50 degrees. Pouring
rain on our drive to the East End but clearing as we ran.
It’s been said that there are two East Ends. And in some ways it is true. There is the old and there is the new. There are modest, frame houses and there are
modern marvels in glass and stone. And there
is a story that has been told about a flood ruining much of the older, humble
housing and clearing the way for a new and more refined East End. Like most stories it has been told and retold
and reality is hard to untangle from perspective.
What I do know is that the river is close—almost intrudingly
so—but in a way that reminds you that Cincinnati is a true river town:
We started our run from Riverview East Academy, an
eye-catching public school building built on stilts:
Riverview East backs up to the Ohio River Trail, which runs
adjacent to the river through parks, playgrounds, boat landings, and ball
fields:
From here, we could hear riverboats on the water and trains
on the Kentucky side. This stretch is flat and pleasant and definitely a route
I would like to repeat. The trail ends
and spits out on Riverside Drive (formerly known as Eastern Avenue, also known
as US 52 or US 50 Truck Route).
We passed the aptly named Fuel Coffee, which was hosting its
Saturday morning car show:
When I saw that several Subaru Imprezas were on display I
had a brief vision of turning around, getting Scooter, and driving back for the
festivities. Except nobody wants to see
a 2005 wagon with a cracked windshield and dog hair on the backseat. Also, I’m about 1000 miles overdue for an oil
change (sorry, Dad).
Next, we ran past the red-brick St. Rose of Lima, which had
purple tulips sprouting in narrow beds:
Then we passed the iconic Cincinnati Water Works building
behind its strange cement wall:
LaBlond Recreation Center is sandwiched between the river
and the road just about a mile outside of Downtown:
Its pool was empty but not quite dry:
This five-story condo building with a swanky fitness center
on the ground floor is just a few blocks away:
On both sides of the street, the newer housing has been
built to withstand the rising river:
There is quite a bit of construction still taking
place and with the river views it’s easy to understand why:
Plenty of the older homes have proven that they,
too, were built to endure the waters:
When we got to the boundary with Downtown we turned around
and retraced our steps. Instead of
picking up the trail head, we continued along the road and ran through the
section of the East End that has a handful of businesses housed in historic buildings.
One of these, Eli’s Barbeque, recently edged its way into
Cincinnati Magazine’s Top Ten list:
Top Ten or not, you won’t catch a vegetarian here so Donnie is
currently looking for someone who is willing to join him for pig parts. Any takers? I’ll be way on the other end of Eastern Avenue at
the BrewRiver Gastropub, which occupies the former Maribelle’s and is known
for its beer and food pairings and has a "Roasted Root Vegetable" entree:
There really are two East Ends.
-Kayla
