Only in Cincinnati will you have chocolate in your chili, the main airport is in Kentucky, and a city that worships a baby hippo like Lil' Sebastian.
Now, imagine moving to Cincinnati from out of town like I did a couple of years ago. Cincinnati's quirky. The politics and local government make us want to rip our hair out. There's many things us non-Cincinnatians just don't understand. Cincinnati almost doesn't feel like a part of Ohio, but it still is. Here are just a few of the highlights that I have observed that Cincinnati what it's all about.
1. "Where Did You Go To High School?"
This one honestly stiff baffles me. As someone not originally from Cincinnati, this threw me off when I first came here for college. Coming from Cleveland, you knew you went to a decent school (for the most part) no matter where you ended up. Our feuds were just among sports, not among high school was overall better. You would think that someone would ask you where you're from, but instead, they ask about your high school.
2. Chili Wars
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First of all, Cincinnati uses spaghetti with their chili. That's what separates Cincinnati Chili from anything else. The main chains in the area are Skyline vs. Gold Star, and apparently you have to have an answer even if you don't like chili or rarely eat it like myself. Oh and we have a different interpretation of what a three-way as seen as in the above picture. The three-way is simply this. Chili, cheese (lots of cheese), and spaghetti noodles. Skyline even uses green noodles on St. Patrick's Day. That's pure dedication. I'm from Cleveland so our big "food feud" was where we got corned beef and Polish Boys so I understand the food feuds. Not as strange, but strange enough to make the list.
3. East Side vs. West Side
Quite frankly, from a cultural stance, I still don't understand this, but basically, it depends on which side of Interstate-75 (I-75) you are on as seen above or at least that's what I figured out. It correlates with the whole high school argument and possibly wealth or non-wealth. Like many major cities, each side has its unique features so honestly, it's a matter of preference.
4. Too Many Hills...Way Too Many
I think this one explains itself, but Cincinnati has too many darn hills. We had a two-week long heatwave and just walking 15 minutes to work left me in a pool of sweat from guess what? Hills. It's not called the "City of Seven Hills" for nothing. If you need to get anywhere, you're going to encounter a hill. You might live on a hill. You might work on a hill. You can't escape from the hilly hell no matter what. However, on the upside, you get to see a lot of nice architecture in certain areas which is a bonus.
5. People Will Lose It Over An Inch Of Snow
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I swear, Cincinnati loses it even when there is a trace of snow – less than an inch – to be expected. Seriously. It's hilarious. To put things into perspective, I grew up a little bit west of Cleveland fairly close to the infamous snow belt. I had to go to school in blizzard-like conditions and would only have off if it was like -14 degrees outside. When I came down to Cincinnati, my first snow day was in November which was pretty much unheard of for me. Guess how much snow we had? One inch. A single inch. The whole "grab your bread, milk, and eggs" fiasco is 100 percent accurate as seen above. I'm baffled still.
6. The Crosstown Shootout Is No Joke
Like with the "Chili Wars," you have to pick UC or Xavier when it comes to the annual Crosstown Shootout for college basketball. It's our version of Ohio State vs. Michigan in football. The schools are only about four miles apart, but some folks go overboard for the feud as far as refusing to make friends or date someone simply because they're from Xavier. I get the whole sports rivalry coming from Cleveland, but many of my friends and colleagues are Pittsburgh Steelers fans and I'm not intentionally avoiding them. Regardless, people still go overboard. Like they're both awesome teams. Keep it classy.
7. Fiona The Hippo Is Our Lil’ Sebastian And We Are Proud Of Her.
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If I hear one bad thing about Fiona, I get into a near rage. To sum it up, Fiona the Hippo was born six weeks premature at the Cincinnati Zoo and was not expected to live. However, the Cincinnati community rallied around her and her care staff took amazing care of her and she's a beacon of hope not just in Cincinnati but nationwide. She inspired premature babies to keep fighting and for their parents to keep fighting. She brought Cincinnati together when we were in a period of negativity and darkness. She's the hero we don't deserve. She's a treasure in person and just as sweet with her fans. After all, many people come from out of state for honeymoons and vacations just to see and meet her. Oh and she even has her own ice cream too!
It took me my entire college career to really figure out why, well, many never leave or why many who leave want to return. Even though I am leaving in August, I won't be far, and you'll always be a part of my heart even if you do cut your spaghetti.
