Lunch in Covington: Not a Run and Not a 52



So now I'm feeling a bit injured.  Like the miles I put in over the weekend plus the hill repeats I did on Tuesday have put a limp in my gait.

 

Or maybe I'm just coming down with a case of hypochondria. 

 

Either way, better safe than sorry.  My running goals this year are: 1) Finish Run 52, and 2) Break 20 minutes in a 5k.  Neither of those are likely to happen if I have to take three months off because of over-training. So my plan is to sit out for a week and then return with a vengeance.

 

With a suddenly free Saturday on our hands, we hit the open road:

 

 

 

 

We wanted to try Silverglades for lunch, but it was closed.  Instead, we wound up getting to-go orders from my favorite spot on Court Street.  Not the new Mexican Grill being advertised with the flags and the sidewalk sign, but the quaint little sandwich shop behind it which Donnie likes to call "Le Soob Way". 

 

 

 

What can I say?  I could eat it every day and there have been periods in my life where I have, in fact. 

 

We crossed the Roebling and headed into Covington:

 

 

 

I love the Ascent.  Love. Love. Love.

 



 

 

 

 

Taking a recommendation from Emily Lee (who seriously impressed us last night with her cooking skills, btw) we took our sandwiches down to the park in the Licking Riverside Historic District. 

 

Obviously, this neighborhood is not one of the 52 Cincinnati neighborhoods that are the subject of our running challenge.  Still, we had never been here and it made a great side trip for a recovery day. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The riverside mansions have a distinctly Southern character. 

 

 

 

 

From a park bench, we watched preparations taking place for an afternoon wedding and saw a Chihuahua barely escape being run over by a horse-drawn carriage.  We also had a great view of Downtown and could see the Great American Ball Park getting warmed up for Opening Day:

 



 

 

 

Four hours later, Donnie said, "You know what?  I don't know if I could live in that neighborhood because I'd always be worried about dead bodies washing up on shore." 

 

Really?  That's what you think about?

 



 

 

He also told me today that taking dietary advice from me would be like taking dietary advice from "Bart the Fart." 

 

Clearly there is some substantive conversation going on at our place.

 

We'll be back next week with East Price Hill!

 

 

-Kayla

 



Pause

Run 52 will return to its regularly scheduled programming next week after one of our athletes recovers from a (hopefully minor) hamstring injury. 

We tried to do our East Price Hill route this morning but the downhill on Mt. Hope made it painfully obvious that Donnie needs a week off to heal from the sprints he added into Friday's workout.

He dropped me off in Eden Park and I ran home in the snow:

 

 

These horrible photos taken on a nasty day don't do this park justice.  Mirror lake is dry.  The trees are bare.  The benches are empty.  And still.  Eden Park has has always been one of my favorite places to run in the city.  It's going to sound cheesy as hell, but running here always makes me feel optimistic and so grateful to live in such a beautiful place. 

 

Speaking of optimism, every week I think, "This is going to be our last cold run."  Yeah, still waiting for that to pan out.

 

We'll try East Price Hill again next week.

 

-Kayla

 

Route #13: East Price Hill

I’ve spent a lot of time in East Price Hill.  Last Spring and Summer I spent most of my waking hours there when my office at Santa Maria moved from Lower Price Hill to a newly renovated space on Price Avenue in the Incline District.  From there, I was able to walk the Bayou Fish House and the Corner BLOC Coffee Shop and keep an eye on the construction taking place at the Incline Village. 

We’ll start our East Price Hill run from the Incline Public House, where I had a fabulous mushroom and pesto pizza along with a Rivertown Hop Bomber a few weeks ago.  We were thrilled at how busy the place was on a Saturday night, but with a view like this, we shouldn’t have been surprised:

 

(Please pardon the blur.) 

Before the Public House opened its doors, Primavista had the best view in town.  The Public House’s patio offers an even better vantage point. We’ll run down Mt. Hope past Wilson Commons before taking Purcell to Mt. Echo Park. 

A few summers ago I was spending every lunch break studying for my Organizational Psychology class on Mt. Echo’s gorgeous pavilion, which was less than a mile from my office in Lower Price Hill. I would east my peanut butter sandwich and apple while reclining (somewhat uncomfortably) against a pillar. One day I walked back to my car to find that I had been given a ticket for failure to display a front license plate.  I guess it was only a matter of time.

From Mt. Echo, we’ll take West 8^th Street to the Imago Earth Center.  I’ve never been to Imago, and I’m hoping that the public trails are open our visit.  If so, we’ll try to incorporate a mile or two.  Next, we’ll run up to St. Joseph Cemetery and try to make a loop inside the gates. 

We’ll run back to the Incline via Price Avenue, hopefully stopping briefly to wave hello to my former home away from home, Santa Maria Community Services' Price Hill Financial Opportunity Center. 

I feel like I know East Price Hill as well as I know any neighborhood in the city.  I know that it has great views, beautiful parks, a great library, and good restaurants.  When co-workers asked if I’ve ever consider moving to the neighborhood my response was always a sheepish, “I don’t know where I’d run….” 

We’re about to find out.

Check out the full route with mile markers here:  http://www.usatf.org/routes/view.asp?rID=509455

 

East End

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

 

Route #12: East End

The East End is a long narrow neighborhood that runs along the river from Lunken Airport to just before Friendship Park where we started last week's run. 

This week we will start from Riverview East Academy, which is a school on stilts. Not only did the designers intend this layout to prevent flooding, but they also sought to inspire distinct learning communities by creating isolated learning wings for each class.

Behind Riverview East is the Ohio River Bike Trail, which we will follow as we head out on the first leg of our run. This trail could some day be the link to downtown that I imagined last week. When and if that happens, it will be a great asset to the city, and especially individuals interested in biking to work.

For now the river trail ends at Corbin Street where we will have to join up with Eastern Avenue (AKA Riverside Drive AKA Kellogg Ave). On Eastern Avenue we will start to pass some more residential areas, which in recent years have been transitioning from single family homes to condo developments. In recent months almost any remaining single family home has been put up for sale to presumably make room for more upscale development. 

We'll turn around in front of the Verdin manufacturing facility, which is distinct for both its size (at least three blocks long) and its reflective windows which run the length of the building. No doubt Kayla will want a few portraits here.

On the way back we will pass St. Rose of Lima Catholic Church, Fuel Coffee, and Eli's Barbeque. These are three more of the many places that we have not visited, but will probably be inspired to after our run. 

Right now I know the East End as the nice, flat stretch of Riverside Drive that is a good place to cruise on Sunday long runs, but after Saturday's run I am sure that I will learn there is a lot more to this neighborhood. 

 

Downtown

Knowing that we were headed Downtown, I had this Seinfeld scene in my head all week: 

When it comes to Downtown Cincinnati and running there is always a lot going on. In addition to being a regular training ground for athletes out on their long runs, it is also the site of some of Cincinnati's major races like the Flying Pig, Hudepohl 14k and Thanksgiving Day.

As we got ready to run, a herd of Team in Training runners made its way past us. This single group of about two hundred runners outnumbered all of the runners we had seen on our challenge up to that point. 

With droves of potential competitors in her midst, Kayla set an aggressive pace right from the start.

  
First, we made our way to the eastern edge of Friendship Park, where at a dead end we encountered a towering sculpture that appeared to be part tower part weather vane.

After looping around the sculpture, we headed back west and passed the Montgomery Inn Boathouse.  Probably in violation of a local ordinance, I've never been to Montgomery Inn. Even Kayla the vegetarian is a two-time visitor: once on a 9th grade homecoming date and then more recently for a meeting. 

One aspect of the riverfront that I have missed when I've been passing through on other runs, are  the great bridge views. In particular, the "Big Mac" bridge is stunning.  

 

Of course, as the prototype for the Brooklyn Bridge the Roebling is a great piece of Cincinnati history in its own right.

When it comes to development, the area around Smale Park is the most significant marker of recent progress.  From Great American Ballpark to the Banks to the Christian Moerlein Brewery, what was once an underutilized area is now bustling with activity.

The Freedom Center was on the early end of the recent riverfront development. In the wake of Cincinnati's civil unrest, the Freedom Center was intended to embrace Cincinnati’s African American history.

In the winter of 2011, the Freedom Center became my office and I enjoyed being able to walk from my cubicle into some fascinating exhibits.

The downside to the Freedom Center as an office was having to pay to park.  Of course, now the bike center is just in front of the Moerlein Brewery and offers an opportunity to bike or run to work at a low monthly cost.

From the Freedom Center we headed away from the river into Downtown proper.  4th and Vine is  Kayla’s favorite intersection.She claims she loves the architecture, but I think her adoration has more to do with the Starbucks/Brueggers combo.

This blurry Starbucks has served Kayla well over the years. At one time it was the only place where Kayla could find coffee while she waited for me to finish the Heart Mini marathon on several dreary March mornings.

Looking up through the buildings at 4th and Vine you might think you were in New York or Chicago.

The dense urbanness receded as we headed up Vine to Fountain Square. This is the site of one of my favorite Cincinnati restaurants, Via Vite. 

Fountain Square is also home to the Tyler Davidson fountain, a gift from Kayla’s relative, Henry Probasco to the city of Cincinnati. This marked our third Probasco inspired stop, and one of Kayla’s classier poses.

When we ventured off of Vine, we came to Piatt Park--the one-time headquarters of Occupy Cincinnati. The east end of the park features a statue of former president Garfield. 

From Piatt Park we continued through the 9th Street historic district. This stretch of Downtown has always been one of my favorites, as it is quiet and unassuming, yet really close to all of the amenities.

Court Street is a nice, flat stretch that took us past some great eateries. My personal favorite is Tom and Chee (gourmet grilled cheese), which at one time was an unhealthy addiction that I couldn't shake. I even considered offering space on my racing singlet in exchange for free sandwiches. Sadly, now that I lunch almost exclusively in the law school cafeteria I don't make it in to see Tom and Chee much anymore. 

                                 

      


                                 

Our next stop was just off of 4th street, where we found Lytle Park. A trip into Lytle Park is like a trip back in time, as this quiet area is tucked away from the rest of Downtown. On one end is the oft celebrated Taft Museum. Finally, at the center of Lytle Park is a fantastic statue of Abraham Lincoln, standing watch over the park and the Anna Louise Inn.