The Gypsy Graves in Spring Grove Cemetery
While other folks can tell you about the legends, origins, rumors and stuff about the Gypsy graves at Spring Grove Cemetery that are elaborately decorated on Memorial Day, nobody seems to want to tell where the graves are. This can make finding them a bit daunting as Spring Grove is one of the largest cemeteries in the country.
Blogging isn't Cool to the rescue.
Go in the main entrance and go straight. Go through the tunnel/under the bridge and make the first left (west). Follow this a while, at one point you will see the tomb of John Robinson on your right. You might want to stop and make an offering to him in commemoration of all that he did to bring joy, excitement and wonderment to kids and families around the country for so many years. The ladies adorning the entrance are Faith, Hope and Charity.
Proceed on (west). You will come to a pond and the road will bend right around it. Follow this road and then bear left. As you head north you will see a chain link fence to your left. It will become a brick wall. When you see an iron gate in the wall - stop.
The graves are to your right on that road and the next couple up ahead.
The grave sites are usually family sites that center around a large memorial stone. Some stones have pillars and some use the marking of a thistle. They are made of both red and grey granite. They decorated around Memorial Day with massive displays of flowers and other decorations and are frequently draped with purple bunting. It's probably about as close to a Day of the Dead as we get up here in whitebread Ohio.
While this may seem like a queer and curious custom, it is serious poo to the folks involved, so, if you go, don't gawk, don't mess with the displays, don't take pictures of mourning people - be respectful.

Happy 'Visit a Cemetery Day' Everybody !
The fine folks at My Send Off have decreed October 28, 2012 Visit a Cemetery Day. To make it more family friendly they have concocted a sort of scavenger hunt with this cardAnyway, every day is 'Visit a Cemetery Day' around Blogging Isn't Cool HQ. Or maybe it's more like 'Visit a Body Farm Day'.More from Spring Grove Cemetery

From the Ain't Nothing To Do Dept.
Need to get out of the house & away from the robocalls, YouTube ads & TV commercials? Is it obvious I don't have a smart phone?
Friday thru Sunday The Church of the Annunciation and the Blessed Virgin Mary in wind swept Clifton, hosts the most un-German Oktoberfest in Cincinnati. It's more of an Italian celebration with Italian sausage & LaRosa's pizza.
Saturday afternoon historic Walnut Hills will host the Cincinnati Street Food Festival from 11 to 5. Food trucks & music from around the region!
This will give you an hour to roll over to eclectic Northside for the Northside Second Saturday from 6 to 10. This month's festivities feature a Scavenger Hunt sponsored by Django Western Taco.
Sunday, get your Italian going again with the Sacred Heart Church Italian Dinner in campy Camp Washington starting at 10AM.
In the afternoon, head on up to creepy Spring Grove Cemetery for the Cruise In car & hearse show from 3 to 7 with loud music & more grub provided by CAIN.
OK? So don't come crying to me if you're fucking bored…..

UPDATE - The Cruise In is canceled

Does riding a bike in traffic freak you out? Are even parks too much for your delicate sensibilities? Then this is for you. Through October Spring Grove Cemetery will be closed to cars from 6-9PM on Tuesdays. You can walk ride, presumably skateboard & ride horses and rent Segways on their gravely 45 miles of roadway in parklike serenity.
Find out more at the Spring Grove Cemetery website

WOW MAN, the colors!

Photo by David Ohmer
The Spring Grove Cemetery Horticultural Team has announced that it's about peak spring color time t the cemetery. Cherries, magnolias, forsythia, daffodils, and crocus are still blooming. Redbud, viburnum carlesii, tulips, Siberian squill and more just starting this week.
As per every spring, they have re-graveled their roads in places, so be careful on bikes.

9 10 11

Photo via Masque Hysteria
What to do on this numerically unique day (in the U.S.A.) ?
duh…..
Get yer arse to Northside!
EXCITING SHIT ALL DAY LONG !!!
Household Hazardous Waste Drop-Off
9:00 Am - 1:00 PM
4600 Spring Grove Avenue
For information 513- 946-7700

Mill Creek Clean Up
9:00 AM - 1:00 PM
Salway Park Parking Lot
Spring Grove Avenue @ Crawford
For information and registration 513-708-2249
or info@millcreekrestoration.org

Heal Your Legacy, Free Your Children: a Workshop for Individuals Born into Families!
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
The Dharma Center
15 Moline Street
For information 513-591-2942
or annebbecker@gmail.com

Wesleyan Cemetery Tour
1:00 PM
Wesleyan Cemetery
4003 Colerain Avenue
For information & reservations (required) 513-542-2909

Cincinnati Folk Dancers
2:00 PM
Cumminsville branch of the Cincinnati Public Library
For information 513-369-4449
or Sarah.Schellenger@cincinnatilibrary.org

7th Annual Lantern Lighting Event
5:00 - 8:00 PM
Spring Grove Cemetery
Spring Grove Avenue

Northside Second Saturday
6:00 - 10:00 PM
Hamilton & Spring Grove Avenues
For information info@fabnorthside.com

Bluebelles: Lifetime Portraits from the Mid 20th Century
6:00 PM
Fabricate
4037 Hamilton Avenue
For information 513-407-6057
or chris@fabnorthside.com

Maurice Mattei and Claire Timmerman
10:00 PM
The Comet
4579 Hamilton Avenue
513-541-8900

Tonefarmer and Goose
10:00 PM
Northside Tavern
4163 Hamilton Avenue
For information 513-542-3603
or northsidetavern@gmail.com

Queen City Cookies Art Camp
sometime
Fergus Park
For information 513-335-1067

Boozing My Religion
sometime
Mayday
4227 Spring Grove Avenue
For information 513-541-0999

Second Saturday will have a number of businesses staying open late including:
Take the Cake which will be serving dinner.
And then there's these guys
Fabricate
Prairie
Thunder-Sky, Inc.
NVISION
Chicken Lays an Egg
Sidewinder
Cryptogram Ink
American Can (soon!)
Northside Surplus
Sweet Peace Bakery
Melt
Picnic and Pantry
Northslice
Happen Inc.
Chameleon
Ko-Sho Japanese Restaurant
3 Legged Dog Yoga Collective
The Painted Fish
Skincraft
Taylor Jameson Hair Design
Shake It Records
Ruttle & Neltner Florist
Shop Therapy
ALSO
While not on the "official" list of participants, these guys will be hawking' their stuff into the evening, too.
NYPD

The Cemetery & Community Involvement

In a piece at The Daily Undertaker, Mr McNally points out, "A Cemetery remains relevant only when it is involved in the life of the community it serves." and goes on to illustrate his point with the story of a jazz service at a Delaware cemetery. Such events at funerals aren't too uncommon but in this case the deceased expired some 50 year ago.
Locally, Spring Grove Cemetery has a number of activities and the local Kiwanis have resurrected Memorial Day services at Wesleyan Cemetery but those are cemetery wide events. Dunno what their policies are for grave specific events like this jazz memorial.
Delaware Online article (and video) here.

I was just going to post this on PhaseBuch but they said my message was "spammy and abusive".

Memorial Day Weekend Fun
ok, sure, you can go downtown to Taste of Cincinnati (aka Linefest) and likely get murdered (because everybody who goes downtown DIES !!!)
Or you can enjoy a safe, comfy extended weekend in the pastoral splendor of tranquil Northside without the fear of C.H.U.D. eating your children.

Saturday
Veterans Traveling Memorial Wall - all weekend
Spring Grove Cemetery - 4521 Spring Grove Avenue
all weekend
Whale of a Tale
Family Enrichment Center - 4244 Hamilton Ave.
noon
Square Dance
North Presbo Church - 4222 Hamilton Avenue
7 - 10 PM
Bostic Family Tent Revival Band Playfully Yours
Northside Tavern - 4163 Hamilton Avenue
10PM
Coliseum (I'm guessing not that Coliseum_, Sweet Cobra, Autumn Rising
Mayday - 4227 Spring Grove Avenue

Sunday
Giant Fundraiser Garage Sale
4319 Haight Avenue
9AM - 2PM
Salute to Veterans
Spring Grove Cemetery - 4521 Spring Grove Avenue
2 - 4PM
Northside Tea Dance
Off the Avenue Studios - 1546 Knowlton Avenue
4 - 7 PM
The Tillers
Northside Tavern - 4163 Hamilton Avenue
10 PM
Arts & Education Center Fundraiser
The Comet - 4579 Hamilton Avenue
11AM - 2AM
Comet Bluegrass All-Stars @ 7:30 PM
The Ted Clark Show
Mayday - 4227 Spring Grove Avenue

Monday
Clifton Memorial Day Parade
Middleton @ McAlpin Avenue
10:30 AM - 1:30 PM
Memorial Day Services
Wesleyan Cemetery - 4003 Colerain
1 PM
Monday Knights
The Comet - 4579 Hamilton Avenue
10PM

Spring Grove Cemetery Summer Hours in Effect

Spring Grove Cemetery's regular visitor hours (8A - 6P) are extended on Monday & Thursdays to 8P from now to September.
This means you can catch the evening sun on the blossoming flora 2 nights a week.
yay!
NOTE: the southern gate closes before the northern gate (pictured), so don't freak out (too much) if you think you are locked in.

101010

Spring grove Cemetery is hosting another annual Cruise In with cars dating back to before those ancient days of 1985.
There will be grub, a guided "Cemetery Cruise" at 6 PM, mini tram tours and a vintage hearse exhibit.
Sadly, Kim Falcon is not scheduled to attend.
Be there or be square.

Chains

About a month ago I posted about Spring Grove Cemetery knocking down a good chunk of brick wall along Crawford Avenue. I wanted to wait till they got some grass or other landscaping in but they seem to have stalled out.
Anyway, here's some pics of their wonderful new chain link fence.


One nice thing is that you can see this one pond from the road now.

I have to admit the black fence does a good job of "disappearing" but it's just not as stately & cemeteryish as the old brick wall.

Changing Plans for America's Cemeteries

For years, probably over a century, Crawford Avenue has been separated from Spring Grove Cemetery by a stately brick wall. Over the years, due in part to water runoff & ponding, the wall has become less & less stable. Portions have been torn down & been replaced with beautiful black cyclone fence.



This guy has been sitting dormant for awhile. It's Cincinnati - people leave stuff.....



Anyway, last night I spotted this & put 2+2 together.



This morning. At this time I don't know if they are planning on just finishing the rest off or not.
In the fall you could hear the residents sitting on the wall chatting & joking. Dunno if the fence will be as conducive to conversation.

UPDATE

After an extensive interview with one of the dmolition specialists, I have found that the entire north end of the wall extending from about Bercliff up to the gate will be demolished. I am guessing the southern section near the Sam Hannaford designed garage is ok. Should I be a complete geek & get one of the bricks?

Funerary Fun !
Every year around Memorial Day a number of families of Scottish descent pay tribute to their ancestors at Spring Grove Cemetery. In the midwest we tend to bury our dead in boring ceremonies & go on. Other cultures pay a bit more attention. Dia de la Muerte is a good example to the south.
These guys at Spring Grove celebrate their dead with lavish decorations that kind of stand out in the generally staid cemetery.
If you are going this weekend, just get lost & enjoy yourself. To find the "gypsy" graves -
Enter the cemetery from Spring Grove Avenue. You will be heading north when you enter. Turn left/west. From the funeral home entrance just stay to your left. From the main entrance, go under the railroad bridge & hang a left. Go past this lake & head North (right).

John Robinson (circus owner) has a crypt just east of the lake
Travel north til you see this gate on your left

And this monument on your right.

On the first road past the monument go right (east). Explore.
Or on the first road south of the monument head east along the north shore of a pond & pay a visit to Powell Crosley.

As usual, don't bug, photograph people, leave the decorations alone. The people in white SUVs are watching you.
Anyway, Spring Grove is hosting events all weekend, so you can have a fun time in an extremely rigid excursion (You can talk to Lincoln!), or you can just relax & take in the beauty & history.

Spring Grove 5/4/10

כולם אוהבים כלזמיר

The Cincinnati Klezmer Project has been knocking around since 1993. That's why everybody knows about 'em. Klezmer is, of course, everybody's favorite form of dance music. Tracing it's roots is about like some Dan Brown conspiracy story but it's basically an evolution of Eastern European Jewish music. Of course the words to the songs are all in Yiddish. Fortunately everybody knows Yiddish. A Cincinnati Klezmer performance is part history lesson & a whole lot of kick ass music.
I have only been able to catch them playing at Spring Grove Cemetery's annual Lantern Lighting thingies. They frequently play private parties, weddings & Bar Mitzvahs & nobody in their right mind would invite me. My dancing is too advanced for most people.
The band also has a MySpace page just like all the cool death metal bands.
To buy their CDs, it's kinda low tech. You call the guitarist on the phone.
I love these guys. Many Klezmerites tend to modernize their music with electric bass & such. These guys keep it true to the roots.

BEAUTY IN THE GROVE: Spring Grove Cemetery & Arboretum

The recently published coffee table book from Orange Frazer Press is, as usual, full of large well printed pictures. As is Orange Frazer's style, though, it is also a typical desktop publishing disaster. Well, not a disaster but not exactly a qualifier for any best practices award. It's busy. Too many cross page images with the focus right there on the seam. Probably looks great on a computer screen in Quark, but when it hits the bindery? not so good. Also hard to read. Tiny reverse type on busy backgrounds, not much to say & a number of fonts that don't seem to have much to do with one another. Not a ransom note but still....
Not much in the way of info, either. Names of some sculptors are listed. Who the deceased were is skimpy. Photos of descendants are kinda weird. Other than Mr Bruckmann, most don't seem to have much to do with the deceased. There is a lot of info straight out of the front office of the cemetery like it's list of notables that excludes, oh, I dunno, Israel Ludlow ??
sheesh
Overall, the writing credit doesn't seem to be much of a deal.
One of the photographers is Charlie Gast. I never met him in person, only online through the newsgroup:
alt.binaries.pictures.cemetaries
(Don't bother with alt.binaries.pictures.cemeteries - it's spam central)
He seems to be a great guy & his pictures that are not in this book should be in one of their own.
While my review might not seem exactly glowing, he and two other photographers make the book worthwhile.
Orange Frazer has also published Beautiful Ferncliff chronicling Springfield, Ohio's Ferncliff Cemetery.
Beauty in the Grove should be at The Ohio Bookstore.

Sidewalk Safety
~ or Adventures of the Third Class ~
The City of Cincinnati is damn near paranoid about your sidewalk safety. This is why you so rarely see sidewalk dining or street musicians. They are a clear danger that the city seeks to protect it's citizens from. The city is currently working on saving the citizens from the horribleness of advertising on bus stop benches. yay
Citizens are required by law to keep their sidewalks clear & this pertains to snow from heaven, too.

Sec. 723-57. Removal of Snow.
The owner, occupant or other person having the care of any building premises or unimproved lot of land abutting any street where there is a graded sidewalk or a sidewalk graded and paved, shall, within the first four hours after daylight after the ceasing to fall of any snow, cause the same to be removed from the paved or traveled part of such sidewalk. The provisions of this section shall also apply to the falling of snow or ice from any building onto a sidewalk.
Snow or ice shall not be moved into the gutter when the gutter has been previously cleaned, and in no event shall snow or ice from any area other than the pedestrian walk be moved into the gutter.
(C.O. 702-33; renumbered to C.M.C. 723-57, eff. Jan. 1, 1972)
Cross references: Penalty, § 723-99-I.

So, why does the city routinely violate this law ? It's one thing to not enforce the requirement of individuals to clear their walkways, but when a pedestrian encounters walls of snow at the ends of driveways, I think some enforcement is in order. But I don't see it coming anytime soon, since a prime violator of this ordinance is the city itself.
Throughout the city, snow is moved from the streets to the sidewalks, effectively obstructing them without even offering a jaunty tune, a place to sit or a sandwich. Further, the city piles snow up at the ends of sidewalks making it akin to a mountain adventure crossing streets at designated street crossings & intersections.
Salway Park is a stunning example. The sidewalk is untouched but the parking lot is immaculate & at the entrance to the street, snow has been dumped onto the sidewalk. The fine corporate citizens at Spring grove Cemetery have done a great job of clearing their sidewalk, but remember, you gotta climb over city provided hills of black snow & wade through rivers of brown slush to risk your life crossing the street.
I realize the city's first obligation is to the good people, the zombie cage pilots, but after the streets are cleared, couldn't they kinda finish up ? Couldn't they follow their own rules & clear the obstacles they have created? and, yes, I do realize it only benefits the young, old, poor & infirm.
pathetic, shivering fleshbag peds.....
Speaking of the young - After clearing my & my neighbors sidewalks, I looked out front to see a little boy gleefully making his way down the street by climbing through the piles of snow adjacent to the freshly cleared sidewalk. kids

...and This Weekend in Historic Northside !
yeah, I know what you're thinking -
"C'mon Quimbob, we all know about the northside.net Community Calendar and the weekly eNewsletter, Bits & Pieces. We come here for your sage philosophy, insight and wisdom. We don't need to hear about all the cool stuff going on in Northside that makes our neighborhoods look like clusters of little houses made of ticky tacky !"
irregardless.....
Starting on Friday evening
An evening Walk in Buttercup Valley brought to you by Northside Greenspace.
meet at Stanford Avenue at 6:30
Saturday, beginning at 9 and lasting til 2, the CAIN Northside Neighborhood wide yard sale ! This year augmented by the College Hill/Northside Kiwanis setting up at Hoffner Park.
Later, at 9, take the Full Moon Tour at Spring grove Cemetery !
Sunday morning at 8 is the SpringLight 5k run/walk in Spring Grove Cemetery benefitting the Cincinnati Association for the Blind. Dunno if you can just spend the night....
If your tennies still have soles after that, you can take the Architreks walking tour starting at 11 at Sidewinder Coffees and Teas.
Hang around and do to the Village green Community festival and Potluck at the Gardens at the Village green (MOBO) at 5. You could win a goat.....

Cemetery FUN !
As spring approaches it's time to start getting outdoors again. Spring Grove Cemetery and Arboretum hosts a year long schedule of events open to all warmies.
On their list of things to do are educational series' on gardening, bird watching, nature walks, "Twilight Tours" that allow you to explore the cem after dark and local history presentations. It is also the host to a couple 5k runs that raise funds for local charities.
Saturday offers both a pruning seminar and an "Owl Prowl".
While the cemetery began operations in 1845, people from older cemeteries were re-interred at Spring Grove. Many of the founders of Cincinnati are resting at Spring Grove including Israel Ludlow, whose farm sat just west of the cemetery along the north bank of the scenic Mill Creek. (actually, I think part of the cemetery might have been part of his farm.
Spring Grove is also a great place to ride a bike, free of the busy traffic that tends to intimidate a lot of folk in Cincinnati.
And, as always, a great place to stop before and after visiting the cemetery is Northside !

<enter Harlowe Wilcox mode>

Ali's Boutique
   4185 Hamilton Avenue
   513-591-2547
Art Damage Lodge
   4120 Hamilton Ave.
Banner and Ross Gallery
   3841 Spring Grove Ave.
   513-861-4333
   hrs: 8:30 AM - 8:00 PM Mon-Thurs, 8:30 AM - 4:30 PM Fri
The Blue Jay
   4154 Hamilton Ave.
   513-541-0847
   hrs: 8:00 AM - 3:30 PM Mon-Sat
Blue Rock Tavern
   4221 Hamilton Ave.
   hrs: 5:00 PM - 2:30 AM Mon-Fri, 6:00 PM - 2:30 AM Sat
Bonomi
   1677 Blue Rock Ave.
   513-541-7501
Boswell Alley
   1686 Blue Rock Ave.
   513-681-8100
   hrs: 11:00 AM - 10:00 PM Mon-Thurs, 11:00 AM - 11:00 PM Fri-Sat, Bar til 2:30 AM Mon-Sat
Bug House Video
   4170 Hamilton Avenue
   513-541-3700
   hrs: 4:00 PM - 10:00 PM Mon-Thurs, 4 - 11:00 PM Fri, noon - 11:00 PM Sat, noon - 9:00 PM Sun
Bullfishes
   4023 Hamilton Ave.
   513-79-4999
The C & D Cafe
   1714 Hanfield Ave
   513-541-9881
Club Bronz
   4029 Hamilton Ave.
   513-591-2100
Cluxton Alley Coffee Roasters
   4037 Hamilton Ave.
   513-698-2966
   hrs: Tues-Fri 9:00 Am - 2:30 PM, 8:00 AM - 6:00 PM Sat
The Comet
   4579 Hamilton Ave.
   513-541-8900
   hrs: 4:00 PM - 2:30 AM Sun-Sat
Gajah Wong West
   3937 Spring Grove Ave.
   513-591-3935
   hrs: 5:30 PM - 10:00 PM, bar open late
Ginger's Bar
   1701 Blue Rock Ave.
   hrs: til 2:30 AM
Designs by Dana
   4167 Hamilton Ave.
   513-681-8871
The Gypsy Hut
   4231 Spring Grove Ave.
   513-541-0999
   hrs: 8:00 PM - 2:30 AM
The Hideaway
   44163 Hamilton Ave.
   513-542-2444
   hrs: 11:00 AM - 2:30 PM Tues-Fri, 5:00 PM - 9:30 PM Tues-Thurs, 5:00 - 11:00 Fri-Sat, 11:00 AM - 3:00 PM Sun
Honey
   4034 Hamilton Ave.
   513-541-4300
   hrs: 11:30 AM - 9:00 PM Tues-Thurs, 11:30 AM - 10:PM Fri-Sat, 11:00 AM - 2:00 PM Sun
Junker's tavern
   4156 Langland Ave.
   513-541-5470
Marshiella's
   Hamilton Ave.
   11:30 AM - 2:00 PM Tues-Fri
Melt
   4165 Hamilton Ave.
   513-681-MELT
   hrs: 11:00 AM - 9:00 PM Mon-Thurs, 11:00 AM - 10 PM Fri-Sat
NYPD Pizza
   1566 Chase Ave.
   513-681-NYPD
   hrs: 11:00 AM - 11:00 PM Mon-Thurs, 11:00 AM midnight Fri-Sat
Northside Bar
   Hamilton Ave.
Northside Tavern
   4163 Hamilton Ave.
   513-541-3603
   hrs: 5:00v PM - 2:30 AM Mon-Fri, 8:30 PM - 2:30 AM Sat-Sun
NVISION
   4577 Hamilton Avenue
   513-542-4577
   hrs: 2:00 PM - 9:00 PM Wed-Sat
Park Chili
   4160 Hamilton Ave.
   513-541-9902
   hrs: 7:00 AM - 7:00 PM mon-Fri, 7:00 AM - 2:00 PM Sat, 9:00 AM - 1:00 PM Sun
Portofino's
   1609 Chase Ave.
   513-542-5808
   hrs: 10:00 AM - 10:00 PM Mon-Sat
Prairie
   4035 Hamilton Ave.
   513 703-5729
The Serpent
   4042 Hamilton Ave.
   513-681-6969
   hrs: 9:00 PM - 2:30 AM
Sidewainder Coffee & Tea
   4181 Hamilton Ave.
   513-542-8321
   hrs: 7:00 AM - 9:00 PM Mon-Fri, 8:00 AM - 8:00 PM Sat-Sun
Slim's
   4046 Hamilton Ave.
   513-681-6500
   hrs: 5:30 PM - til he food's gone, 11:00 AM - 3:00 PM Sun
Taco Bell/KFC
   4147 Hamilton Ave.
   513-541-7861
Take the Cake
   4137 Hamilton Ave.
   513-241-2772
White Castle
   3940 Ludlow Ave.
   513-542-7291
   hrs: 24/7