Cincinnati

Cincinnati is Ohio's third largest city and the largest metro region, and lies on the north bank of the Ohio River in Southwest Ohio in the United States of America.

Cincinnati is distinct amongst Midwestern cities. Its culture is a mixture of the Northeast, Old South, Midwest, and Appalachia blended with a strong German-Catholic heritage. It was one of the United States' early boomtowns, and the Over-the-Rhine neighborhood is the largest National Historic District in the country. Today, it's part of a fast-growing metro area, and home to a remarkable blend of industry and architecture. Downtown Cincinnati is surrounded by picturesque foothills that add a beautiful backdrop to the Queen City and its legendary skyline – celebrated in the opening credits of television show WKRP in Cincinnati.

Understand

The historic Duncanson Lofts in Over-the-Rhine

Peak tourist season is summer and fall. If you are visiting during the winter or early spring, some activities or sights may have shortened hours or possibly be closed.

History

Formerly known as Losantiville, the city was renamed Cincinnati by the first governor of the Northwest Territory, Arthur St. Clair, in honor of the Society of the Cincinnati, a society named after Roman dictator Cincinnatus who famously gave up absolute power and returned to his farm after serving his country in times of crisis and founded at the end of the Revolutionary War. Many members of the society were prominent men in the early years of the United States.

The city's early economy was based on the pork industry, and this was celebrated in the summer of 2000 with the Big Pig Gig, during which large flying pig statues took up residence along the city's main thoroughfares. Many of these pig statues later found homes downtown in offices, parks and even private residences. The Miami and Erie canal was completed in the 1840s, and was used to transport hogs and butchered pork products to Cincinnati from much of western Ohio.

During this time period massive waves of Germans settled into the city populating neighborhoods which at their height in the late 1800s were some of the most densely populated outside of New York City. These German immigrants built a culture based on beer gardens, beer brewing, dance and music halls giving Cincinnati a very distinct and vibrant local culture. Very little remains from this era due to both World War I anti-German backlash and the prohibition of alcohol in 1920. Lately, with the beginnings of revitalization of the Downtown Basin neighborhoods, there has been a renewed interest in this heritage and some of it can be seen to this day in faded German signs on densely built ornate Victorian buildings in Over-The-Rhine, a high per-capita number of bars, and the celebration of large German festivals such as Bockfest, Mayfest, and the largest Oktoberfest celebration in the United States.

Cincinnati also has a charming riverboat heritage that dates back to the days when large, steam and paddle-wheel driven vessels were used to transport locally produced pork products. In recognition of this tradition, the city plays host to the Tall Stacks Festival once every few years (although it hasn't been held since 2006), during which time the river front is transformed into a mass of color, with river boats of all shapes and sizes jostling for positions along the river banks. Baseball is another Cincinnati tradition, and the Cincinnati Reds were the first professional baseball team in the United States; in deference to that, Opening Day is always a home game for the Reds, held at Great American Ball Park.

"Please?" No, Cincinnatians are not correcting your manners. Cincinnati's linguistic claim to fame is the distinctive expression its residents use when other English-speaking Americans might say "What?" or "Could you repeat that?" Cincinnati was built by German immigrants, whose native expression was "Bitte?", which translates most directly into English as... "Please?"

Cincinnati has a thriving local industrial economy and is home to many businesses ranging from manufacturing to services, including General Electric, Procter and Gamble, Fifth Third Bank, Milacron, Kroger, Macy's, and the American Financial Group. In World Wars I and II, Cincinnati's local machine tool companies, such as LeBlond (now Makino) and the Cincinnati Screw and Tap Company (now Milacron), played an important role, providing what is commonly considered the best machine tool technology in the world for its time.

Cincinnati has undertaken some large scale revitalization projects, such as the construction of Great American Ball Park and Paul Brown Stadium, the reconstruction of Fountain Square, the construction of the first and second phases of the Banks neighborhood, the beginnings of restoration of Over-The-Rhine south of Liberty Street, and a streetcar line connecting downtown to the historic Findlay Market in Over the Rhine. This has given the central areas of Cincinnati a vitality that hadn't been around for decades, and a small degree of national attention from travel publications. In spite of the sweeping changes over the last 10 years its still a work in progress creating an odd mix of abandoned buildings next to high end restaurants and boutiques.

This progress did not come easy. For instance, county officials, city government, and area residents were flabbergasted that large-scale projects like "The Banks" were undeveloped for over 10 years while the smaller cities of Newport and Covington, across the Ohio River, continued to develop their riverfronts and draw visitors away from Cincinnati. However the tide seems to be flowing back in Cincinnati's favor; time will tell as these developments mature.

Orientation

Map of Downtown Cincinnati

The city center is "Downtown" Cincinnati, sometimes referred to as the "Central Business District." With many major attractions and corporate headquarters located here, the focus of the region revolves around this district. Downtown's north-south streets can be easily remembered by the mnemonic:

Big Strong Men Will Very Rarely Eat Pork Chops

Going east to west this stands for:

Broadway Sycamore Main Walnut Vine Race Elm Plum Central.

The Cincinnati skyline is breathtaking—especially at night—when viewed from Devou Park in northern Kentucky, Mount Echo in Price Hill, or Eden Park and neighboring Mt. Adams.

There is a rivalry between the "East Side" and "West Side" of Cincinnati. Historically people from the West Side were blue collar workers, while those from the East Side were white collar workers.

Notable neighborhoods

Cincinnati's Hyde Park neighborhood and surrounding area.

• Avondale is a primarily residential urban neighborhood near the center of the city, notable for the presence of the Cincinnati Zoo. Large parts of Avondale feature historic former mansions with beautiful architecture, but today the neighborhood has an unsavory reputation and is prone to gang related violence, drugs, and armed robbery.
• Columbia Tusculum is the oldest neighborhood in Cincinnati, founded as the settlement 'Columbia' in 1788. This neighborhood is known for its large collection of Queen Anne Victorian "Painted Ladies" along hillsides that give the neighborhood somewhat of a San Francisco feel. Go up the hill on Tusculum Ave off Columbia Parkway for the best examples. In Columbia Tusculum is The Precinct which is one of the city's best dining establishments in an old Police Precinct building.
• Hyde Park is an upscale, largely white and upper class walkable residential neighborhood. At the heart of the neighborhood is Hyde Park Square, a tree-lined esplanade of clothing boutiques, other retail, small businesses and offices, bars and restaurants.
• Mt. Adams is a trendy, upscale neighborhood directly northeast of downtown Cincinnati. It is known for its lively night scene, beautiful views of the skyline, and the Holy Cross-Immaculata Catholic Church. Steep terrain on three sides, and Eden Park on the fourth side, give the neighborhood a unique sense of isolation. Mt. Adams has some of the highest property values in the city, and is a good destination for anyone overly worried about personal safety.
• Clifton is also near the city center, and is home to an especially wide range of people, boasting a population diverse in ethnicity, race, sexuality, gender, age, country of origin, and economic status. A number of students at the local university inhabit the stately apartment buildings, and many of the beautiful older homes that line the gas-lit streets, though a number of families and other residents are also proud to call Clifton home. Especially notable is the stretch of Ludlow between Clifton Ave and Whitfield, as it is home to restaurants specializing in American fare (perhaps the best Skyline Chili in all of Cincinnati, as well as local diner the Proud Rooster) and ethnic delights (Ambar and Amol India, Thai Cafe, Mediterranean Foods), as well as a number of independent shops and boutiques.

Cincinnati's incorporated neighborhoods

• Northside is an economically and racially diverse neighborhood notable for a strong sense of community investment and pride. The neighborhood is home to many unique shops including Shake It Records (an independently owned record store), and two vintage clothing stores, NVision and Casablanca Vintage. Restaurants include culinary delights Take the Cake, Honey, and Melt. The nightlife in Northside is lively with a variety of clubs including Bronz, Mayday, Serpent, The Comet, and the Northside Tavern. The neighborhood is also home to a sizable LGBT population and hosts many of the city's gay pride events. This neighborhood is full of hipsters.
• Oakley is an up-and-coming neighborhood that borders Hyde Park. Oakley has a lively downtown area with many unique restaurants and shops including Dewey's Pizza, Habits Cafe, Denim, and Bova Furniture. Also notable is Aglamesis Ice Cream, a long-time competitor of Graeter's in the gourmet ice cream category.
• Over-the-Rhine (OTR) is the city's historic district. It is the location of Music Hall, home of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra and Cincinnati Opera; Findlay Market, Ohio's oldest public market in continuous operation; the Main Street Entertainment District; and much of Cincinnati's creative arts. Also of note is the Gateway Quarter a rebranded part of the neighborhood which has some of the city's hottest/hippest bars/dining spots between Central Parkway and 14th Street on Vine. Care should be taken when visiting this neighborhood as crime is more frequent here than in other areas of the city though its going down every year, see stay safe for details. Since the 1980s, the neighborhood has been a battleground between advocates for low income housing and historic preservationists/real estate developers. As a result, the neighborhood is inconsistent in its make up, with high-end housing and shopping within viewing distance of abandoned and decayed buildings with boarded up windows.
• Price Hill is one of Cincinnati’s oldest neighborhoods, first settled in 1789 and named Price Hill in the 1870s after General Rees Price. An incline opened by Price and his sons brought many wealthy residents to the top of the hill, and the grand mansions they built still stand today. The community’s history is preserved at the Price Hill Historical Society on Warsaw Avenue, and the neighborhood is home to the first Skyline Chili parlor, the upscale Primavista Restaurant, the 120-year-old Crow’s Nest Tavern, the Gothic-style St. Lawrence Church, and the popular Blue Note Café, which features live music every night of the week.
• West End: the little bit that survived of this once large densely populated neighborhood would not be notable for travelers except for the Dayton Street Historic District. At its peak in the mid-to-late 1800s, this was a millionaires' row that rivaled Prairie Avenue in Chicago, or 5th Avenue in New York City in terms of wealth. Today it’s more than a bit rundown, but less so than the neighborhood that surrounds it. It’s worth a look for the adventurous traveler. The local soccer club FC Cincinnati, which will join Major League Soccer in 2019, is preparing to build a new stadium in the West End that is planned to open in 2021.

Climate

Cincinnati
Climate chart (explanation)
J F M A M J J A S O N D       3.2 2.7     38 23       3.4 2.4     44 27       1.8 3.5     55 35       0.2 3.8     66 43       4.5     75 54       3.7     83 62       3.3     87 67       3.5     86 65       3     79 58       0.2 2.8     67 46       0.3 3.5     54 37       2.1 3     43 27 Average max. and min. temperatures in °F Precipitation+Snow totals in inches
Metric conversion J F M A M J J A S O N D       81 69     3 −5       86 61     7 −3       46 89     13 2       5.1 97     19 6       114     24 12       94     28 17       84     31 19       89     30 18       76     26 14       5.1 71     19 8       7.6 89     12 3       53 76     6 −3 Average max. and min. temperatures in °C Precipitation+Snow totals in mm

Cincinnati has four distinct seasons. Winters range from harsh to mild, while summer and early fall is hot and humid.

The average temperature in the winter drops to the low 30s (F) and during the summer reaches the upper 70s (F) to mid-90s (F).

Normally, there are very few snowy days that impair driving on the city's hilliest roads. Snow in Northern Kentucky is of exceptional concern, though, because of the increased number of hills and rural roads, which are not as quickly treated as roads in Southwest Ohio. If you plan to drive or travel through Northern Kentucky during a snowy period, be extremely careful and phone ahead to make sure your destination is still accessible.

Newspapers and magazines

• Cincinnati Enquirer. Morning daily newspaper, including a Sunday edition. Located downtown.
• City Beat. The city's oldest free weekly arts and entertainment publication, geared toward college students and young adults. Has a good list of upcoming events, bars, restaurants and museums.

Blogs & news websites

• Soapbox Cincinnati. The city's newest weekly publication, focuses on the economic and physical transformation of the Cincinnati region by highlighting interesting development and innovation news, profiles on growth businesses, and providing guides of neighborhoods that have a concentration of locally owned restaurants, shops, and unique housing opportunities.
• Urban Cincy. Blog focusing on issues of urbanism in the Cincinnati area. Also discusses local development projects and news events towards promoting city living. A good source for information regarding local events too.

Visitor information

• 🌍 Cincinnati USA Visitor Center, 511 Walnut St (Fountain Square), ☎ [phone], toll-free: [phone]. Th-Su noon-8PM. 

Get in

By plane

• 🌍 Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport (CVG  ^IATA) (Follow I-275 south then east to Exit 4, State Route 212. Follow the signs to airport terminals and parking), ☎ [phone], e-mail: [e-mail]. is on the Kentucky side of the Ohio River, so you'll have to cross the bridge to get to Cincinnati itself. The airport serves 56 destinations on nearly 200 daily flights, with international service to Freeport, Cancun, Montego Bay, Toronto, and Paris. The airport is a focus city for Delta Air Lines and offers daily flights to many of the largest U.S. cities, in addition to nonstop service to France, Canada, and Mexico. In addition, the airport is a focus city for Allegiant Air and Frontier Airlines, which are U.S. ultra-low-cost carriers and offer daily flights across the United States and Caribbean. Although fares have been historically high, Delta's market dominance has considerably diminished in the last decade, resulting in much more competitive fares compared to nearby cities.  
  • Air Canada: Toronto–Pearson
  • Allegiant Air: Austin, Baltimore, Cancun, Fort Lauderdale, Fort Walton Beach, Jacksonville (FL), Las Vegas, Montego Bay, Myrtle Beach, Newark, New Orleans, Orlando/Sanford, Phoenix/Mesa, Punta Cana, Punta Gorda/Fort Myers, San Juan, Savannah, St. Petersburg/Clearwater
  • American Airlines: Charlotte, Chicago–O'Hare, Dallas/Fort Worth, Miami, New York–JFK, New York–LaGuardia, Philadelphia, Washington–National
  • Apple Vacations: Cancun, Monetgo Bay, Punta Cana
  • Delta Air Lines: Atlanta, Baltimore, Boston, Cancun, Charlotte, Chicago–O'Hare, Dallas/Fort Worth, Denver, Detroit, Fayetteville/Bentonville, Fort Lauderdale, Fort Myers, Grand Rapids, Hartford, Houston–Intercontinental, Kansas City, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Memphis, Milwaukee, Minneapolis/St. Paul, Nashville, New York–JFK, New York–LaGuardia, Newark, Orlando, Paris–Charles de Gaulle, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Raleigh/Durham, Richmond, Salt Lake City, San Francisco, Seattle/Tacoma, St. Louis, Tampa, Toronto–Pearson, Washington–National
  • Frontier Airlines: Atlanta, Cancún, Dallas/Fort Worth, Denver, Fort Lauderdale, Fort Myers, Houston–Intercontinental, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Orlando, Philadelphia, Phoenix–Sky Harbor, San Francisco, Tampa
  • OneJet: Pittsburgh
  • Southwest Airlines: Baltimore, Chicago–Midway
  • United Airlines: Chicago–O'Hare, Denver, Houston–Intercontinental, Newark, San Francisco, Washington–Dulles
  • Vacation Express: Cancun, Freeport, Monetgo Bay, Punta Cana
• 🌍 Cincinnati Municipal Lunken Airport. Lunken Airport is the other option for travelers, but, in general, only travelers flying their own private planes or who chartered a flight will use the airport.  
• 🌍 Ultimate Air Shuttle, 4700 Airport Rd. (At Lunken Airport), toll-free: [phone]. A luxury scheduled airline, flying small jets between Lunken Airport in Cincinnati and Chicago, New York City, Charlotte, and Cleveland. Given the high price of conventional air service, sometimes this option is reasonably priced by comparison. (updated Oct 2016)

By car

A simple map of Cincinnati's major thoroughfares

Cincinnati is served by Interstates 71 (from Columbus and Louisville), 74 (from Indianapolis), 75 (from Dayton and Lexington), 471 (a spur of I-71 to the south), and 275 (the circle beltway). US 50 also serves the area as an expressway to the eastern neighborhoods (Columbia Parkway) and western neighborhoods via the Sixth Street Expressway, which links River Road and the Waldvogel Memorial Viaduct to Downtown. If you feel like taking the scenic route, take Columbia Parkway east of the city and enjoy the beautiful Ohio River views along the parkway.

One of the most beautiful panoramic views in the country occurs when driving northbound on Interstate 71/75 (the interstate routes share the same highway in part of Northern Kentucky) traveling into downtown Cincinnati. The panoramic view comes up once you get to what's known as the "Cut-in-the-Hill", which is reached once you pass signs warning you of a steep grade. Traffic on the Brent Spence Bridge sometimes backs up, though, especially during rush hour. Try to plan your trips so you don't get too much of this truly spectacular view!

By train

• 🌍 Amtrak, 1301 Western Ave (Union Terminal/Cincinnati Museum Center), toll-free: [phone] (Amtrak's main line). Tu-Su 11PM-6:30AM. All incoming and outgoing passenger trains stop at Union Terminal/Cincinnati Museum Center during the night. The station is one mile from downtown Cincinnati and since all trains arrive before public transportation is available it may be wise to call a taxi to finish your journey (See Taxis.). Cincinnati is served by the thrice-weekly Cardinal service between New York City/Washington, D.C and Chicago.  

By bus

• 🌍 Greyhound, 1005 Gilbert Ave, ☎ [phone]. Station & ticketing hours: Daily: 24 hours. Greyhound offers passenger bus service from many U.S. cities. Buses arrive and depart from Greyhound's station in downtown Cincinnati. 
• 🌍 Megabus, 691 Gest St (parking lot between 6th and 7th Sts), toll-free: +1-877-GO2-MEGA (462-6342). Megabus is a budget bus company offering service to Cincinnati from Chicago and Indianapolis. Fares start at $1. Megabus also stops at the University of Cincinnati (on the corner of West University Avenue and Commons Way) on the way to the Downtown stop listed above. The University Stop has a little better transit connections to Metro buses than the Gest Street location which is in kind of an isolated area. Fares can only be bought online. (updated Dec 2016)
• 🌍 Megabus UC, 45 W University Ave (Corner of University Commons and W University Ave - University of Cincinnati), toll-free: +1-877-GO2-MEGA (462-6342). See above entry for most details. Until local politicians decide that having the Megabus stop in the virtually unused multi-million dollar climate controlled Riverfront Transit Center by "The Banks" downtown would be a good investment for tourism, the University stop may be a better idea than going to Gest Street with Megabus as its far more integrated into an actual neighborhood, far less isolated, and has relatively easy local transit bus connectivity. (updated May 2016)
• 🌍 Baron's Bus, 45 W University Ave (Corner of University Commons and W University Ave - University of Cincinnati), toll-free: [phone]. College student oriented bus service that offers destinations throughout Ohio, Michigan and West Virginia, notably OSU and Miami Oxford. Like Megabus there is free wi-fi and express service. Be careful when selecting your destination as they have an arrangement with Greyhound and you could be using a Greyhound bus if going to a more distant destination, look for GLI on the ticket to see if you are getting a Greyhound. 

Get around

Cincinnati Subway The Race St Station Between 1920 and 1925 the City of Cincinnati spent $6 million building a subway system, which was supposed to ease congestion and spur growth in Cincinnati. However, when funding ran out in 1925, the construction came to an end with nearly 7 miles of the subway dug or graded, but no track laid. Several attempts to complete the subway have been made, but all proposals have failed. However, sections of the tunnel have been used for various purposes including the conversion of the Liberty Street station into a nuclear fallout shelter and are now partially occupied by a water main. The money borrowed to build in the 1920s was finally paid off in 1966. While the tunnels still exist (and remain in a remarkably good condition given their age), there is no real plan to do anything with them long term. While some studies have suggested that the best use for the tunnels would be some form of rail transit after all, a 2002 ballot measure to bring light rail to the metro area failed by a 2:1 margin and effectively killed any efforts in that direction for the time-being.

By bus

The main form of public transportation is by bus. The region is served by two bus systems. The Southwest Ohio Regional Transit Authority (Sorta) operates Metro, the bus company that serves the Ohio side of the state line. The Transit Authority of Northern Kentucky (Tank) serves Northern Kentucky and all routes between Northern Kentucky and Cincinnati. Bus lines marked with a "X" are express routes and make less frequent stops. Be sure to check whether the bus makes a stop at your required destination before you get on. Sorta and Tank operate a different fare rate system, though both require passengers to submit the exact fare and no change is given.

If you plan on taking the bus, highly recommended is the "Cincinnati Frequent Transit Map" which was developed by a concerned citizen looking to increase transit use. This will give you a good idea of which parts of town are well served by transit as well as which parts of town are underserved, eliminating lines from the official map that don't have frequent service. More information here: http://cincymap.org/

For sightseeing the recommended option is the Metro 1 bus. Metro's tag line for this bus is "Ride the One for Fun," because it visits the most important cultural destinations in the city. The bus loops from the Union Terminal Museum Center, to downtown's theaters and museums, to the sports stadiums and parks on the riverfront, to the upscale Mount Adams residential neighborhood, to Eden Park and Krohn Conservatory, ending in nearby Peebles Corner, Walnut Hills. This bus is $1.75 a ride, but passes are available. If taking the 1 especially if from a more transit rich city, make sure to check a schedule first as the line can close early and doesn't have the highest frequencies of routes.

If you wish to cross the river into Kentucky be sure to ride the Southbank Shuttle, which loops around the riverfront on the Ohio and Kentucky sides. Stops include Fountain Square, The Banks, Newport on the Levee, and Roebling Point. The Shuttle is often used by locals who do not want to drink and drive or pay high parking prices, as the shuttle stops at many popular nightlife spots. The Shuttle is instantly recognizable by its old-fashioned trolley look, but are newer and cleaner than the regular TANK bus system. The shuttle is also cheaper at $1 a ride. Daily passes are available.

Metro charges passengers based on zones: Zone 1 (The City of Cincinnati), Zone 2 (Hamilton County, outside of Cincinnati), and Zone 3 (Stops outside of Hamilton County and the City of Cincinnati). Prices for each zone are respectively: $1.75, $2.65, and $3. Metro has several routes, most notably routes 71X and 72 (both $4.25), which charge a slightly higher fare than normal. Transferring between one bus route to another on the Metro system requires another 50 cents for a transfer ticket and passengers transferring from a Zone 2 or 3 bus to another Zone 2 or 3 bus should ensure that the bus driver hole punches the appropriate zone on the transfer ticket. Otherwise a further payment equivalent to the difference between the zone you're traveling to, if your trip ends in zone 2 or 3, and zone 1 fare must be paid.

TANK (Transit Authority of Northern Kentucky) buses charge a flat rate of $1.50 for all adults, 75¢ for seniors, $1; for students. Transfers between TANK buses are free. However, transferring between TANK buses and a Metro buses costs an additional 50¢ or 40¢, if you're transferring to a TANK bus from a Metro bus.

Government Square

Government Square is located centrally next to Fountain Square

Government Square is the main bus hub for Metro and is on Walnut Street. Occasionally, when large events are going on downtown, bus routes will be re-routed to avoid Government Square. The square received its name due to the government buildings that border the square, such as the Federal Office Building, a Federal Courthouse, and a Federal Reserve Bank branch. Within the complex is an information kiosk providing details of bus routes and a free Wi-Fi service.

Lines

Below is a short list of the most important SORTA (Metro) lines that serve tourist sites.

• Route 1 is a route marketed to tourists as the 1 for Fun, and although it only runs about every 30 min on weekdays and every hour on weekends, its still useful for getting to some major sites between Union Terminal and Mt Adams just make sure to get a schedule on Metro's website before trying to catch it: Museum Center,Ezzard Charles and Linn Street (Near Music Hall and Washington Park), Government square area F(eastbound)/4 & Walnut Downtown (westbound), Art Museum (Mt. Adams), Park and Taft Ave.
• Route 72 - stops from Downtown to Kings Island: Walnut Street & Court Street (Downtown), Government Square, Area B, Kenwood Road & Montgomery Road, Mason-Montgomery & Fields Ertel Road ("Park and Ride"), Mason-Montgomery & Western Row Road, Kings Island.
• Route 71X - stops from Downtown to Kings Island: Walnut Street & Court Street (Downtown), Government Square, Area B, Kings Island, Mason-Montgomery & Fields Ertel Road ("Park and Ride").
• Route 17 - one of the more frequent routes in Metro, good for going to OTR, University of Cincinnati, Clifton and Northside. The ride up from Main Street in OTR to the hilltop neighborhoods on E Clifton is a good way to soak in the gorgeous Victorian architecture of the area and see a few of the more vibrant urban neighborhoods too.
• Metro*Plus - Metro's try at speeding up bus times by reducing stops. This limited route goes between Downtown and Kenwood Mall passing by University of Cincinnati (not far from the Zoo) and Xavier University along the way. Runs every 15-30 min, weekdays only. See website schedule for details.

By streetcar

The Cincinnati Bell Connector

A streetcar line, the Cincinnati Bell Connector, runs in a loop between Findlay Market in Over-the-Rhine neighbourhood and the Riverfront Transit Center. Fares are $1 for a two-hour ticket and $2 for an all-day ticket.

By taxi

There used to be some odd regulations making riding taxis without calling ahead of time a chore, this has changed. People now can hail taxis from anywhere and unlike heavy taxi oriented-cities like Chicago some cabs have lights (newly installed) indicating if someone is in the cab or not. Taxis are pretty easy to come by downtown and in OTR, but are much harder outside of these key neighborhoods. Taxi costs are all over the place as rates aren't set by the city or the state, if you pick the wrong company, you could pay 50% more than another company! Inquire with the taxi companies regarding rates, see below for contact information.

Taxi companies in Cincinnati include:

• Cincinnati Airport Taxi,[phone]
• Taxi Cincinnati, [phone]
• Cincinnati Ohio Yellow Taxi, [phone]
• Yellow Taxi Cincinnati, [phone]
• Blue Taxi & Shuttle, [phone]
• Taxi Cincinnati, [phone]

Lyft and UberX are also available in Cincinnati on a smartphone - the rates are usually cheaper than normal taxis, but watch out for surge pricing (up to 7 times the normal price) on Uber and PrimeTime (up to 200% the original cost) on Lyft during busy times like after sports games or during large events.

There is also a Cincinnati Taxi smartphone app which could come in handy for surge-pricing periods: Android App , Iphone App

By foot

Some of the lovely historic architecture one could miss without walking!

Some of the older neighborhoods in Cincinnati are quite walkable, with the Clifton Gaslight District (Ludlow), Over-The-Rhine, Mt. Adams, and Downtown being amongst the easiest to travel by foot. Due to massive depopulation of neighborhoods that had densities approaching that of New York City, (like Over-The-Rhine and the West End), Cincinnati is way more car oriented these days with most destinations being too spread out to walk to. However, many of these districts were built to pedestrian scale and are worth a stroll so long as one exercises caution (see the stay safe section). A visitor from a larger East Coast city may expect neighborhoods of similar scale and architectural composition to be filled with people, but instead oftentimes they are full of abandonment and the problems that come along with it. However, places like Mt. Adams, Downtown, or Clifton around the Gaslight District don't have these problems are well worth exploring by foot, park your car outside of the neighborhood and walk right in.

Skywalk

Cincinnati's Downtown has a Skywalk path. The Skywalk is an indoor, above-ground path through the streets of Cincinnati's Downtown. The Skywalk is free, and only used by pedestrians. Urban analysts hired by the city and downtown business leaders want to tear down chunks of the elevated passageways. Although most of the paths have been torn down, some of the Skywalk still exists, allowing travelers to continue to beat the weather.

Hillside Steps

Cincinnati has over 400 hillside steps for the adventurous traveler to explore. These steps were built before people had cars to facilitate easy transportation by foot up and down the steep hillsides that populate the city. Some steps are very famous such as the Mt. Adams Steps up to the Holy Cross Immaculata Church (described under the To See section) while others underused and/or are falling apart. Still more, like St. Gregory's steps in Mt. Adams, are hidden gems, guiding a traveler through a hidden forest oasis in a densely populated neighborhood. Be cautious when traveling on these steps, as they sometimes go through remote areas and while the neighborhood on one end of the steps could be safe, the neighborhood at the other could be crime infested. The city has a somewhat difficult to decipher but extensive guide of the locations and conditions of the steps here.

By bicycle

Cincinnati has a long way to go before it reaches the level of Portland or Chicago in terms of bicycle culture and accessibility. However, the city has installed bicycle lanes and on-street bicycle parking in some key neighborhoods like Over-the-Rhine and Northside. Biking in Cincinnati is challenging, and is recommended for experienced urban riders, as the terrain is quite hilly producing often curvy roads that can go up or down very steep grades.

Despite the challenge, the narrow roads and urban setting are well suited for using a bicycle. Residential neighborhoods along the river near downtown (Roebling Point, The Banks, Over-the-Rhine, Newport Historic East Row) are relatively flat and quiet. The city posts a color-coded map/guide to recommended bicycle routes and facilities, and provides information regarding its bicycle policies and projects here . All buses have bike mounts on the front if you get tired or don't want to pedal up a hill.

You can rent bikes from the Cincinnnati Bike Center at Smale Riverfront Park or from Wheel of Fun Rentals by Sawyer Point on the Riverfront downtown (charges hourly, including tandem bikes).

Bike share is also available: Cincy Red Bike - $8 for a day-pass which will give you unlimited free hour-long trips over the course of a day (different from the 30-min trips common for most cities). The bikes come with locks and baskets. If you have a yearly pass with another Bcycle bike share system your card will work with Cincy's (see website for details). Most stations are concentrated in Downtown, Over the Rhine, and by the university with a map available on the website and on individual stations, though the system is expanding with new stations in Northern Kentucky's river towns, Northside and Eden Park being the newest locations. Be careful to return the bikes within an hour as the longer you leave the bikes off of a station the more you will get charged!

By car

For getting quickly and conveniently to most places in Cincinnati, you will need a car. There is a street grid only in Downtown and its surrounding neighborhoods. Outside of those parts of the city navigation can be tough, with street names changing constantly and unintuitive routes being the norm. It can be particularly tough getting up to Mt. Adams. If you don't go down the right series of one-way streets, you could wind up getting flung out to one of the surrounding neighborhoods or Eden Park. There are a few signs directing drivers through the neighborhood, but they are easily missed. A good roadmap or GPS system is highly recommended if you plan on driving around.

Many roads are very narrow and very hilly reflecting the age of most of Cincinnati, which was built well before the automobile was the mainstay of transportation. Some streets will feel like country roads with the occasional urban house or apartment built where the terrain can support it. Other roads like the aptly named Straight Street quite literally go straight down a hill at a very steep grade. Be careful when driving in inclement weather. When parking on a steep slope, point your tires towards the curb (if downhill) or away from the curb (if uphill) and use your emergency brake.

I-75 is to be avoided around rush hours at all costs. While traffic isn't as heavy as one would encounter in much larger cities, it can still be quite formidable. The large amount of truck traffic, combined short ramps and many blind corners create a traffic nightmare. If you can, take the less traveled (though still somewhat congested) I-71.

Parking is generally cheap and plentiful in Cincinnati. The few trouble spots are around the University in the Clifton/Corryville areas (Uptown), Downtown, Mt. Adams and Over the Rhine south of Liberty Street. When parking in Mt. Adams, be aware of parking restrictions by reading the signs. There are far more parking restrictions here than anywhere else in the city, due to the narrow streets and dense population of that neighborhood.

See

Carew Tower, Cincinnati's 2nd tallest building.

• 🌍 Carew Tower & Observation Deck, 441 Vine St (Downtown), ☎ [phone]. M-Sa 10AM-5:30PM, Su 11AM-5PM. The Carew Tower served as the basis for the design of the later Empire State Building. During the mid- to late-1980s, a giant inflatable gorilla was attached to the upper floors! Notice the Art Deco interior of the common areas as you follow the signs to find the elevators. You have to change elevators and then take the stairs up the final level to make it to the 49th floor. The 49th floor of Cincinnati's 2nd tallest building provides a breathtaking, inexpensive, and gorilla-less view of the city. Take a high-speed elevator to the 45th floor, then choose from walking up four flights of stairs or taking another elevator to the 48th floor and walking up one flight. The admission is collected once you reach the top. Adults $2, children $1.  
• 🌍 Cincinnati Observatory Center, 3489 Observatory Pl (Mount Lookout,), ☎ [phone]. The Cincinnati Observatory was the first professional observatory in America, and is now operated by volunteers. Hosts star gazing events, which, are remarkable considering light pollution has nearly surrounded the observatory.  
• 🌍 Fountain Square, Fifth and Vine Streets (Downtown; sandwiched between the Westin Hotel, Macy's, Carew Tower, and the Fifth Third building). The renovated Fountain Square holds the Tyler Davidson Fountain, newly added and renovated restaurants, an ice skating rink, a big screen video board, free Wi-Fi, and a hands-on water wall!  

Roebling Suspension Bridge from Smale Park

• 🌍 John A. Roebling Suspension Bridge (Riverfront). The John A. Roebling Suspension Bridge was the longest suspension bridge in the world at 1,057 feet (322 m) when the first pedestrians crossed on December 1, 1866 — a status it maintained until 1883. You can still walk across it today and tour the Riverside Drive historic district - one of the oldest neighborhoods in the region in Covington It served as the prototype for Roebling's design of the Brooklyn Bridge in New York. This bridge was featured in the movie Rain Man.  
• 🌍 Spring Grove Cemetery and Arboretum, 4521 Spring Grove Ave. This sprawling cemetery dates back over 160 years, and was designated a National Historic Landmark in 2007. The unique layout, designed by Adolph Strauch, makes it feel less like a cemetery and more like a park that just happens to have people buried in it. The arboretum features many National Champion trees. To find the graves of the many famous people buried here, stop by the office on your way in for a free map.  
• 🌍 Dayton Street Historic District (Dayton Street West of Linn (800-950)). A millionaire's row from the 19th century rivaling the far more famous ones in New York City (5th Ave) and Chicago (Prairie Ave) giving one a glimpse of Cincinnati's heyday in the mid-1800s. This one is far more intact, but is part of an endangered neighborhood that's seen better days (its a bit seedy). The website discusses the history of the houses in the area, though the Hauck House is no longer a museum. An East Coaster would probably have their jaw hit the floor if they saw the low prices on these wonderful old mansions.  
• 🌍 Merchantile Library, 414 Walnut Street, 11th Floor (Merchantile Center, Downtown; Ask the concierge downstairs how to get to the 11th floor.), ☎ [phone]. M-F 9AM-5:30PM; Sa 10AM-3PM. Non-members can browse but not check out books during business hours and it's open to the public. Old-school private library complete with busts of famous literary figures, artwork, globes, dusty stacks of books and spiral staircases. Also hosted here are frequently literary events, lectures and local public affairs talks. Its worth a look to see a unique library space. (updated Oct 2015)

Religious buildings

Plum Street Temple, also known as Wise Temple

• 🌍 Holy Cross-Immaculata Catholic Church, 30 Guido St (Mount Adams), ☎ [phone]. Roman Catholic treasure. Known as the "Church on the Hill". On Good Friday, many Cincinnatians "Climb the steps of Mt. Adams", praying on each step.  
• 🌍 Isaac M. Wise Temple (Plum Street Temple), 726 Plum Street, at the corner of Plum and Eighth Streets (Downtown), ☎ [phone]. Built in 1865-1866 for B'nai Yeshurun, this is one of the best-preserved Moorish Revival buildings of the 19th century. This was also major pioneering center for the development of Reform Judaism.  
• 🌍 Saint Peter in Chains Cathedral, 325 W 8th St (Downtown), ☎ [phone], e-mail: [e-mail]. Saint Peter in Chains Cathedral is a beautifully and ornate cathedral, a recommended sight for anyone traveling through Cincinnati. St. Peter in Chains Cathedral was the city's tallest structure when completed, as well as one of its most elegant buildings. Copying elements from classical Athenian buildings, architect Henry Walter produced one of the finest neoclassical Greek revival buildings in the United States with a look that is quite a bit more Byzantine than one would expect from a normal catholic church, well worth a look, particularly if you can get inside! 
• 🌍 Old St Mary's, 123 E. Thirteenth Street Cincinnati, OH 45202 (Over-The-Rhine, 13th and Main), ☎ [phone]. Built in 1841, this is the oldest standing church in Cincinnati and was for many years a center for the German-Catholics who called Over-The-Rhine home. For a taste of local culture, attend a mass in German on Sunday's see website for details  
• 🌍 Sherith Isreal Temple, Ruth Lyons Way (Downtown, Alley between 6th/7th Walnut and Vine). Like most old large cities in the US alleyways have old houses and buildings on them, Cincinnati is no exception, though not as many survived the onslaught of mid-late 20th century urban destruction as are in Philly or Boston. In one of these alleys is the oldest synagogue west of the Appalachian mountains, that was saved by being converted to condominiums in the early 2000s. This is a private residence, but should be something noted by travelers who happen to be next to Restaurant Row/The Aronoff Center. The alley is well lit and fairly wide as its branded the Backstage District.  
• 🌍 Athenaeum of Ohio, 6616 Beechmont Ave (Mt. Washington), ☎ [phone]. Built as St. Francis Xavier Seminary, the Athenaeum of Ohio is the third-oldest Roman Catholic seminary in the United States being established in 1829. The present-day campus of the Athenaeum of Ohio includes 76 acres of manicured grounds surrounding an impressive granite stone building constructed in 1929.  

Museums

American Classical Music Hall of Fame

Cincinnati Art Museum

• 🌍 American Classical Music Hall of Fame, 1225 Elm St (Over-the-Rhine, next to Music Hall, in Memorial Hall), ☎ [phone], fax: [phone], e-mail: [e-mail]. Open by appt. The American Classical Music Hall of Fame includes a timeline through classical music (focusing on American classical music) and interactive displays of inductees. The Hall it is in is also worth a look too, as it was built as a memorial to those who perished in the Civil War, in the era close to the height of Cincinnati's prominence.  
• 🌍 Cincinnati Art Museum, 953 Eden Park Dr (Eden Park, Go up Gilbert Avenue, until you see the park, and turn onto Eden Park Drive), ☎ +1 513 721-ARTS (2787), e-mail: [e-mail]. Th-Tu 11AM-5PM, W 11AM-8PM, M Closed. The Cincinnati Art Museum is in the beautiful Eden Park, which perfectly reflects the artwork the museum houses. The museum has a 60,000 piece collection, which explains why the museum is referred to as the Art Palace of the West. According to the Zagat Survey, the Cincinnati Art Museum ranks with the Art Institute of Chicago and the Museum of Modern Art in New York as the best art museums in the nation. The museum features special exhibitions and a terrific collection of art by Cincinnati artists in the "Cincinnati Wing" including the worlds largest collection of Rookwood Pottery. Be sure to check out the Far Eastern Art section which includes a Jain Shrine; the Egypt, Greece, and Rome room, which features a mummy; the spectacular collection from the Classical & Near Eastern Art section with its spectacular Room from Damascus, a room imported from Syria with beautiful Islamic architectural influences; and don't miss with impressive art from Cincinnatians. You can join a free docent led-tour around the museum's permanent collections on Tuesday through Friday at 1PM, Saturday at 2PM and on Sunday at 1PM and 2PM. Admission: Free.  
• 🌍 The Center for Holocaust and Humanity Education (CHHE), 3101 Clifton Ave (Hebrew Union College Campus, University Heights, about a block from the University of Cincinnati), ☎ [phone], fax: [phone], e-mail: [e-mail]. Daily 9AM-5:30PM. CHHE has a heart-wrenching and inspiring exhibit called Mapping Our Tears, which follows the stories of Cincinnatians involved in the resistance to Nazis and Holocaust survivors now living in Cincinnati. One part of the exhibit tells the tale of a local man, who after interrogating suspects to be tried at the Nuremberg Trials became U.S. Ambassador to Luxembourg. Free. 

The Cincinnati Museum Center and Union Terminal

• 🌍 Cincinnati Fire Museum, 315 West Court St, ☎ [phone]. Tu-F 10AM-4PM, Sa-Su noon-4PM. Closed all holidays. The museum for all of us, who wanted to be a firefighter, but never became one. The museum documents the history of firefighting and it's fitting that the museum is in Cincinnati, which was the first place in America to have a fully paid professional fire department. Adults $6, seniors $5, children $4.  
• 🌍 Cincinnati Museum Center at Union Terminal, 1301 Western Ave (Queensgate), ☎ [phone], e-mail: [e-mail]. M-Sa 10AM-5PM, Su noon-6PM. Built in 1933 as the Union Terminal train station, it was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1977. The Cincinnati Museum Center is comprised of the Cincinnati History Museum, Museum of Natural History and Science, Duke Energy Children's Museum, and the Robert D. Linder Family Omnimax Theater. If you're a fan of classic comic books, you'll easily recognize Union Terminal as the inspiration for the Hall of Justice. Admission for one museum or Omnimax show: adults $7.25, seniors $6.25 , children (ages 3-12) $5.25; admission for all three museums and one Omnimax show: adults $16.25, children $11.25. Parking is $4.50 per vehicle.  
• 🌍 Cincinnati Triple Steam, 5651 Kellogg Ave (The pumphouse is set back from Kellogg Ave, but check in with the Water Works office first.), e-mail: [e-mail]. By guided tour with reservation only, typically Sa 9:30AM – noon. These four massive steam-powered water pumps are the largest in the world and were state-of-the-art in 1906, when they started a 57-year career delivering water for the Greater Cincinnati Water Works. They remain large and impressive engineering artifacts, and the tour is fascinating. The route is somewhat wheelchair accessible, and no children under age 7 are permitted. There are several other restrictions; see the tour website. Admission is only possible with a guided tour, and the tours are scheduled when enough people sign up on a wait-list. Free. (updated Nov 2015)

A Cheetah at the zoo

• 🌍 Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Gardens, 3400 Vine St (Avondale), toll-free: +1-800-94-HIPPO (44776), e-mail: [e-mail]. From the day after Labor Day until the Friday before Memorial Day, the zoo is typically open daily from 10AM until 5PM. From Memorial Day weekend (including the last Monday in May) through Labor Day (first Monday in September), the zoo is typically open from 10AM until 6PM. Zoo members and holders of "Zoo Adventure Tickets" for separately priced zoo attractions can enter an hour early from March–October. Hours may be extended on some days for special events like Festival of Lights or HallZOOween. The zoo is closed Christmas Day.. The Cincinnati Zoo is the second oldest zoo in America and one of the most important worldwide because of its success with the mating of animals in captivity. Right now, the zoo's biggest star is Fiona, a young hippo born prematurely in January 2017 who became a social media star when the zoo began posting updates on her condition. Her first birthday party in January 2018 drew about 7,000 fans. The zoo is well worth a visit. Adults (13+ years) $17 online, $19 at gate; children (2–12) & seniors (62+) $12 online, $13 at gate. All tickets are half-price from early January (after New Year's Day) to early March. See website for military/first responders and AAA discounts. Parking: $10.  

The Contemporary Arts Center

• 🌍 Contemporary Arts Center, 44 East Sixth St (Downtown, Across from the Aronoff Center), ☎ [phone]. M 10AM-9PM, W-F 10AM-6PM, Sa-Su 11AM-6PM. The CAC is one of the regional leaders in thought-provoking art; the building is a piece of art with some of Cincinnati's boldest architecture. The center has also been the center of controversy; some may not see the "art" in some exhibits. If you do get this kind of art, hop one door north on Walnut to the 21C Museum Hotel for a few more exhibits in its publicly open/free museum, for info on staying there see details under the Sleep section below. Adults $7.50, senior (65+) $6.50, student w/ID $5.50, children (3-13) $4.50.  
• 🌍 Harriet Beecher-Stowe House, 2950 Gilbert Ave (Walnut Hills), ☎ [phone], e-mail: [e-mail]. Hours vary, see website. Harriet Beecher-Stowe is famous for writing the anti-slavery Uncle Tom's Cabin. Free (donations are welcomed).  

The National Underground Railroad Freedom Center

• 🌍 National Underground Railroad Freedom Center, 50 East Freedom Way (Riverfront), ☎ [phone]. Tu-Su 11AM-5PM (closed: Labor Day, September 7, October 15 at 14:00, Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day). The National Underground Railroad Freedom Center is a museum of conscience; it offers lessons on the struggle for freedom in the past, in the present, and for the future as it attempts to challenge visitors to contemplate the meaning of freedom in their own lives. Its location recognizes the significant role of Cincinnati, where thousands of slaves escaped to freedom by crossing the Ohio River, in the history of the Underground Railroad. Adults $12, seniors $10, children $8.  
• 🌍 Taft Museum of Art, 316 Pike St (Downtown at the east end of Fourth Street, across from Lytle Park), ☎ [phone], fax: [phone], e-mail: [e-mail]. Tu W F 11AM-5PM, Th 11AM-8PM, Sa 10AM-5PM, Su noon-5PM. Closed January 1, Thanksgiving, and December 25. The Taft Museum of Art is known as one of the finest small art museums in America. A National Historic Landmark built around 1820, the Taft is home to an extensive art collection that includes European and American master paintings; Chinese porcelains; and European decorative arts. Adults: $7, seniors (60 and over): $5, students (over 18): $5, youth (18 and under): free. Free admission on Wednesdays. Parking costs an additional $3.  

Birthplace of William Howard Taft, at the William Howard Taft National Historic Site

• 🌍 William Howard Taft National Historic Site, 2038 Auburn Ave, ☎ [phone], fax: [phone], e-mail: [e-mail]. The park is generally open from 8AM to 4PM daily. The William Howard Taft National Historic Site, which is administered by the National Park Service, was the birthplace and home of William Howard Taft. William Howard Taft served as the 27th President and became the 10th Chief Justice of the US Supreme Court. The Taft family has become one of the most politically distinguished families in Ohio, let alone the US. Free.  
• 🌍 American Sign Museum, 1330 Monmouth St (Camp Wasington off the Hopple Street Exit on I-75), ☎ [phone], e-mail: [e-mail]. W–Sa 10AM – 4PM; Su noon – 4PM. Check out the only museum dedicated to the sign industry and features a very large collection of signs from all around the United States. Covering nearly 100 years of sign making and advertising, the museum boasts an impressive collection of painted, light bulb, plastic, and of course neon signs. Guided tours are available at 11AM and 2PM during museum hours. The museum also houses Neon Works, the last full-time neon workshop in Cincinnati and is able to demonstrate their craft during weekday tours. $10-15. (updated Sep 2015)
• 🌍 Betts House, 416 Clark St (West End - West of Central Parkway). Tu-Th 11AM - 2PM; 2nd and 4th Sa 12:30PM - 5PM. One of the rare survivors of mid-century urban renewal that destroyed the once very densely populated West End, this is the oldest surviving house in Cincinnati (built in 1804) and one of the older brick houses west of the Appalachian Mountains. It houses a museum and rotating exhibitions usually devoted to the history of Cincinnati. $2.  

Galleries

• 🌍 Art Beyond Boundaries, 1410 Main St (Over-the-Rhine), ☎ [phone]. M-Sa 10AM-5PM. Art Beyond Boundaries is a visual art gallery showcasing the work of local artists with disabilities. They also have showings at Pendelton Art Center's Final Friday. 
• 🌍 Weston Art Gallery, 650 Walnut St (Downtown, on the corner of 7th and Walnut, connected to the Aronoff Center), ☎ [phone], fax: [phone], e-mail: [e-mail]. Tu-Sa 10AM-5:30PM. Su noon-5PM. The Weston Art Gallery is in the Aranoff Center for the Arts. Exhibitions feature painting, sculpture, prints, photography, textiles, independent film, performance and electronic media. Ten diverse exhibitions are programmed annually in the gallery's 3,500 square foot museum-quality space. Free. 
• 🌍 Pendleton Art Center, 1310 Pendleton St (Downtown), ☎ [phone] ext 1257, e-mail: [e-mail]. Final Friday 6-10PM; Second Look Saturday 10AM-2PM. Final Fridays at the Pendleton Art Center are "The World's Largest Collection of Artists Under One Roof!" On the final Friday of each month, Pendleton Art Center showcases many floors of local art for those interested in buying or just admiring. Free admission. 
• 🌍 Carl Solway Gallery, 424 Findlay St (West End), ☎ [phone]. M-F 9AM-5PM; Sa noon-5PM. Founded in 1962, the Carl Solway Gallery features nationally and internationally known modern and contemporary artists such as Nam June Paik, John Cage, Claes Oldenburg, and Tom Wesselmann. Free. 
• 🌍 Manifest Creative Research Gallery, 2727 Woodburn Ave, ☎ [phone], e-mail: [e-mail]. Tu-F noon-7PM; Sa noon-5PM. The so-called "Neighborhood Gallery for the World", Manifest Gallery holds year-round international calls for exhibition, bringing contemporary art to the small neighborhood of East Walnut Hills. Check the website to see what's up at the gallery, as there is some downtime in between exhibitions. Free. 

Parks

Gazebo at Mirror Lake in Eden Park.

The Skyline from Mt Echo

With more than 100 parks and green spaces covering an area of over 5,000 acres, Cincinnati has the most extensive and highest regarded park system in the nation. In addition to offering respite from the urban landscape, the parks also offer scenic views, hiking areas, floral landscapes and picnic facilities.

• 🌍 Sawyer Point, 720 E. Pete Rose Way (Riverfront), ☎ [phone]. Daily 6AM-11PM. Sawyer Point is one of Cincinnati's party parks, where in the summer radio stations throw free outdoor concerts. The park is also used to host the Tall Stacks festival. A popular place to laze about is the Serpentine Wall steps that lead into the Ohio River.  
• 🌍 Mt. Echo, 381 Elberon Ave (Price Hill). Mt. Echo is famous for its stellar view of downtown Cincinnati. The band Over-the-Rhine's "Ohio" album cover was shot from this park.  
• 🌍 Ault Park, 3600 Observatory Ave (Mount Lookout). Ault Park is great for bikers, hikers and joggers. An annual 4th of July celebration is held there with music and fireworks. Ault Park also has great examples of natural glacial history throughout the park. 
• 🌍 Eden Park, 950 Eden Park Dr (Entrances from Kemper Lane, Victory Parkway, Nassau Avenue, Martin Drive or Gilbert Ave). Daily 11AM-11PM. Eden Park is a particularly nice city park nestled in the hills near Mt Adams. Its home to the Cincinnati Art Museum, Playhouse in the Park, Murray Seasongood Pavilion, and the Irwin M. Krohn Conservatory. If you're taking a bus you can reach the park by taking bus number 11 or 69 and get off at the Cincinnati Association of the Blind, then walk into Eden Park until you find a trail that leads up a hill (the trail will take you up to the museum). Alternatively, you can take bus number 1, however, you may be required to walk up a steep hill, if the road is blocked.  
• 🌍 Theodore M. Berry International Friendship Park, 1101 Riverside Dr (along Cincinnati's downtown eastern riverfront area). The park is named in honor of Cincinnati's first African American mayor, Theodore M. Berry. This park features an International Plaza with ceremonial flags, an earth sculpture in the form of two interlocking hands, a pavilion to provide settings for communal gatherings, celebrations and events, Commissioned sculptures, a serpentine-shaped sitting wall, garden areas representative of the continents, and a bike trail. 
• 🌍 Krohn Conservatory, 1501 Eden Park Dr (Eden Park), ☎ [phone]. Daily 11AM-11PM. Rainforest-under-glass. 5000 varieties of exotic tropical, desert and orchid plants. One of country's largest public greenhouses with beautiful seasonal floral shows. Admission is by donation.  
• 🌍 Washington Park, 1230 Elm St (In front of Music Hall, Over-The-Rhine - parking in garage under the park). Originally designed in 1855, replacing what was then a cemetery, this park has pretty much followed the fortunes of Over-The-Rhine, going from a prosperous hub of activity and immigration to a crime filled den of poverty and squalor. Fortunately along with the neighborhood, this park has undergone a major renovation, including interactive fountains designed to go with music selectable by phone app, a beergarden (this is Cincinnati), a large event lawn, playgrounds, and a look that combines a respect for the park's history with modern amenities. Its particularly striking to see at night when the fountains are lit up in different colors, and safety shouldn't be an issue then as there are plenty of security cameras installed to quell any potential issues with the neighborhood. 3CDC who remodeled Fountain Square led this renovation and as a result is programming it with plenty of events throughout the year, see website for details.  
• 🌍 William Henry Harrison Memorial, 41 Cliff Rd, North Bend, OH 45052. 10:00 AM - 6:00 PM. William Henry Harrison Memorial is a small park with a tall monument containing Harrison's tomb. William Henry Harrison was the ninth and shortest serving president. Free. 
• 🌍 Mt Airy Forest Preserve (Mt. Airy). Largest park in the city at around 1,500 acres giving the place a very natural feel. Plenty of hiking trails and even a disc golf course.  

Public squares

Piatt Park

Due to Cincinnati's age, a number of the more genteel neighborhoods on the East Side have charming public squares which can be a good place to hang out and enjoy a nice day.

• 🌍 Hyde Park Square. Charming patch of Greenery that anchors the main business district of the posh Hyde Park neighborhood. Old, rich, and elegant in a very turn of the last century kind of way. Probably the best spot in the city on a summer day to enjoy some Greaters Ice Cream which is right next to the square.  
• 🌍 Oakley Square. Remodeled, this is a nice patch of greenery that anchors the once working class now wannabe Hyde Park neighborhood of Oakley. On a nice Summer day, enjoy some Aglamesis Bros ice cream and watch all the young professionals mulling about. 
• 🌍 Piatt Park (Garfield Park) (Downtown). Also known as Garfield Park for its statue of President Garfield, its more of a two block long public square than a park, at 200 years old this is the oldest park in the city. Elegantly landscaped, a good place to take a break while exploring downtown by foot. In the summer there is even music sometimes on weekdays aimed at workers on lunch break.  
• 🌍 Mt Lookout Square. More of a landscaped parking lot than a square, this gives the Mount Lookout a quaint small village feel. 

Do

Tours

Cincinnati has quite an impressive assortment of 19th century architecture. Parts of town will remind a visitor of large east coast cities like Boston or Brooklyn. With a renewed interest in the oldest parts of the city there are an increasing number of tours highlighting Cincinnati's golden age when it was one of the largest cities in the US. During some events like Oktoberfest or Bockfest, additional tours are offered, such as those highlighting the cities strong brewing heritage, or even the rare venture down into the abandoned subway tunnels, inquire locally or read local blogs as these are not well advertised to people from out of town.

• 🌍 Queen City Underground Tours (Cincy Haus), 1281 Vine St (Over-The-Rhine), ☎ [phone]. Spring and fall: Sa 9:30AM, 10:30AM, 11:30AM, 2:30PM, and 3:30PM, Su 11:30AM, 2PM. Summer: M-Th noon and 3PM, Sa Su same as fall. A popular and expanding tour run by American Heritage Tours discussing the many buildings that once housed over 130 saloons, bars, beergardens and theaters on Vine Street in Over-The-Rhine's "Gateway Quarter" followed by a trip down into the network of tunnels underneath that at one point were used to age/store beer and even a hidden tomb. Also discussed is Cincinnati's corrupt political history in the 19th century under Boss Cox. $15. 
• 🌍 Cincinnati Heritage Tours, 1301 Western Ave (Union Terminal), ☎ [phone]. Hours vary, check website. A number of tours done through out the year (some by bus) showcasing Cincinnati's rich history. This is where you can get the once a year abandoned subway tour, which unfortunately sells out very quickly, leading one to wonder, why don't they offer it more often? Reservations recommended. Prices vary, tends to be expensive, check website. 
• 🌍 Cincinnati Brewery District Lager Tours, 116 W Elder St (Findlay Market Biergarten, Over the Rhine), ☎ [phone]. May 21st-September: Sa Su 1PM. Tours of the old breweries and the tunnels underneath them that once made Cincinnati one of the largest producers of beer in the United States. Tours are run by the Brewery District Community Redevelopment Corp. $15. 
• 🌍 Stratus Helicopters, 99 Riverboat Row, Newport. Th-Su noon-10PM spring/summer, 3-8PM fall & winter. Though it's in Newport, this company provides various tours of scenic Cincinnati from the air in a helicopter. Included on the itinerary is a date night tour. Tours last anywhere from 10 min to a few hours. 

Music & theater

Esquire Theatre is a very popular movie theater.

• 🌍 Playhouse in the Park, 962 Mt. Adams Circle (Mt. Adams), ☎ [phone]. Box office hours: M 10AM-5PM; Tu-F 10AM-9PM; Sa 10AM-10PM; Su noon-8PM. Box office hours may vary on days when performances are held. The Playhouse in the Park is a Tony Award-winning playhouse, housing two theaters in Eden Park, not far from the Cincinnati Art Museum. The playhouse hosts performances ten months out of the year.  
• 🌍 Cincinnati Music Hall, 1243 Elm St (Over-the-Rhine), ☎ [phone], fax: [phone]. The Music Hall is the beautiful home to the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, Opera, and Cincinnati Ballet. The building was built in 1878 and funded by what's believed to be the first matching grant fund drive in the United States. In 1880, the building hosted the Democratic National Convention. Tours can be arranged through the Society for the Preservation of Music Hall.  
• 🌍 Bogart's Concert Hall, 2621 Vine St (Corryville), ☎ [phone]. Small venue that attracts some well-known acts. Crowds can get rough with mosh pits growing annoyingly large. 
• 🌍 Riverbend Music Center, 6295 Kellogg Ave (California/Anderson Township), ☎ [phone]. Box office hours: M-F 11AM-5PM, Sa 11AM-2PM. On the Ohio river, it draws big name artists like John Mellencamp, Dave Matthews Band, and Jimmy Buffet.  
• TimberWolf Amphitheatre (TimberWolf Amphitheatre is at the Kings Island amusement park). This arena also draws some big name artists, usually teen heartthrobs like Aaron Carter. 
• 🌍 Esquire Theatre, 320 Ludlow Ave (Clifton), ☎ [phone], e-mail: [e-mail]. The Esquire Theatre is a movie theater that generally runs indie/foreign films along with some other mainstream films. It also hosts twice-monthly showings of Rocky Horror Picture Show. It is on Ludlow Ave, which is close to great coffee shops, restaurants, and specialty stores. $5.50-8.50. 
• 🌍 Arnoff Center for the Arts, 650 Walnut St (Walnut and 6th Downtown). This is the main place in Cincinnati to see a Broadway musical, famous stand up comics, the Cincinnati Ballet and other large scale performing arts events. $9-30. 
• 🌍 Woodward Theater, 1404 Main St (OTR, Mainstreet Entertainment District), ☎ [phone]. 6PM - 11PM. Built as a movie theater, this remodeled venue features up and coming indie bands that would attract larger crowds than the nearby MOTR pub which has the same ownership. Price varies, see website. 
• 🌍 Taft Theater, 317 East 5th St (5th and Sycamore Downtown), ☎ [phone]. A large old venue that's good for seeing bigger comedians or musical acts. 
• 🌍 Know Theatre, 1120 Jackson St (Over-The-Rhine, South of Liberty), ☎ [phone]. Nestled in Over the Rhine, this is a theater known for doing less conventional productions. They also run the fringe festival annually. $15 advance, $20 week of performance. 
• 🌍 Ensemble Theater of Cincinnati, 1127 Vine St (Over-The-Rhine, Gateway), ☎ [phone]. Intimate playhouse hosted in an old bank building in Over-The-Rhine. Generally plays nationally-known plays and regional specials. (updated Jan 2018)
• 🌍 Cincinnati Shakespeare Company, 718 Race St (Downtown, South of Garfield Place), ☎ [phone]. Well-regarded local theater troupe specializing in Shakespearean and Classic plays. Th & Su: adult $37, senior $27, student $22; F Sa: adult $35, senior $31, student $26.  

Amusement

• 🌍 Coney Island, 6201 Kellogg Ave (Exit 72 off of I-275), ☎ [phone]. usually 10AM-9PM. Coney Island is a piece of Americana - a park that has been in operation for over 120 years. The park is closer to Cincinnati, on the Ohio River. General admission is $17.50 to use the rides and Sunlite Pool, the world's largest recirculating pool (200' by 401'). For cheaper admission go after 4PM when the price drops to $8.95.  
• 🌍 Kings Island (About 20 miles north of Cincinnati). In Mason, Ohio, it is one of the world's greatest amusement parks. The park is divided into three different areas - the main park with adult attractions, a children's park, and a water park. Admission to the park grants access to every one of the areas. Kings Island is also the home to record-holding coasters including The Beast, the world's longest wooden roller coaster! Kings Island has been sold to Cedar Fair, and the names for some of the rides have changed.  
• 🌍 Jack Casino, 1000 Broadway St (At the NE edge of Downtown). The Horseshoe Casino is an urban casino, and one of three that were given special permission by the state of Ohio to operate. Horseshoe Casino boasts 100,000 square feet of gambling floorspace. It features approximately 2,000 slot machines, 85 table games and a 31-table World Series of Poker room. The Casino also has four restaurants including Jack Binion's Steak and Jimmy Buffett's Margaritaville. 

Festivals

Riverfest's famous 'waterfall' firework display

• Appalachian Festival, 6201 Kellogg Ave (at Coney Island Amusement Park), ☎ [phone], fax: [phone]. Mothers Day Weekend: F 9AM - 9PM, Sa 10AM - 9PM, Su 10AM - 6PM. The Appalachian Festival hosts more than 130 crafters, dozens of entertainers on three stages, cultural and educational programs and a new mountain life exhibit area. The Appalachian Festival draws nearly 50,000 people over the three-day event to Coney Island on the shores of the Ohio River. 
• Bockfest (Various places Downtown, Over-the-Rhine). Usually first weekend in March. Quirky series of events that celebrate Over-the-Rhine’s history, the coming of spring and bock beer. It usually features a parade in the Main Street Entertainment District on Friday, a nomination of a "Sausage Queen" on Saturday and a series of tours of rarely seen parts of Over-The-Rhine. Performances and other German-related events are also included. Check the website for more details and pricing on tours. 
• Bunbury Music Festival (Sawyer Point). Mid July see website. Annual festival happening around mid-July, featuring 100s of (mostly rock) bands on multiple stages along Cincinnati's riverfront parks. The festival was founded by MidPoint Music Festival co-founder and former Fountain Square managing director Bill Donabedian. Reaching beyond music, the festival integrates eco-friendly and technology initiatives. 
• Cincy Cinco Festival, 6295 Kellogg Ave (The Plaza at Riverbend Music Center), ☎ [phone]. Cincy Cinco celebrates Cinco de Mayo, a Mexican Holiday on the fifth of May. It showcases Latino culture, values, and traditions. All proceeds benefit the tri-state charities that support the Hispanic population. Adults $10, kids 16 and under are free. 
• Cincy Fringe Festival, Know Theatre, 1120 Jackson St (Over-The-Rhine), ☎ [phone]. Late May/early June. Like Fringe Festivals around the world, the Cincy Fringe Festival showcases the off-beat, the experimental, and the just plain weird. Over twelve days, dozens of plays, musicals, dance productions, puppet shows, and other performances are shown in locations throughout Over-The-Rhine, all within walking distance of each other. Performers range from locals to international visiting troupes. Evening are capped by unique nightly activities at the bar at the Know Theatre Underground. $12 per show, with discounts for multi-passes. 
• MidPoint Music Festival (MPMF). The Midwest's biggest and best independent music festival. Over 300 emerging bands from the U.S. and abroad play all kinds of music in a parking lot in the small Pendleton neighborhood by OTR. 
• Midwest Regional Black Family Reunion (Sawyer Point Park). Conceived in 1986 by Dr. Dorothy I. Height, President Emerita of the National Council of Negro Women, the Black Family Reunion Celebration is a 4-day cultural weekend event which brings consumers, corporations, communities and government agencies together to focus on the historic strengths and traditional values of the Black Family. 
• Oktoberfest, Fifth St (Downtown). Cincinnati remembers its German history with a two day festival dedicated to beer and the marriage of Bavarian royalty. Cincinnati's Oktoberfest draws 500,000 over two days (Munich's Oktoberfest draws 6 million over two weeks) making it second biggest Oktoberfest after Munich's. On the Sunday everyone gathers at Fountain Square to participate in the "World's Largest Chicken Dance." This is a must for any visitor to Cincinnati. Oktoberfest is held in mid to late September. $3 and above depending on restaurant booth.. 
• Party in the Park (Riverfront). Held several times through out the summer, 8,000 locals and visitors are entertained by the hottest musical acts and cold draft beers. The party is held at Yeatman's Cove. 

crowds at the Taste of Cincinnati

• PNC Festival of Lights, Dury Ave (Cincinnati Zoo). The Cincinnati Zoo hosts the annual Festival of Lights to celebrate the holiday season with 2.5 million Christmas lights and over 100 light displays. Other activities include live music, ice sculpture shows, taking a train around the zoo, and meeting Santa. You'll want to arrive a few hours before the light display starts because there will be little or no parking left by 4PM (of course you could take an alternative mode of transportation as well). See the listing under the See section for more details about the zoo. 
• PNC MidPoint's Indie Summer, 5th and Vine (Fountain Square). 7:00-11:00 Fridays from June to September. Fountain Square on Friday nights is the place to be for all fans of independent rock music. Local, regional, and national bands will perform every Friday night from 7 to 11PM! Free. 
• Riverfest (Riverfront). Riverfest is Cincinnati's largest bash and is held on the banks of the Ohio during the Labor Day weekend. The event is essentially the spectacular Rozzi's fireworks display, which last for half-an-hour and is choreographed to music by local radio station WEBN. There's also a famous race between rubber ducks called the Rubber Duck Regatta. 
• Taste of Cincinnati (Fifth Street). Taste of Cincinnati is held every Memorial Day weekend and draws 500,000 people each year. More than 40 restaurants sell their food for $5 or less. Live musical acts are there for entertainment once you're full. $3 and above depending on restaurant booth. 

Sports

Sports are taken extremely seriously in Cincinnati. Everyone roots for the Reds and the Bengals, but college basketball is where the city becomes divided. One of the most intense rivalries in all of college basketball is the Crosstown Shootout (called "Crosstown Classic" from 2012 to 2014), the annual matchup between the University of Cincinnati and Xavier University. The game has returned to having the two schools alternate hosting duties after three years at the neutral US Bank Arena in the Central Business District. This came about because the 2011 game ended in a bench-clearing brawl (which also led to the temporary name change).

Who Dey The term always refers to the Cincinnati Bengals and can be used as a cheer or a greeting among Bengals fans. At Bengals games fans screaming "Who Dey!" often leads to an entire section chanting the Who Dey chant: "Who dey! Who dey! Who dey think going to beat dem Bengals?" The answer is an extended "Nobody!" The origin of the chant comes from beer vendors of Cincinnati beer Hudy (Hudepohl) shouting the name at the front of each section. One particular section of Riverfront stadium during the 1981 Super Bowl season always erupting into the chant during games that the Bengals were winning. Eventually that chant spread to the entire stadium and is now ubiquitous at Bengals games even when they aren't winning.

• Cincinnati Bengals, One Paul Brown Stadium (Riverfront), ☎ [phone]. For more than a decade, the Bengals were the punchline of a joke about the NFL. No more, though. Since the hiring of Head Coach Marvin Lewis, the Bengals have gone on to win the AFC North Division and have gained respect within the NFL. In his first season (2003), Lewis led the Bengals with an 8-8 record compared to the 2002 record of 2-14. The Bengals have since posted an 8-8 record in 2004 and an 11-5 record with an AFC North Division Championship. They made the playoffs in each season from 2011 to 2015. However, this success under Lewis hasn't carried over to the postseason—the Bengals haven't won a postseason game since 1990. Since their turnaround, a visit to a Bengals game is recommended — if you can get a ticket. Their new home is Paul Brown Stadium, named for the Hall of Fame founder and owner/first head coach of the team in their American Football League days, who before that was affiliated with and gave the name to the original Cleveland Browns, one of their fiercest rivals.  

Great American Ball Park is close to Cincinnati's Waterfront

• Cincinnati Reds, 100 Main St (Great American Ball Park; Corner of Main Street and Second Street), ☎ [phone]. The "Big Red Machine" has always been a leader in professional baseball since its formation as the first professional baseball team. The team earned their nickname during the 1970s, when the team made six post-season appearances and won two World Series with the likes of Johnny Bench, Pete Rose, Tony Perez and manager Sparky Anderson. The Reds' new home is Great American Ball Park, on the downtown riverfront near the site of the stadium it replaced, the now-demolished Riverfront Stadium. Tickets run $7-67, with most seats $22 or less. If you are on a budget, the Reds allow spectators to bring in their own food and drink. Drinks must be non-alcoholic, and in a sealed, clear plastic container. No cans or glass may be brought in. Coolers must be soft-sided and be able to fit underneath your seat. Ballpark tours that take you onto the field and behind-the-scenes are available at 11:30AM and 1:30PM on Saturdays off-season and non-game days during the season, with extra tours available on days with a night game. Ballpark tours $17 adults, $15 students/seniors.  
• FC Cincinnati, 14 E. 4th St., Third Floor (team offices) (games at Nippert Stadium (UC)), ☎ [phone], e-mail: [e-mail]. The newest addition to the city's sports scene is this soccer team, which will play its first Major League Soccer season in 2019 after three seasons in the second-level league now known as the USL Championship. For now, the team plays its home games at Nippert Stadium, the on-campus home of University of Cincinnati football, though it's preparing to build its own new stadium in the West End and open it in 2021. Nippert normally seats 40,000, but FC Cincinnati will limit seating for most games to about 34,000. $10-30.  
• ECHL Hockey Cincinnati Cyclones, U.S. Bank Arena (Riverfront), ☎ +1 513 421-PUCK (7825). Hockey has a long legacy in Cincinnati. In the 1950s, Cincinnati was home to the Cincinnati Mohawks, five-time winners of the International Hockey League's Turner Cup. In the 1970s, Cincinnati was home to a WHA team, in the Cincinnati Stingers, and an AHL team, in the Cincinnati Swords. Then came the Cyclones (1990-2004, 2006-present), and the Cincinnati Mighty Ducks (1997-2005). The Cincinnati Gardens was frequented by the likes of Barry Melrose, Don Biggs, Mark Messier and Wayne Gretzky on a pretty regular basis. Now, the second incarnation of the Cincinnati Cyclones play in the ECHL and are 2007-2008 ECHL champions. Crowds run 1,000-3,000 on a weeknight and 4,000-9,000 people on a weekend, far below the capacity of 12,000, so tickets should be easy to come by. However, crowds have grown significantly during the latter part of the 2007-2008 season. Game 1 of the Kelly Cup Championship game has the largest crowd in seven years to see an ECHL championship game, with 8,676 in attendance. Game 6, and final game, had 12,722 in attendance, a league record for a post-season game. $10-20.  
• Cincinnati Bearcats, 2700 Varsity Way. The University of Cincinnati has a strong tradition in basketball and an emerging tradition in football. The two-time national champion men's basketball team, as well as the women's basketball team, play their home games at Fifth Third Arena in a structure known as the Shoemaker Center, which reopens for the 2018–19 season after a year-long renovation. The football team plays almost all of its home games at Nippert Stadium, nicknamed the "Wrigley Field" of college football, and is the fifth oldest stadium in college football. Occasional "big games" in football are played at Paul Brown Stadium. Football tickets are $25-35.  
• Xavier Musketeers, 3800 Victory Parkway, ☎ [phone], fax: [phone], e-mail: [e-mail]. Box office hours: M-F 9AM-5PM. The XU basketball team plays at the Cintas Center, on the Xavier campus just northeast of downtown.  
• Belterra Park Gaming & Entertainment Center (River Downs), 6301 Kellogg Ave, ☎ [phone]. Belterra Park Gaming & Entertainment Center was formerly known as River Downs. Free admission and free parking everyday. Belterra Park Gaming & Entertainment Center has a unique 110 channel in-house television system in place that allows the viewers access to race replays of every race, advance viewing of upcoming simulcast race conditions and preview shows, changing odds formats and program changes. free admission and free parking everyday. 

Other

• 🌍 CoCo Key Water Resort. ,

Learn

University of Cincinnati's campus

Xavier University

• 🌍 Cincinnati State Technical and Community College, 3520 Central Parkway, ☎ [phone]. Cincinnati State is the technical and community college of choice in the region and nationally recognized for academic excellence and workforce development.  
• 🌍 Mount St. Joseph University, 5701 Delhi Rd, ☎ [phone]. Private Catholic college in Cincinnati's western suburb of Delhi. Known for its education majors. Also notable as the school of Lauren Hill, whose quest to play college basketball despite suffering from what proved to be a fatal brain tumor inspired the nation in late 2014.  
• 🌍 Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion, 3101 Clifton Ave. HUC-JIR is the oldest "new world" Jewish seminary, founded in 1875 by Cincinnati Rabbi Isaac M. Wise. Since Rabbi Wise was one of the key rabbis in the development of Reform Judaism, the school follows in his footsteps preparing its students for services in the Reform community.  
• 🌍 University of Cincinnati, 2600 Clifton Ave, ☎ [phone]. UC is a public university in the Uptown neighborhoods of Avondale, Corryville, Clifton Heights, and University Heights. Ranked as one of America’s Top 25 public research universities and in the Top 50 of all American universities, UC has an annual enrollment of approximately 40,000 students, making it one of the largest universities in the U.S. Though many incorrectly refer to the main campus of the university as its "Clifton Campus", the university is not in the Clifton neighborhood. In 2010, Forbes Magazine listed the University of Cincinnati as one of the world's most beautiful college campuses alongside prestigious company like Oxford University and Yale University.  
• 🌍 Xavier University, 3800 Victory Parkway, ☎ [phone]. Xavier (pronounced Zay-vyur) is a private Jesuit, Catholic university in the neighborhood of Evanston. It was founded in 1831. Its three colleges offer 78 undergraduate majors, 43 minors and 11 graduate programs to 6,646 total students, including 3,961 undergraduates. The University is the sixth-oldest Catholic university in the nation and one of 28 Jesuit colleges and universities nationwide. Xavier has been recognized as one of the nation's best colleges and universities for 13 consecutive years by U.S. News & World Report, including #2 in the Midwest in the 2008 rankings. Xavier is also ranked as one of the "Best 368 Colleges and Universities" by the Princeton Review. Xavier's Williams College of Business is recognized by the Princeton Review as one of the "Best 290 Business Schools." Xavier's part-time MBA program is highly ranked by U.S. News & World Report and the Health Services Administration Graduate Program is ranked number one in the country by Modern Healthcare. Xavier supports 16 NCAA Division I sports teams. The men's basketball team made it to the Elite Eight in 2004, 2008, and 2017, and the women's basketball team matched the feat in 2010.  

Work

The P&G Twin Towers (headquarters) are Downtown. P&G's influence and history with the region can be seen throughout downtown.

Cincinnati is home to numerous international corporations that are important employers within the Greater Cincinnati area. The region fares well nationally with 10 Fortune 500 companies and 18 Fortune 1000 companies headquartered in the Cincinnati area. Statistically, Greater Cincinnati ranks sixth in the U.S. with 4.98 Fortune 500 companies per million residents and fourth in the U.S. with 8.96 Fortune 1000 companies per million residents. A few of Cincinnati's notable businesses include: Fifth Third Bank, Great American Insurance, Macy's Department Stores, Kroger and Procter & Gamble.

In the summer, restaurants and amusement parks employ large numbers of foreign students with J-1 Visas. Kings Island in particular is a major employer, hiring several thousand foreign college students.

Buy

Cincinnati has 52 neighborhoods, and each one has its own shopping districts. Some of the more noteworthy are Clifton Gaslight District (Ludlow Avenue between Clifton Avenue and Middleton Avenue), which offers bohemian and international shops, Northside Business District (Ludlow Viaduct/Blue Rock Street/Spring Grove Avenue), Hyde Park Square (Erie Avenue between Zumstein Avenue and Shaw Avenue) and Oakley Square (Madison Road between Hyde Park Avenue and Marburg Avenue) offer upscale boutiques.

If you're searching for something that is quintessentially Cincinnati, be sure to look for Rookwood Pottery, Findlay Market, Ulf's Big Onions, or Graeter's handmade candy.

General

Findlay Market is the oldest operational market in Ohio

• 🌍 Findlay Market, 1801 Race St, ☎ [phone], e-mail: [e-mail]. T-F 9AM-6PM, Sat 8AM-6PM, Su 10AM-4PM. In Cincinnati's historic Over-the-Rhine neighborhood, Ohio's oldest continuously operating market offers collection of fresh food vendors, restaurants, and non-food shops that has been in operation since 1855. The market is most lively, and best visited by tourists, on Saturdays around noon. Hang out in the beergarden with local beer on the west side of the market and catch some live music when the weather is good on weekends.  
• 🌍 Saks Fifth Avenue, 101 West 5th St (Downtown, Fifth and Race Streets, Opposite Hilton Netherlands Plaza Hotel), ☎ [phone]. M-W 10AM-6PM, Th 10AM-8PM, F-Sa 10AM-6PM, Su noon-5PM. A branch of the upscale department store selling high-priced designer goods. 
• 🌍 Macy's, 505 Vine St (West of Fountain Square). M-Th 11AM-7PM; F Sa 11AM-8PM; Su 11AM-5PM. The department store that can be found all over the country. Its headquarters (NYC only has half the business since Cincinnati-based Federated took this department store over) is 2 blocks away. 

Specialized Goods

• 🌍 The Rookwood Pottery Company, 1920 Race St (Over the Rhine, North of Liberty), ☎ [phone]. A highly regarded historic producer of fine ceramics. Due to Great Depression, a dramatic decrease in demand for the company's handcrafted quality artwork caused the original Rookwood Pottery to close its doors. The legendary status of Rookwood Pottery inspired its resurrection in mid-2006. It has moved down to Over-The-Rhine. A company store is next to the Gateway Quarter on 1209 Jackson Street between Walnut and Vine. 
• 🌍 Bengals Pro Shop (Riverfront, in Paul Brown Stadium.), toll-free: [phone]. W-F 8AM-6PM, Sa 6AM-6PM, Su 11AM-4PM, M-Tu contact vendors. Get your Bengals gear here. 
• 🌍 Joseph-Beth Booksellers, 2692 Madison Rd (In the Rookwood Pavilion shopping center, on the Norwood-Cincinnati municipal border), ☎ [phone]. M-Th 9AM-10PM, F,Sa 9AM-11PM, Su 10AM-9PM. Locally owned bookstore. Many nationally known authors sign books here. 
• 🌍 Shake It Records, 4156 Hamilton Ave #1 (Northside), ☎ [phone]. M-Sa 11AM-9PM, Su noon-6PM. Independent record label and record store. They have just about every CD you can imagine. They also carry used CDs and vinyl, DVDs, books, graphic novels, magazines, and Japanese toys. Basically its a one stop shop for anything alternative/DIY/indie culture that's hard to come by elsewhere in Cincinnati. 
• Cincy Haus (American Legacy Tours), 1281 Vine St (Over-The-Rhine, Gateway Quarter). Gift shop for American Legacy Tours, who run the 'Queen City Underground Tours', specializing in Cincinnati memorabilia. 
• 🌍 Wooden Nickel, 1400 - 1414 Central Parkway (Over the Rhine), ☎ [phone]. M-Sa 10AM-5PM. Antique shop that is notable for accepting goods from abandoned/demolished buildings. As Cincinnati is a very old city that maybe tears down a bit too much of its history there's a lot of great stuff here. 
• 🌍 Park + Vine, 1202 Main St (Over the Rhine, South of Liberty). Bills itself as a Green General store, this quirky shop is good for everything fair trade and environmentally conscious, even some locally themed T-shirts too. It's a bit of an anchor to the revitalization of OTR and worth a look just for something quirky and a bit unexpected in Cincinnati. 
• 🌍 Another Part of the Forest, 1333 Main St (Over-The-Rhine, next to Iris Book Cafe). W-Su noon-10PM. An excellent selection of rare Vinyl records as well as rare books and rare movies. Considered a bit of a hidden gem by locals. 
• 🌍 Ohio Book Store, 726 Main St (Downtown), ☎ [phone]. M-Sa 9AM - 4:45PM. With 4 stories of shop space, this is a particularly large version of the classic musty bookstore. They specialize in vintage and rare books, and even will do book binding repair as well. 
• 🌍 Micah 12/V, 1201 Vine Street (Over the Rhine), ☎ [phone]. M-Th 10AM-8PM, F-Sa 10AM-9PM, Su 10AM-5PM. Gift shop specializing in local craft goods. Expect lots of references to pigs, goetta and other unique cultural quirks to Cincinnati in among the many hand crafted gift items. (updated Jan 2016)

Eat

This page uses the following price ranges for a typical meal for one, including soft drink:
Budget	$15 or less
Mid-range	$16 - 25
Splurge	$25 or more

Budget

• 🌍 Aglamesis Bros, 3046 Madison Rd (Oakley Square), ☎ [phone]. A long-time competitor of Graeter's in the gourmet ice cream category. Take a step back in time as this parlor is largely unchanged since it was opened in 1913! 
• 🌍 Arthur's Cafe, 3516 Edwards Rd (Hyde Park), ☎ [phone]. M-Sa 11AM-2:30AM, Su 11AM-9:30PM.. Great bar and cafe in trendy Hyde Park neighborhood. Excellent burgers that are borderline amazing. On Sundays, Mondays, and Tuesdays, Arthur's has "burger madness" where burgers are $5.50 with unlimited toppings. 
• 🌍 The Echo, 3510 Edwards Rd (Hyde Park), ☎ [phone]. M–Sa 6AM–3PM, Su 7AM–3PM. Great diner just off of Hyde Park Square. Try the fish special on Fridays. Roughly $10 or less. 
• 🌍 Gordo's Pub and Grill, 4328 Montgomery Rd (Norwood). Owned by Raymond Gordo, former chef de cuisine for local celebrity and restaurateur Jean-Robert, Gordo's is renown for their semi-extensive beer list and delicious burgers. 
• 🌍 Graeter's Ice Cream, 2704 Erie Avenue (one of several locations) (Hyde Park, right at Hyde Park Square), ☎ [phone]. Daily 7AM-10:45PM. Quite possibly Cincinnati's greatest gift to humanity. No drive through Cincinnati is complete without Graeter's ice cream or another one of their delicious desserts. Often Cincinnati natives who have moved to different cities make it a priority to stop here if they are in town. There are other locations throughout Cincinnati, including one store directly on the Hyde Park Plaza. Celebrities such as Oprah and Jessica Simpson have claimed it to be their favorite ice cream. About $4 per person, unless you opt for more expensive treats. In that case you could spend upwards of $20. 
• 🌍 Ingredients, 21 E. 5th St (Downtown, inside Westin Hotel Atrium), ☎ [phone]. Ingredients is restaurant with a unique concept and motto: "some assembly required". Ingredients serves salads, paninis, sandwiches, and pizzas all made to order. The ingredients used are all gourmet and very tasty! 
• 🌍 Izzy's, 800 Elm St (Downtown), ☎ [phone]. M-F 8AM-8PM, Sa 8AM-5PM. Izzy's is well known for its Reubens and other corned beef sandwiches. This deli has other delicious sandwiches and its corned beef is available to purchase at any Kroger's grocery store. Served with your sandwich is a big potato pancake. There are multiple locations in the Cincinnati area. 
• 🌍 Melt, 4100 Hamilton Ave (Northside), ☎ [phone]. M-Sa 8AM - 9PM; Su 10AM - 9PM. Melt is a sandwich shop in Northside and a favorite among locals. True to the non-conformist culture of Northside, vegetarian/vegan options are available. $8-12. 
• 🌍 Krishna Indian Carryout, 313 Calhoun St (Clifton), ☎ [phone]. At the top of Clifton across from the University of Cincinnati campus, Krishna is tiny by nearly all standards with only four tables along the wall. Opposite, the staff cooks excellent North Indian cuisine (common in Cincinnati) atop a four-burner stove. Heaping portions with delicious naan. 
• 🌍 Quatman Cafe, 2434 Quatman Ave (Norwood), ☎ [phone]. M–W 11AM - 9PM, Th–Sa 11AM - 10PM, Su closed. "Keep it simple, stupid" is the motto here. No frills, but many locals will tell you this greasy spoon is home to the best burger in town. Sandwiches $6-8, daily special with drink and fries $7.50. 
• 🌍 Tucker's Restaurant, 18 E 13th St, ☎ [phone]. M–W 6AM-6PM, Thu–Su 6AM–1AM. Tucker's has been dishing out food since 1946 and is well-known amongst Cincinnatians. Joe Tucker, the owner, has become famous for socializing with his guests. Tucker's is legendary for being the restaurant to go to for breakfast. Although, it's nowhere near a five-star restaurant, it counts four-star (five-star before he left to open his own restaurant) chef Jean-Robert de Cavel. $10 or less. 
• 🌍 Tucker's Restaurant (Over-The-Rhine), 1637 Vine Street, ☎ [phone]. W–Su 7AM–3PM. A second location of the old favorite diner. $10 or less. 
• 🌍 Zips Cafe, 1036 Delta Ave (Mt. Lookout Square), ☎ [phone], e-mail: [e-mail]. M-Sa 10:30AM-11:30PM, Su 11AM-11:30PM. Zips Cafe is not only the absolute best place in Cincinnati to get a burger (the Zip Burger - though some would put Terry's Turf Club in that category), but it is also a bar. $5-10. 
• 🌍 Terry's Turf Club, 4618 Eastern Ave, ☎ [phone]. A small, hole in the wall burger joint that has garnered multiple awards over the years for its burgers, and is well known around Cincinnati. It's a small place with a casual atmosphere complete with peanuts on the floor and knick-knacks on the wall. $10-15. 
• 🌍 Gilpins Steamed Sandwiches, 37 E 7th St (Downtown), ☎ [phone]. Daily 9AM - 2:30PM, and Tu-Sa 6PM - 3AM. A great place to go for a quick cheap late night snack, though when the bars let out this place does get a bit too fratty. $5-10. 

Chili

Cincinnati is famous for its unique chili, based on a Greek recipe. It contains finely-ground meat, no beans or onions, and usually contains spices such as cinnamon or cocoa powder, and not as much tomato as traditional recipes. It is served over spaghetti with finely-shredded Cheddar cheese on top, known as a "three-way"; add diced white onions or kidney beans to make it a "four-way"; and add both kidney beans and onions for a "five-way". It's also served over hot dogs with shredded Cheddar cheese on top, known as a "cheese coney." Cincinnati has more chili restaurants per capita than any city in the United States. The debate over where to find the best Cincinnati chili is almost a religious war. Two major chili-parlor chains (Skyline & Gold Star) are dominant, but individual parlors and other smaller chains have their fans as well.

Price Hill Chili is a local pit-stop for political candidates including former Vice President Dick Cheney.

• 🌍 Empress Chili, 8340 Vine St. Founded in 1922 by two brothers from Greece. Empress is named after the burlesque theater that used to be next door. It has been suggested that the Empress Chili concept was copied by other chili restaurants. Empress Chili consistently wins taste tests of Cincinnati's chili chains. 
• 🌍 Skyline Chili, 290 Ludlow Ave (Ludlow and Clifton, Parking in rear off Hosea), ☎ [phone]. M-Th 10AM - 3AM; F Sa 10AM - 4AM; Su 11AM - midnight. The most famous chili chain, with numerous locations throughout the Cincinnati area and franchise locations in Columbus, Indianapolis, Louisville, and other smaller Midwest and Florida cities. Their chili is sold in supermarkets throughout the Midwestern United States in frozen packages or cans so that Cincinnati natives can enjoy it wherever they may be. For more locations, see Skyline's store locator here . The location recommended is one of the most interesting, a good people watching spot at all hours of the day and night in the diverse neighborhood of the Clifton Gaslight district. Don't forget to swap out your parking puck! 
• 🌍 Camp Washington Chili, 3005 Colerain Ave (Camp Washington off Hopple Street), ☎ [phone]. M-Sa 24 hours. Considered a contender for best chili in the city by many. It's also a (mostly) 24-hour diner, offering breakfast at all hours of the night. This is a good place to also try out Goetta, the lesser-known German-Cincinnatian food similar to scrapple (a mush of pork scraps and trimmings combined with cornmeal and wheat flour, often buckwheat flour, and spices) which you can't find anywhere outside of the region!  
• 🌍 Price Hill Chili, 4920 Glenway Ave (Price Hill), ☎ [phone]. M-Th 6AM-11PM, F Sa 6AM-2AM, Su 7AM-3PM. Price Hill Chili has been a landmark for the past 45 years, serving up Cincinnati favorites to West Side regulars. Cincinnati chili and stacked double-deckers are what Price Hill Chili is all about. This is a place politicians visit when in town for photo ops. The menu includes specialty dinners and salads. Another place to get the elusive Cincinnati-only German sausage specialty Goetta. under $10. 
• 🌍 Gold Star Chili, 2713 Vine St, ☎ [phone]. One of Cincinnati's major chili chains. While most Cincinnatians are loyal to Skyline, there are many who claim Gold Star is Cincinnati's best. For more locations, see Gold Star's store locator here . 
• 🌍 Pleasant Ridge Chili, 6032 Montgomery Rd, ☎ [phone]. M-Sa 9AM to 4:30AM. A local favorite that offers great food at great prices. Home of Gravy Cheese Fries which has been bringing people back since 1964. The menu also includes great breakfast at anytime. 

Mid-range

• 🌍 Christian Moerlein Lager House, 115 Joe Nuxhall Way (Downtown - The Banks), ☎ [phone]. A microbrewery, restaurant, event space, and beerhall/garden devoted to Cincinnati's rich brewing heritage which has panoramic views of the city, the Roebling Bridge, the river and the sports stadiums. The Lager House is decorated with old advertisements, signs, bottles and other memorabilia harking back to the time when Cincinnati was one of the world's foremost beer producers. The menu features both beers produced by Cincinnati icon Christian Moerlein (with some even unique to the space) and many guest beers from all over the world and the menu has many dishes where beer is a main ingredient. $6-28. 
• 🌍 The Rookwood (Rookwood Pottery, Porkopolis), 1077 Celestial St, ☎ [phone]. Su-Th 11AM-9PM, F-Sa 11AM-10PM. The Rookwood (formerly Rookwood Pottery or Porkopolis) is a burger and ribs restaurant, which is housed in the National Historical Register Building that used to house Rookwood Pottery complete with old brick furnaces being reservable as seating places. Now features a rotating menu oftentimes with clever takes on Cincinnati classics like Goetta or Chili. $10-$20. 

Gateway Quarter: Over-The-Rhine Vine Street between Central Parkway and 14th Street has been transformed almost overnight from one of the city's most dangerous areas to the hottest place in town to get a hip, contemporary, mid to high priced meal. If eating at a restaurant with an address of 1000-1500 Vine Street be sure to get a reservation or plan on waiting upwards of an hour on Friday and Saturday nights. Be careful going north of the building with a giant sign calling itself Cincinnati Color Company though, as the neighborhood very quickly goes from being Chic to a work-in-progress

• 🌍 Nicholson's Tavern & Pub, 625 Walnut St (Downtown, Across from the Aronoff Center), ☎ [phone]. M-Th 11AM-11PM, F Sa 11AM-1AM, Su 11AM-9PM. Probably has the best selection of Scotch in the city! This place servers standard British pub food, though on the anniversary of Scottish poet Robert Burns birthday they do sever haggis (sometime in January), check website for details. $20-50 a person. 
• 🌍 Cumin Indian Fusion Cuisine, 3520 Erie Ave (Hyde Park), ☎ [phone], fax: [phone], e-mail: [e-mail]. M-F 11:30AM-2:30PM. Cincinnati has a number of North Indian restaurants of high quality. This one is a boutique Indian place which is appropriate for the posh Hyde Park. 
• 🌍 Nicola's Ristorante, 1420 Sycamore St, ☎ [phone]. Italian fine dining in downtown Cincinnati. Wine list is so-so, but atmosphere and food are excellent. 
• 🌍 Primavista, 810 Matson Pl (Price Hill, Incline District), ☎ [phone], e-mail: [e-mail]. M-Th 5:30-9:30PM, F 5:30-10PM, Sa 5-10:30PM, Su 5-9PM. Where the food is as captivating as the view of Downtown Cincinnati, Primavista specializes in fresh fish and veal dishes & also offering seafood, steaks, lamb, poultry, and pasta. $6-30. 
• 🌍 Quan Hapa, 1331 Vine St., Cincinnati, OH 45202 (Vine and 13th - Gateway Quarter Over the Rhine). Tu-Th 11AM-2PM & 4PM-10PM; F Sa 11AM-2PM & 4PM-11PM. One of the best Asian fusion places in the midwest outside of Chicago. Get rare for Cincinnati dishes like okonomiyaki and poke, and enjoy Japanese micro brew beer. The atmosphere is hip and communal in a compact place that reminds one of restaurants you could find in San Francisco. $5-13. 
• 🌍 Senate Pub, 1212 Vine Street Cincinnati, OH 45202-7117 (Over-The-Rhine, Gateway), ☎ [phone]. Tu-Th 11:30AM-2PM, 4:30PM-11PM; F 11:30AM-2PM, 4:30PM-1PM; Sa 4:30PM-1PM. The people at the Senate are self-described "Pushers of beer, wine & gourmet street food" notable reasons to give them a try are the duck fat fries and a line of gourmet hot dogs. 
• 🌍 Shanghai Mama's, 216 E 6th St (Downtown), ☎ [phone]. M-Th 11AM-9:30PM; F 11AM-3AM; Sa 5PM-3AM. Shanghai Mama's is a great place to grab some late-night grub. You can't go wrong with any of their noodle or rice dishes. They also feature soups and vegetarian options. $10-15. 
• 🌍 Mecklenburg Gardens, 302 E University Ave (Corryville near the University), ☎ [phone]. M-Th 11AM-9PM; F 11AM-10PM; Sa 5PM-10PM. Established in 1865, this is the only original of the once plentiful German biergartens that were all over the city prior to Prohibition. Lovingly restored, this beergarden features a Large selection of German beers, and food. The garden is quite nice during the summer for a pleasant evening meal. $8-23.  
• 🌍 Taste of Belgium Bistro, 1133 Vine St (Vine and 12th Over the Rhine Gateway), ☎ [phone]. M 7AM - 3PM; Tu-Th 7AM - 10PM; F Sa 7AM - 11PM; Su 9AM - 3PM. Cincinnati's unusually hip take on the Belgian gastropub. Founded by a Belgian expat who was wanting to get the kinds of waffles he could get back home in Cincinnati, this place features delicious waffles of the Liège variety, and other Belgian styled goodies from bon bons to lambic beer. Try the locally inspired goetta crepes for something completely unique! 
• 🌍 Mt Adams Bar and Grill, 938 Hatch St (Mount Adams, St Gregory and Hatch), ☎ [phone]. M-Sa 11:30AM- 2:30AM; Su 1PM- 10PM. According to the restaurant, this was a speakeasy founded by George Remus (the bootlegger who inspired Jay Gatsby of The Great Gatsby fame) and was one of the first places in Ohio to apply for a liquor license when prohibition was repealed. Lunches are reasonable and the airy sun room in back is a good weekend getaway for lunch. $5-17. 
• 🌍 Ambar Indian, 350 Ludlow Ave (Clifton), ☎ [phone]. For being a city not known for ethnic diversity, there are a surprising number of North Indian places in Cincinnati, Clifton has 3 of them in a row (and an Indian grocery) and this one is generally the one in Clifton that locals like the most. 
• 🌍 Bakersfield, 1213 Vine St (Over-The-Rhine, Gateway), ☎ [phone]. M-Th 11AM-midnight; F 11AM-2AM; Sa noon-5PM; Su noon-10PM. Authentic yet gourmet Mexican street food such as Tacos and Tortas. Modeled after big city gourmet taco places like Big Star in Chicago, this is one of the best places to get Mexican in Cincinnati. They also have a good selection of tequila as well. 
• 🌍 The Anchor OTR, 1401 Race St (Over the Rhine, next to Washington Park), ☎ [phone]. Seafood place, with good seafood for an inland city, though the real highlight is the outdoor patio where you can hear concerts from or people watch into Washington Park. 
• 🌍 A Tavola Pizza, 1220 Vine St (Over-The-Rhine, Gateway), ☎ [phone]. M-W 4PM-midnight; Th-Sa 4PM-2AM. Hand made, wood-fired Neapolitan pizza, made in a rare type of oven only found in one other place in the US, very unique and chic. $10-20. 
• 🌍 Taft's Ale House, 1429 Race Street (Over the Rhine north of Washington Park), ☎ [phone]. Su-W 11AM-11PM; Th-Sa 11AM-midnight. An old church in Over-The-Rhine which was saved from demolition and converted into a massive brewpub which pays tribute to one of Cincinnati's most prominent and portly citizens, William Howard Taft. Inside there are a number of creative brews (one of which is a delicious dark ale with coconut for instance) and food with a theme revolving around tritip steak). A temple of beer that is a gorgeous adaptive reuse and testament to Cincinnati's renewed love of its heritage and favorite beverage. (updated May 2015)
• 🌍 The Eagle, 1342 Vine Street (Over the Rhine, Gateway), ☎ [phone]. Daily 11AM-midnight. Delicious fried chicken from the people who brought you Bakersfield, of note is that they offer carryout of which on a nice night you can take over to Washington Park and avoid the long waits on Friday and Saturday nights which are endemic to this area. $5-20. (updated Oct 2015)
• 🌍 Century Inn Restaurant and Tavern, 10675 Springfield Pike (Woodlawn), ☎ [phone], e-mail: [e-mail]. Food M–Th 11AM-10PM, F Sa 11AM-11PM, Su noon–10PM. Bar M–Sa 11AM–1AM, Su noon-midnight. Restaurant, with associated bar open longer hours. Opened in 1806, this used to be a stop on the main road north out of Cincinnati to rest and change horses. Entrees $10. (updated Oct 2016)
• 🌍 Fifty West Brewing Company, 7668 Wooster Pike, ☎ [phone]. Good selection of beers and very good food. (updated Feb 2017)

Splurge

• 🌍 Boi Na Braza, 441 Vine St (Downtown Near Fountain Square), ☎ [phone], fax: [phone], e-mail: [e-mail]. Boi Na Braza is a Brazilian steakhouse in the Carew Tower in Fountain Square. They serve steak, lamb, chicken and pork dishes. $51 and up. 
• 🌍 The Celestial Steakhouse, 1071 Celestial St (Mt. Adams), ☎ [phone], fax: [phone], e-mail: [e-mail]. M-Th 5-9:30PM, F Sa 5-10:30PM, Su 4-9PM. Lounge: F Sa 4PM-1AM. Rated the Most Romantic by the Cincinnati Enquirer and the New York Times, Celestial's seasonal menu is eclectic and contemporary, with delightful steak and seafood offerings. Wine connoisseurs might appreciate the hundreds of vintages available from the wine cellar. $22 for the least expensive, expect $35 and up. 
• 🌍 Jeff Ruby's Steakhouse, 700 Walnut St (Downtown, Across from the Aronoff Center), ☎ [phone]. M-Th 5PM-10PM; F Sa 5PM-11PM. Upscale steakhouse owned by Jeff Ruby, who gained fame in 2007 for kicking O.J. Simpson out of his restaurant in Louisville, and made more headlines during the 2016 US presidential campaign by (temporarily) banning Donald Trump from the same location. Roughly $31 and up. 
• 🌍 Montgomery Inn Ribs, 925 Riverside Drive (formerly Eastern Avenue) (Riverfront, near Sawyer Point), ☎ [phone]. M-Th 11AM-10:30PM, F 11AM-11PM, Sa 3PM-11PM, Su 3PM-10PM. Renowned as the place to go for great baby-back ribs, Montgomery Inn has become one of Cincinnati's most beloved eateries. The flagship restaurant is in the village of Montgomery, in the northeast suburbs. 
• 🌍 Palomino, 505 Vine St (Fountain Square), ☎ [phone]. Lunch: M-Sa 11:30AM-2:30PM. Dinner: Su-Th 5PM-10PM, F Sa 5PM - 11PM. Palomino is a vibrant restaurant, bar and rotisserie famous for its style, hardwood fired Mediterranean cooking and versatile, imaginative menu. Great view of Fountain Square too! $31-50. 
• 🌍 The Precinct, 311 Delta Ave (Columbia-Tusculum), toll-free: [phone], fax: [phone]. Su-Th 5-10PM, F Sa 5-11PM. The Original Jeff Ruby Steakhouse, set in a former police precinct! From $30. 
• 🌍 Teller's of Hyde Park, 2710 Erie Ave (Hyde Park), ☎ [phone], fax: [phone], e-mail: [e-mail]. Tellers is a trendy restaurant in old bank building in Hyde Park Square. Tellers has an excellent outdoor patio for dining in the summer. The food is very contemporary American fare. $14-61. 
• 🌍 Cincinnati Dinner Train, 2172 Seymour Avenue (Trip starts in rear parking lot of the Green Sales Company.), ☎ [phone]. Departs Saturday 6PM, except Jan, Feb. Train ride with 1950s era dining cars that gently rides down tracks towards Downtown, including the Oasis line where the neighbors defeated intercity rail, but for some reason can tolerate this weekly train excursion. Price includes 3-course meal and there is also a bar car on board. Check website for details on special trips, including excursions to popular events like Riverfest. Book ahead to reserve tickets. $84.95/person. (updated Oct 2016)
• 🌍 Salazar, 1401 Republic Street (Over the Rhine), ☎ [phone]. M-Th 11:30AM-2PM, 5:30PM-10:30PM, F Sa 5:30-11PM. Highly regarded fancy small plates restaurant featuring the work of famed local chef Jose Salazar. Seating is extremely limited as its in an intimate space off of a side street deep in the revitalized part of Over the Rhine. $12-33. (updated Oct 2015)

Drink

The Main Street Entertainment District (on Main Street north of 12th Street in Over-the-Rhine) was a popular area featuring many clubs and bars. However the riots did their number on the district forcing just about every bar to close down during the 2000s. This isn't all doom and gloom as, there have been attempts to bring bars back up there with several notable night spots opening up in the last few years such as Neon's and Japp's. After a few years of Kentucky getting the attention, the center of nightlife in Cincinnati has shifted to the area near Fountain Square and the Arnoff Center, or Restaurant Row generally bounded by 8th St to the North, 5th St to the South, Vine St to the West and Main St to the East. The area is always busy on weekends, especially with many young professionals. Over the last few years it has been slowly growing with many new bars/clubs and other night spots opening up.

Across the Ohio River in Kentucky, many restaurants and nightspots are along the riverbank in Covington's Mainstrasse District and the area of Newport around Newport on the Levee.

Local Beers Due to its heavily German population Cincinnati was at one time one of the largest producers of beer in the United States . Prohibition and the anti-German backlash following World War I were not kind to Cincinnati's brewing legacy and by the end of the 20th century very little beer was produced in town. Today there is a revival of long dead local brands and recipes led by the new Christian Moerlien Brewing Company. They are even starting to brew them in an old brewery in Over-The-Rhine. If you see beers at a bar such as Burger, Hudy/Hudepohl, Little Kings, and the premium Christian Moerlien beers, get one of them for a bit of local culture. Surprisingly the only large brewery left that brews in town is Sam Adams, which produces more beer in Cincy than in its hometown of Boston and is according to its founder (Cincinnati native, Jim Koch) based on an old Cincy recipe!

• 🌍 Rock Bottom Brewery and Restaurant, 10 Fountain Square (Downtown, On Fountain Square), ☎ [phone], fax: [phone]. M-Sa 11:30AM-10PM, Su noon-9PM. Part of the Rockbottom Brewery chain. Features beer brewed on-site and typical bar food. Wouldn't be special except that its a place to get beer on the square. 
• 🌍 The Dock, 603 W. Pete Rose Way (Downtown,), ☎ [phone]. Tu-Th Su 8PM-2:30AM, F-Sa 8PM-4AM. Gay night club. 
• 🌍 City View Tavern, 403 Oregon St (Mount Adams), ☎ +1 513 241-VIEW (8439). City View Tavern has for years been a popular spot amongst locals to grab an after-work drink. The outdoor deck is small but offers one of the best views of the city. 
• 🌍 Neon's Unplugged, 208 12th St E (Over-The-Rhine, 1 block east of Main), ☎ [phone]. M-W 4PM-1AM, Th-F 4PM-2AM, Sa-Su noon-midnight. Back in the 1980s and 1990s there was a bar filled with Neon Signs that was the cornerstone of Over-The-Rhine's Mainstreet Entertainment District. This bar is now back, and offers a visitor a large selection of craft and local beer, a beergarden with a bocce ball court, and a laid back friendly atmosphere. Live music sometimes is out on the beergarden. 
• 🌍 Japp's Since 1879, 1134 Main St (12th and Main Over the Rhine). Tu-Th 4PM-1AM, F 4PM-2AM, Sa 5PM-2AM. Locally renownd mixologist Molly Wellmann along with the people who revived Neons started this classy bar which is the best place in town to get a mixed drink! There is an "Annex" next door which features special events like dance nights, neo burlesque shows and the occasional band $7-10. 
• 🌍 21C Cocktail Terrace, 609 Walnut St (Enter at side alley just past 21C Hotel Downtown). Classy rooftop bar, pricey and part of the 21C Museum Hotel, with sweeping views of Downtown and Mt. Adams. 
• 🌍 Igby's, 122 E 6th St (Restaurant Row Downtown). Gorgeous rehab of an old NYC style building downtown, featuring 3 stories. Crowd can be post-college frat boy with money on weekend nights, which could be minus or a plus depending on who you are, but the bar is gorgeous. Of particular note is an outdoor balcony on the 2nd floor where you can view the crowds of drunk people below on a Saturday night. Pricey by Cincinnati standards. 
• 🌍 Arnold's Bar and Grill, 210 E 8th St (Main and 8th Downtown), ☎ [phone]. M-F 11AM-2:30AM, Sa 4:30PM-2:30AM. Founded in 1860, this is the oldest continuously operating bar in Cincinnati. Food was added during prohibition, snd a bathtub which was rumored to be a source of bootleg gin. has a courtyard as well as live music from varied genera.  
• 🌍 Holy Grail Tavern & Grille, 161 Joe Nuxhall Way (Right across the street from the stadium), ☎ [phone]. M-Sa 11AM - 2AM; M-Th 4PM-2:30AM; F 2PM-2:30AM; Sa Su 11AM-2:30AM. Not necessarily the best bar in town, but if you fancy yourself a big sports fan and want to be packed in with a lot of like minded people this is your spot. Right across from the Great American Ballpark and close to Paul Brown Stadium, this place gets packed on game days. 
• 🌍 The Blind Lemon, 938 Hatch St, ☎ [phone]. M-F 5:30PM-2:30AM, Sa Su 3PM-2:30AM. Great bar with delightful outdoor space. The bar is down a stone alleyway staircase on the side of Mount Adams Bar and Grill. Live music is a staple, and they have some great lemon inspired drinks. 
• 🌍 16 Bit Bar + Arcade, 1331 Walnut St, Cincinnati, OH 45202. M-F 4PM-2AM, Sa Su noon-2AM. A bar that has old school arcade cabinets and video game consoles, that attracts a hip crowd in a hip neighborhood. Based out of Columbus, this is the better of Cincy's two barcades with a larger collection of games and a hip geek chic nostalgia theme. Unfortunately, its also the more crowded of the two making weekend night trips kind of difficult. (updated Oct 2015)
• 🌍 Tillie's Lounge, 4042 Hamilton Ave (Northside, near Blue Rock Street intersection), ☎ [phone]. Th 4PM–midnight; F Sa 4PM–2AM, Su 1PM–10PM. Named for Tillie the elephant, a feature of the local John Robertson Circus many years ago, this bar features plush 1920s decor. Set in the Northside entertainment district. Full bar, craft beers, wine. No food served. (updated Oct 2016)
• 🌍 The Pike Bar and Grill, 10010 Springfield Pike, ☎ [phone]. Food: M–Tu 11AM–9PM, Th 11AM–10PM, F Sa noon–11PM, Su noon–8PM; daily noon–2:30AM. Dive bar vibe, local haunt, cheap, has karaoke. Pub food. Burgers $8. (updated Oct 2016)

Music Venues

• 🌍 The Comet, 4579 Hamilton Ave (Northside), ☎ [phone]. Bar daily 4PM-2:30AM, kitchen daily 4PM-1AM. Featuring a huge selection of beverages including over 200 beers, The Comet's famous San Francisco - style burritos, the hippest jukebox, 2 pool tables, work from local artists, and live music weekly and there is never a cover! 
• 🌍 Mayday, 4231 Spring Grove Ave (Northside), ☎ [phone]. 4PM-2AM. Hipstery dive bar known for its many dance nights and live music. Northside is the place for this kind of thing if its your scene. 
• 🌍 The Blue Wisp Jazz Club, 700 Race St (Downtown), ☎ +1 513 241-WISP (9477). Su-W 9AM-midnight, Th-Sa 9:30PM-1:30AM. Well regarded local jazz club now in a new location a bit closer to the action at Fountain Square. The old location unfortunately is now a parking lot. 
• 🌍 Northside Tavern, 4163 Hamilton Ave (Northside), ☎ [phone]. Northside Tavern is a large bar/concert venue that is an anchor of one of Cincinnati's most eclectic neighborhoods. Great for people watching or catching a band no one has ever heard of. 
• 🌍 Schwartz Point Jazz Club, 1901 Vine Street (Corner of McMicken and Vine OTR North of Liberty), ☎ [phone], e-mail: [e-mail]. Tu 7:30PM-2AM, F Sa 9PM-2AM. For 3 nights a week in a not so great part of Over the Rhine been everywhere aging beatnik and accomplished jazz musician Ed Moss serves up some of the best jazz in the Midwest along with his equally talented improv buddies in an otherworldly speakeasy style bar that he lives above. Venue is as intimate and informal as the improvised jazz standards you'll hear. On Tuesdays they offer up a Jazz big band and a complimentary buffet while Friday and Saturday they offer Ed and a few of his buddies doing improv jam sessions. Get a taxi or uber/lyft to go here as this is not in a good part of town (but worth it to the adventurous traveler). A hidden gem! $10 cover wed w/buffet, $5 F Sa. 

Coffee & coffee bars

True to Cincinnati being a drinking town many of the cafes also serve beer or spiked coffee.

• 🌍 Coffee Emporium, 110 E. Central Pkwy. Cincinnati, OH 45202 (Over-The-Rhine/Downtown), ☎ [phone], e-mail: [e-mail]. M-F 7AM - 6PM; Sa Su 8AM - 4PM. A locally owned and operated coffee house since 1973. Specializing in artisanal roasted coffee, fine teas, and accessories, as well as a mixed menu of locally made pastries and light meals. Hearkening back to an era before coffee house homogenization, Coffee Emporium is a meeting place of art, ideas, and tastes. 
• 🌍 Highland Coffee House, 2839 Highland Ave (Corryville near the University of Cincinnati), ☎ [phone]. 5PM-3AM-ish. Bohemian, hipstery, and friendly coffee house/bar near the university in an old building with high ceilings, a two level outdoor patio, and tons of character. Service is purposely laid back as there is usually only one bartista/bartender to serve the many people who frequent here. 
• 🌍 Sitwells Coffee House, 324 Ludlow Ave, ☎ [phone]. Coffee house that's an anchor to the electric university-centric neighborhood of Clifton making it a good place for people watching. Like many cafe's in Cincinnati this one also offers alcoholic beverages too. 
• 🌍 1215 Wine and Coffee Bar, 1215 Vine Street (Over The Rhine), ☎ [phone]. M-Tu 8AM-10PM, W 8AM-11PM, Th F 8AM-midnight, Su 10AM-11PM. Cosy spot where you can get both fine coffee and fine wine. Good place to hang out while waiting for a table in OTR's Gateway with frequent live music performances. 
• 🌍 Collective Espresso Northside, 4037 Hamilton Ave, Cincinnati, OH 45229 (Northside, in Alleyway off Hamilton Ave), ☎ [phone]. M-F 7AM-6PM; Sa-Su 8AM-5PM. Cozy cafe tucked away in a back alley courtyard behind the main business district of the eclectic Northside neighborhood, this is one of the few places in Cincinnati that offers French Press style coffee which is a preferred style of making coffee among the most hardcore coffee snobs. The French Press is only available here and not at the other Collective Espresso locations. $. (updated Jul 2016)

Brewery tap rooms

With the loosening of laws regarding microbreweries and allowing them to sell beer on site, and with increased interest in reviving its brewing heritage, Cincinnati has a growing scene of tap rooms which aren't necessarily open late but may be a good way to get microbrew straight from the source.

• 🌍 Christian Moerlien Brewery, 1621 Moore St (Over-The-Rhine, North of Liberty). F 4PM-9PM, Sa noon-9PM, Su noon-6PM. Greg Hardmann has the goal of becoming Cincinnati's leading contemporary beer baron. In doing this he's revived a lot of dead brands including what was Cincinnati's most famous pre-prohibition beer Christian Moerlien and by reviving the historic Kauffmann Brewery into his own contemporary brewery. Tours and food trucks are also available on site check website for details. Caution, this establishment is a bit north of where most of the revitalization has occurred. 
• 🌍 Rhinegeist, 1910 Elm St (Over-The-Rhine North of Liberty). Th 4PM-11PM; F 4PM-midnight; Sa noon-midnight; Su noon-7PM. Rhinegeist is a brewery started by two West Coast entrepreneurs who decided to bring the hoppy styles of San Francisco beer to the Cincinnati area. There are more than hoppy beers available here (including some very good cider) but their emphasis is on IPAs and similar. Of note is that this is in the Old pre-prohibition Christian Moerlien Building which was at its peak one of the largest breweries in the United States, even exporting its beer overseas! The building is expansive and airy, and even sports a rooftop with excellent views of OTR, Downtown and the surrounding hills. Even if you don't like IPAs this is a great visit. 
• 🌍 Madtree Brewing, 5164 Kennedy Ave (Oakley, just off I-71 / Norwood Lateral). Th 4PM-midnight; F 4PM-1AM; Sa noon-1AM. A new microbrewery close to the Oakley Neighborhood. 
• 🌍 Listermann Brewing Company, 1621 Dana Ave (Dana and Victory Parkway - Near Xavier University). M-Sa 10AM-6PM. A local microbrew that's near Xavier University. 
• 🌍 Urban Artifact, 1660 Blue Rock Street (Northside). M–Th 4PM–midnight; F 4PM–1:30AM; Sa noon–1:30AM; Su noon–midnight. In the basement of a former Catholic church, this brewery and concert venue produces some excellent examples of sour style beer. Concerts can also be found frequently in the same space, eventual plans call for this to have concerts/events in the sanctuary and brewing in the basement. This space further reinforces that beer is Cincinnati's second religion. (updated May 2015)

Sleep

This guide uses the following price ranges for a standard double room:
Budget	under $75
Mid-range	$76 - 125
Splurge	$126 and over

Budget

• Comfort Inn & Suites Cincinnati, 4421 Aicholtz Rd, ☎ [phone], fax: [phone]. 
• Quality Hotel & Suites Central Cincinnati Hotel, 4747 Montgomery Rd, ☎ [phone], fax: [phone] miles from downtown Cincinnati. Offers 148 rooms and suites. 
• 🌍 Bunkhaus (hostel), 1424 Main St (Over the Rhine). This is probably the cheapest place in Cincinnati to stay that's close to downtown. This is a very basic hostel shared-room setup, but generally has received good reviews from the people who stay there. $25 per bunk. 
• 🌍 Ramada Inn Downtown, 800 West 8th St (West of Downtown on 8th). Cheapest traditional hotel to stay next to downtown. 

Mid-range

Where did you sleep last night? When you make a reservation at the "Embassy Suites Cincinnati", take a closer look at the address – it's actually in Covington, across the river in Kentucky. Many Covington hotels shamelessly play up their proximity to their more famous neighbor. From Covington, it's a short drive, walk or bus ride (Southbank Shuttle) across the bridge to get back to downtown Cincinnati, so it's not an inconvenient option.

• 🌍 Best Western Clermont, 4004 Williams Dr, ☎ [phone], toll-free: 1800-9378376, e-mail: [e-mail]. Check-in: 3PM, check-out: 11AM. Amenities include a seasonal outdoor pool, complimentary breakfast, exercise facilities, free WiFi, and rooms have a microwave and refrigerator. $90-250. (updated Aug 2017)
• 🌍 Garfield Suites Hotel, 2 Garfield Pl (Downtown near Fountain Square), ☎ [phone], fax: [phone], e-mail: [e-mail]. All-suites hotel features large rooms with full kitchens, many with balconies offering a great view of the city. $99-150 per night. 
• Millennium Hotel Cincinnati, 141 West Sixth St (Downtown, Entrance on Fifth Street), ☎ [phone], fax: [phone], e-mail: [e-mail]. Check-in: noon. A large hotel 3 blocks west of Fountain Square and three blocks north of Paul Brown Stadium and the Great American Ball Park. $99 - 179. 
• Holiday Inn Express Cincinnati West, 5505 Rybolt Rd, ☎ [phone], fax: [phone], e-mail: [e-mail]. Near downtown Cincinnati and the airport offers affordable vacation packages and amenities including meeting space and free breakfast. 
• 🌍 Residence Inn Cincinnati Downtown, 506 E 4th St (Downtown, Across from Lytle Park). Very highly rated hotel in a historic apartment building. $150-200. 

Splurge

The Cincinnatian Hotel.

• 🌍 Cincinnatian Hotel, 601 Vine St (Downtown), ☎ [phone]. In downtown Cincinnati near Fountain Square and within walking distance of the convention center and the major businesses in the city. Single: $165, suites: $254-1,500. 
• 🌍 Hilton Netherland Plaza, 35 West Fifth St (Downtown, Inside Carew Tower), ☎ [phone]. The former Netherland Plaza Hotel, a favorite of Bing Crosby and many other celebrities who frequented Cincinnati during its golden age of WLW radio. Hilton's historic luxury hotel in Cincinnati is the inside of historic Carew Tower Complex in the heart of Cincinnati (Fourth and Vine Streets). The Carew Tower is the 2nd tallest building in Downtown Cincinnati, and an Art Deco architectural landmark. 
• 🌍 Hyatt Regency, 151 West Fifth St (Downtown, One block west of Fountain Square), ☎ [phone], fax: [phone]. Central hotel with a sports bar and hosts Jazz concerts on Fridays during the summer. The hotel is circular shaped, which, depending on your luck may give you a view of a parking lot, another hotel, or Carew Tower and the Fifth Third Building. 
• 🌍 Westin Cincinnati, 21 E. 5th St (Downtown, across from Fountain Square and adjacent to Carew Tower), ☎ [phone], fax: [phone]. The Westin is across the street from Fountain Square and is connect to Carew Tower via the skywalk. The hotel offers a great view of adjacent Fountain Square. All rooms are non-smoking. $255-300. 
• 🌍 21C Museum Hotel Cincinnati, 609 Walnut St (Downtown, Restaurant Row by the CAC), ☎ [phone], fax: [phone], e-mail: [e-mail]. Remodel of the old Metropole hotel, this is a high end boutique with a free art museum and high end restaurant (the Metropole) attached. Even the rooms here are a work of art, highly recommended for special occasions. 
• 🌍 Symphony Hotel, 210 W 14th St (Over the Rhine, NW of Washington Park). This bed and breakfast has a music theme to match music hall nearby (and Cincinnati's rich musical tradition). It's a bit on the edge of current revitalization efforts, so be cautious, but the location is perfect for a nice evening at Music Hall or whatever event is going on at Washington Park. Due to increased interest in the area, it has expanded. 
• 🌍 Hampton Inn Cincinnati Uptown, 3024 Vine St (Corryville, Vine and Martin Luther King), ☎ [phone]. Hampton Inn which is next to the university and a number of hospitals. Good option if you don't want to go downtown. $130-200. 

Stay safe

Cincinnati is a safe city to visit, however care should be taken when visiting certain neighborhoods. Some perceive downtown as unsafe, but according to a 2011 article by the Cincinnati Enquirer, Downtown is "as safe as the suburbs.... The most common crime [downtown] is theft, which includes shoplifting but not muggings, and the most likely crime you'll suffer is having your car broken into." Therefore, it's safer to park your car in a monitored lot than on the street. As always, be sure to take proactive steps to ensure your safety regardless of where you are by using common sense. There are a fair number of Panhandlers, most aren't harmful, use common sense and firmly say no if approached.

The safest neighborhood near downtown is Mount Adams, which statistically experiences almost no serious crime. Some neighborhoods you should use care in, particularly at night, include Avondale, Walnut Hills (though East Walnut hills is fine), The West End, and parts of Over-the-Rhine.

Over-the-Rhine is becoming a popular destination for locals and tourists alike, but it is still in a transition phase. As of 2015, the safest part of Over-the-Rhine is on Vine Street from Central Parkway to just north of 14th Street at the Cincinnati Color Company building (large sign) and Main Street up to Liberty as well as the area immediately surrounding and including Washington Park (which is monitored security cameras) as far north as Taft's Ale House, and Walnut Street up to 14th street just past the 16 bit bar. These areas is well lit at night, and have constant police presence. Use caution wandering off by yourself in Over-the-Rhine at night as the neighborhood is inconsistent in its makeup. A good rule of thumb for OTR is to stay on the major streets (Vine and Main) and stay south of Liberty. Travel in a group if possible, or call/hail a cab.

Connect

Main Library

• 🌍 Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County, 800 Vine St (Downtown, in the vicinity of Aronoff Center), ☎ [phone]. M-W 9AM-9PM, Th-Sa 9AM-6PM, Su 1-5PM. Visitors should visit the information desk on the ground floor. Ask a librarian to give you access to the Internet. Access is usually for an hour, but can be extended. Due to a long-standing trust fund of sorts and the city's rich history, this is one of the better libraries in the United States having some of the countries highest circulation rates. Free.  
• U.S. Post Office, Main Office, 1623 Dalton Ave (Queensgate), toll-free: [phone]. M-F 7:30AM-9PM, Sa 7:30AM-6PM. Package and shipping price varies. 
• U.S. Post Office, Downtown Office, 525 Vine St. (2nd floor) (CBD), toll-free: [phone]. M-F 8AM-5PM. 

Wi-Fi

• Cincinnati Bell offers over 300 Wi-Fi spots throughout Cincinnati. Rates are $4.95 an hour or $9.95 for 24 hours payable with credit card. Free for Cincinnati Bell Fuse/Zoomtown customers.
• The Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County offers free Wi-Fi at the Main library downtown, and at all the branches.
• Lily Pad is a 100% volunteer-driven free Wi-Fi service throughout Cincinnati, available in most public, business, and common areas, including on many Cincinnati metro buses.

Cope

Banks

• Fifth Third, 429-433 Vine St (Lobby of Carew Tower, Across the street from garage of Westin Hotel), ☎ [phone]. M-F 8:30AM-5PM. 
• PNC, 632 Vine St (Downtown, On the corner of 7th and Vine St), ☎ [phone]. 
• PNC, 3 W Fourth St (4th St and Vine St), ☎ [phone]. M-F 9AM-5PM, closed Sa Su. 
• Key Bank, 580 Walnut St (Downtown 6th and Walnut), ☎ [phone]. 

Hospitals

• University Hospital, 234 Goodman St (Avondale), ☎ [phone]. 
• 🌍 Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, 3333 Burnet Ave (Avondale), ☎ [phone].  

Religious services

• 🌍 Holy Cross-Immaculata Catholic Church, 30 Guido St (Mount Adams), ☎ [phone]. Roman Catholic treasure. Known as the "Church on the Hill". On Good Friday, many Cincinnatians "climb the steps of Mt. Adams", praying on each step.  
• Holy Trinity-St Nicholas Greek Church, 7000 Winton Rd, ☎ [phone]. Holy Trinity-St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church is the oldest parish on record in Ohio. 
• 🌍 Plum Street/Wise Temple, 726 Plum St (Downtown). According to the Temple's website, the Reform movement of Judaism was organized here 160 years ago.  
• St. Louis Church, E Eighth St (Downtown). Roman Catholic church on eastern Downtown. The Chancery offices are here, as is the Archdiocese of Cincinnati's Catholic Schools Office. 
• 🌍 St. Francis Xavier Church, Sycamore St (on Eastern Downtown between Sixth and Seventh Sts). Roman Catholic Jesuit Church.  
• 🌍 St. Francis DeSales Church, 1600 Madison Rd (East Walnut Hills, DeSales Corner on Madison Road), ☎ [phone]. Roman Catholic services.  
• The Islamic Center of Greater Cincinnati, 8092 Plantation Dr, West Chester, ☎ [phone]. Muslim services. 
• Clifton Mosque, 3668 Clifton Ave (Clifton- just north of downtown), ☎ [phone]. Muslim services. 
• Crossroads Community Church, 3500 Madison Rd (Oakley), ☎ [phone]. Large non-denominational church known for massive charitable campaigns and elaborate celebrations. 

Consulates

• Belgium (Honorary), 312 Walnut St Ste 1400, ☎ [phone], fax: [phone], e-mail: [e-mail]. (updated Jun 2017)
• Germany (Honorary), fax: +1. 

Go next

Cincinnati is part of a very fractured metro region with many old small towns and suburbs, some of the more notable ones include:

• Cheviot, Ohio. Tiny city close to Cincinnati, popular destination for bar-goers.
• Cleves, Ohio. Small village close to Cincinnati. Home of Harrison's Tomb historical site and also host to the annual Gravelrama event.
• Covington (Kentucky). Just south of Cincinnati across the river, home to good restaurants and Devou Park, which provides one of the best views of Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky. Mainstrasse Village is a popular destination for bar-goers.
• Florence (Kentucky). Just south of I-275 in Northren Kentucky. Famous for the Florence Y'All water tower.
• Lebanon (Ohio). North of Cincinnati in Warren County (Ohio). Home of the Golden Lamb which is historical and famous for hosting many US presidents including George Washington.
• Mason (Ohio). North of Cincinnati in Warren County (Ohio). Home of several amusement parks including Kings Island.
• Milford-Miami Township. An average town with plenty of outdoor activities and parks.
• Mariemont. East, at the end of Columbia Parkway (US 50). Beautiful 1920s planned community featuring lovely Tudor architecture, a pleasant public square and an old movie theater.
• Newport (Kentucky). Just south of Cincinnati across the river, locally famous because it was home to local Italian mobsters and was known as a sin city at one point. Now its more family friendly featuring Newport Aquarium and Newport on the Levee as popular regional destinations.
• Norwood (Ohio). A former industrial urban suburb and center of Appalachian culture. This town which is surrounded on all sides by Cincinnati, is increasingly gentrifying due to its central location.
• Oxford (Ohio). Home to Miami University, called "the prettiest campus ever there was" by Robert Frost.
• Rising Sun, Indiana. 30 mins west in Indiana by the Ohio river. Regional center for casino gambling, home of the Grand Victoria Casino.
• St. Bernard. Surrounded by Cincinnati near I-75. Old industrial suburb that is home to Ivorydale which is one of Procter & Gamble's original factories.

Cincinnati is centrally located in reference to other interesting Midwestern or Southern cities and attractions. The following are accessible as day trips:

• Chicago. The largest city in the Midwest is a little over a four-hour drive from Cincinnati via Interstates 74 and 65. Flights to Chicago are also available from $100-200 and take just under an hour.
• Cleveland. The Rock and Roll city is in northern Ohio and is about a four-hour drive from Cincinnati. Flights to Cleveland are also available from $200-300 and take just under an hour.
• Columbus. Ohio's capital and largest city is a 1½ hour drive from Cincinnati.
• Creation Museum, near Hebron, Kentucky - A unique and interesting attraction, whether you believe it or not.
• Ark Encounter, Williamstown, Kentucky billed as a life-size replica of Noah's Ark.
  • The organization also sells two-day tickets to Ark Encounter, a combo package that includes a one-day Ark Encounter ticket and a two-day Creation Museum ticket, and a 7-day pass with unlimited entry to both attractions. See the website of either attraction for details.
• Daniel Boone National Forest. The Daniel Boone National Forest is home to the Red River Gorge Geological Area—over 80 natural arches, historical sites, and miles and miles of trails made for cross-country backpacking or just day hikes. Eastern Kentucky past the city of Winchester.
• Dayton. 45 min north on I-75. Home of the Wright Brothers, The Dayton Art Institute, The National Museum of the United States Air Force, and The Boonshoft Museum of Discovery.
• Indianapolis. Home of the Indianapolis 500 and Brickyard 400 automobile races. A two-hour drive from Cincinnati via Interstate 74.
• Kentucky Speedway. A new racing speedway in Sparta Kentucky, home to major motor races.
• Lexington, Kentucky. Lexington is Kentucky's beautiful college town. It's home to the University of Kentucky and the top ranked Wildcats, and is generally acknowledged as the Thoroughbred racehorse capital of the world, with many famous horse farms nearby. Lexington is a 1½-hour drive south on Interstate 75.
• Louisville. Home of the Kentucky Derby, the world's most famous horse race. A 1½-hour drive southwest on Interstate 71.
• Mammoth Cave National Park. The world's largest cave system, in Kentucky. About three hours southwest, via Interstates 71 and 65.
• Perfect North Slopes. Winter ski resort in nearby Lawrenceburg, IN. 1/2 hour from Cincinnati.
• Serpent Mound. The largest effigy of a serpent in North America (¼ mile long). The park is dated to belong to the Fort Ancient era. The mound apparently represents an uncoiling serpent eating an egg. It's believed that the head of the serpent is aligned with the summer solstice sunset and the coiled tail is pointed toward the winter solstice sunrise and the equinox sunrise. 3850 State Route 73 in Peebles, Ohio.

Routes through Cincinnati

Chicago ← Indianapolis ←	W  E	→ Maysville → Charleston
Columbus ← Blue Ash/Montgomery ←	N  S	→ Covington → Louisville
Indianapolis ← Harrison ←	W  E	→ END
Dayton ← Sharonville ←	N  S	→ Covington → Lexington
Richmond ← Oxford ← Northgate ←	N  S	→ Newport → Lexington
Vincennes ← Seymour ←	W  E	→ Milford → Chillicothe
Indianapolis ← Harrison ←	W  E	→ Jct N S → Portsmouth → Huntington
Van Wert ← Fairfield ←	N  S	→ Covington → Frankfort