Lament of the Forest Park Restaurant
North of Cincinnati, in the city of Forest Park: there was once a wonderful, little diner.
Cincinnati North Hotel Demolition From Above
Yesterday I published an article about the demolition of the Cincinnati North Hotel, a massive 10-story abandoned hotel in suburban Cincinnati that was also formerly a Best Western, Ramada, and Sheraton. We first explored this place in its abandoned state a few years ago, checking it out from top to bottom while an oblivious guard sat in a car out front. I hadn't seen the roof since that night, until today. My friend Jason sent in these photos he made over the past weekend from his drone. These awesome images document an "iconic eyesore" of the suburban landscape from a unique perspective. From the feedback of yesterday's article, it seems the hotel is all rubble as of today, with the site beginning to be cleared.
The End of The Cincinnati North Hotel
North of the city, a massive and abandoned hotel is finally coming down. Once a familiar structure on the suburban skyline, it finally had its date with the wrecking ball.
Fading Advertisements: Richmond, VA
A couple of fading advertisements as seen in Richmond last year while passing through Virginia.
Fading Advertisements: Wheeling, WV
Ever since putting the book together about Cincinnati’s ghost signs, I’ve been seeing fading advertisements everywhere. Consciously or subconsciously, I’m always keeping an eye out and often come across them while traveling.
Fading Advertisements: Pittsburgh
The city of Pittsburgh has several similarities to that of Cincinnati, both hailing from early American fortifications along Midwestern riverbanks. On top of the similar climates, economies, population size, hills, etc. - their downtowns are both rich with fading advertisements. While I’m sure there’s many more, here’s a few that I came across while recently spending a weekend there.
Fading Advertisements: Zanesville, OH
Recently, I spent a brief amount of time in Zanesville, Ohio while on my way to points eastward.
April 2017
Photographs from the month of April in the year 2017: Pittsburgh, soccer, parking garage views, good food (and randomly disposed of food), dogs, and the city.
![[Suburbia Lost] Burger King - Buckeye Lake, OH](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f4d8a25db85a54c4d64fe76/1606358083377-BSBMON2T73AOE5CDS480/image.jpeg)
[Suburbia Lost] Burger King - Buckeye Lake, OH
Just off the interstate in the town of Buckeye Lake, Ohio, this abandoned Burger King sits near several active competitors: McDonald’s, Wendy’s, and Taco Bell.
![[Suburbia Lost] Sam's Club/Consumer Square - Reynoldsburg, OH](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f4d8a25db85a54c4d64fe76/1606358105232-D5INHTZUOQUWDCJL181M/image.jpeg)
[Suburbia Lost] Sam's Club/Consumer Square - Reynoldsburg, OH
I was recently traveling to Pittsburgh when I came across this forgotten suburban development. I can’t say I’m terribly familiar with Columbus outside of its urban core, but I can spot suburban ruins from a mile away.
From the Archives Part 9: Brown County, OH
Rambling and wandering down the roadside in Brown County back in 2014.
From the Archives Part 8: The Lake Drive-In Theatre
East of Cincinnati, the Starlite Drive-In still operates its own piece of Americana, but there was once another in the area, lost in 1974 and now buried behind the trees.
From the Archives Part 7: Indiana & Ohio Railroad Cars
Abandoned railcars from a bygone era of travel once sitting in Southeast Ohio.
From the Archives Part 6: Nelsonville/York School
Built in the early 20th Century: an abandoned school in Southeastern, Ohio.
Traffic Clogged, Surrounded by Sprawl, yet Still Existing
Nestled in the corner of I-75 and I-275, the Cincinnati suburb of West Chester has boomed the past few decades. Hidden amongst the chain restaurants and parking lots is a remnant from its rural past.
Go by Streetcar and See Some Ghost Signs
I recently had the opportunity to meet Carol Sampson. She’s a Certified Tourism Ambassador, volunteer, and enthusiastic supporter of Cincinnati. Over the past few months we’ve been talking back and forth about her upcoming project: a tour of some of the city’s ghost signs/fading advertisements via the streetcar.
A Chance to Save Schwartz's Point
You may remember, back in September, I wrote about the passing of Ed Moss. He owned an eclectic, little jazz club in the northern end of Cincinnati's Over-The-Rhine neighborhood.
March 2017
Google's "blogger" service and interface are terrible, remnants of 2007. Even a simple QC/D post like these monthly ones take way too much time.
Stadium Seats and Stories From the Gardens
Over this weekend, I was lucky enough to add an original seat from the Cincinnati Gardens to my pair of Riverfront Stadium seats. I loved the Gardens and have a lot of great memories from there. I'm still hoping that I can maybe do one more story on the place and see it one last time before its date with the wrecking ball.
The Circus Came and Went One Last Time
In January 2017 it was announced that the 146 year-old Ringling Bros. and Barnum and Bailey Circus would cease to exist. While a handful of dates were cancelled, Cincinnati would be one of the final touring stops. Evoking some childhood nostalgia, I went for the first time in 15 years. One last time.