Have we got a surprise for you! Jerry Springer, Cincinnati’s most (in)famous mayor and former channel 5 reporter still loves our great city and comes by about once a month. Now,the week before the election, he sits down with Community Manager Alex S to talk all about it.
Alex: Sum up Cincinnati in one sentence?
Jerry: A great place to grow up.
Alex: Ok, now you can expand on that. What do you love about Cincy?
Jerry: It’s such a solid city with great values, tremendous variety of entertainment. It’s an All-American City. All the things we love about being in Middle America, they’re here in Cincinnati.
Alex: What new businesses are in Cincy now that you wish were here when you were Mayor?
Jerry: I remember in the 70s we started the development of downtown and now when you come back, you see that there’s been tremendous work. And not just with the riverfront but it all seems very much alive. When I first got there, downtown was pretty much a few movie theatre and office buildings. And now all of a sudden there’s more of a nightlife and that gives it a sense of excitement. You come in along 6th street and it’s pretty lively. It’s that feeling like, “Oh my gosh, I’m really in a big city.”
When I come to town, I stay at the Cincinnatian, initially my world is whatever I can walk to. Skyline Chili on Vine and 7th, that’s what I picture heaven being. But then again, I’m never gonna get (to heaven), so I might as well enjoy Skyline. I also really enjoy the steak at Ruby’s and the Cadillac Ranch is fun to go and watch sporting events, so I tend to go there a lot.
Alex: Anywhere else?
Jerry: Well, my morning’s always start with Starbucks downtown on 4th street. I try to take a walk over to City Hall and say hello to old friends.
Alex: What do you think of the development of Over-the-Rhine?
Jerry: Oh yes, you get the feeling that’s it’s becoming a more of a magnet for young people. When I was there, it was pretty much Mt. Adams, but now it’s moved uptown more. And with the Casino, it will be even livelier.
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Alex: When you come back to the city, where do you go to unwind?
Jerry: I still once in a while go to Mt. Adams. When I come in, I go out with friends, and right across theriver. We do Bravo!, the Italian restaurant there and we always enjoy that. We used to have any excuse to have dinner on the river, like Montgomery Inn, that’s a favorite eating place. I always view the river as being the heart of the city rather than the contrary.
In the summer, several times I've been to Fountain Square, there's always something going on. That’s great to see that again, it was really roaring in the ‘70s and now it’s nice to see its back and active again. It’s the city town square, it’s really nice.
Alex: Any favorite neighborhoods you love?
Jerry: I raised my daughter in Western Hills; we used to live on Western Hills Ave off of Glenway so I lovethat neighborhood. Then we lived in Loveland so I love it in there. I spend so much time in Clifton, around the University of Cincinnati. When you’re the mayor, you’re in all the neighborhoods.
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Alex: Many people don't know you once put out a cover country album. Any favorite music memories?
Jerry: Well, in 1968, I recorded "Save The Union Terminal," which was a Cincinnati hit, when I was on City Council; I was leading the fight to save the terminal. And a reporter knew I sang in Mt. Adams, and had written a song and asked me to sing it. There are probably some older folks that remember it.
Listen to "Save-Union-Terminal"
There used to be a group called The Menus and I would sing with them, they’d play all around, in Clifton and Mt. Adams. Once in a while I remember singing in Eden Park, they had a Friday night at the Shell, they had local folk concerts I would sing there. It was great fun.
Alex: Any other great memories?
Jerry: When I was elected mayor, one of my campaign promises was that I would bring rock and roll to Cincinnati. We had Riverfront Stadium at the time and 288 days it was empty, so I said why don’t we use it to hold rock concerts. When I got elected in 1978 we had our first major outdoor rock concert. It was headlined by The Eagles with Eddie Money and The Steve Miller Band. I set up showers all over the infield because it was so hot so people could go and get in the showers. It probably turned in Cincinnati’s largest wet t-shirt contest.
During the concert, the band called me up and I sang Lying Eyes with the Eagles. That was my fondest memory as mayor.
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Alex: Your final thoughts?
Jerry: I’m in Cincinnati once a month, either for television of political stuff. I can’t ever get Cincinnati out ofme, I’ve been coming here for over 30 years, it’s just become such a part of me.
