My name is Matt Tracey and I have a secret; I’m not really a townie. I mean I do live about 10 minutes away from campus, however, this was only a recent event. I was born in a small town in Ohio, just a few minutes outside of the beautiful city of Cincinnati. Although my blog last semester was about baking, with the memory diving activity, I had started thinking more and more about my time in Ohio and all of the fun and interesting stories I had from my time there. Plus, there is all of those interesting facts and history from the city known as “The Queen City,” “The Queen of the West,” “The Blue Chip City,” “The City of Seven Hills,” and, my personal favorite, “Nasty Nati.” So buckle your seatbelts, because you’re in for a wild ride. I do have several fun stories from this great town, but, like everything, a quick intro is necessary.
To get everything started, I’m going to run through a quick history of the city by way of discussing the myriad of nicknames the city has gained over the years, some of which I already mentioned. And, like you will soon find out, a lot of things that go on with Cincinnati tend to be either fairly lackluster or just humorously disappointing. The most famous nickname that almost no one outside of Ohio really has heard of, “The Queen City.” It comes from a poem written by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow in which he wrote of the city, referring to it as the “Queen of the West.” This may sound strange, yet, Cincinnati happened to be the largest, most western city in the 1850s and was able to steal the title from all the major cities to come (which some may argue is unfair, but hey, we came first).
Another one of my favorite nicknames, solely because of the backstory, is “The City of Seven Hills.” The reason this name came to be was because the residents described the 7 hills (basically slight inclines in reality) they saw in the city. Then, like true Cincinnatians, they described it as being similar to the gorgeous city of Rome in Italy as stories tell of Rome being founded on 7 hills with the main part of the city located on the highest hill. Moral of the story, Cincinnati, Ohio is basically the same thing as Rome aka the center of the Roman Empire.
Some other wonderful monikers include “The Blue Chip City,” which comes from a local baking company Blue Chip Cookies, and “porkopolis” which comments on the residents love for pork products (such as the infamous “goetta”). Yet, none can compare to mine, and many of my friends’ favorite, “Nasty Nati.”
Where did this come from? I’m not sure. Maybe it’s about how the city is dirty, disgusting, and the fact that alliteration is always fun. Or maybe it’s the “Nati” to appeal to the youth hip-scene. Or maybe it’s because we all like to pretend that the city we know and love so dear is worse than it really is. It may not be the cleanest or the nicest (or really have anything to do) city, but it does have heart and soul. And, above all, it’s home
My knowledge on Cincinnati is extremely limited. Not even sure if I spelled that right, but I know it’s in Ohio. I’m sure it’s nice but big cities kind of blend together for me (unless they’re New York City or LA, which as we all know, are the best). You did a lot of research on your topic, with all the specific nicknames and dates you included, which were really informative.
Interesting idea for a blog! It will be interesting to read about Cincinnati through your stories. By exploring the information from where you are from, it would enable you to connect to your home even more.
Love this, I can’t wait to hear all your stories because they’re obviously going to be hilarious. I’m torn between feeling your nostalgia of it being “home,” and wanting to hear more about it being nasty. I’ve never truly recognized Ohio as a state simply because….. well there’s very little to offer. Hoping to hear some funny stories and some adorable flashbacks.
I had never heard much about Cincinnati until I met my sister’s boyfriend two years ago. He is from around Cincinnati and was always talking about “Cincy” and going back to the “Nati”. I think it’s cool that this amazing city has such cool nicknames and attractions. I like how you feel so connected to the city and enjoy it so much!
This is a really good idea for a blog! Being from Pittsburgh, there’s all kinds of unique “Pittsburghese” sayings floating around, many of which I have no idea where they came from. I can relate to your blog in a sense that no matter how much you love your home, sometimes there are just things to be made fun of.
Awesome post idea! I have actually been to Nasty Nati a lot because my cousins used to live there back in the day. They since moved but I always remember the long car rides to and then how much fun I had while I was there. You are right, I guess it may not be the “cleanest” city in the world but show me one that is! Cinci has everything it needs to be its own fun place and I enjoyed it for that. But since my cousins moved I haven’t had much of a reason to go back but maybe one day…
This topic is really cool and very heartfelt. My friends from home and I always poke fun at our town/county, but underneath it all, it has a special place in my heart. I am excited to hear more about your home and what it meant to you!
Hey again Matt!
I love your new topic. (Not that I didn’t love all your adventures in baking.) It’s just that I too have moved from city to city, and those cities will always have a place in my heart! Especially where I grew up: Atlanta. I am probably biased but I think it’s just about the best city in the world. So I can totally understand why you feel so strongly about Cincinnati. I’ve visited a couple of times, mostly just driving through, but it is beautiful. And, since we always used to stop there for lunch on our road trips from Georgia to Cleveland, I know it has some great places to eat!! Can’t wait to hear more.
Meredith