Name that Flyover City! — Dec 8, 2022

Here’s a review of this week’s questions:

1. What midwestern city is home to three trendy cocktail bars – Golden Girl Rum Club, Sweet Boy’s Neighborhood Bar and Best of Luck Beer Hall?
2. What southern city is the birthplace of film and TV actress Constance Wu?
3. What midwestern city’s downtown features an 8-foot-tall statue of Arnold Schwarzenegger?

And here are the answers:

1. Springfield, MO. Springfield locals Rogan Howitt and Joshua Widner have operated their tavern-focused business consortium, Good Spirits & Co, since 2012. Each of their unique spots has its own theme and design scheme. Sweet Boy’s Neighborhood Bar, their latest venture, moved into the downtown location that was formerly Scotch & Soda. They have proudly created “something that’s casual, low-key and dive-style, but… definitely a mix of all the stuff we like, the hospitality we want to give and the cocktails we know we can make.” Their previous enterprise, Best of Luck Beer Hall, offers indoor and outdoor gaming opportunities, along with over 40 on-tap beer offerings and an expansive menu. Golden Girl Rum Club, as the name implies, offers customers a Havana-inspired experience, and features creative Cuban cocktails like Mr. Guava Lava, the Monkey’s Paw and Satellite of Love!
2. Richmond, VA. Constance Wu was born and raised in Richmond, Virginia, and attended Douglas S. Freeman High School. Both of her parents are immigrants from Taiwan. Wu grew up in Richmond, performing in the local community theater scene. At 16, she moved to New York City to study at the famed Lee Strasberg Theatre Institute. While in New York, she worked in classical theater and quickly transitioned to film work. Her earliest roles came in sitcoms and soap operas, until she was cast in the sitcom “Fresh Off the Boat” in 2014, and garnered acclaim for her considerable acting talent. She acquired a choice role in the 2018 film comedy, “Crazy Rich Asians” and later appeared opposite Jennifer Lopez in “Hustlers.”
3. Columbus, OH. “So weird it could only happen in Ohio” is the best way to describe the origin story of the Arnold Schwarzenegger statue that was recently relocated to its current place of residence, The Greater Columbus Convention Center. Apparently, back in 1989, Schwarzenegger initiated the first “Arnold Sports Festival,” which brought bodybuilding enthusiasts from around the world to Columbus. He had fallen in love with the city after dominating a world championship event there in 1970. By the late 80s, Arnold was a movie star and attaching his name to the event created enormous interest. Sponsored by the IBFF (International Bodybuilding and Fitness Federation), the annual event consists of multiple categories of competition. The statue, dedicated in 2012, was created by artist Ralph Crawford. Arnold has visited Columbus numerous times in the intervening years, including in February of 2022, to celebrate the festival again.