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Downtown Cincinnati is the
central business district of
Cincinnati
Cincinnati ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located at the northern side of the confluence of the Licking and Ohio rivers, the latter of which marks the state line wit ...
,
Ohio
Ohio () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. Of the fifty U.S. states, it is the 34th-largest by area, and with a population of nearly 11.8 million, is the seventh-most populous and tenth-most densely populated. The sta ...
, as well the economic and symbiotic center of the
Cincinnati metropolitan area. It also contains a number of urban neighborhoods in the low land area between the
Ohio River and the high land areas of uptown. These neighborhoods include
Over-the-Rhine
Over-the-Rhine (often abbreviated as OTR) is a neighborhood in Cincinnati, Ohio, United States. Historically, Over-the-Rhine has been a working-class neighborhood. It is among the largest, most intact urban historic districts in the United State ...
,
Pendleton,
Queensgate, and
West End.
Demographics
5,838 live in Downtown Cincinnati as of the 2020 Census.
Geography
Downtown Cincinnati is laid out on a basin on the
Ohio River, surrounded by steep hills. Downtown Cincinnati's streets are arranged on a grid. Streets are split between the east and west by
Vine Street
Vine Street is a street in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California that runs north–south between Franklin Avenue and Melrose Avenue. The intersection with Hollywood Boulevard was once a symbol of Hollywood itself. The famed intersection fell into d ...
. Bridges from Downtown Cincinnati span the Ohio River across to
Covington and
Newport in
Northern Kentucky
Northern Kentucky is the third-largest metropolitan area in the U.S. Commonwealth of Kentucky after Louisville and Lexington, and its cities and towns serve as the de facto "south side" communities of Cincinnati, Ohio. The three main counties ...
.
Often considered to be the heart of Cincinnati,
Fountain Square
A fountain square is a park or plaza in a city that features a fountain. It may stand alone or as part of a larger public park.
In the United States, there are numerous fountain squares, many of which are actually called "fountain square." The ...
is located in the center of the Central Business District. The 1871 dedicated
Tyler Davidson Fountain
The Tyler Davidson Fountain or ''The Genius of Water'' is a statue and fountain located in Cincinnati, Ohio. It is regarded as the city's symbol and one of the area's most-visited attractions. It was dedicated in 1871 and is the centerpiece of ...
stands prominently on the often busy
city square
A town square (or square, plaza, public square, city square, urban square, or ''piazza'') is an open public space, commonly found in the heart of a traditional town but not necessarily a true geometric square, used for community gatherings. ...
. Other city parks located Downtown are
Lytle Park
Lytle Park Historic District is a historic district in Cincinnati, Ohio, United States. Roughly bounded by 3rd, 5th, Sycamore, Commercial Sq., and Butler Sts. in downtown Cincinnati, it centers on Lytle Park.
In 2014, Western & Southern Finan ...
and
Piatt Park
Piatt Park (est. 1817), is the oldest park in Cincinnati, Ohio. The urban park stretches two blocks between Elm Street and Vine Street on Garfield Place/8th Street. The park is owned and maintained by the Cincinnati Park Board.
History
In 1817 ...
. The Backstage District that sprang up around the
Aronoff Center
The Aronoff Center is a large performing arts center in downtown Cincinnati, Ohio. Events that can typically be found at the Aronoff Center include: plays, ballet, popular music concerts, stand-up comedy shows, and musicals. The center was design ...
contains nightlife and dining options.
Cityscape
Downtown Cincinnati is marked by its large collection of historic architecture and contains several historic districts and dozens of buildings on the
.
All but one of the twenty-five
tallest buildings in Cincinnati are located in Downtown Cincinnati. The
Carew Tower
Carew Tower is a 49-story, Art Deco building completed in 1930 in the heart of downtown Cincinnati, Ohio, overlooking the Ohio River waterfront. The structure is the second-tallest building in the city, and it was added to the register of Nati ...
has a public observation deck on the forty-ninth floor.
Since 1971, the
Cincinnati Skywalk
The Cincinnati Skywalk was a series of walkways, primarily indoors and elevated, that allowed pedestrians to traverse downtown Cincinnati, Ohio.
Built in segments starting in 1971, the skywalk was completed in 1997 at a total cost of more than $ ...
has connected buildings throughout downtown via a series of primarily indoor, elevated walkways. The Skywalk was officially completed as a 1.3 mile contiguous path in 1997, but has since fallen into disfavor by city leaders, and some sections have been removed.
Culture
Downtown Cincinnati is an increasingly residential area with former commercial space, such as Park Place at
Lytle, being converted into luxury condos. The population was 4,850 at the
2010 census.
Museums downtown include the high-rise
Contemporary Arts Center
The Contemporary Arts Center (CAC) is a contemporary art museum in Cincinnati, Ohio and one of the first contemporary art institutions in the United States. The CAC is a non-collecting museum that focuses on new developments in painting, sculptur ...
,
National Underground Railroad Freedom Center
The National Underground Railroad Freedom Center is a museum in downtown Cincinnati, Ohio, based on the history of the Underground Railroad. Opened in 2004, the Center also pays tribute to all efforts to "abolish human enslavement and secure fr ...
, and the
Taft Museum of Art
The Taft Museum of Art is a fine art collection in Cincinnati, Ohio. It occupies the 200-year-old historic house at 316 Pike Street. The house – the oldest domestic wooden structure in downtown Cincinnati – was built about 1820 and housed ...
.
The Banks is a waterfront
mixed-use development hosting bars and restaurants. It is especially crowded following games at the adjacent
Paul Brown Stadium
Paycor Stadium, previously known as Paul Brown Stadium, is an outdoor football stadium in Cincinnati, Ohio. It is the home venue of the Cincinnati Bengals of the National Football League and opened on August 19, 2000. Originally named after the B ...
and
Great American Ball Park
Great American Ball Park is a baseball stadium in Cincinnati, Ohio. It served as the home stadium of the Cincinnati Reds of Major League Baseball (MLB), and opened on March 31, 2003, replacing Cinergy Field (formerly Riverfront Stadium), the Reds ...
, the stadiums of the
Cincinnati Bengals and
Cincinnati Reds.
Economy
Downtown has long been the economic hub of Cincinnati. In the mid-nineteenth century, 16 of the city's 24 banks were located on Third Street near the busy
Public Landing river port. Towards the end of the nineteenth century, the center of business activity moved to Fourth Street, closer to where it remains today.
Kroger
The Kroger Company, or simply Kroger, is an American retail company that operates (either directly or through its subsidiaries) supermarkets and multi-department stores throughout the United States.
Founded by Bernard Kroger in 1883 in Cinci ...
,
Fifth Third Bank
Fifth Third Bank (5/3 Bank), the principal subsidiary of Fifth Third Bancorp is an American bank holding company headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio. Fifth Third is one of the largest consumer banks in the Midwestern United States, Fifth Third ...
,
Procter & Gamble
The Procter & Gamble Company (P&G) is an American multinational consumer goods corporation headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio, founded in 1837 by William Procter and James Gamble. It specializes in a wide range of personal health/consumer he ...
,
Western & Southern Financial Group
Western & Southern Financial Group, also commonly referred to as Western & Southern, is a Cincinnati, Ohio-based diversified family of financial services companies with $111.6 billion in assets owned and managed as of December 2021. As of 2022, it ...
,
American Financial Group, and
Cincinnati Bell
Cincinnati Bell, doing business as Altafiber (typeset as altafiber), is a regional telecommunications service provider based in Cincinnati, Ohio, United States. It provides landline telephone, fiber-optic Internet, and IPTV services through ...
are all headquartered in Downtown Cincinnati.
The
Duke Energy Convention Center
The Duke Energy Convention Center is a convention center located in downtown Cincinnati, Ohio, United States, covering two city blocks bounded by Elm Street, 5th Street, 6th Street, and Central Avenue.
History
The convention center opened in 19 ...
is the convention center of Cincinnati. Opened in 1968, it offers of meeting space.
Local government
The historic
Cincinnati City Hall
Cincinnati City Hall is the seat of the municipal government of Cincinnati, Ohio. Completed in 1893, the Richardson Romanesque structure was listed in the National Register of Historic Places on December 11, 1972. The building was designed by Samu ...
is located downtown on Plum Street. The
Hamilton County Courthouse is connected to the
Hamilton County Justice Center via a skybridge.
Media
''
The Cincinnati Enquirer
''The Cincinnati Enquirer'' is a morning daily newspaper published by Gannett in Cincinnati, Ohio, United States. First published in 1841, the ''Enquirer'' is the last remaining daily newspaper in Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky, al ...
'', the daily citywide newspaper, has its headquarters downtown, as does the alternative newspaper ''
Cincinnati CityBeat
''Cincinnati CityBeat'' is an independent local arts and issues publication covering the Cincinnati, Ohio area. It has the second largest readership in the Cincinnati area behind ''The Cincinnati Enquirer'' daily newspaper.
History
''CityBeat'' ...
''.
Transportation
Downtown is a transportation hub for the entire region. Downtown is served by
Fort Washington Way
Fort Washington Way is an approximately section of freeway in downtown Cincinnati, Ohio, United States. The eight-lane divided highway is a concurrent section of Interstate 71 (I-71) and U.S. Route 50 (US 50) that runs from west to east ...
which connects interstates 71 and 75 with Route 50.
Southwest Ohio Regional Transit Authority
The Southwest Ohio Regional Transit Authority (SORTA) is the public transport agency serving Cincinnati and its Ohio suburbs. Headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio, SORTA operates fixed-route buses, bus rapid transit, microtransit, and paratransit ...
operates public transportation with its transit hub at Government Square. The downtown area is also served by the
Cincinnati Bell Connector
The Connector is a streetcar system in Cincinnati, Ohio, United States. The system opened to passengers on September 9, 2016. The streetcar operates on a loop from The Banks, Great American Ball Park, and Smale Riverfront Park through Downt ...
, a streetcar line that connects downtown with
Over-the-Rhine
Over-the-Rhine (often abbreviated as OTR) is a neighborhood in Cincinnati, Ohio, United States. Historically, Over-the-Rhine has been a working-class neighborhood. It is among the largest, most intact urban historic districts in the United State ...
.
See also
*
Mount Adams, Cincinnati
Mount Adams is a geographic landmark and residential neighborhood of Cincinnati, Ohio, located directly east of downtown Cincinnati, south of Walnut Hills, southwest of East Walnut Hills, and west of the East End.
Mount Adams is surrounded by ...
*
Over-the-Rhine
Over-the-Rhine (often abbreviated as OTR) is a neighborhood in Cincinnati, Ohio, United States. Historically, Over-the-Rhine has been a working-class neighborhood. It is among the largest, most intact urban historic districts in the United State ...
References
External links
Downtown Residents Council
{{Coord, 39, 6, N, 84, 31, W, display=title
Neighborhoods in Cincinnati
Cincinnati
Cincinnati ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located at the northern side of the confluence of the Licking and Ohio rivers, the latter of which marks the state line wit ...