Gateway to the West
Cincinnati's titular street, Queen City Avenue, can be more than just a route home

Story by Mike Breen | Photos by Lisa Bialac

Kids Li'l Foot offers children's urban gear.
When the editor of CityBeat gets an idea and it has anything to do with the West Side of Cincinnati, those of us who grew up in the area know that we'll be getting the assignment.

While there's a weird little bond among people from the West, it seems a bit odd that we -- most of whom don't even live there anymore -- get roped in as "experts." As if we have some sort of insider knowledge that people from another 'hood couldn't unearth.

But I have to admit that an article examining the glory that is Queen City Avenue is right up my alley. I'm not necessarily a West Side booster, but the fact that I've practically grown up on the street does give me some perspective.

For around six years, as a child, I resided in an apartment complex on Queen City that was a stone's throw from my elementary school, Midway. After a longer stint in lovely Cheviot, I ended up back on Queen City in my brief, post-high-school, I-don't-really-even-want-to-go-to-college phase.

But, like most of the thousands of people who travel Queen City Avenue every day on their way to and from work, the majority of the street is just something that I drive through on a regular basis. The avenue -- which begins at the foot of the Western Hills Viaduct and runs up the hill to Werk Road, a length of 5 miles -- might not be the Champs Elysee of Cincinnati, but there are some interesting tidbits, stores and restaurants to be found there. It's at least worth an outside-of-the-norm day trip.

And if you're one of those many commuters who wouldn't think of stopping in Fairmount (the neighborhood the street runs through at the bottom of the hill) or if you turn off before you reach Westwood (the area at the top of the hill), haven't you always wondered what the hell "Little Italy" is or why the lanes run different ways or just how big that Four Towers apartment complex is? Maybe not, but we thought we'd check it out anyway.

Best Queen City Ave. Spot for Baby's First Timberlands: Kids Li'l Foot. A true Queen City Avenue original, Kids Li'l Foot is like Deveroe's for the shorty set. If you're looking for urban gear like teeny-tiny pink Timberland boots (priced around $40), this is the place. 1709 Queen City Ave., 513-471-3000.

Demetrios III is a greasy spoon with West Side flair.
Best Queen City Ave. Greasy Spoon Dynasty Location: Demetrios III. Westsiders might remember Demetrios from its days in the Western Hills Plaza off of Glenway Avenue (the latest location is Demetrios IV in Mariemont). D3 is everything you remember: Cincinnati favorites like goetta (actually quite good here) and chili (Cincy-style, of course), quick service and breakfast any time of the day. First timers likely to be greeted with, "Youse need menus?" 2198 Queen City Ave., 513-661-5530.

Best Queen City Ave. Place to Live If You Like Multitudes of Neighbors: Four Towers is believed to be the largest apartment complex in the city, spanning many acres of land and containing around 1,400 units (according to the Business Courier). The buildings loom on hills overlooking the West Side and feature swimming, tennis and lots and lots of neighbors. 2714 East Towers Drive, 513-451-9160.

Louisiana Fish Bar delivers faster food to the eat-in crowd.
Best Queen City Ave. Fast(er) Food: Louisiana Fish Bar. "Fast Food" on the avenue is a nightmare on so many levels. Visit the drive-thru at Arby's or McDonald's, and you could be sitting for what seems like an eternity. In the time it'll take you to get served at those joints, you might as well go for something actually tasty and freshly made. At Louisiana Fish Bar, you can watch cooks batter or bread your fresh cod, perch or farm-raised catfish right in front of you. If you like fried fish, you can't do much better than here. 2185 Queen City Ave., 513-389-9555.

Best Queen City Ave. Historic District That Could Have Been: If you've rolled up Queen City from bottom to top, you've likely seen the curious sign proclaiming the area "Little Italy." But Scalea's deli and restaurant has moved to Northern Kentucky (the building is still there) and, besides the nearby church, there isn't really much to see of the area named for the settlement of Italian immigrants that have resided here for years. Basically, for outsiders, "Little Italy" is pretty much just the sign.

Best Queen City Ave. Historic District That's Holding Up Traffic: A small strip of buildings near Murray's Pub that are on the National Historic Registry are reportedly the reasons why the street expansion that's been going on for several years from Sunset Avenue on up has never reached the bottom of the hill. Last year, the city sent residents on the street a letter explaining that a connector will be built behind the buildings, which should ease some of the traffic problems in the area (see below).

Best Queen City Ave. Traffic Headache Unique to the Street: If you've ever traveled the length of Queen City Avenue, you've undoubtedly noticed the unique, lo-fi lane shifts. In the mornings, two of the three lanes are open heading toward downtown; in the evening it's reversed. The reversible lanes -- marked by a red "X" or a green arrow, depending on the time of day -- are one of a kind, with most of the other similar stretches (like on Hopple Street) being eliminated by street widening. The planned connector, which would run behind the existing buildings, will hopefully end the reversible system, which has resulted in numerous accidents by confused, unsuspecting motorists.

Phil's Records is the street's only music retailer.
Best Queen City Ave. Spot to Find Robert Goulet on Vinyl: Phil's Records. There's far less of a selection than there is at Phil Breen's Northern Kentucky locations -- Phil is no relation to me, by the way -- but a recent visit did turn up an early Robert Goulet slab of wax (just in time to get an autograph while the crooner is in town with South Pacific) in the store's vinyl bins. The only record retailer on the street, Phil's has a good Hip Hop and R&B selection, videos, used discs, tapes, albums and even a few local artist CDs. 1705 Queen City Ave., 513-921-8440.

Best Queen City Ave. Sporting Complex: OK, so it's not much, but the park at the corner of Queen City and Grand avenues is a bit of a fair-weather oasis, with an always packed outdoor swimming pool -- at least when it's open -- basketball and tennis courts and a roller hockey rink. The park has also played host to city-sponsored music events in the summer, with concerts by The Raisins in their 1980s hey-day and recent shows by Iswhat?! and other acts.

Best Queen City Ave. Live Music Club to Hear a Creed Cover: When the weather's nice, Murray's Pub is a relative entertainment megaplex, with its patio area and sand volleyball court. It's pretty much the only place on the avenue where you can see live music, and the best you'll get at Murray's are local cover bands playing the hits of the day. Still, as a bar, it has a good beer selection and lots of sports television viewing opportunities. And after you've finished up your drinking, you can cruise on over to Murray's beverage drive-thru a mere 30 feet or so away for a cup of coffee or more beer. 2169 Queen City Ave., 513-661-6215.

Best Queen City Ave. Cozy Neighborhood Watering Hole: Penny & Phil's Sports Café. The dives along Queen City can be pretty intimidating from the outside, and it's not unlikely to see someone stagger out of Penny & Phil's in the middle of the afternoon blindingly drunk. But the bar actually has an extremely cozy environment and the people are nothing short of super-friendly -- a recent visit found Penny bartending and giving out free bar-b-q sandwiches whipped up by Phil (mighty tasty!). And the marquee sign out front often has birthday or congratulatory messages, apparently addressed to regulars, alongside a roster of who's running the karaoke machine that night (go, Rockin' Ron!). 1928 Queen City Ave., 513-251-6594.