Amy Knueven
Top 5 Ideas for Quirky Holiday Fun
Everybody celebrates the holidays a little bit differently. This week, you can get your Christmas kicks by dressing up your pets, searching for Santas, or practicing some fancy skating.
Top 5 Spots for Free Fun
Maybe there’s no such thing as a free lunch, but there are plenty of free good times to be had around the city.
Top 5 Places to Take a Class
Your mother told you to use your time wisely, didn’t she? So if you’re lucky enough to have any to spare, consider broadening your skills with a class.
Suzanne Farrell: Taking the Stage at Music Hall
"On that huge old stage, looking out into the theater with its chandeliers, tiers, and boxes, I decided that I wanted to dance."
Frank and Robin Wood: The Birth of WEBN
Frank Wood: In the early in the days of ’EBN we had a lot of phony commercials for a fictitious company called Brute Force Cybernetics, which invented lots of strange products: The three-dimensional television, which was a TV mounted on a rail that went back and forth really fast. Or the portable hole.
Top 5 Local Spots to Spend a Quiet Afternoon
1. Essencha Tea House
Tucked into Oakley’s business district is the teeny Essencha Tea House. Decorated like an Asian-style spa, the place oozes relaxation and quiet. Stop in for lunch (we like the Cold-Smoked Salmon Sandwich) or one of the daily afternoon tea services—Essencha offers both Asian and European-style preparations. Then take a little tranquility home with you: They carry more than 100 varieties of loose-leaf teas. Open Mon–Sat 11 am–6 pm; Sun Noon–5 pm. 3212 Madison Rd., Oakley, (513) 533-4832, essencha.com
Top 5 Places To Cool Your Heels Before Labor Day
1. Parky’s Pirate Cove
Parky’s Pirate Cove is exactly as awesome as it sounds. Located in Miami Whitewater Forest, the buccaneer-themed playground will fulfill your kid’s Pirates of the Caribbean dreams with a half-sunken ship to climb on and cannons that shoot water. Through Labor Day, 11 am–7 pm, daily; $2 per child, ages 2 to 12; 9001 Mt. Hope Rd., Harrison, (513) 521-7275, greatparks.org/parks/miamiwhitewater.shtm
I Scream for Ice Cream
Everyone has a favorite ice cream memory. We asked a few iconic Cincinnatians to recount theirs.