Cincy Dweller finds beloved British culture at home

Cincy's John A. Roebling Bridge crosses the Ohio River to connect Ohio and Kentucky.

The Tower Bridge links north/south London.

Last Christmas, my daughter Elle was preparing to embark on a four-month stay in the United Kingdom. She returned from her trip in the spring, but left her heart abroad. So to counter her melancholy, I looked for British experiences in Cincy to embrace her faraway love. We begin our excursion with High Tea. Instead of The Brown's Hotel in London, we take our tea at The Cincinnatian Hotel http://www.cincinnatianhotel.com/. Next, shopping at High Street for "fierce objects, studio designs, and London style." We recently attended High Street's "Black Friday, White Russian" party and had a blast ... another place high on my list of Cincy favorites. Our shopping continued with a visit to Hyde Park Square. Unlike London's Hyde Park, Cincy's is a haven for specialty shops. Pub fare at Rookwood Commons follows. I drink for the two of us - since Elle's of Pub age in the UK but underage in the States. For our nightcap, we watch the British movie Run Fatboy Run while enjoying an ale (ginger ale, that is). Our night concludes with recounts of her life abroad, including her 20th birthday celebration in a church turned Pub, events via Pure Groove Records, shopping at Miss Sixty, French Connection, Harrods, and Topshop, hanging out at Trafalgar Square and Tower Bridge, visits to Oxford, Wales, Edinburgh, and then Paris (EU) pour Easter, traveling on the Tube and international culture. The lesson: experience our world wherever you live -- Peace and Love!!!

Cincy Tea Rooms and Houses
Mrs. Teapots http://www.mrsteapots.com/hightea.htm (adorable)
Essencha Tea House http://www.essencha.com/ (trendy)
Orchids http://www.orchidsatpalmcourt.com/events.html#anchor5
Basically British Tea Room basicallybritish.com up north in Dayton (charming)
The BonBonerie: http://www.bonbonerie.com/ (sweet)

British Shopping
High Street http://www.highstreetcincinnati.com/
Hyde Park Square http://www.hydeparksquare.org/.

Handful of our Numerous Pubs
English: Cock and Bull http://www.theenglishpub.com/
Scottish: Nicholson's http://www.tavernrestaurantgroup.com/nicholsons.html
British: The Pub / Rookwood Commons
http://www.tavernrestaurantgroup.com/pub_rookwood.php
Irish: O'Bryon's http://www.obryonsirishpub.com/