BY SHEILA McLAUGHLIN
The Cincinnati Enquirer
MONTGOMERY - For 60 years, the Caruso family hawked freshly cut Christmas trees on the Cincinnati riverfront, the last 30 of those years at the corner of Second and Plum streets.
But 1998 has brought a break in tradition.
Booted from the riverfront by the Bengals stadium construction, the Carusos are trying their hand in suburbia.
The family moved its Christmas tree sales operation to the former site of TK Nursery on Montgomery Road in Montgomery. On Saturday, sales were brisk as expected.
But it wasn't the same for Jim Caruso, who heads the business and recruits just about every relative available to help sell, bale and load Christmas trees each season.
"Emotionally it was tough," Mr. Caruso, 40, said of the move from downtown. "I've been selling trees down there since I was 8 years old. The feel of downtown is just not here."
The family moved its produce warehouse and 700 employees to Butler County in the spring after Hamilton County officials took several privately owned riverfront properties for the stadium. Despite the move, regular customers apparently knew where to find the Carusos on Saturday. The family had spread the word about the new location with the help of a mailing list.
Phyllis and Carl Shinkle of Symmes Township shopped for their usual 11-foot-tall Fraser fir, the 10th they had bought from the Carusos in as many years.
"We always went down the day after Thanksgiving," Mrs. Shinkle said. "They would be pulling them off the truck with snow and ice dripping off of them. It just gave me a good feeling. I miss going downtown."
Mr. Caruso said he doesn't know where he'll be selling trees next year. He expects the Montgomery property, which is for sale, will have a new owner by next holiday season.
He'd like to find a place in the eastern suburbs and maybe open a second location in Northern Kentucky.
"We have to find a permanent home," Mr. Caruso. "I don't know that we want to go downtown again."
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