It’s the far-flung suburb of Toledo, nestled right next to I-75 and situated in the middle of northwest Ohio farmland. I was born and raised in Bowling Green (BG), and I can appreciate the uniqueness of this city. In between being Small Town, America and a large vibrant city, it really is a great midsize college town to be from.
1. You love (or hate) Myles Pizza.
This is a trademark food of BG. People come from miles around for Myles (no pun intended). This pizza literally has a crust as thick as cardboard with about an inch of cheese and toppings on it. One piece feels like a lead ball in your stomach and will fill you up for the rest of the day.
2. You most likely have gained some weight from how big Myles' Dairy Queen Blizzards are.
I do not know of any other Dairy Queen in America that gives you as big a serving size of blizzards as Myles' Dairy Queen. Seriously, for a small blizzard the ice cream towers above a large sized cup. It’s like getting two blizzards for the price of one.
3. You know how busy Taco Bell can be.
Situated right next to downtown, Taco Bell is in a perfect location to catch many college kids as they drunkenly make their way back from the bars after a night out. I’ve heard it rumored that BG’s Taco Bell makes the most money out of any Taco Bell east of the Mississippi River.
4. You know all about the downtown nightlife.
Downtown Bowling Green is full of hole-in-the-wall bars and restaurants, from Pisanello’s to Easy Street to Sam B’s to City Tap. BG really does have a good selection of places to go out to. I like to think of downtown BG as comparable to a larger Oxford Uptown.
5. People from Toledo may label you as being a hick or a farmer.
No, I do not have cows or a tractor in my backyard I take care of everyday! Yes, there are some farmers in BG, but a majority of us live a normal city life just all of you in Toledo do.
6. You plug your ears every August.
OK, I can see how some people think BG is full of hicks because the National Tractor Pull Championships take place here every August. You surely know when the tractor pull is around because you can hear it clear across town and you lose most of your hearing if you don’t stop to plug your ears. How can a tractor even get that loud in the first place?
7. Even though you’re from Bowling Green, you have no idea how the town got its name or what the name really means.
Apparently a bowling green is a lawn bowling on grass cut like a putting green, but you have no idea how or why this town got this name. All I know is that BG's geography is uninteresting and flat like a piece of paper.
8. You know that Doyt Perry Stadium is open at all times of the day.
It may not be that well known, but you can freely walk onto BGSU’s football field at anytime of the day, granted there is no special event, football game or practices going on there. I don't know of any other Division I college in the nation that has its football stadium open to the public like The Doyt does. It’s a great place to throw a football around with a friend or run steps. That’ll get you started on burning off all those calories you ingested from Myles Pizza and Dairy Queen Blizzards.
9. You know the Cleveland Browns got their colors from us.
Yep, that’s true! Paul Brown, the first coach of the Cleveland Browns, decided to color his Browns the orange and brown of BGSU’s football team.
10. You aren’t sure if the statue of that falcon outside the Stroh Center should be facing up or down.
Although it’s fierce glare is coldly staring down at you, you think to yourself the falcon could look good facing up as well. Oh well, you can’t do anything about it now. I just hope this bird doesn't magically come to life and swoop me away.
11. You’ll always appreciate calling Bowling Green home.
Although it doesn’t have a nice mall, big-time stadiums or theaters, or all the accommodations a bigger and fancier city has, you can still find something endearing about Bowling Green. This town is friendly and inviting and has always been here for me. Ay Ziggy Zoomba!
