minor league hockey team (Cyclones) and a love for pigs … meet Puck Chop …

 

… but in Cincinnati, baseball is king.

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Meet John Roebling and his bridge – The Roebling Bridge – the prototype for the Brooklyn Bridge

 

What do you think this is?

 

 

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On a Bit of Cincinnati

Located on the Ohio River, Cincinnati was a center for westward expansion – and it embraces its river heritage

 

Win or lose, Cincinnati embraces it’s baseball team … and we’ve lost a lot in recent years

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Fountain Square is the center of city center … and the place where people gather to celebrate and commemorate

 

Cincinnati love its art deco … these are in the Carew Tower

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The city shines during the day …

 

…. and at night …

 

… and it has quiet places in the city center

 

On the Cincinnati’s Merry-Go-Round, (Carol Ann’s Carousel) riders can choose from 44 handmade Cincinnati-centered characters. Do you have any ideas for these characters? To see all the characters, click here for a video.

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On Extra Murals

Before riding into the blog sunset, I’ve enjoyed cleaning out my blog closet. Whether pictures sitting in folders waiting for the words, notes waiting for expansion, or ideas waiting to be made real – I smile each time when I finally use something in a post.

Cincinnati’s murals have always caught my eye – but Resa is the one who motivated me to create posts about them. Resa, thank you for your encouragement. There are many murals that I’ve wanted to visit, but never got there. On the other hand, I have a hodge-podge collection of unused photos to share. Well – I don’t think I’ve used any of these.

Some of these are creations by ArtWorks – others not. Any favorites?

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To see more of my posts about the murals of Cincinnati, click here.

Thanks to Resa (Toronto’s leading lady) whose posts about street art in Toronto and Winnipeg, got me interested in outdoor art in my area. I invite readers to visit Resa’s blog (but tell her I sent you).

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On a Floodwall

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That’s the Ohio River with a bridge connecting downtown Cincinnati on the right to Covington, Kentucky on the left.

Floodwalls are walls built to prevent water entering an area. Not every town along a river has one – actually – most towns don’t. Cincinnati doesn’t. Covington and Newport Kentucky have them, but this post is about the one in Covington.

Led by artist Robert Dafford, his team of artists created 18 murals on the floodwall illustrating the Covington’s history from 800 BCE to the present. The collection is known as the Roebling Murals because of their location near the Roebling Bridge, a suspension bridge built by the same designer before the famous Brooklyn Bridge.

Dafford also created others murals throughout the Ohio and Mississippi River valleys, plus others in France, Belgium, England, and Canada. Enjoy a look at the Roebling Murals of Covington, Kentucky. Any favorites?

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More Information

Although these are very traditional, Resa needs to know about them.