City of Cincinnati

I do occasionally spend a weekend in Cincinnati just for fun. Lots to do and lots to see. This city has some great restaurants to offer, and those who know me know that this is an important point for me. You gotta get goetta. Try some of the chili, every which way. My prefered way is 5-way extra saucy. Check out a brewery, there are a plenty.The riverfront with all it's parks and bridges and statues is a wonderful place to hang out, especially when the weather cooperates. I also enjoy the Over-The-Rhine area with it's many small local restaurants and the murals. Cincinnati has some fantastic murals and loads of them. Most of them several stories high. I love that. Museums galore. I love their art museums and also the Museum center, where you have a multitude of museums all in one building. Don't forget the Zoo for some family fun. World famous Hippo Fiona and brother Fritz are fun to watch. Enjoy a train ride or the carousel. My favorite here are the manatees: Nolia, Amethyst and Waffles. Don't ask me who came up with those names. If you are up for it there is a Donut trail that will take you through the suburbs and will reward you with a t-shirt once you visit all of the donut shops. So get your donut trail passport on line.And let's not forget to stop by Jungle Jim's... especially if you are into international foods. And if all that isn't enough for you, hop across the river for the aquarium or a riverboat cruise.

We made the trip to Cincinnati to see one of our favorite bands, Pixies. Didn't realize we would enjoy Cincinnati so much. Total Midwest charm! I think the nicest people in America may live in Cincinnati. The city was incredibly walkable. When we travel, we walk everywhere. We walked from our hotel in Covington, KY to downtown Cincinnati in about 45 minutes, crossing the beautiful Ohio River. Speaking of the river, the riverfront area of Cincinnati was spectacular! We spent most of the day here before our concert Thursday night. We had a blast hanging out at a couple of amazing parks just outside the Cincinnati Red's stadium, Great America Field. The rest of the time we spent walking around Main Street in downtown Cincinnati. Great bars, by the way. There is also a great bus/trolley system that runs within Cincinnati and takes you back to Covington, KY, for only 1.00. We used it to go back to our hotel that afternoon, then to and from our concert that evening. WAY TO GO CINCINNATI! We are actually looking for more bands to see here so we can spend more time in this wonderful city.

Review 500 is worthy of a special place and in the year of 2020, what's more important than City Hall? What goes on inside these walls are a whole other review, most likely not deserving of five stars. Don't let the inside fool what goes on outside. I had the pleasure of viewing the current Black Lives Matter mural and it is really inspiring. Groups of African American artists claimed a letter each through artistic submissions. By chance, I met the artist Adoria Maxberry who designed and painted the letter M. Cincinnati is lucky to have folks like Adoria and others who wish to make Cincinnati a better place. We are always evolving and it was inspiring to see the many folks outside of City Hall's walls.As for CH itself, the architecture is gorgeous. It doesn't look like a government building on the outside. It brings pride that Cincinnati was once a booming historical city, well ahead of it's time (note I am speaking in past tense here). Friendly reminder to stay involved, meet the passionate people in our own city and maybe give yourself a run for council some day.

If you guys are familiar with Wayne's World, you'll remember the scene where they flatly say, "Delaware. Hi, I'm in Delaware." One might think Cincinnati is the same way, but it isn't. Cincinnati is a vibrant city full of art and history museums, brilliant street art, and impressive Art Deco buildings. Things I've enjoyed during my time in Cincinnati (I've written or am preparing to write separate reviews for each of these)--Cincinnati Zoo, which is the best zoo I've been to, and consistently ranks top zoo or top couple zoos in the nation. They also have the famous Fiona the hippo.--Cincinnati Museum Center, a classic Art Deco train depot housing a history museum, a natural history museum, a children's museum, and more. Their lobby is gorgeous!--The Freedom Center (National Underground Railroad Museum), focusing on the enslaved and ending slavery as well as other social justice issues --The American Sign Museum, which is bursting with history and photo ops of neon signs and other historical signage, with a neon shop on site they restores and makes new signs--Beautiful riverfront Park that boasts the Roebling suspension bridge, the sister bridge designed by the same engineer/architect of the Brooklyn Bridge.--TONS of murals and street art all over the city --There is a contemporary art museum I am seeing next week.--There is a traditional art museum I am also seeing next week.This city is not without its troubles. Some neighborhoods are better than others. Just be aware of your surroundings. I did more driving than walking here because of some perceived or experienced issues (cat calling, harassment), but that's only certain areas. Downtown and the riverfront seem pretty walkable.It's no Chicago or NYC, but it's a solid midwestern town with a lot of offer, and it's definitely a great place to spend a long weekend.

I would like to begin by saying that I am not a local but I do attend college in the city. At first I was not in love with the city. I found it very different from where I grew up and I just would stay on my college campus. Then COVID hit. I was working on campus and continued to work since my job was mostly independent in a research lab.In my free time I would explore the city, go to its countless parks and see all that it had to offer. From then on I have continued to explore the city and find new and interesting things that the city has to offer. From the countless amount of parks it has to the many festivals including pride, goetta feet and Oktoberfest. From the Pendleton art building to the professional sports, music hall, to the museum building to the art museum there is always something going on and something to do. The city has its rough parts like all cities but overall the Cincinnati area is upcoming and popular.There are countless breweries, bars, boutiques, stores, parks, and much more in Cincinnati. There is so much to experience in the city.

For those of you who don't know her - let me introduce you.Welcome to Cincinnati: Porkopolis, The Queen City, and in the 1800's we were coined the "Paris of America." Cincinnati is a city where pigs fly and locals believe anything is possible. We are home to eight fortune 500 companies, and one of the most vibrant start-up scenes in the country. We're also home to the largest intact historic district and collection of Italianate architecture in the United States. The city has been dubbed one of the most walkable, and also napped the top spot in the U.S. for our public park system and regional airport. We are a city that prides itself on art, history, beer and culture (although not necessarily in that order). Rambling off the quantitative list of Cincinnati accolades could go on for days. A brief summary can be found here: https://www.cincyusa.com/media/awards/But now, I'm going to share with you why I call Cincinnati #home. Growing up in Cincinnati it seemed to be the cool thing to say, "I can't wait to get out of this town." And honestly I didn't know where I stood on the argument. "What is wrong with Cincinnati?" I would say. And my well traveled friends would tell me stories from other bigger, shinier cities where dreams came true. I decided to stay. I attended college here, worked my ass off, and eventually landed the career of a lifetime at the age of 22. I was the youngest person to be hired for my position at yelp at the time. I went through seven interviews to prove my love for Cincinnati and why I should be the one to lead the charge. It was that scrappy Cincinnati defender in me back in 2012 that convinced the powers that be that Cincinnati was going to be something special, and I wanted the chance to be apart of that. Since then, I have thrown close to 500+ events, written 1,000 reviews, 300+ newsletters, connected thousands of locals to great local businesses, co-hosted a local radio show about local happenings every Friday for 5 years and it has truly been the experience of a lifetime. In a nutshell, I have spent my career convincing people how f*ucking awesome Cincinnati is.But to quote the famous Carrie Bradshaw "I couldn't help but wonder...is there something out there that I am missing?" And why are people still shitting on Cincinnati?After receiving a promotion, and more help from my team my schedule eased up and I set out on a mission to find the answer to that question that had been bothering me for years. In the past two years I have visited over 100+ new cities. Last year alone I visited 41 outside of Cincinnati.I am curious, I always have been. Curious about how the world works. About food. About traditions. About why people do the things they do. I am fortunate enough now to have the means to live just about anywhere I want. And I am here to tell you after an exhausting amount of experiences outside of this city I finally feel confident enough to answer my own question with conviction.To those people back then and now I would say: I don't have to live in Cincinnati. I CHOOSE to live here. And I will choose to live here over and over and over again. That's not to say that those other cities weren't great. I am a firm believer that every city has something unique to offer - you just have to look. And for years that has been the problem. Cincinnati has been underestimated, overlooked, and under appreciated. But as a local, and a professional working in this industry, I know now more than ever - that is what makes this. city. so f*cking great. Being underestimated is where we feel comfortable and frankly, where we THRIVE.We have come a long way, and we still have a long road ahead. But I have found in my experience - that in this city, if you can dream it, you can do it. Regardless of what it is. Do you want a new playground for your community? Do you want a clean up effort in your neighborhood? Do you want to quit your corporate job to become a baker? This. city. is. ALIVE. It is alive with movers, with shakers, with makers and dreamers. It is full of little boys and girls just like me and you who said, "Wait, what is wrong with living in Cincinnati?" We have made this city our home. We have believed in it which such blind ambition that we are not looking at what other cities are doing, they are looking at us. We have come together to keep our (sometimes quirky) traditions alive, and have preserved what matters. We HELP one another. I cannot tell you how many stories I have where a chef has been in a bind and a competitor across the street came to help - no questions asked. We've brought great chefs, entrepreneurs, and businesses here and made them believers. We've woven them into the fabric of our community and made them champions for our cause.Cincinnati is not just a city you are born into, it is a city that you *choose* to call #home.

So many reasons to be a proud Cincinnati-an. She's full of color, life, food, community, and pride. The downtown has exploded in the last few years and is now a bustling nightlife and weekend hot spot. You can't trip in this city without falling on a brewery. We've got the Flying Pig, The Queen Bee, BLINK, more theatres than you can shake a stick at. Need a fancy marshmallow? Got it. Need your ice cream with a little al-kee-hol? We've got it. Wanna eat a turtle (burrito)?Yep, we've got that too.Every weekend boasts something to see, do, experience, or engage. Plus, we've got Aftab. Does your city have Aftab? Nope. But don't worry, we also have plenty of AirBnB options, so you can come visit him.

My work has taken me to places but if there was one city I would always love to come back - it would be Cincinnati. I had been here for just about a year but it gave a shipload of memories that I would always cherish. It's very difficult to be so attached to a city in such a short time but then, this is Cincinnati. Nothing like any other city in the US - the city has its own culture which is often reflected in the food festivals, local microbreweries, sporting events, wall paintings, the German architecture and more. There are some names which became an integral part of my life in Cincinnati - Kroger, Greater's, Busken Bakery, OTR, Levee, Findlay Market, Southbank and so much more. My personal favorite place is People Purple Bridge. I've lost the count of the number of walks I and my wife have taken on the bridge. The beautiful view on both the sides of the bridge, the calm Ohio river, and if it is a Wednesday evening in summers, you can also enjoy "Party on the Purple". And if it is a Labor Day, brace yourself to witness a splendid display of fireworks amid the horn battle between Kentucky and Ohio boats. It is good enough to make you forget the tensions of life, enjoy what's in front of you and just live every moment you spend there. Dare I do not forget to mention that it probably has one of the best skylines in the US? And staying in Newport gave the best view. As someone mentioned already mentioned that the city is home to about 8 fortune 500 companies and many other small businesses, one can definitely find a great combination of a growing professional career and the peace of mind outside work. So, if you land at the right job, you pretty much enjoy the perks of a Tier 1 city without being in one. The downtown is buzzing but still had enough space for you to drive peacefully and walk. One of my seniors at work told some of the newcomers to the US that Cincinnati is your best shot if you want to learn/practice driving in the US downtowns - I definitely concur with that.Being a foodie, I was impressed with the food scene here. Although it still needs to get some good vegan places here (I found Louisville much better in that aspect) but otherwise, Taste of Cincinnati, Cinci-Cinco, Asian Food Festival, Cincinnati Coffee Festival and much more keeps the food scene vibrant as ever. Many amazing restaurants and cafes have opened (and reopened) off late on both sides of the river. One doesn't need to go far when you have Nada, Cold Stone Creamery, Bruegger's Bagels, Carabello, Amol India, Coffee Emporium, Otto's, Mac's Pizza within few miles. Another thing I cannot forget is the wall paintings which is a great way of building a vibrant city, expressing itself out in open and making it colorful and interesting at the same time. It was my first encounter with wall paintings to that degree and I absolutely loved it. A city can't express its culture without its artists. And it just adds further to see the reason why Cincinnati is #8 in the New York Times 52 Places to Go in 2018. I am deliberately concluding here because otherwise, I can go on and on and it will become more of an essay (or probably it already is). I am missing so many things to write about Cincinnati but I guess you get an idea. God Bless Cincinnati!!

On this #ThankYouThursday, I write a love letter to the Queen City. My love for the city comes not from perfection, it's not perfect, but for the people who make it better every day. My love is for the business owners who, even in a pandemic, strive to share their passion with our community. My love is for the artists who paint the larger than life murals on our buildings, paying homage to our city's culture and character. My love is for that first view of the city as you reach the cut in the hill coming from Northern Kentucky. My love is to all Cincinnatians who celebrate and support the artisans, business owners, and public servants who keep our city a beautiful place to live. We have a beautiful skyline, but when I think of the Queen City, I think of people rather than buildings... Our city's limits truly are "carved in hearts, not stone." Thank you, Cincinnati... for providing a space for so many to share their passions with others. I am proud to call you home.

We made the trip to Cincinnati to see one of our favorite bands, Pixies. Didn't realize we would enjoy Cincinnati so much. Total Midwest charm! I think the nicest people in America may live in Cincinnati. The city was incredibly walkable. When we travel, we walk everywhere. We walked from our hotel in Covington, KY to downtown Cincinnati in about 45 minutes, crossing the beautiful Ohio River. Speaking of the river, the riverfront area of Cincinnati was spectacular! We spent most of the day here before our concert Thursday night. We had a blast hanging out at a couple of amazing parks just outside the Cincinnati Red's stadium, Great America Field. The rest of the time we spent walking around Main Street in downtown Cincinnati. Great bars, by the way. There is also a great bus/trolley system that runs within Cincinnati and takes you back to Covington, KY, for only 1.00. We used it to go back to our hotel that afternoon, then to and from our concert that evening. WAY TO GO CINCINNATI! We are actually looking for more bands to see here so we can spend more time in this wonderful city.