6 Things Only Cincinnati Natives Can Relate To

Growing up in the "Nasty Nati" as some like to call it, I grew accustomed to the staples of Cincy living and those from the 513 will understand what I'm talking about too.

1. Whenever you're feeling good and hungry, it's Skyline time

Cincinnati people love their chili. We all spend our lives trying to figure out what goes in the secret recipe that Skyline makes while everyone else spends their lives wondering why we love chili so much on our hot dogs, spaghetti, and baked potatoes. But seriously, Skyline Chili is the taste of Cincinnati and it's found on every corner of every city and town surrounding the greater Cincinnati area.

2. Graeter's Ice Cream

You haven't had ice cream until you've had Graeter's and people of the 513 know that their signature black raspberry chip flavor is a staple of the city. Like Skyline, you can find Graeter's Ice Cream being sold all around the city and people pay the price for the greatest ice cream around.

3. Larosa's Pizza

Buddy Larosa is a household name in the Cincinnati area. What did he do? He made pizza. Really good pizza. I remember when I was little my neighbors would order Larosa's pizza every Sunday for their family dinners. All the schools sold "Buddy Cards" as fundraisers and Larosa's pizza was found at every high school concession stand across the city. What makes it so good? I think it's the soft crust or maybe the extra cheese or sauce. I don't know but it's freaking awesome.

4. Cardiac Cats

Superbowl championship? What the heck is that? Bengals fans don't know but every Sunday we turn on our tv, yell, scream, cry, throw things and almost have a heart attack as the black and orange team try to win more games a year than the number of players that get arrested. Okay, that was a bit of an exaggeration but it's hard to be a fan of these team. They get you really excited and then choke on national television. Yet, we all seem to use the term "Who Dey" in every conversation we have.

5. And This One Belongs To The Reds

Most Cincinnati fans know the voice of Marty Brennaman and the iconic phrase when the Redlegs get a big win. You can listen to the radio and here Marty give his two cents about the team and the game. He's honest, like the rest of Reds country, and gets about as excited as anyone else when we find ourselves on the good side of the scoreboard leaving the broadcast with the phrase every Reds fan loves to hear, "And this one belongs to the Reds."

6. OTR

Over the Rhine. This is one of those neighborhoods that parents would tell their kids not to go to when I was young. Crime rates were high in the past but have declined recently as it has turned into a fun neighborhood for people to hang out and enjoy their evenings. Near the brewery district of Cincinnati, Over the Rhine which was once a highly avoided area has become a staple of the Cincinnati night life. It is also an area of rich history for the Cincinnati area.