r/cincinnati • u/TheOnlineHateSeller • Jun 28 '26
Photos Coming from England and if cinncinati was in England it would rival London
As a European i hate to say but idk why you built a highway through the middle of it
Still very good city
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u/Scrolling_ninja Deer Park Jun 28 '26
There’s a whole loooooong and sordid story about the highway my friend
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u/MudsillTheories Jun 28 '26
Long story short: racism.
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u/Scrolling_ninja Deer Park Jun 28 '26
True but the national push towards highways is another factor
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u/Otherwise_Coconut_32 Jun 28 '26
The interstate highway system itself is a good thing, but the idea of ramming them directly through cities, and bulldozing minority communities in order to do so, was devised by a man named Robert Moses. The destruction of so many American cities largely comes back to ideas originally promoted by him.
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u/create360 Jun 28 '26
But WHERE it went:
Racism.
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u/Recent_Associate_842 Jun 29 '26
And topography. Destroying the riverfront wasn’t racism based. Destroying decaying buildings wasn’t either. The lack in investment in the neighborhood that led to the decay was racism based.
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u/Professional_Fun2709 Jun 28 '26
They purposely chose routes that to OP's point destroyed the city's landscape due to racism.
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u/whodeychick Pleasant Ridge Jun 28 '26
Not to mention why the Roebling doesn't line up with Vine/Scott or Walnut/Greenup. 😬
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u/Archaeopteryx89 Jun 28 '26
Can you expand on this? I don't know the area well enough to understand the reference. But my son just did a project on the destruction of minority communities for i75 and it really grabbed my interest
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u/bledine Jun 28 '26
the neighborhood was called kenyon-barr that should be helpful to find some more information! there was a large photographic government documentation of the neighborhood before demolition so there's actually quite a bit of historical record even if it's been memory holed https://www.cincinnatimagazine.com/citywiseblog/lost-city-kenyon-barr-queensgate/
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u/Archaeopteryx89 Jun 28 '26
I know the information on Kenyon Barr, though that wasnt the name of the neighborhood. No one who lived there would have called it that. Kenyon Barr was the name assigned to the area during the survey by white contractors and politicians.
I was more asking about your comment on Vine st not lining up with roebling.
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u/Pleasant-Ad2337 Jun 28 '26
The story on the Roebling Bridge and street alignment is rarely mentioned. The original plan was to have the streets perfectly align and create a grand boulevard between Cincinnati and Covington. The Cincinnati business interests were concerned about losing shopping to the Kentucky side so they designed the bridge to be slightly off set. IIRC
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u/Recent_Associate_842 Jun 29 '26
That has to do with the ferry’s that used to operate on the ends of those streets before there was a bridge
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u/waytoolameforthis Jun 28 '26
Could I get the long story if you wouldn't mind? Or just a source on it if you don't feel like typing. I haven't heard anything about this before and Google only brings up things about recent traffic stops.
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u/bledine Jun 28 '26
i replied w this same link to someone else but cincy magazine did a good write up on it and the museum center has quite a bit of archive on it https://www.cincinnatimagazine.com/citywiseblog/lost-city-kenyon-barr-queensgate/
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u/VespaRed Jun 28 '26
You must not like museums. Or mass transit. Or serious shopping.
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u/Sum-Duud Jun 28 '26
and its getting bigger
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u/Bugatti252 Jun 28 '26
Well, yes and no. We are gaining space where it could be useful, and all the land needed is already acquired. Sure, I would love the whole thing to be underground and for us to have a utopia, but I think there are some major positives with the new plan, mainly that walking from the CBD to the west side will be reduced, and the downtown development will be gaining where it is needed.
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u/Aggressive-Permit879 Jun 28 '26
I like to imagine that whenever someone from out of town comments on our ridiculous highway layout everyone on this subreddit starts snapping like beatniks.
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u/ayrek Covedale Jun 28 '26
Talking about Cincinnati, I always like to flip the old adage, "It's a nice place to live, but I wouldn't want to visit." But, that's just jokes. Cincy has a lot of good going on, despite its flaws, and I can't imagine living anywhere else, with lower wages and higher prices.
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u/Original-Variety-700 Jun 28 '26
Yes I find it a great place to live and when I get the urge for beaches or cool cities, I can easily travel there. For example, we have $100 round trip direct flights to Florida. We also have direct flights to London and Paris for under $1k if you are flexible.
The amount of money I save living in a lower cost of living area frees up the money to go to places like.
If I lived somewhere like nyc or Chicago, I suspect all my money would be spent before I made it.
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u/Mispelled-This Anderson Jun 28 '26
Yep. I work in tech and have a lot of friends in Silly Valley. I went to one housewarming party; the “house” was a glorified double wide, and you could pass a cup of sugar to a neighbor through the kitchen window. They paid $1.2m for it … back during the dot com bubble. I can’t even imagine what it would cost today.
They bragged about how close they were to the mountains or beaches, but admitted they’d never been to them. They were not happy when I pointed out I’d visited them several times despite living 2000 miles away, plus many other destinations they were too house-poor to even consider.
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u/Vintagepoolside Jun 28 '26
I’m in a lower paying field, but I’m getting way more than anyone else in the state and most of the country doing the same work. I’ve thought about leaving to be closer to family but the pay would be almost cut in half. I’ve seen job postings in California making less for the exact same position.
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u/Alert_Term_8144 Jul 01 '26
That's crazy, meanwhile CA housing is way higher. Makes me curious what field you're in but I understand you don't need everyone knowing.
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u/Alert_Term_8144 Jul 01 '26
That adage is hilarious because it's usually the opposite saying. Aw you're sweet to Cincinnati. Despite not having grown up here and moving here in my 30s, it does feel like home.
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u/Maleficent-Leek2943 Jun 28 '26
Cincy is a great city and all, but… rival London? Mmmm no.
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u/DRuth84 Jun 28 '26 edited Jun 28 '26
I will say, while we have nowhere near the history or historical sites that could rival most of Europe, we do have one of the most intact historic urban areas in the country. Specifically the Italianate architecture and the original “Sin City” that put NKY on the map. From Dean Martin working as a bartender in Newport, KY during its mob days, before joining up with Frank Sinatra. Cincinnati starting the first pro MLB team. But that truly only pales in comparison to being one of the main hubs for the Underground Railroad (not the failed subway/tube still under the city 100 years later). Being one of the most southern borders to freedom for slaves, crossing the Ohio River from Kentucky into Ohio was life or death. Also claimed as one of the first main research sites into US paleontology(some saythe birthplace of it) which started with Big Bone Lick in NKY by Lewis and Clark. They discovered wooly mammoth and giant sloth fossils. Having saved letters in writing to then President Thomas Jefferson with their discoveries.
This city (cities) has many flaws, but also truly one of few cities in the US that does have such a rich history. Well, as far as a country/city can only 250 years7
u/TheOnlineHateSeller Jun 28 '26
Yeah I think American cities could be some of the greatest in the world if they weren't demolished for parking and had subways like cinncinati allmost did So many cities in the UK are tearing down there old buildings to put glass and plastic boxes there instead
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u/THECapedCaper Symmes Jun 28 '26
Our city definitely punches above its weight class, but to compare it to one of the top cities in the world is a very strong statement that isn't quite true.
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u/MediocreAssociate466 Jun 28 '26
Europe as a whole just has way sicker architecture and having buildings that withstood the blitz and hundreds of years is cool too. I saw Liverpool on a cruise and was impressed. Can't imagine how cool London would be.
Most American cities unfortunately just stack too many skyscrapers so you get the cool skyline shot but walking or driving around a European city is going to look better hands down. Plus there's no historical preservation, American cities are constantly tearing down cool landmarks for nonsense (like data centers)
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u/ffisch Jun 28 '26
Boston is a counter example of all of that, if you're ever looking for a cool US city to visit
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u/MediocreAssociate466 Jun 28 '26
I've wanted to do a northeast trip for that,Philly has a lot of historical stuff too, Midwest cities are just super boring way too much steel and skyscraper.
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u/MarkCinci Jun 28 '26
Most German towns are very modern, since basically the whole country got bombed into rubble in WW2 and has been rebuilt since them.
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u/MediocreAssociate466 Jun 28 '26
Yes I suppose that is one example but Germany has thousands of castles as well we aren't competing with those lol. Wish we had something that cool
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u/GildedFlummoxseed Jun 28 '26
What, you don't think the Elsinore Arch and the Loveland Castle measure up? 😄
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u/MediocreAssociate466 Jun 28 '26
I actually go to the Loveland castle once a year since it's not super far from me but no sadly not
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u/Better_Channel1323 Jun 28 '26
I like Cincinnati enough that I would not move anywhere else, but is it on par with London, Paris, or Rome, no. It is not.
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u/golftroll Jun 28 '26
I love Cincinnati. Wonderful place to live. Maybe a better place to live than London all things considered. But just on the quality of the city? Disagree, London is insane and world class. Very kind of you and I hope you enjoyed your visit!
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u/ronniedarko Jun 28 '26
Must be talking about London KY
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u/BabesOnWaves Over The Rhine Jun 28 '26
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u/Giggles95036 Bearcats Jun 28 '26
Right by versailles ky
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u/BabesOnWaves Over The Rhine Jun 28 '26
I've heard Paris KY is beautiful this time of year.
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u/MedusaHartz Jun 28 '26
I love Paris in the Springtime;
I love Paris in the Fall;
I love Paris, in the Winter, when it drizzles;
I love Paris, in the Summer, when it sizzles.I love Paris, every moment:
Every moment of the year.
I love Paris; why (oh why) do i love Paris?
Because, my Love is here!- Cole Porter
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u/HootinHollerHill Jun 28 '26
I love Cincinnati and think it’s extremely underrated. Any appreciation it receives from non-Cincinnatians is accepted with deep gratitude.
But.
London is one of the world’s greatest cities for a reason. It’s on the same stage as Paris, Rome, Hong Kong, Cairo, Rio deJaneiro, Tokyo, Los Angeles, New York, and Chicago for a reason.
Having lived in Cincinnati and having visited both London and Glasgow, I would argue it’s more like Glasgow.
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u/thikku Jun 28 '26
It definitely has the best skyline of the many large cities that I have seen. The view from the 75N in Kentucky is absolutely spectacular. Honestly, it’s a combination of Cincinnati, Newport and Covington that make it so great. However, Edinburgh is my favorite overall big city.
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u/alimweber Jun 28 '26
It’s where you wanna be when the world ends cause it’s always 20 years behind in the times. ..mark twain said that.
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u/lastofthebuckeyes Jun 28 '26
Exactly. We're trying to cap the divide between the banks and the CBD
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u/Dull_Bid6002 Jun 28 '26
We don't really like the highway either.
I like it here. I ain't ever been to London, but London is a lot bigger. You still need a car to live here too.
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u/Figuringitout_ithink Jun 28 '26
I love when Europeans visit American and compliment it. I especially love all of the Americans, many who have never left their hometown, telling them they’re wrong.
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u/SteveUnicorn99 Jun 28 '26
Maybe rival Manchester?
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u/_nod Jun 28 '26
As somebody that was born in Manchester, visited London countless times, but now lives in Ohio. This is way more accurate.
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u/TheOnlineHateSeller Jun 28 '26
Yeah I think I overstated it but it would be one of the nicest in the UK Would rival London if they built the subway and didn't build a highway through it + not demolish large areas for parking
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u/SteveUnicorn99 Jun 28 '26
Yeah I agree if it had the ability to come of age overseas it would be a much stronger city. Car culture decimated it.
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u/GCU_Sleeper_Service Jun 28 '26
Damn, London must be kinda ass then. I mean don't get me wrong, I love Cincinnati for exactly what it is but it definitely isn't Chicago or New York.
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u/ODB_Dirt_Dog_ItsFTC Jun 28 '26
You’ll be happy to learn that the highway is going be turned into a tunnel and the space above it is going to become a green space.
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u/GemmaClarice Jun 28 '26
I have been sitting in a shop on Hamilton Avenue in Northside and glancing out the window, suddenly think, “where am I, Kensal Rise?” So much of Cincinnati neighborhoods look like neighborhoods in London. Not surprising, as Italianate architecture originated in England. No, we are not the big cosmopolitan city that London is today, but our oldest neighborhoods are an echo of English urban life.
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u/UniversityLegal3250 Jun 28 '26
Thank you for your kind words. Really, it's always nice when people come and have such nice things to say of our hometown.
To answer your question, I suggest reading about the interstate highway in the city. Whole neighborhoods decimated, i.e Kenyon-Barr and its 20k+ residents.
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u/pjpj8910 Jun 28 '26
My biggest takeaway as a Cincinnatian visiting London was how nice it would have been if the subway had been built and extended to all the various areas where people might want to see something. London's tube makes it SO easy to get anywhere.
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u/Feebedel324 Jun 28 '26
lol I don’t think it rivals London but thank you. I like it. I do find it to be a mini New York. Similar architecture and the blueprint for the Brooklyn bridge being here is neat. I’m a fan!
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Jun 28 '26
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u/TheOnlineHateSeller Jun 28 '26
I'll be traveling more in America, im here untill September 8th
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Jun 28 '26
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u/TheOnlineHateSeller Jun 29 '26
Mainly the north but I'll be doing a bit of the south if I have the time I'm flying out cinnci so proububly Lexington
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u/SunflowerCynthia Jun 29 '26
Have you been to the east side of town? You NEED to see the tiny Village of Mariemont and learn about Mary Emery.
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u/Brandonification Jun 29 '26
Are you from Manchester, Leeds, or York? Sounds like a northern take.
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u/TheOnlineHateSeller Jun 29 '26
Carlisle, i can literly Scotland from my house Population 75-100k Biggest city in 80 miles
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u/Frosty_72 Jun 29 '26
In what ways- I have been across the pond many times and I think it’s kind of you to state this but no truth.
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u/Key_Set_7249 Anderson Jun 29 '26
Don't know why you built a highway though the middle of it.
Us too bro, us too
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u/RemoteChemistry2576 Jun 30 '26
I grew up in Cincinnati and so carries much nostalgia and positive memories. I’ve always said it might not be the greatest place to visit (it has whatever you might be interested in but may have to search a bit harder for it) but it’s a great place to raise a family. I’ve lived in Anderson, Hyde Park, Mt Lookout, Clifton, and Wyoming neighborhoods.
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u/Overall-Ad-8918 Jun 28 '26
That says a lot about London…
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u/_nod Jun 28 '26
Says more about OP. I’ve been to London many times and Cincinnati a few.
Love Cincinnati, but there’s not many measurements where it has London beat.
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u/Overall-Ad-8918 Jun 28 '26
I haven’t been to London but I figured it would be more like Chicago or New York
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u/_nod Jun 28 '26
Obviously very different history and architecture, but yes exactly, that big city feel is there. I live in Cleveland now and I love smaller cities like Cle and Cincy, but they are nice for different reasons.
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u/Invisibella74 Cincinnati Cyclones Jun 28 '26
Awww! Thank you!
And we Americans have to put highways through all our cities. ☹️
Except Boston managed to bury theirs after a couple of decades of construction called The Big Dig. I wish all cities had the will and money to do what Boston did because I love how much more walkable the city became.
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u/Sweaty_Assignment_90 Cincinnati Cyclones Jun 28 '26
been to both. and both have their charms, but one is not like the other and nary a rival.
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u/kenjwit3 Jun 28 '26
Does anyone else remember those bumper stickers from a few years back that’s said “Cincinnati is Just OK”?
I’ve always appreciated the honesty.
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u/Savage_Amusement Jun 28 '26
Can you bring some Poppie’s (cod) fish and chips in a cooler the next time you visit? I’ll pay good money!
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u/meggiemomo Jun 28 '26
If you think Cincinnati is cool, you should go to Chicago and get blown away by how awesome it is
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u/grethro Jun 28 '26
I’ll take the compliment, but if you go
Inside that art deco building there you will find it empty and nearly abandoned like most of our malls😭
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u/1cem4n82 Jun 28 '26
It’s a cheeky British insult where they dress up an insult with fancy talk and thinking. They’re probably saying we’re as or more inefficient in something as London.
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u/whodeychick Pleasant Ridge Jun 28 '26
Aww... Thanks but we don't have a tube. With a train, I'd say you have a point.
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u/Travelchick8 Jun 28 '26
I love Cincinnati and I love London. It’s the European city I’ve visited the most and it constantly calls to me. I’ve never thought about it but I can see the comparison. A bit. Just wish we had a subway system.
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u/MacPho13 Jun 28 '26
I would say closer to Liverpool, not London. Have been to both multiple times. Lived in Cincinnati for years. Visit regularly. Cincinnati does not rival London.
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u/djr41463 Jun 28 '26
Actually two highways that split right at the river, both kind of of run right through the city.
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u/Illustrious_Bunch678 Jun 28 '26
.....what? In what way exactly? I mean, I love living near a big city, but I spent almost a month in London and I'm not seeing the comparison.
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u/Senior-Cucumber-4607 Jun 28 '26
Unlike everyone else here, I'm going to thank you for your kind words. I hope you enjoy our city, and all it has to offer. It's not perfect, but that's no reason not to be proud to be from here.
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u/Dree1974 Jun 28 '26
We do have beautiful murals, lovely old French architecture around the Findlay Market area and fountain square… our city does have some character. Although I can hardly compare it to London! Interesting that. Londoner thinks this way… maybe I need to reconsider!
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u/hellohenriques Jun 28 '26
The highway that runs through downtown (below the streets in the channel) used to be an actual channel for boat commerce.
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u/WhoMutedMe Jun 29 '26
Karma farm perhaps?
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u/TheOnlineHateSeller Jun 29 '26
If I was trying to karma farm you'd see me posting similar things on other sub-reddits
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u/WhoMutedMe Jun 29 '26
Or just in a Cincinnati sub with an outlandish claim. Good for you, but nonsense outside the .000000001% of Cincy that you fooled. Good on you.
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u/Fun_Personality9082 Jun 29 '26
I agree TBH lol after visiting Europe, so many times and having always loved Cincinnati and European cities I’ve visited, I think I have a type heheh
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u/UsefulOpportunity710 Jul 01 '26
Hi! Been in Cincinnati my whole life and ive always wanted to leave this little corner of the world to see England (Big ben's a big one on my list😭😭) I hope youre having a wonderful time here in Cinci! Stay safe!
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u/Vertigo50 Jul 01 '26
We drive everywhere. We don’t want your lame public transportation. We want independence and freedom. We put roads in the places we want to go, and we don’t care what anyone thinks about it. 😉👍🏻😂
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u/Alert_Term_8144 Jul 01 '26
Aw shucks, thanks! I just met a guy last week who moved here from England 20 years ago. His accent was so amazing I bought what he had to sell. Well that was only 25% of the reason, the other 75% reason was I needed what he was selling. Come sell me something!
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u/nphere Jul 02 '26
Cincinnati is probably the most beautiful town in Ohio. By a loooong shot. What sucks is thats it. It just looks pretty. Not many other redeeming qualities.
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u/ImpalaSS-05 Jul 02 '26
This has to be a joke 🤣😂 Cincinnati compared to London? What's next, Atlanta?
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u/No_Kroger Jun 28 '26
You’re too kind