Unique Cincinnati

I have been a life long resident of either the City of Cincinnati or the Greater Cincinnati Area. Cincinnati is my home and that will never change. I am proud to call my self a Cincinnatian. Cincinnati has a lot of things that make it unique. Cincinnati style chili, first ever professional baseball team, praying the steps, and Roy Rogers, just to name a few. There are to things that make Cincinnati unique that stand out from the rest. Two things that I have never encountered anywhere else. I am not sure why, or for how long, but I will say, for as long as I can remember. Native Cincinnatians have probably already guessed what those two things are, but for the rest, read on.

Cincinnati is culturally divided between the east and the west. You are either an east sider, or a west sider. Recently I have heard a number of people refer to I-75 as the dividing line between east and west. Not at all true. The cultural divide was there long before I-75 was even a line on some engineer’s drawing. The dividing line, or the great divide, is now, and always has been Vine Street. Vine Street initially began at the river and ran north to the northern most tip of Hartwell, and beyond. If you were born west of Vine Street you are a west sider and if you are born east, you are an east sider. I think your home of record at the time of birth is what is the deciding factor, not the hospital you were born in. Otherwise, since more hospitals are east of vine it would skew the results. I am not sure but I am declaring the home of record as the deciding factor. My blog, my decision. East Siders and west Siders dress slightly different, speak slightly different, and look slightly different. The appearance difference has been attributed to the “west side squint”. The squint is acquired as a result of west sideres looking into the sun driving into town in the morning and looking into the sun driving home at night. I am proud to say that I am not a squinter. I was born in my grand parents house on Loth Street, one block east of Vine Street. I am a native-born East Sider.

The second thing that makes Cincinnati unique is that it seems as if where one went to High School is what defines one. In other sections of the country if one is asked about their Alma Mater, they immediately assume you are talking about where they went to college. In Cincinnati it is where you went to high school. The allegiance remains as many people strive to ensure their children attend the same high school as they did. I suspect the record will reflect that not on does the filter down to children but to grandchildren as well. People are asked about their high school in job interviews, and in casual conversation. The question “where did you go to school” means only on thing in Cincinnati. Additionally, I have noted that people more often refer to themselves with a reference to the school mascot as opposed to the school name,

These are just two of the things that make Cincinnati unique. There are many more. One question for those who have moved away. When you want someone to repeat something, do you sill say “please”?Cincinnati has a varied and interesting history. And so, I am proud to be from Cincinnati, I am proud to be an Easts Sider. and I am proud to be a Rocket.

Those are my thoughts, what are yours?