Clifton in Verse (Part Two)

Map of Clifton

Dear George,

I meant to add these Clifton photos and poems a while back, but that’s how it goes.  As a bit of background, our Clifton neighborhood was incorporated as a village in 1850.  Located out in the countryside, it was a wholly separate entity from the city of Cincinnati which was three miles to the south.  Clifton was perched high on a hill and quickly became a favorite destination for wealthy Cincinnati families who built mansions along Lafayette Avenue for their summer homes.  Ludlow Avenue, Clifton’s business district, became the center of the village’s commercial activity, growing particularly with the extension of the streetcar system from the city below in the late 1800’s.   Ludlow Ave. is still the center of the action in Clifton and one of the most vibrant neighborhood business districts in the city.  Part One of “Clifton in Verse”, which I posted a couple of months ago, covered some of the highlights of on the southern side of Ludlow Ave.  Here’s another bunch of our neighborhood attractions, this time along the north side of the street (moving from the west end of the four-block business district to the east).  I’ve only included about half of the places on this strip.  While we don’t have any ocean beach or salt water, my sister-in-law Ami says a walk along Ludlow is sort of like visiting a seaside resort.  My hope is to inspire some visitors to come and check out our neighborhood.

Love,

Dave

Clifton Performance Theater

CPT puts on the most modern plays

The last dealt with undersized peepers

It seemed to elicit the critics’ praise

I thought to myself, “Jeepers Creepers”

Favorite Vapors

E-cigarettes have become the new thing

Now Cliftonites have their own shop

I thought for a moment of having a fling

Then worried that I wouldn’t stop

Habaneros

Habaneros has mucho delicioso stuff

I go for the burrito or the taco

Their regular platter is more than enough

You’ll think that you’re back in Morocco

Ambar India

Ambar’s a trendy spot for dining

It draws in the crowds by the dozens

If it’s curry for which you’re pining

It’s here you should bring all your cousins

Ace Hardware

Ace is the best for a gizmo or tool

You can buy a fine drill or a saw

But each time I work on our vestibule

I wind up with flaw after flaw

Olive’s

Olive’s has a delicious menu

With corned beef and cabbage and soup

It’s Katja’s and my favorite venue

We go there so we can regroup

D. Raphael

This is the place for wife gifts to shop

For birthdays it’s utterly handy

I’ve found that their jewels are never a flop

Katja likes them much better than candy

The Hookah Café

I don’t know what’s up with the Hookah Café

It’s Ludlow Ave’s newest “in” shop

The customers smoke in a very odd way

Makes you wonder just what kind of crop

Graeters

Graeter’s should be in a fairy tale

Their rasberry chip is delicious

Their cakes and cookies never go stale

Best of all it’s completely nutritious

La Poste

La Poste is our finest eatery

It’s just off Ludlow on Telford

My family would say it is “Peter-y”

It’s where you might see Robert Relford

Sitwells

Sitwells is our neighborhood coffee place

It’s a hangout for hippies and such

When younger it used to be my sort of space

But at fifty I grew out of touch

Esquire Theater

Each year the Esquire wins “Best of City”

For art films it can’t be beat

Some are weepy and others are gritty

But they all keep you glued to your seat

Thai Cafe

The Thai Café has closed its doors

No more Pad Thai for the folk

I hope that the new place will feature smores

(But, of course, that’s my silly joke)

Kilimanjaro

Kilimanjaro’s our most unique store

It stocks carved masks from Tanzania

I always peek in when I pass by the door

Those masks could well be my next mania

Biaggio’s

Biaggio’s features Italian cuisine

Plus the finest of pound cakes and pies

The sauces are spicy, the pork is quite lean

And the pasta brings tears to your eyes

Adrian Durban -- Clifton Florist

Katja buys flowers at A. Durban’s shop

They create such fantastic bouquets

For Valentine’s Day be sure to stop

Your sweetheart will be in a daze

Skyline Chili

Skyline is what we locals crave

Once you’ve had it you’ll never turn back

Cliftonites eat it from cradle to grave

It’s sort of like smoking crack

J. Gumbo’s

Whenever we miss the Big Easy

We go to J. Gumbo’s to dine

The pasta is never too cheesy

And the red beans and rice are just fine

Subway

Clifton has blocked the fast food chains

They’ve even rejected McDs

Nonetheless Subway still remains

All those veggies put Cliftonites at ease