Best of UC 2015 - The News Record 1.12.15

2015

BEST OF UC JAN. 15, 2015

THE POLLS ARE IN: 2015 BEST OF UC RESULTS | PAGES 6-7 STUDENTS TALK ABOUT THEIR TASTIEST VOTE | PAGE 8

Best of UC Issue

January 12, 2015

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January 12, 2015

ASK THE EDITORS

Best of UC Issue

Which Best of UC results would you challenge or support?

I’m happy to see Pieology take Best Pizza. It’s a good alternative to heavy, greasy pizza (like what I ate last night ... and the night before). I think Tom + Chee could take Best Sandwich if there was a location closer to campus. College kids + gourmet grilled cheese = jackpot.

I’m a vegetarian, and a lot of restaurants on and near campus don’t have very much for me to choose from. That’s why I’m a big fan of Gilpin’s, which offers a bunch of meatless options and gives you the opportunity to build your own sandwiches.

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

COLLEGE LIFE EDITOR

Elizabeth DePompei @edepompei

Emily Begley @egbegley

I see there wasn’t a Best Chicken category, which is an OUTRAGE, because The Proud Rooster: The Chicken Man located on Ludlow Avenue is BOMB. It’s the cutest little diner with delicious cheap food, great chicken and 10/10 I definitely recommend. Also, Currito is definitely better than Chipotle, always has been and always will be. Furthermore, Gilpin’s over everything. Lastly, shout out to Chick-fil-A. I love you even if you’re not open on Sundays.

Not to say that I’m not a fan of the hundreds of beer options available at the Brass Tap, I’m just disappointed in the lack of representation from my fellow Ludlinites. Arlin’s, in my opinion, is the best bar in Clifton. It has decent and cheap beer, good boozy cocktails and a great, chill atmosphere. I’ve stacked up many good memories on Tuesday night karaoke, confessed my love to my current boyfriend and I’ll give Katie a shout out to say they serve my favorite chicken fingers in Cincinnati.

PHOTO EDITOR

NEWS EDITOR

Madison Schmidt @madiesch

Katie Coburn @_katiecoburn

Highly disappointed that Burger King didn’t rank.

All other fast-food joints are plebeians compared to the might that is the flame-broiled burger. Plus they have Oreo milkshakes. Enough said. Do you have a Whopper in your hand right now? There should be ketchup stains on this paper right now!

I have to agree with the opinion piece about the disappointing bookstore win, DuBois. No offense to the textbook sellers, but Cincinnati has some great bookstores that I would have been so happy to see getting some love.

NEWS EDITOR

ONLINE EDITOR

Courtney Stanley @coot_stanley

Patrick Murphy

Gilpin’s. I was worried at first, but the good people of Clifton took responsibility and wrote them in. I’m happy to see the Cincinnati Art Museum take Best Art Venue — they’re consistent in the quality of their exhibitions. Next year I’d like to see a best theater category.

ARTS EDITOR

Zack Hatfield @hatzack (Instagram)

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Not because I am the Sports Editor or anything, but I am absolutely thrilled that Nippert Stadium took the cake for Best Sport Venue. I love everything about UC including the fact that our football stadium is located in the middle of campus, literally. I think this is what separates us from other schools.

SPORTS EDITOR

Jaelynne Johnson @jaelynnerenee__

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Best of UC Issue

January 12, 2015

Nippert Stadium still fan favorite; renovation on schedule JAELYNNE JOHNSON | SPORTS EDITOR

The ongoing construction on Nippert Stadium during the 2014-15 football season changed things up for the University of Cincinnati Bearcats, taking the team three and a half miles down the road to Paul Brown Stadium.

Despite its temporary inaccessibility, Nippert placed first in Best of UC 2015’s Best Sport Venue category, prevailing over the home of the Cincinnati Bengals with 50 percent of votes.

Nippert’s estimated $86 million renovation is its first major makeover since 1992. The renovation and expansion will bring Nippert from a little over 35,000 seats to almost 40,000.

Construction on the stadium began in December and is on track to be finished by the beginning of the 2015-16 football season, according to the university.

The new Nippert structure will be about 1.5 stories taller than the previous press box and about 130 yards long, with a connecting bridge from Tangeman University Center.

The arc of the facility will match the upper deck on the east side and will have four levels, including a press and operations level, suite level, scholarship club level and patio suites level.

Many concerns came about at the beginning of the school year regarding the construction, including transportation for students, the safety of construction on the campus, and, most importantly, the return to Nippert.

For transportation, the athletics department provided a student-only shuttle. The cost was $10 for the season. Another option was the public Metro Bus Service that required UC students to sign up for a card and cost $1 per trip. The Bearcat Transit System also had two shuttles with drop-offs at the Banks downtown.

But for the most part, the construction didn’t appear to wreak havoc on students or faculty.

“I didn’t think that the construction was bothersome or anything like that at all,” said Simone Smith, a fourth-year art history student. “It was a bit annoying having to walk all the way around certain areas, but it wasn’t that big of a deal and didn’t interrupt any of my classes. I never felt that I was in danger walking near any of [the construction].”

The anticipation is high for the return to Nippert Stadium, especially from the Bearcat student community.

“I can’t wait for the games to be back at Nippert Stadium, there’s no place like it,” said Keith Benjamin, a fourth-year sports administration student. “Being down at Paul Brown was cool, but the atmosphere [of Nippert Stadium] and being on campus is no comparison.”

MADISON SCHMIDT | PHOTO EDITOR Construction for Nippert Stadium progresses toward its projected completion date of September 2015.

THIS WEEK IN ATHLETICS

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January 12, 2015

Best of UC Issue

OPINION: Cincinnati booksellers overlooked in latest Best of UC NATALIE COLEMAN | SENIOR REPORTER

BAILEY DOWLIN | STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

A museum visitor admires a work of art. UC students voted CAM the Best Art Venue in Cincinnati with a 51-percent majority.

The Power of Art: Cincy Art Museum in 2015 MACKENZIE BOWER | STAFF REPORTER

As many patrons and art lovers already know, the Cincinnati Art Museum — voted Best Art Venue with 51 percent of votes — has much more to offer than just a free look at its impressive collection of over 65,000 works of art collected over 135 years.

“Even with our permanent collection, each time you come here, you’re going to see something different and something you hadn’t noticed before,” said Jill Dunne, CAM director of marketing and communications.

2015 will be another year full of versatile exhibitions at the museum, featuring art ranging from Japanese masterpieces to fashion to a pop portraiture of the Cincinnati Reds’ Pete Rose. The first exhibition still on display this year is “Beyond Pop Art: A Tom Wesselmann Retrospective,” which features the work of the Cincinnati native turned international pop art innovator.

The new year also brings new faces to the Cincinnati Art Museum. On Oct. 1, 2014, Cameron Kitchin was appointed the new Louis and Louise Dieterle Nippert Director of the Cincinnati Art Museum. Kitchin previously served as the Director of the Memphis Brooks Museum of Art for six years, where he worked to make the museum a community institution.

Kitchin was recognized by the board of the Cincinnati Art Museum and the search committee because of his dedication to community involvement.

“The notion that the museum is here for every member of our community

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is one that is both true and needs promotion,” Kitchin said. “So the focus of my work is making sure that we have a broad awareness of what we are, who we are for and how the art museum can be a piece of everyone’s life.”

As a child, Kitchin’s life was shaped by museum visits with his family, and because of his own meaningful experiences, he hopes to pass along the gift of what museums have to offer to the next generation.

In March, an entirely new section of the museum will open, featuring the new Rosenthal Education Center — a full-time interactive education studio where families can enjoy the museum in new ways. “It will be a full-time space where children and their parents and grandparents and caregivers can find art projects and art exploration at all hours that the museum is open to the public,” Kitchin said. “It won’t be static. We’ll have a certain set of activities that might be born out of a particular exhibition, and then as the special exhibitions change, we’ll change those activities as well.”

In addition to programs aimed at bringing families through the doors of CAM, the museum hosts programs like Art After Dark from 5 to 9 p.m. on the last Friday of every month. The event features music, dancing, appetizers and drinks, and is a chance for young adults to experience the beauty of the museum after hours.

In his first few months at CAM, Kitchin has been spending most of his time working on developing partnerships throughout Cincinnati.

“We exist as a public service

institution,” he said. “I’m listening in all phases about the work that we’re doing and the work that we should be doing. We are reaching out with open arms and saying if you haven’t engaged with the museum before in any kind of partnership, well then let’s start now.”

One of the most popular sections of the museum is the Cincinnati Wing, and the museum is proud that the community is interested in learning about the city’s rich art history.Kitchin has already engaged in conversations with other community institutions, like the University of Cincinnati — whose own president, Santa Ono, sits on the board at the Cincinnati Art Museum — about how the museum can use its collection and assets to advance social causes and initiatives that benefit the city.

“We built a museum that has tremendous collections, a very talented staff, a great group of supporters and donors throughout the community, a large membership feed base and a large and modern physical facility that can do it all,” Kitchin said. “And so the scale of the institution gives the platform to do exciting things.”

Kitchin hopes everyone in the community has the chance to feel the wonder he experiences walking the halls of the museum.

During the late nights Kitchin has been spending at the museum, he often finds himself spending time alone with his favorite paintings.

“You understand in those moments the power of art,” he said. “The power in the way art has communicated across time and generations and context.”

Local bookstores spotted across Cincinnati’s map could be heard quietly sobbing into their Jane Austen first editions as DuBois Book Store clinched the first-place seat for best Cincinnati Bookstore in the 2015 Best of UC polls.

With 72 percent of the votes, DuBois employees must have voted for themselves 200 times a day to make sure they would be the reigning kings of overused, sticky textbooks and overpriced university-themed apparel you can only afford to buy when a relative is in town and feels like being especially generous. My freshly earned, minimum wage salary weeps every time I walk in DuBois to gather my required textbooks.

I’m all for a good ol’ used textbooks with endearing fluid stains and excessive highlighting, but to say it’s the best bookseller in Cincinnati? Simply not true. Here are four other bookstores in Cincinnati that would love to see some love from UC students looking for great selections and even better prices.

Joseph-Beth Booksellers: Any book you’ve ever wanted to read or heard of is sitting on the shelves at Joseph-Beth.

Though the books are mostly full price, it’s worth it. The selection has never ceased to impress me. I can’t walk through the front door without purchasing a bag full of books and I’ve never been disappointed. The staff here can help you find the perfect book for you within moments, even if all you say to them is, “Fiction. Please.”The Brontë Café — attached to the store — has cappuccinos, burgers and delicious salads for when your neck needs a break from twisting to read book spines. (2692 Madison Rd.) Ohio Book Store: Known mostly as the used bookstore your parents used to tread through for hours when they read more in their younger years, Ohio Book Store has such a wide selection of used books, I bet the owners don’t even know all of the gems they have. Floors and floors of used books with yellowed pages greet you like an aging grandmother with a musty hug. If you’re looking to let fate guide you to a title you might not have known existed a day before, take a couple of hours to wander through the floors of Ohio Book Store and take a chance on an oldie but goodie. (726 Main St.) Iris BookCafé: Equal parts great coffee, great bagels and great books, Iris will guide you to beautiful printings of all the great books you see that one cool girl in your English class reading, all for very low prices — think $3-$5 for most books, $10 for special editions and coffee table photography books. Once you’ve found the books of your dreams, look up from the pages to the walls where local photographers and artists will hang their latest works. My favorites are somehow always hanging in the bathroom. Don’t find the book you want inside Iris? There’s a good chance it’s waiting for you in the basement of Another Part of The Forest — the record and bookstore next door owned and operated by the same people as Iris. (1331 Main St.) And if you’re really just looking for your textbook — which makes you a horrible, uncultured person or just a student in school — DuBois isn’t even the cheapest option. If it’s for a subject you don’t care to read about in the future, rent the book from Chegg or Amazon. And if you’re interested in buying the book and keeping it so that you can forever re-read the three chapters your professor assigned to you in your freshman year Psych 101 course, DuBois is probably your best bet (but still check Amazon first.) So even if you’re a lightreading college student, there’s no excuse for you not to find a better bookstore than the one practically connected to the Chipotle and therefore the only bookstore in your line of sight — even if all you do is walk from your apartment to campus.

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Best of UC Issue

January 12, 2015

BEST OF UC BURGER

PIZZA

CHINESE

BREAKFAST

1st Gilpin’s

1st Pieology Pizza

1st King Wok

1st Einstein Bros

2nd Hwy 55 3rd Zip’s Cafe

2nd Adriatico’s 3rd Dewey’s

2nd China Foods 3rd New Red Pepper

2nd Hangover Easy 3rd Panera / Bruegger’s Bagels

FAST FOOD

SANDWICH

1st Chick-fil-A

1st Gilpin’s

1st Chipotle

1st Cilantro

2nd Taco Bell 3rd McDonald’s

2nd Penn Station 3rd Tom + Chee

2nd Currito / Habañero 3rd Lime

2nd Chicago Gyros and Dogs 3rd Thai Express

CHILI

COFFEE

ICE CREAM

INDIAN

BURRITO

ETHNIC CUISINE

1st Krishna Indian

1st Skyline

1st Rohs Street Café

1st Graeter’s

2nd Ambar India 3rd Dusmesh Indian

2nd Camp Washington 3rd Gold Star

2nd Starbucks 3rd Coffee Emporium

2nd Orange Leaf 3rd Aglamesis Brothers

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January 12, 2015

Best of UC Issue

2015 RESULTS BAR

CONCERT VENUE

TATTOO

RENTAL COMPANY

1st Brass Tap

1st Riverbend

1st Beelistic

1st Uptown Rental

2nd Keystone 3rd Uncle Woody’s

2nd Bogart’s 3rd 20th Century Theater

2nd Hotrod Charlie’s Tattoos 3rd Designs by Dana/Skincraft

2nd University Park Apartments 3rd Deering Properties

SPORT VENUE

SPIRIT WEAR

ART VENUE

SHOPPING $

1st Cincinnati Art Museum

2nd Cincinnati Museum Center 3rd Contemporary Arts Center

RESIDENCE HALL

UC

1st Urban Outfitters

1st Nippert Stadium

1st DuBois

2nd Altar’d State 3rd Pangaea Trading Co.

2nd Great American Ball Park 3rd Paul Brown Stadium

2nd Rally House 3rd Homage/UC Bookstore

DINING HALL

BOOKSTORE

STUDY SPOT

1st Calhoun

1st Market Pointe

1st DuBois

1st Langsam Library

2nd Turner 3rd Daniels

2nd Stadium View 3rd Center Court

2nd UC Bookstore 3rd Duttenhofer’s Bookstore / Joseph-Beth Booksellers

2nd Starbucks 3rd Catskeller

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Best of UC Issue

January 12, 2015

Word on the Street: Students chew over what makes Gilpin’s No. 1 “I like that they have only local beers on draft,” said Christian Huelsman, a recent urban planning graduate. “I think that’s a nice addition because we DANIEL SULLIVAN | CHIEF PHOTOGRAPHER have a really nice local beer scene, and it’s growing exponentially. I like the Play It Safe and the D.U.I. Lawyer — those are my two favorite breakfast sandwiches. I like that they have Thundersnow on draft. If you’re here late at night you can probably start breakfast early, or if you wake up late you can still have breakfast.”

DANIEL SULLIVAN | CHIEF PHOTOGRAPHER

DANIEL SULLIVAN | CHIEF PHOTOGRAPHER

“I’m on the rugby team,” said Jorey Bischof, a firstyear neuropsychology and women’s gender and sexuality studies studnet. ”The first time I ever came in here they were playing a rugby game, so I really like [Gilpin’s] for the vibe.”

“My favorite sandwich is the Gastro Bun — it’s pretty good,” said Christian Dunkle, a thirdyear physics student. “It’s one of the only two things I’ve gotten here.”

Play It Safe: Steamed egg, bacon, cheese or turkey sausage; $4.25; D.U.I. Lawyer (James F Bogen): Steamed egg, hot sauce, pepperjack cheese, bacon and turkey sausage; $5.25

Gastro Bun: Smoked pulled pork, garlic herb cream cheese, red onions, jalapeno, provolone cheese, BBQ sauce, BBQ chips on top; $6.95

BEST OF UC

DANIEL SULLIVAN | CHIEF PHOTOGRAPHER

“It’s fast and I like the [chalkboard] wall over there, but basically I come in for the sandwich: #5,” said Andrea Bresser, a second-year health science student. “It’s my absolute favorite.” #5: Turkey, cheddar, shredded lettuce, honey mustard, peppercorn ranch, topped with Nacho Cheese or Cool Ranch Doritos; $6.95

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In addition to being voted Best Sandwich in the 2015 Best of UC polls, Gilpin’s Steamed Grub also earned the top spot for Best Burger as a write-in candidate.

The shop received 3,233 votes for Best Sandwich — a whopping 70 percent — while receiving 72 votes for Best Burger, or 32 percent.

GILPIN’S INFORMATION 2504 West Clifton Ave. 513-431-6939 10 a.m.-10 p.m. Sunday, Monday; 8-3 a.m. Tuesday-Friday; 10-3 a.m. Saturday 37 E. 7th St. 513-421-4223 11 a.m.-2:30 p.m. SundayWednesday; 11-3 a.m. ThursdaySaturday

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January 12, 2015

OPINION: Currito has more taste to offer Manager thinks Currito’s variety deserves more recognition than its competition ALLIE ALU | STAFF REPORTER

Chipotle Mexican Grill may have won Best Burrito in The News Record’s 2015 Best of UC polls, but it’s Currito Burritos Without Borders that is a real local treasure to the Clifton area, and it deserves more recognition than it receives.

I’ve worked at Currito for about 1.5 years, and I am now manager at the Clifton Currito location. Even though the job is a lot of hard work, I love working there, especially given the restaurant’s history and founding.

Curritos creators and co-owners John and Joe Lanni are brothers from the Cincinnati area. The Lanni brothers own the Currito brand, sell franchises of Currito across the United States and own Bakersfield and The Eagle, two restaurants in Over-the-Rhine.

“The idea of Currito originated when my brother and I finished college,” John Lanni said. “I went to work for a burrito restaurant in the Chicago area called Baja Fresh, which was under a company called Lettuce Entertain You, a highly regarded restaurant company in Chicago.”

The Lanni brothers’ father was in the restaurant business for 30 years and owned The Great Steak and Potato Company in the Cincinnati area.

“We’ve grown up in the restaurant

business,” Lanni said. “Specifically the faster-paced restaurants. Currito came about with my brother’s and my knowledge of the business.”

Currito’s first location was the Clifton store on Calhoun Street on the edge of the University of Cincinnati campus. That location opened in 2005.

The staff, management and owners of Currito focus on a customer-first policy. Because Currito is a locally based restaurant with its first location being Clifton, this has a huge impact on how many loyal customers Currito has, specifically at the Clifton location. We have regular customers who come in almost every day, and I have their orders memorized.

“Currito has been in the Clifton area for about nine years and we are a local-based company,” Lanni said. “We really love it when people support local business.”

Aside from the Clifton store, Currito has two other locations in the Cincinnati area: one in Kenwood and the other on Xavier University’s campus. The majority of Currito restaurants are located on or around college campuses and in a variety of airports.

“Specifically in Clifton, it has been challenging,” Lanni said. “Anytime you add a restaurant to an area, competition is going to grow. This can also have an impact on sales, but with that said, sales are strong, and we are a good presence here in town.”

DANIEL SULLIVAN | CHIEF PHOTOGRAPHER

Altogether there are 20 Currito locations throughout the US, and five more are planned to open in 2015.

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DANIEL SULLIVAN | CHIEF PHOTOGRAPHER

Because Currito originated in Cincinnati, this gives the city authenticity, which is a large plus for customers. Currito also does its part to give back to customers as much as possible.

“I think we really make an effort to be a great neighbor in the neighborhood and do our part to give back,” Lanni said.

“We’ve held several fundraisers for local businesses and groups on UC’s campus and around the area. We’ve raised thousands for these groups and businesses and have done a free burrito day for the customers the past few years to really give back.”

Currito also strives to be environmentally friendly by using recyclable cups, bowls and napkins, which are all completely compostable.

A steady growth of new restaurants in the Clifton area adds to Currito’s competition, especially among other burrito restaurants such as Chipotle and Lime Fresh Mexican Grill, which won first and third place in the Best of UC polls. Currito tied with Habañero for second place.

Since I work at Currito, you’d think that I would become sick of eating there every day, but I don’t. I actually look forward to eating my employee meal every shift I work. Currito has so many different options to choose from that I can always eat something different.

Along with international flavors ranging from a Mediterranean to a Teriyaki burrito, Currito also offers salads, the choice of a smaller or larger burrito size and real fruit smoothies.

With the plethora of restaurants throughout the Clifton area, people can often forget about certain less-renowned restaurants like Currito. Many UC students may not know about Currito or its history; however, it is starting to grow more prominent in the area.

“Chipotle is one of the toughest competitors to have in the business,” Lanni said. “I think in fact, we are very different.

We both offer burritos. However, Currito differentiates through our variety of international flavors and healthier options.

Chipotle is great because they introduced the world to the burrito; we have just expanded on the idea of the burrito.”

Best of UC Issue

UC students vote for local businesses, clear favorites win consecutive years PATRICK MURPHY | NEWS EDITOR

Chinese, chili and ice cream sounds like the lunch combo of either an exotic food connoisseur or a dumpster diver, but in Cincinnati it means the best of the best.

King Wok, Skyline Chili and Graeter’s are among eight businesses that received first place in The News Record’s Best of UC 2014 and 2015 polls.

In this year’s poll results, King Wok, which scored more than half of the votes for best Chinese food in Cincinnati, has received a multitude of praise from Cincinnati publications. City Beat gave it a Grade A rating, Japanese Newspaper gave it a four-star review and the Cincinnati Enquirer gave it a threestar rating, describing King Wok as “a Chinese restaurant that’s a cut above the rest.”

Alyssa Muench, a fifth-year interior design student, has been coming to the King Wok since her sophomore year.

“I just love it,” Muench said.“It’s really authentic, and it’s really good food. I would suggest it to anyone.”

King Wok primarily serves fresh seafood options, along with chicken, beef, pork and a multitude of Chinese specialties. The restaurant has recently begun to offer a Dim Sum option, a dumpling with various fillings, on Saturdays and Sundays from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Cincinnati’s own Skyline won among the poll’s chili options with 83 percent of votes.

Founded in 1949 by Greek immigrant Nicholas Lambrinides, the first Skyline received its name from its panoramic view of Price Hill.

Well-known for its chili theorized to get its sweet taste from either cinnamon or chocolate, the restaurant has been a particular spot for chili lovers such as Abby Schweitzer, a firstyear business student.

“We’ve been eating here for years,” Schweitzer said.“We always used to go to the one near our house because kids eat for free, and I’ve just grown up eating Skyline chili. It’s my first meal every time I come home.”

Cincinnati’s own family-operated Graeter’s ice cream has also won consecutively with UC students.

Notably famous for receiving talk-show host Oprah Winfrey’s endorsement as,“The best ice cream I ever tasted,” Graeter’s ice cream is most known for its creamy taste and massive chocolate chips.

“What makes the ice cream taste so great is because it’s made in small batches,” said Jenna Richardson, an employee at Graeter’s in Ludlow.“They put all the ingredients in a two and a half gallon vat. The reason the chips are so big is that they pour the bittersweet chocolate in a vat, and while it’s spinning it freezes, cracking the chocolate chips into a variety of different shapes and sizes.”

Other businesses that won consecutively include Krishna Indian Carry-Out, Chickfil-A, DuBois Book Store, Beelistic Tattoos and Market Pointe.

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Best of UC Issue

January 12, 2015

Thinking about inking: Artists, clients go Beelistic for tattoos ALLIE ALU | STAFF REPORTER

Third-year social work student Julie Weber is one of many University of Cincinnati students to entrust Beelistic Tattoo, Best of UC 2015’s Best Tattoo winner, to bring visions of potential pieces to life.

Song lyrics from “No Lies, Just Love” by Bright Eyes are written in cursive between Weber’s hips on her lower stomach.

“I decided to go to Beelistic because they had a lot more information on their website opposed to other Clifton shops,” Weber said. “You really get what you pay for.”

Beelistic opened in 2004 when its owner, Bee, decided it was time to return to Cincinnati and open up his own tattoo shop.

Bee grew up in the Cincinnati area, but learned about the art of tattooing in Philadelphia and worked all over the United States.

The parlor has three locations in Cincinnati: Clifton, Mt. Washington and Short Vine. Steve Kenny has been a tattoo artist at Beelistic’s Clifton location for the past three years.

“I got my first tattoo at 15 and have been tattooing for 25 years,” Kenny said. “I just had an early love of art and illustration; I would say that is the primary reason for why I got into tattooing.”

But when Kenny started out, his chosen form of art was not as widely practiced as it is today.

“When I started in the business, tattooing was a much smaller community,” Kenny said. “Back then it was a lot harder to break into the industry. Tattooing has really widened so much and opened up to so many different people.”

Kenny describes the business of tattooing as being an ‘underground’ practice when he started out.

“It was specifically a lot harder to find someone who was willing to teach,” Kenny said. “There are so many people today, so it is much easier to get into the business. You really have to earn it and work for it though. Tattooing is a lot of hard work.”

A tattoo artists’ work ranges from getting the details of someone’s original drawing exactly the way they want it to creating the actual tattoo and instructing the client.

Kenny highlighted the fact that it is not always necessary to choose a tattoo with a significant meaning.

“TV has brought tattooing to come off as [if tattoos] need to have a deep meaning,” he said. “I see a lot of that now. We try to tell people it doesn’t have to be like that, if it just looks really cool and you want it get it [you can].”

The tattooing is just half of what Beelistic has to offer, according to Weber. She particularly enjoyed that the tattoo artists were knowledgeable and professional, and very welcoming.

“I had a wonderful experience in the shop,” Weber said.

“My artist, Oliver, who was Belgian, was a really cool guy; he was nice and funny and it was a pleasure getting a tattoo from him. I really liked how my tattoo came out. It was an altogether good experience.”

The Best of UC results reflect students’ appreciation of Beelistic — a sentiment shared by its artists.

“It sure beats working for a living,” Kenny said.

“Tattooing is a lot of hard work, but it is worth it when you figure it out and actually get to do the tattoo. Getting to meet so many different people is a great experience every day.”

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MADISON SCHMIDT | PHOTO EDITOR

Beelistic Tattoo on West Clifton Avenue is one of three of the parlor’s locations in Cincinnati. The shop took home the No. 1 spot in the 2015 Best of UC for Best Tattoo, earning 65 percent of votes.

BEELISTIC TATTOO INFORMATION 2510 West Clifton Ave. 513-221-8202 12 p.m.-12 a.m. Monday-Saturday; 12 p.m.-8 p.m. Sunday 2115 Beechmont Ave. 513-233-2300 12-9 p.m. Monday-Saturday; 12-6 p.m. Sunday 2703 Vine Street 513-751-2337 12 p.m.-12 a.m. Monday-Saturday; 12 p.m.-8 p.m. Sunday www.beelistic.com FILE ART

A tattoo artist concentrates while creating a new piece.

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January 12, 2015

Best of UC Issue

BEARCATS KNOW UPTOWN HAS UC COVERED! VOTED UC’S “BEST OF” RENTAL COMPANY 2015 1. THE ROMAINE 3421 MIDDLETON

23. VIEWS ON VINE 2875 VINE ST

2. 358 SHILOH ST

24. 2812 JEFFERSON AVE

3. 331 BRYANT AVE

25. SINGLE FAMILY HOUSES 2700 BLOCK JEFFERSON AVE

4. 3505 TELFORD ST 5. 3426 TELFORD ST 6. CLIFTON SQUARE 222 SENATOR PL

26. JEFFERSON HOUSE 2704 JEFFERSON AVE 27. EUCLID CT/ DANIELS TOWNHOMES 2721 EUCLID AVE

7. 3336 JEFFERSON AVE 8. 3305 JEFFERSON AVE

28. EUCLID SQUARE 2805 EUCLID AVE

9. 420 RIDDLE RD

29. 213 E UNIVERSITY AVE

10. CLIFTON HOUSE 2971 DECKEBACH AVE

30. 230 E UNIVERSITY AVE 31. 250 E UNIVERSITY AVE

11. 350 JOSELIN AVE 32. 231 OAK ST 12. THE MAJESTIC 145 W MCMILLAN ST

33. 310 OAK ST

13. 2328 MOERLEIN AVE

34. 2920 BURNET AVE

14. 2404 OHIO AVE

35. HIGHLAND COMMONS 235 STETSON ST

15. 2410 OHIO AVE 16. 2419 OHIO AVE

36. SINGLE FAMILY HOUSES 2900 BLOCK BELLEVUE AVE

17. 131 LYON ST

37. 130 E SHIELDS ST

18. 65 WEST 65 W MCMILLAN ST

38. 129 LOUIS AVE

19. 2365 AUBURN AVE 20. AUBURNDALE 2508 AUBURN AVE

NOW LEASING FOR 2015

21. VP3 30 E. CORRY

APARTMENTS FOR EVERY BUDGET

22. VINE STREET FLATS 2906 VINE ST

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LOCATIONS ALL AROUND CAMPUS

513.861.9394 UPTOWNRENTS.COM 1/6/15 6:07 AM

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Best of UC Issue

January 12, 2015

YOU’RE INVITED! Construction Tours Kick-Off Event View Uptown’s newest, luxury community-VP3.

Apartments and Townhomes. Opening August 2015.

January 15th. Noon–5 p.m. 30 E Corry. Food, beverage and hard hat provided.

NOW LEASING!

SPECIAL OFFER: FIRST 10 LEASES SIGNED—HALF OFF PARKING! Uptown VP3 Ad 10.25x10.25.indd 1

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1/6/15 1:32 PM

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