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The Cheapest Date of All: Things You Can Do for Free in Cincinnati Right Now.

When someone visits, I’m always torn: How best to show them the city, without breaking the bank? Save your money for dinner and drinks- there are a number of things you can do for free throughout the city:

  • The Cincinnati Art Museum is always free and always worth a visit. I went a few weeks ago and there was an installation involving 1000 or so light-up dildos. What’s not to like? 953 Eden Park Drive, Cincinnati 513 721-2787.
  • The world's largest church stained glass window, sweeping murals and awe-inspiring carvings abound at the Covington Basilica Cathedral. Open daily from 10-4. 1140 Madison Avenue, Covington 859-431-2060 (Visit the Basilica site for details about mass times).
  • The Clifton Gaslight district is always attractive to my visiting nieces and nephews. Browse import shops, wellness boutiques and clothing stores. Clifton.
  • Hamilton county parks have an unlimited number of free events. Hike, take a class or visit art shows and photo exhibits. When the weather warms, free movie nights start at the parks- and there’s no better place for a picnic dinner after a busy day in the office.
  • The Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County has free classes ranging from ballroom dancing to yoga, guest speakers and clubs for readers, sewers and card players, too.
  • Walk across the suspension bridge to stretch your legs, people watch and enjoy that eerie feeling of realizing you’re 100 feet above the Ohio River on a bridge that moves.
  • Finally, Devou Park of Covington and Fountain Square downtown get a special mention here, because of the photo opportunities for out-of-towners.

I'll update this list when the weather gets warmer and the long list of free summer activities and events begins. If you have more ideas for things to do for free, let me know.

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Jazzing Up Covington’s Mainstrasse

The vereee talented Mary Ellen Tanner has started a weekly gig singing at Chez Nora's in Covington's Mainstrasse. Backed by her trio (including the venerable jazz drummer John von Ohlen), she performs every Sunday at 7. If you've never seen M.E. perform, jump at the chance- she sings jazz standards in a throaty voice that's heavenly, making you yearn for a zoot suit, wing tips and a cool martini.

On another note, the Beastie Boys just announced more upcoming dates. They'll do a couple of shows next month in Washington, then they're abroad for months and months… Portugal, anyone?

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Declaration of Principles

We contain multitudes. Cincinnati is a vibrant city with life bubbling over. If you were to stick with the mainstream channels of information, you wouldn’t know how alive Cincinnati is. We are here to change that. We are the Conveyor. We aim to be original, but not obtuse. Our mission is the explore the city and bring our readers experiences and opportunities.

I, Mr. Editor, have started this endeavor to bring the people of Cincinnati closer to their own community. The goal is to open the eyes of the people of Cincinnati and peak their interests. No matter what you like to do, you can fill your mind with it here in the Cincinnati area. In our attempt to meet this goal, here are the principles we will employ:

 

  1. Have fun – Yes, this is something we are doing for fun. Fun doesn’t mean everything is a joke. Fun means we enjoy what we are writing about. If we get a little irreverent along the way, well, blame the booze. In the case of some of our writers, blame the Nietzsche.
  2. Be honest – Our writers are going to write what is on their minds. They will not go on personal crusades. They will not fear telling the truth. If something sucks, they are going to say it sucks. They will not be jerks about it or will not be writing here.
  3. Be original – Lead. Only follow when the leader is worth being followed. Make waves, don’t just ride them.
  4. Write from your point of view – We are writing opinion. We are not a news organization, so don’t be surprised when we like something or don’t like something.
  5. Be intellectual – We are not fluff. We’re going to use our noggin and make the reader use theirs too. We will try, desperately, to not make it stuffy and certainly will try to not make it boring.
  6. Be factual – We will try to make everything we write as accurate as possible. We will try not to give an opinion that is laced with ulterior motives. If we have a stake in something, we will be up front about it.
  7. Be different, but not just because – Difference is great. Being different just to break away from something popular is about ego, not about learning. We are unique, but we want to relate and communicate with everyone. We can’t do that if we just are going to shy away from other people who are doing great things. If something is popular we want to know why. We may not like it, but we’ll try to let you be judge of that, after we give our take.

Effort is what counts. Results matter, but are not an exclusive method to measure success. If there are times when we don’t meet your expectations, we will listen to what have to say, but we will not act without determining the facts for ourselves. We will not beat ourselves to death if a insignificant point isn’t perfect. Call it rough or raw if you want, we are not going to lose sleep over minor details.

We are a work in progress. The Conveyor will not stand still. It may take a kick in the ass sometimes, but we’ll keep it moving.