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Cincinnati, OH Information
Welcome > Local Info > Cincinnati Information ...

CINCINNATI 

Cincinnati, Ohio, known as "The Queen City" and located on the Ohio River in the southwest corner of Ohio, is a unique city combining a tradition rich history with cultural celebrations and a friendly population to form an incredibly livable metropolitan area.

She is a vibrant city with a strong business presence and is home to an impressive ten Fortune 500 companies. The economy is also strong in innovation and a great place for entrepreneurs. In fact, Fortune Magazine recently rated Cincinnati as the seventh best city in which to "Live and Work in America," while Forbes Magazine called Cincinnati "one of the best places in American for businesses and careers."

A melting pot of great cultures, celebrations such as Oktoberfest (the second largest in the world behind sister city Munich), the Jazz Festival, and the annual Taste of Cincinnati, allow Cincinnatians to explore different aspects of its city’s identity while providing incredible entertainment to its residents. The Cincinnati Reds, America’s first professional baseball team, and the Cincinnati Bengals professional football team, represent an extreme source of pride for the city in their respective professional leagues. Cincinnati is also home to the Museum of Natural History, Playhouse in the Park and the world renowned Cincinnati Zoo which brightens every December holiday with its "Festival of Lights." Another wonderful celebration held on the banks of the Ohio River is the gathering of boats called "Tall Stacks." Onlookers come from many states to take in this event which showcases the great vessels of the steamboat era and their connection with the historic ports of Cincinnati.

Coupled with a strong economy and rich traditions, Cincinnati’s interesting mixture of East Coast, Southern, and Midwestern personalities leads to a unique charm beautifully captured in many of its incredible neighborhoods, spread over its Seven Hills. Whether you´re looking for a house in which to start a family, a home you can grow into, or even a condo to get started with, Cincinnati offers each. Below, I offer my thoughts on many of the lovely neighborhoods in the Greater Cincinnati area.

We can thank our many German immigrants for their old world craftsmanship exhibited by many family-owned local building companies that have been producing well-crafted homes here for many generations.

Trendy areas like Hyde Park and Mt. Lookout offer shops, restaurants and The Rookwood Commons. You can have a famous Graeter´s Ice Cream while perusing Hyde Park Square. Grand old mansions share space with multi-family rentals and you’ll find new condominiums and condo conversions in these areas. Several parks are a short drive away, including Ault Park for those who prefer walking, jogging or bike trails.

Recently, new condo developments in the downtown area have granted options of urban loft living and beautiful river views from both sides of the Ohio River. You can walk to work downtown and enjoy the cultural and sports events without even needing to own a car!

To the east, Cherry Grove and Anderson Township have become more popular as the newer highways of I-471 and I-275 have replaced Columbia Parkway as the only artery to downtown. Here, Cape Cod starter homes, brick ranches and larger family sized homes in pool communities are all available.

Westside neighborhoods like Westwood and Western Hills offer everything from affordable starter homes to big old rambling mansions formerly owned by founders of the venerable Proctor & Gamble Co. Price Hill offers views of downtown and the Ohio River from its hillside condos.

Clifton is home to the University of Cincinnati and is also called "Pill Hill" because of the abundance of hospitals in the vicinity. Lovely old Tudor homes mix in with student apartments in these gaslit neighborhoods that spill over into the spacious mansions of East Walnut Hills.

Yes, there is much to offer in this sprawling metropolis. Rich in history, yet working hard to stay on the forefront of technological advances, Cincinnati is wealthy in its people too. Cincinnatians are long known for their respect for the hard working blue collar citizen and the rich traditions carried on from generation to generation. Be a part of it all by making your home in the Queen City.
 

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia



Location in Hamilton County, Ohio, USA

Cincinnati is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Hamilton County.GR6 The municipality is located in southwestern Ohio and is situated on the Ohio River at the Ohio-Kentucky border. With a 2006 population of 332,252, Cincinnati is Ohio's third largest city, behind Columbus and Cleveland, and the 56th largest city in the United States. The much larger metropolitan area, commonly called "Greater Cincinnati," which has over 2 million is the second largest metropolitan region in Ohio (20th in the country ) just behind Cleveland. Residents of Cincinnati are also called Cincinnatians.

It is considered to have been the first major American boomtown rapidly expanding in the heart of the country in the early nineteenth century to rival the larger coastal cities in size and wealth. As the first major inland city in the country, it is sometimes thought of as the first purely American city, lacking the heavy European influence that was present on the east coast. However, by the end of the century, Cincinnati's growth had slowed considerably, and the city was surpassed in population by many other inland cities. Many historic events and firsts are associated with the city, including the Cincinnati Reds (the first professional baseball team), the Cincinnati Masters (the oldest tennis tournament in the United States played in its original city),and the Thanksgiving day race (the oldest race in the country-- second only to the Boston marathon). Many well known stars grew up in Cincinnati, such as Nick Lachey, and Steven Spielberg. The city is also home to one of the oldest universities in the country the University of Cincinnati

Cincinnati is also known for having one of the largest collections of nineteenth-century Italianate architecture in the U.S. primarily concentrated just north of Downtown in the Over-the-Rhine neighborhood, one of the largest historic districts listed on the National Register of Historic Places

History
From steamboats to baseball, Cincinnati's history is both rich and diverse-- as shown from a section of the Great American Ballpark.
From steamboats to baseball, Cincinnati's history is both rich and diverse-- as shown from a section of the Great American Ballpark.
"With one hand he returns the fasces, symbol of power as appointed dictator of Rome. His other hand holds the plow, as he resumes the life of a citizen and farmer."--A statue of Cincinnatus in downtown Cincinnati.
"With one hand he returns the fasces, symbol of power as appointed dictator of Rome. His other hand holds the plow, as he resumes the life of a citizen and farmer."--A statue of Cincinnatus in downtown Cincinnati.

Cincinnati was founded in 1788 by John Cleves Symmes and Colonel Robert Patterson.  Surveyor John Filson (also the author of The Adventures of Colonel Daniel Boone) named it "Losantiville" from four terms, each of a different language, meaning "the city opposite the mouth of the Licking River." "Ville" is French for "city," "anti" is Greek for "opposite," "os" is Latin for "mouth," and "L" was all that was included of "Licking River."

In 1790, Arthur St. Clair, the governor of the Northwest Territory, changed the name of the settlement to "Cincinnati" in honor of the Society of the Cincinnati, of which he was a member.The society honored General George Washington, who was considered a latter day Cincinnatus -- the Roman general who saved his city, then retired from power to his farm. To this day, Cincinnati in particular, and Ohio in general, are home to a disproportionately large number of descendants of Revolutionary War soldiers who were granted lands in the state.

In 1802, Cincinnati was chartered as a village and David Ziegler (1748-1811), a Revolutionary War veteran from Heidelberg, Germany, became the first mayor. Cincinnati was incorporated as a city in 1819. The introduction of steam navigation on the Ohio River in 1811 and the completion of the Miami and Erie Canal helped the city grow to 115,000 citizens by 1850.

Construction on the Miami and Erie Canal began on July 21, 1825, when it was called the Miami Canal, a reference to the Little Miami River, which was its origin, and water was diverted into the canal bed in 1827. The canal began by connecting Cincinnati to nearby Middletown in 1827 and, by 1840, the canal had reached Toledo, changing the Miami Canal to the Miami and Erie Canal and signifying the connection between the Little Miami River and Lake Erie.

Railroads were the next major form of transportation to come to Cincinnati. In 1836, the Little Miami Railroad was chartered. Construction began soon after, with the purpose of connecting Cincinnati with the Mad River and Lake Erie Railroad, and thus the ports of the Sandusky Bay.

On April 1, 1853, Cincinnati's Fire Department became a paid department, the first full-time paid fire department in the United States, and the first in the world to use steam fire engines.

Six years later, in 1859, Cincinnati laid out six streetcar lines, making it easier for people to get around the city. By 1872, Cincinnatians could travel on the streetcar line within the city and then be transported by rail car to the hill communities. The Cincinnati Inclined Plane Company began transporting people to the top of Mount Auburn in that year.[6]

Cincinnati in 1862, a lithograph in Harper's Weekly.
Cincinnati in 1862, a lithograph in Harper's Weekly.

The Cincinnati Red Stockings, eventually known as the Cincinnati Reds, began their career in the 1800s as well. In 1868, meetings were held at the law offices of Tilden, Sherman, and Moulton to make Cincinnati¡¯s baseball team a professional one; it became the first regular professional team in the country, being organized formally in 1869.

During the American Civil War, Cincinnati played a key role as a major source of supplies and troops for the Union Army. It also served as the headquarters for much of the war for the Department of the Ohio, which was charged with the defense of the region, as well as directing the army's offensives into Kentucky and Tennessee. Due to Cincinnati's proximity to and commerce with slave states across the Ohio River, there was significant "Southern sympathy" in the Cincinnati area. This is evidenced by the history of the Copperhead movement in Ohio.In July of 1863, Cincinnati was placed under martial law due to the imminent danger posed by the Confederate Morgan's Raiders who came very close to Cincinnati but never actually attacked the city proper (although it should be noted that several outlying villages such as Cheviot, Ohio fell victim to the Morgan's threat.).

In 1879, Procter & Gamble, one of Cincinnati's major soap manufacturers, began marketing Ivory Soap. It got its appeal because of its ability to float. After a fire at their first factory, Procter & Gamble moved to a new factory on the Mill Creek and began soap production again, which eventually lead to the area being known as Ivorydale.

The Tyler Davidson Fountain was dedicated in 1871 to Cincinnati by Henry Probasco and is a symbol for the city and the region.
The Tyler Davidson Fountain was dedicated in 1871 to Cincinnati by Henry Probasco and is a symbol for the city and the region.

Cincinnati weathered the Great Depression better than most American cities of its size, largely because of a resurgence of inexpensive river trade. The rejuvenation of downtown began in the 1920s and continued into the next decade with the construction of Union Terminal, the post office, and a large Bell Telephone building. The flood of 1937 was one of the worst in the nation's history, resulting in the building of protective flood walls. After World War II, Cincinnati unveiled a master plan for urban renewal that resulted in modernization of the inner city. Riverfront Stadium and Riverfront Coliseum were completed in the 1970s, as the Cincinnati Reds baseball team emerged as one of the dominant teams of the decade. In December 1979, eleven people were killed in a mass panic prior to a rock-and-roll concert at the Coliseum by the band The Who. In 1989, the 200th anniversary of the city's founding, much attention was focused on the city's Year 2000 plan, which involved further revitalization.

The completion of several major new development projects enhance the city as it enters the early years of the new millennium. Cincinnati's beloved Bengals and Reds teams both have new, state-of-the-art homes: Paul Brown Stadium, opened in 2000; and the Great American Ball Park, opened in 2003, respectively. Two new museums have opened: the Rosenthal Center for Contemporary Art in 2003, and the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center in 2004. With many delays and political setbacks, the City of Cincinnati and Hamilton County are currently planning The Banks--a 24-hour urban neighborhood of restaurants, clubs, offices, and homes with sweeping skyline views, along the city's riverfront. Cincinnati has received such accolades as "Most Liveable City" (1993), Partners for Livable Communities, April 2004; number five U.S. arts destination, American Style Magazine, Summer 2004; was the highest rated city in Ohio for "Best Cities For Young Professionals" and 18th overall, Forbes Magazine, June 2007 and inclusion in the top ten "Cities that Rock," Esquire Magazine, April 2004.

Geography

Physical geography of Ohio, with the bluegrass region in yellow.

Cincinnati is located at 39°8′10″N, 84°30′11″W (39.136160, -84.503088).GR1

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 79.6 square miles (206.1 km²), of which, 78.0 square miles (201.9 km²) of it is land and 1.6 square miles (4.1 km²) of it (2.01%) is water.

The Cincinnati-Middletown-Wilmington Combined Statistical Area has a population of 2,113,011 people and is the 20th largest in the country. It includes the Ohio counties of Hamilton, Butler, Warren, Clermont, and Brown, as well as the Kentucky counties of Boone, Bracken, Campbell, Gallatin, Grant, Kenton, and Pendleton, and the Indiana counties of Dearborn, Franklin, and Ohio.

Climate

Cincinnati is located within a climatic transition zone; the area is at the extreme northern limit of the humid subtropical climate or at the southern end of the humid continental climate (Koppen climate classification Cfa or Dfa), depending on the criteria used. Although technically located in the Midwest, Cincinnati also is considered to be within the periphery of the Upland South. The local climate basically is a blend of the subtropics to the south and the mid-latitude area to the north. Evidence of both climatic influences can be found in Cincinnati's landscape material and fauna (see: Southern magnolia, Sweetgum, Bald cypress, Musa (genus) hardy banana, crape myrtle, needle palm and the common wall lizard). The USDA Climate Zone map assigns Cincinnati with a 6a/6b hardiness zone rating (zone one being the coldest and zone 11 being the warmest). More mild "microclimates" of a 7a/b rating may be found, particularly along the Ohio River basin. Cincinnati, which is in the Bluegrass region of the Interior Low Plateau of Ohio, generally receives less snow and has a longer growing season than much of the rest of Ohio.

The summers in Cincinnati generally are warm and humid with cool evenings. The mean annual temperature is 54 °F (12 °C), with an average annual snowfall of 16 inches (58.4 cm) and an average annual rainfall of 41 inches (1,040 mm). The wettest seasons are the spring and summer, although rainfall is fairly constant all year round. During the winter, particularly in January and February, several days of snow can be expected, allowing for winter sports, although snowfall is lighter than in most of Ohio. January temperatures range from 22 to 39 °F (-6 to 4 °C) and July temperatures range from 66 to 87 °F (19 to 30 °C). The highest recorded temperature was 103.0 °F (39.4 °C) on August 17, 1988, and the lowest recorded temperature was -25°F (-32 °C) on January 18, 1977.

Weather averages for Cincinnati
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Average high °F (°C) 38 (3) 43 (6) 54 (12) 65 (18) 74 (23) 82 (28) 87 (31) 85 (29) 78 (26) 66 (19) 54 (12) 43 (6) 65 (18)
Average low °F (°C) 21 (-6) 25 (-4) 34 (1) 43 (6) 53 (12) 63 (17) 68 (20) 69 (21) 57 (14) 45 (7) 36 (2) 26 (-3) 44 (7)
Precipitation inch (mm) 2.5 (63.5) 2.5 (63.5) 4.2 (106.7) 3.7 (94) 4.4 (111.8) 3.4 (86.4) 4.1 (104.1) 3.7 (94) 3.1 (78.7) 2.8 (71.1) 3.3 (83.8) 3.1 (78.7) 40.7 (1,033.8)

Cityscape
Main article: Cityscape of Cincinnati, Ohio

The Carew Tower is not only the tallest building in Cincinnati, but also a great example of French Art Deco.
The Carew Tower is not only the tallest building in Cincinnati, but also a great example of French Art Deco.
Cincinnati Museum Center .
Cincinnati Museum Center .

Cincinnati is unique in design as an American city, with its focus centered around Fountain Square, Cincinnati, which then is surrounded by its tallest buildings.

Cincinnati is home to numerous structures that are noteworthy due to their architectural characteristics or historic associations including the Carew Tower, the Scripps Center, the Ingalls Building, Cincinnati Museum Center at Union Terminal, and the Isaac M. Wise Temple.

The city is undergoing significant changes due to an influx of new development and private investment as well as the beginning of the often-stalled The Banks project.

A new building will soon be added to the Cincinnati skyline. Queen City Square, which will be anchored by American Financial Group and the Western and Southern Financial Group, is scheduled to be open in 2011. The building will be the tallest in Cincinnati and the third tallest in Ohio, reaching a height of 660 feet.

Government

The city is governed by a nine-member city council, whose members are elected at large. Prior to 1924, city council was elected through a system of wards. The ward system lent itself to corruption and Cincinnati was run by the Republican political machine of "Boss" Cox from the 1880s through the 1920s with a few brief interludes. A reform movement arose in 1923, led by another Republican, Murray Seasongood. Seasongood eventually founded the Charter Committee, which used ballot initiatives in 1924 to eliminate the ward system and replace it with the current at-large system and also to introduce a city manager form of government. From 1924 to 1957, the council was selected by proportional representation. Beginning in 1957, all candidates ran in a single race and the top nine vote-getters were elected (the "9-X system"). The mayor was selected by the council. In 1977 Jerry Springer, later a controversial television talk show host, was chosen to serve one year as mayor. Starting in 1987, the top vote-getter in the city council election automatically became mayor. Starting in 1999, the mayor was chosen in a separate election and the city manager received a lesser role in government; these reforms were referred to as the "strong mayor" reforms. Cincinnati politics include the participation of the Charter Party, the party with the third-longest history of winning in local elections.

Race relations

The National Underground Railroad Freedom Center 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.
The National Underground Railroad Freedom Center 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.

Before the Civil War, Cincinnati was a bordertown between states that allowed slavery such as Kentucky and those that did not, such as Ohio. Cincinnati and surrounding areas played a major role in Abolitionism. The area was a part of the Underground Railroad and was home to Harriet Beecher Stowe. Her characters in Uncle Tom's Cabin were based on escaped slaves she met in the area. Levi Coffin made the Cincinnati area the center of his anti slavery efforts in 1847. Today, The National Underground Railroad Freedom Center commemorates the era at its center located at 50 East Freedom Way.

In 2001 a series of race riots was triggered by the police shooting death of Timothy Thomas, a black teenager.

Demographics

Historical populations
Census Pop.  %±
1810 2,540
1820 9,642 279.6%
1830 24,831 157.5%
1840 46,338 86.6%
1850 115,435 149.1%
1860 161,044 39.5%
1870 216,239 34.3%
1880 255,139 18.0%
1890 296,908 16.4%
1900 325,902 9.8%
1910 363,591 11.6%
1920 401,247 10.4%
1930 451,160 12.4%
1940 455,610 1.0%
1950 503,998 10.6%
1960 502,550 -0.3%
1970 452,524 -10.0%
1980 385,457 -14.8%
1990 364,040 -5.6%
2000 331,285 -9.0%
Est. 2006 332,252 0.3%
Population 1810-1970.[20]
Population 1980-2000.[21]

As of 2006, the U.S. Census estimatesGR2 there were 332,252 people, 166,012 households, and 72,566 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,498.0/km² (3,879.8.0/sq mi) with a housing density of 2,129.2/sq mi (822.1/km²).

The racial makeup of the city was 52.97% White, 42.92% Black or African American, 0.21% Native American, 1.55% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 0.63% from other races, and 1.68% from two or more races. 1.28% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

The age distribution is 24.5% under the age of 18, 12.9% from 18 to 24, 31.6% from 25 to 44, 18.7% from 45 to 64, and 12.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females there were 89.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.6 males.

There were 148,095 households out of which 25.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 26.6% were married couples living together, 18.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 51.0% were non-families. 42.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.15 and the average family size was 3.02.

The median income for a household in the city was $29,493, and the median income for a family was $37,543. Males had a median income of $33,063 versus $26,946 for females. The per capita income for the city was $19,962. About 18.2% of families and 21.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 32.0% of those under age 18 and 14.8% of those age 65 or over.

For several decades the Census Bureau had been reporting a steady decline in the city's population. But according to a story printed in The Cincinnati Enquirer on October 30, 2006, for the first time in over half a century, the U.S. Census Bureau has reported that the City of Cincinnati has actually gained population. Based on the new 2006 estimate of 332,252, this represents an increase of over 20,000 new residents since the previously assumed population of around 308,728 in 2005. Despite the fact that this reversal was due to an official challenge by the city however, Mayor Mark Mallory has repeatedly argued that the city's population is actually at 378,259 after a drill-drown study was performed by an independent, non-profit group based in Washington, D.C. As a result, the city has served as a posterchild for census challenges within Hamilton County, the State of Ohio, and nationwide.

Economy

Procter & Gamble is one of many corporations based in Cincinnati.
Procter & Gamble is one of many corporations based in Cincinnati.
Scripps Center in downtown Cincinnati.
Scripps Center in downtown Cincinnati.

Cincinnati is home to major corporations such as Procter & Gamble, The Kroger Company, GE Aviation, Macy's, Inc. (owner of Macy's and Bloomingdale's), Convergys, Chiquita Brands International, Great American Insurance Company, Western & Southern Financial Group, The E. W. Scripps Company, the United States Playing Card Company (located in Norwood), and Fifth Third Bank. Kao Corporation's United States headquarters are in Cincinnati as well. Comparatively-speaking, 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.

See also: List of company headquarters in Cincinnati, Ohio
See also: List of foreign consulates in Cincinnati

Education

The Engineering Research Center at UC, designed by UC Alumnus Michael Graves, was designed to look like a 4-cylinder engine.
The Engineering Research Center at UC, designed by UC Alumnus Michael Graves, was designed to look like a 4-cylinder engine.
See also: List of high schools in Cincinnati, Ohio

The Cincinnati Public School district includes 16 high schools, each accepting students on a city-wide basis. The district includes many public Montessori schools, one of which, Clark Montessori, is the first public Montessori high school in the United States.The city and region is also home to a variety of other schools, both public and private. The Cincinnati area is home to many Catholic high schools, several of which are single-sex. According to the 2000 census, the Cincinnati area has some of the highest private school attendance rates in the United States, with Hamilton County ranking second only to St. Louis County, Missouri among the country's 100 largest counties. Cincinnati is also home to several colleges and universities, including:

University of Cincinnati's McMicken Hall
University of Cincinnati's McMicken Hall

Culture

Approximately 500,000 now attend Taste of Cincinnati, making Taste one of the nation's largest street festivals.
Approximately 500,000 now attend Taste of Cincinnati, making Taste one of the nation's largest street festivals.
The Contemporary Arts Center
The Contemporary Arts Center

Cincinnati is home to numerous festivals and events throughout the year. The Cincinnati Horticultural Society organizes the Cincinnati Flower Show in late April. This floral event, endorsed by the Royal Horticultural Society, is staged at Lake Como at Coney Island and is claimed to be the biggest outdoor Flower Show in the United States. To celebrate its German heritage, Cincinnati hosts the fourth largest Oktoberfest in the world (after the original Oktoberfest in Munich, Germany). During the summer the Taste of Cincinnati, the Jazz festival is held. The Tall Stacks festival is celebrated every three or four years to celebrate Cincinnati's riverboat history. The Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden and a local bank sponsor the Festival of Lights during the holiday season. Other festivals include: Taste of Cincinnati, Goetta Fest (in Newport, KY), MidPoint Music Festival and the Cincinnati Bell/WEBN Riverfest.

The city plays host to numerous musical and theater operations, boasts a large park system, and has a diverse dining culture. One of Cincinnati's most famous attractions is Fountain Square, which serves as one of the cultural cornerstones of the region.

Findlay Market, Ohio's oldest still-functioning market
Findlay Market, Ohio's oldest still-functioning market

Cincinnati is recognized for the quantity and quality of its many gourmet restaurants. Until 2005, when the restaurant closed, The Maisonette carried the distinction of being Mobil Travel Guide's longest running five-star restaurant in the country. Jean-Robert de Cavel has opened four new restaurants in the area since 2001, including Jean-Robert's at Pigall's. Cincinnati's German heritage is evidenced by the many eateries that specialize in schnitzels and hearty Bavarian cooking.

Cincinnati is famous for its unique culinary delicacies. "Cincinnati chili" is commonly served by several independent chains, such as Skyline Chili, Gold Star Chili, Empress Chili, Camp Washington Chili, and Dixie Chili and Deli. In addition, Goetta is a meat product popular in Cincinnati, usually eaten as a breakfast meat.

Findlay Market is Ohio's oldest continuously-operated public market and one of Cincinnati's most famous institutions. The market is the last remaining market among the many that once served Cincinnati.

Media and Music

Cincinnati's Tall Stacks Festival
Cincinnati's Tall Stacks Festival
Riverfest/WEBN Fireworks is one of the most famous annual fireworks shows in the nation.
Riverfest/WEBN Fireworks is one of the most famous annual fireworks shows in the nation.

Cincinnati is served by two daily newspapers, The Cincinnati Enquirer and The Cincinnati Post, though the Post is expected to publish its final edition at the end of 2007. The city is home to several alternative, weekly, and monthly publications, as well as twelve television stations and many radio stations.

Movies that were filmed in part in Cincinnati include Rain Man, Airborne, Grimm Reality, Little Man Tate, Milk Money, Batman Forever, Traffic, The Pride of Jesse Hallam, In Too Deep, Public Eye, The Last Late Night, and The Mighty. In addition, Wild Hogs is set, though not filmed, in Cincinnati.

The Cincinnati skyline was prominently featured in the opening and closing sequences of the daytime drama The Edge of Night from it's start in 1956 until 1980, when it was superseded by the Los Angeles skyline; the cityscape was the stand-in for the show's setting, Monticello. Procter & Gamble, the show's producer, is based in Cincinnati. The sitcom WKRP in Cincinnati featured the city's skyline in its credits as well.

Cincinnati gave rise to many popular bands and musicians, including The Isley Brothers, James Brown, Mood, The Afghan Whigs, Over the Rhine (which traces its roots to Cincinnati's Over-the-Rhine district), Bootsy Collins, Blessid Union of Souls, 98 Degrees, The Greenhornes, The National (band), and Heartless Bastards. In addition, many other bands and musicians call the Greater Cincinnati region their home, including Adrian Belew and Peter Frampton. It is also home to the region's only non-profit for the experimental arts, Art Damage Inc. Cincinnati was the birthplace of many actors including Doris Day, Roy Rogers and Tyrone Power.

The Cincinnati May Festival Chorus is a prestigious amateur choir that has been in existence since 1880. Music Director James Conlon leads the Chorus through an extensive repertoire of classical music. The May Festival Chorus is the mainstay of the oldest continuous choral festival in the Western Hemisphere. Cincinnati's Music Hall was built specifically to house the May Festival.

Cincinnati is home to the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, Cincinnati Opera, and Cincinnati Ballet. The Greater Cincinnati area is also home to several regional orchestras and youth orchestras, including the renowned Starling Chamber Orchestra.

Sports

A Cincinnati Reds baseball game at Great American Ball Park.
A Cincinnati Reds baseball game at Great American Ball Park.

Cincinnati is home to seven major sports venues, two major league teams, six minor league teams, and hosts five college institutions with their own sports teams. It is home to baseball's Reds, America's first professional baseball team, the Bengals of the National Football League, and the historic international men's and women's tennis tournament, The A.T.P. Masters Series Cincinnati Masters. It is also home to three professional soccer teams, the outdoor teams, the Cincinnati Kings (men's) and Cincinnati LadyHawks (women's), and the indoor team, the Cincinnati Excite (men's). Major League Lacrosse has also announced that Cincinnati is in the running for one of the two expansion teams that will start play in 2008.

Club Sport Founded League Venue
Cincinnati Reds Baseball 1860 MLB Great American Ball Park
Cincinnati Bengals Football 1968 National Football League Paul Brown Stadium
Cincinnati Cyclones Ice Hockey 1999 East Coast Hockey League U.S. Bank Arena
Cincinnati Kings Soccer 2005 USL Second Division Town and Country Sports Club
Cincinnati Jungle Kats Arena football 2006 Af2 U.S. Bank Arena
Florence Freedom baseball 1994 Frontier League Champion Window Field

Transportation

Cincinnati-Northern Kentucky International Airport (CVG) is the major airport serving the metropolitan area and is located across the river in Kentucky. The airport is the third largest hub for Delta and the largest for its subsidiary, Comair. The city has three other airports, Lunken Airport a municipal airfield used for smaller business jets and private planes a smaller airport, Cincinnati West Airport, is located in Harrison, Ohio, and lastly the Blue Ash Airport, in Blue Ash.

Government Square is Cincinnati's main Metro station.
Government Square is Cincinnati's main Metro station.
The Daniel Carter Beard Bridge is more commonly called the
The Daniel Carter Beard Bridge is more commonly called the "Big Mac" bridge because of its resemblance to McDonald's iconic arches.

Cincinnati is served by the Metro city passenger bus system, operated by the Southwest Ohio Regional Transit Authority (SORTA). The Transit Authority of Northern Kentucky (TANK) serves Northern Kentucky and operates bus links in Cincinnati at Metro's main Government Square hub. There is also rail service by Amtrak with ticket offices and boarding stations at Cincinnati Union Terminal. Of the several railroad freight services serving the city, the largest is provided by CSX Transportation which operates a railroad yard west of Interstate 75.

The city has a river ferry and many bridges. The Anderson Ferry has been in continuous operation since 1817.  Cincinnati’s major bridges include:

Cincinnati is served by three major interstate highways. Interstate 75 is a north-south route through the Mill Creek valley. Interstate 71 runs northeast towards Mount Adams and Walnut Hills. Interstate 74 begins at Interstate 75 west of downtown and connects to Indiana.

The city has an outer-belt, Interstate 275, and a spur to Kentucky, Interstate 471. It is also served by numerous U.S. highways: US 22, US 27, US 42, US 50, US 52 and US 127.

Cincinnati has an incomplete subway system. It was abandoned in 1925 before completion due to cost overruns and is now used as a conduit for fiber optic and water lines. There have been several attempts by SORTA to utilize the subways for a modern light-rail system within Hamilton County. All of these initiatives have thus far failed when placed on the ballot, with the most recent (a $2.8 billion plan) failing 2 to 1 in 2002.

There have been numerous attempts over the past decade to build commuter rail from Milford (in nearby Clermont County) to the Downtown Transit Center in Cincinnati. The most recent of these began gaining support in early July 2007. The $411 million plan currently calls for using and upgrading existing rail lines and new diesel cars called DMUs (diesel multiple units).Cincinnati is