Here’s a review of the questions:

  1. Central Parkway was built in 1928, on top of “what failed experiment with below ground transit?”
  2. What is the name of the establishment, founded by William Scarborough in 1858, that stood at the corner of Vine and Walnut Streets in Cincinnati’s financial district?
  3. This music icon, who won a Grammy award as co-writer of Boyz II Men’s hit song, “End of the Road,” was born in 1956 in Cincinnati. What is his name?

And here are the answers: 

  1. Under the streets of Cincinnati lies the vestige of an ambitious, ultimately unsuccessful vision – The Cincinnati Subway.  Originally conceived in 1910, the project proposed an underground train system similar to New York City’s that would alleviate congestion close to the waterfront. A $6 million bond in 1916 got the project started, but its progress was stalled by WWI. After the budget doubled in 1920, the work picked up in earnest, at the corner of Walnut Street and Central Parkway. A series of challenges, including Prohibition, WWII and continuous political tomfoolery created what became the city’s “White Elephant.” The tunnels have remained “un-trained” for nearly a hundred years but remain a bizarre attraction for urban explorers.
  2. Originally known as The Bank of the Ohio Valley, Fifth Third Bank emerged when Third National Bank and Fifth National Bank consolidated to become The Fifth Third Union Trust Company. The bank has watched Cincinnatians grow and prosper for over 160 years, and remains a tremendous community asset, sponsoring sports arenas and employing 20,000 people in numerous states.
  3. Antonio “L.A.” Reid earned the nickname “L.A.” from a guitar player in his band who called him that because of a Los Angeles Dodgers t-shirt he was wearing. A drummer in high school, Reid cites listening to James Brown, Sly and the Family Stone, and Led Zeppelin as significant musical influences while growing up. His first appearance on record was a 45 released in the mid-1970s by the Cincinnati funk rock group Pure Essence. Later on, while playing in a band called the Deele, he met and began partnering with Kenneth “Babyface” Edmonds on numerous writing and producing projects. The partners relocated to Los Angeles where they started the record label LaFace. They also started the music publishing company Hitco and Reid eventually went on to helm Arista Records, Island/Def Jam and Epic Records. The roster of talent discovered by Reid throughout his years as a music executive is truly mind-blowing, from Kanye West to Rihanna and all points in between.

Thanks for playing!