OHIO

I used to hate Columbus--now I really love it. It's not very showy, people know each other and are reasonably nice, and there are plenty of oddball midwest things to stumble across. You just have to be open to the experience. There are too many crappy punk bands, though.

Isn't forming crappy punk bands the number one pastime of the midwest?

http://www.joyrides.com/pki/photos/beast1.jpg
The Beast @ Kings Island

wheeeeeee!

Does Cleveland still have hot dog bars?

This explains a lot.

but so this one time, on 71, between one of those places and one of the other places, traffic STOPPED! Complete standstill on the interstate. And then ambulances and police cars tearing up the shoulders, wheels kicking up slush. And we started moving, slowly, inching forward, creeping creeping, and finally we could see the car up on the righthand shoulder, empty now with the ambulance gone, driver's door buckled in the middle, windshield half caved in, and there was blood, a huge amount of blood splashed all across the driver's side door and I thought what the hell? I'd seen dead bodies in cars before, and I'd never seen that much blood, and it was weird because the blood was all splashed across the outside of the car and not the inside and just then we crept forward again and I looked over to the lefthand shoulder of the southbound lanes and there was a perfectly intact deer head sliced off about halfway down the neck with a trail of blood running off the road and turning the shallow snow into pink slush.

I demand a dancehall album from you with this title sharpish.

I like Cleveland. I really like Cleveland Heights, it reminds me of home.

I didn't like Toledo. After 8 PM, everything was closed downtown save for the gentleman's clubs, and the only attraction advertised at the hotel was the zoo. I hate zoos.

i'd like to hear more about this

lets talk about ohio, about its hidden delights, and its less hidden delights. we can pause for a while, before you tell me of its industrial past, and how its past exists in the present, if it does.

is it windswept? are the industrial husks upon the plain?

and, is it better than indiana? how do they compare? does it feel good to cross the border from one to the other

what are the best places in ohio

I've always thought Cleveland was pretty cool, but I'm from Akron, so that doesn't say much. Ohio is best if you already know it and love it -- it's not really a destination.

another definition - draw a big oval with Springfield, OH as Eastern locus and Springfield, IL as the rough center

I'm sure all the Hoosiers know what I'm talking about.

we got those ads across the river, too. scary.

2250 Williamsburg Pike, Richmond IN 47374

* Local: 765-966-8361
* Toll Free: 800-RAPER RV (727-3778)
* Fax: 765-966-1840

Ohio location

5300 Dixie Hwy, Fairfield OH 45014

* Local: 513-829-2222
* Toll Free: 877-RV CINCY (782-4629)
* Fax: 513-645-1701

I'd look him up now, but I'm at work.

Pros

Geographically Cincinnati is pretty great, built on seven hills overlooking the Ohio River. The downtown area was always maintained well and despite the presence of heavy industry the city never deteriorated the way "rust belt" cities Cleveland & Akron did.

Athens home of party-hearty Ohio University is nestled in the Appalachian foothills, really beautiful and somewhat remote.

Cincinnati has a great musical history sort of pre-rock&roll, it was a crossroads for country and R&B cf. King Records where James Brown recorded his best work and Bootsy & Catfish Collins paid dues.

Cons

Socially and politically Cincinnati is sort of a nightmare, super conservative and very provincial. Most people there had families stretching back generations and seemed somewhat suspicious of the world beyond Hamilton County if they acknowlged its existence. My parents ended up there via a job transfer and never quite fit in especially my mom who was an outspoken liberal, reader of books and definitely somebody who didn't suffer fools gladly. Kids in the neighborhood would tell me their parents identified my folks as "communists" I think because they started a civil rights support group thing in our church. Sheesh, my dad was a Republican.

Despite many Cinicinnatians' contempt for the South (which my mom actually shared) the city was riddled with rednecks and bigots. The heavy German-American presence really defined the city in many ways; a stolid conformism that calclfies into intolerance. Lots of censorship issues in the 70s, the local DA famously tusseled w/Larry Flynt over his Hustler Clubs. You had to drive across the bridge to Newport KY in order to see strippers or gamble, out of sight etc.

As late teenagers my friends and I couldn't wait to escape. On the whole it's probably a decent place to raise your kids, though. I have some friends who've returned to live there after various adventures and they seem content. Surely it's changed some.

http://www.skylinechili.com/images/our_menu/p_3way.jpg

thin soupy ground-beef chili + spaghetti + cheese = a "3 Way"

"Go up two squares for three-way..."

Cincinnatians also put chocolate in their chili and play a game called "cornhole".

PLS GO SAVE BARNEY, PLS!!!!!! : (

http://html.dogsindanger.com/doggie/DogImages/1213929334728/Barney3.jpg

"Barney has two days left to live!"
- http://www.dogsindanger.com/dog.jsp?did=1213929334728

"Barney was seen being thrown out of a car along a dark road. He was quite traumatized for a couple of days and he wouldn't eat, but his great personality has come out again. He has found his appetite once again and is eating well. His favorite is Little Champions. Barney is an elderly boy, probably 10-12 years old. His teeth are in bad condition and he will need a dental. Barney needs a quiet, adult-only home where he can feel safe and secure and live out the rest of his days in a loving environment."

^^^major sadness 4 all time

Um, I don't really have any thoughts about the dog, but I am also glad to see all the affection for my home state. Ohio's the kind of state that inspires a quiet but intense loyalty - its residents won't brag about it, but when it gets knocked by ignorant outsiders as a flyover state, people really rush to its defense.

There's lots to love about the state - it has lots of surprisingly good art scenes (especially Dayton, which has the Neon Movies - one of the coolest art-house movie theaters in the country, a wonderful art museum, a beautiful new performing arts space, and lots of great music heritage - the town that gave America both GBV AND Kim Deal), lots of amazing regional food (in Cincinnati alone, there's Skyline chili, Montgomery Inn ribs, Kahn's hot dogs, Graeter's Ice Cream, and more), lots of beautiful little colleges (Oberlin, Kenyon, Denison, and so on), the rock and roll hall of fame (Cleveland), Lake Erie, and plenty of beautiful countryside.

Also, everyone who mentioned Athens and a few other smallish towns as some of the most delightfully weird places in America -- OTM. I'd add Yellow Springs to that list, which made national news recently when its university (Antioch) closed down. It was a major left-wing force in the 60s and Yellow Springs has always been a curious sort of hippy-relic town since then.

If you're an East Coast resident who has never been, the best 30-second summary I can recommend is the Cleveland montage from 30 Rock. Having lived on the East Coast for a few years now, I can tell you that the difference between the two places is captured almost perfectly in those few moments.

Also: I had almost forgotten about Tom Raper RVs. I can still replay those ads in my head.

Ah, found it! Cleveland clip: Getaway to Cleveland from 30 Rock

"I had lunch with Little Richard!"

Ohio FUNK!

http://www.musline.com/news/9-3-08/honey-ohio-players.jpg
http://www.mijenproductions.com/rogerzapp.jpg
http://hwearonline.com/db4/00397/hwearonline.com/_uimages/Isleys.JPG

hell, bootsy and slave images no postings

Akron, Ohio - Mechanical Barbie and the Band of Many Kens - hey, has anyone out there seen this thing, or know anyone who has? I am attracted to the mystique of the dilapidated roadside-attraction kitsch of yesteryear, though I don't own a car, so I don't actually see much of it (I used to see a bit, when I did own a car). The travel directions alone make a detour seem worthwhile:

Directions: North Main Street, across a road and the train tracks from the rest of Main Street. Look for the exterminator building with the giant cockroach and hang a right, then a quick right onto Furnace, which is brick. You will see Luigi's right after the giant sculpture of the catfish!

six hours -- in total, including layovers -- to fly into akron this evening. a one-hour status conference tomorrow, followed by another six hours -- in total, including layovers -- to get home to south florida. worst part is that we got here so late that there's nothing to do except watch the cavs game (which is fine, but i could do that at home). if there was time to try stuff, i'd ask what exciting things there are to do in this part of ohio.

sometimes i tell myself if they let me do "business travel" i'd totally explore my destinations--your story serves as a cautionary tale re: what it would actually be like

yeah. a friend of mine routinely travels to exciting destinations -- prague; colorado; london -- but i don't think he sees much of the cities. as some colleagues of mine have noted, all windowless conference rooms look alike.

lol. yeah colorado, sandwiched right between prague and london in terms of exciting destinations.

Anyway grew up in Cleveland, went to OSU and Case Western Reserve University. Ohio was nice enough, I guess. But I never fit in with the people there like I did once I moved east. Been back a few times and am just always alienated for some reason. I just find the people there stupid and hostile, unlike on the east coast where people are generally stupid and friendly, which cuts against stereotypes. But the truth is, I think Ohioans are friendly to strangers and basically hostile to everyone else.

On the east coast, everyone is as hostile as they want to be to a total stranger who they never expect to get to know, but they're way more friendly to people they actually know than the terse motherfuckers in Ohio.

funny--i always found people from ohio to be really nice. but i'm from the east coast so

I miss Ohio.

there's something about it..

ohio is a fascinating state

ive been told Kent, OH has more bars-per-capita than any other US city

this aired on PBS this week and i missed it, really wanna see it:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hdVOko457uU

Yeah I wanna see that too!

Another great Ohio film - Robert Kaylor's DERBY

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=inYFG-oW6R0

what is your fav Ohio film, admrl?

AMISH-ON-AMISH VIOLENCE

1) Jeffrey Dahmer's house was purchased by Chris Butler, of Tin Huey/Waitresses (I did not know this)
2) Now it is up for sale again (also did not know this)
3) Take a look, it's pretty nice if you just forget that it's Jeffrey Dahmer's house http://www.zillow.com/homedetails/4480-W-Bath-Rd-Akron-OH-44333/35327735_zpid/

the movie where jeremy renner plays dahmer is worth seeing

the new graphic novel "my friend dahmer" is also v good imo

Has anyone else noticed that for some reason whenever people in NYC complain about all those interlopers from elsewhere, Ohio is almost ALWAYS the default state to reference, as in "These fucking hipsters, trying to tell ME about Brooklyn when they just got off the train from Ohio three years ago."

;_;

I've noticed Akron being the butt of jokes more frequently to0, like Peoria or Schenectady used to be. No one makes jokes about Toledo.

tbf one of my friends did move from Cleveland to Queens last year, so New Yorkers otm.

I hate that guy. Tell him to go back to Cleveland.

“It’s been Cedar Point.” - LeBron on the ups and downs of the season

— Jordan Zirm (@clevezirm) May 28, 2018

(kinda wish i were famous just to shout out kennywood)