Cincinnati

Newspapers and magazines

Cincinnati Enquirer

(http://www.enquirer.com/). Morning daily newspaper, including a Sunday edition. Features Pulitzer Prize-winning editorial cartoonist Jim Borgman (http://borgman.enquirer.com/). Located downtown.

City Beat

(http://www.citybeat.com). 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.

Understand

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 consul Cincinnatus 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 off of beer gardens, beer brewing, dance and music halls giving Cincinnati a very distinct and vibrant local culture. Unfortunately very little remains from this era due to the double whammy of World War I anti-German backlash and prohibition combined with massive depopulation of the city's core in the mid 20th Century. 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 Bockfest, Mayfest, and Oktoberfest.

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 every four years, 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.

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, Chiquita, Kroger, Federated Department Stores, 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.

Recently, Cincinnati has seen 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 phase of the Banks neighborhood which will eventually include, a hotel, shopping, houses and entertainment and the beginnings of restoration of Over-The-Rhine through the "Gateway Quarter". This has given the central areas of Cincinnati a vitality that hadn't been around for decades, though it is still very much a work in progress with other projects like a Streetcar line connecting Downtown to the University on the horizon.

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.

Blogs & news websites

Soapbox Cincinnati

(http://www.soapboxmedia.com). 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

(http://www.urbancincy.com). 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 infromation regarding local events too.

Climate

Climate	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Daily highs °F	38	44	55	65	69	82	86	85	78	66	54	43
Nightly lows °F	21	26	34	54	51	62	66	64	57	45	36	26
Precipitation in	11	5	4	3	4	4	4	4	3	3	5	7

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 30's F and during the summer reaches the upper 70's F to mid-90's 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.

Orientation

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

Avondale

is a primarily residential urban neighborhood near the center of the city, notable for the presence of the Cincinnati Zoo.

Hyde Park

is an upscale, largely white and upper class residential neighborhood. At the heart of the neighborhood is Hyde Park Square, a tree-lined esplanade of boutique shops, such as Morrison & Me, Knickers XY, 45/46 XY Inspired, and Knickers of Hyde Park, and restaurants, including Indigo, Teller's, Cock & Bull Pub and Graeter's Ice Cream.

Mt. Adams

is a trendy, upscale neighborhood located 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 located 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, as well as 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 a number of restaurants specializing both 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, and finally, one of Cincinnati's most historic and popular gay dive bars, the Golden Lions, which features dancing on Tuesday nights.

Mt. Washington

is an up and coming economically diverse neighborhood located on Cincinnati's east side. The neighborhood contains a variety of shopping options along its Water Tower business district, ranging from thrift shops to upscale women's boutiques Magnolia Clothing Boutique originated in Mt. Washington. The neighborhood is known for its variety of homes, ranging from large estates along Salem Avenue and Wayside Avenue to affordable apartments. Architecturally the neighborhood is home to several notable buildings, including the Mt. St. Mary's Seminary, Mt. Washington Presbyterian Church, and Guardian Angel Church.

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 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. Care should be taken when visiting this neighborhood as crime is more frequent here than in other areas of the city. The safer areas of OTR are just north of Central Parkway on Vine and Main Streets. North of Liberty Street the area is sketchier and less developed. For the past thirty years 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.