Best Of2025

Where do you get your news? Reading this venerable publication? Turning on the TV? TikTok? (Please, no.) How about Lamenuel Scales, aka Hilarious Scales, aka Hood News 75? The Greater Cincinnati resident has blown up on social media thanks to his, yes, hilarious recountings of various regional news items. The Ohio River’s flooding? He’s wading in it ankle-deep. The Bengals re-signed Tee Higgins? He’s in Bengals-striped overalls and a bucket hat racing through muddy grass to tell you. Cincinnati weather is weather-ing? He’s vocalizing our collective exhausted whiplash in an empty downtown parking lot. Scales is also a do-gooder; he’s been featured in local news stories (how meta) about helping a homeless neighbor in Amelia find shelter, and for live-streaming an in-progress car theft in Union Township. Next time you have a newsy tip, drop Hilarious Scales a DM — but chances are, he’s already reporting live on the scene. instagram.com/hilarious_scales

City Life

Image: City Life
Here are the 2025 Best Of Cincinnati® Reader and Staff Pick winners for City Life.
  1. JD Vance
  2. Liz Keating
  3. Joe Deters
  1. 3CDC
  2. Al Neyer
  3. Over-the-Rhine Community Housing
  1. Matthew 25: Ministries
  2. Longbottom Bird Ranch
  3. Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden
  4. La Soupe
  5. ArtWorks Ohio
  6. Innocence Project
  7. Life Food Pantry
  8. ArtsWave
  9. The Friends of the Public Library
  10. Aubrey Rose Foundation
  1. Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden
  2. Cincinnati Recycling & Reuse Hub
  3. Longbottom Bird Ranch
  4. Great Parks of Hamilton County
  5. Cincinnati Parks
  6. Keep Cincinnati Beautiful
  7. Krohn Conservatory
  8. Cincinnati Nature Center
  9. Indigo Hippo
  10. The Friends of the Public Library
  1. Bob Herzog (WKRC)
  2. Jessica Schmidt (FOX19)
  3. Megan Mitchell (WLWT)
  4. Tana Weingartner (WVXU)
  5. Lucy May (WVXU)
  6. Tricia Mackie (FOX19)
  7. John Matarese (WCPO)
  8. Keith Pandolfi (Cincinnati Enquirer)
  9. Nick Swartsell (WVXU)
  10. Becca Costello (WVXU)
  1. Jimmy Longbottom
  2. Jim Tarbell
  3. Missy Spears
  1. Cincinnati Animal CARE
  2. Planned Parenthood Southwest Ohio
  3. Longbottom Bird Ranch
  4. Matthew 25: Ministries
  5. Freestore Foodbank
  6. SPCA Cincinnati
  7. ArtWorks
  8. Cincinnati Public Radio
  9. Aubrey Rose Foundation
  10. ArtsWave
  1. Aftab Pureval
  2. Greg Landsman
  3. Charmaine McGuffey
  1. Cincinnati's Crime Vault: Beyond the Broadcast
  2. Cincinnati Zoo Tales
  3. Jungle Jim's Podcast
  1. University of Cincinnati
  2. Xavier University
  3. Northern Kentucky University
  1. George Clooney
  2. Nick Clooney
  3. Maryanne Zeleznik
  4. Kathrine Nero
  5. Missy Spears
  6. Cris Collinsworth
  7. Otto M. Budig Jr.
  8. Amy McGrath
  9. Gary Holland
  10. Lucy May
  1. Covington
  2. Newport
  3. Union
  1. Smale Riverfront Park
  2. Eden Park
  3. Ault Park
  4. Washington Park
  5. Devou Park
  6. French Park
  7. Mt. Airy Forest
  8. Alms Park
  9. A. J. Jolly Park
  10. Bellevue Beach Park
  1. Cincinnati Nature Center
  2. Sharon Woods
  3. Winton Woods

  1. Anthony Munoz
  2. Bootsy Collins
  3. James “Jungle Jim” Bonaminio
  1. Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden
  2. Findlay Market
  3. Jungle Jim's International Market
  4. Over-the-Rhine
  5. Smale Riverfront Park
  6. The Banks
  7. Cincinnati Art Museum
  8. Cincinnati Reds Game
  9. Cincinnati Museum Center
  10. The Friends of the Public Library Warehouse
  1. Smale Riverfront Park
  2. Washington Park
  3. Parky's Farm
  1. Cincinnati Waldorf School
  2. Elder High School
  3. Saint Xavier High School
  1. Aftab Pureval
  2. Jan-Michele Lemon Kearney
  3. Kari Bloom