Downtown Dayton is the

central business district A central business district (CBD) is the commercial and business centre of a city. It contains commercial space and offices, and in larger cities will often be described as a financial district. Geographically, it often coincides with the "city ...

Dayton, Ohio Dayton () is the sixth-largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Montgomery County. A small part of the city extends into Greene County. The 2020 U.S. census estimate put the city population at 137,644, while Greater Day ...

. Major reinvestment in the downtown area began heavily in the mid-1990s, and continues today with $2 billion in residential, commercial, health, and transportation developments that has or is taking place in the downtown area. While much of the city's population decamped to surrounding suburbs in the second half of the 20th century, downtown Dayton has begun to gain population again since the early 2000s with a 96-98 percent housing occupancy rate. Downtown Dayton is home to 42,000 employees, 2,000 residents, and more than 7 million yearly visitors. It is also becoming one of the most technology oriented and high-tech friendly downtowns in the United States.

Education

Downtown is home to

Sinclair Community College Sinclair Community College is a public community college in Dayton, Ohio. History Sinclair Community College is named for David A. Sinclair, a Scottish immigrant and secretary of the Dayton YMCA (1874–1902), who founded the adult training schoo ...

and the

University of Dayton The University of Dayton (UD) is a private, Catholic research university in Dayton, Ohio. Founded in 1850 by the Society of Mary, it is one of three Marianist universities in the nation and the second-largest private university in Ohio. The univ ...

. Sinclair community college is the largest

community college A community college is a type of educational institution. The term can have different meanings in different countries: many community colleges have an "open enrollment" for students who have graduated from high school (also known as senior sec ...

at a single location in Ohio and one of the largest community colleges in the nation. Sinclair is acclaimed as one of the country's best community colleges. Sinclair was founded as the YMCA college in 1887. The University of Dayton is a private,

Catholic The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

institution. It is Ohio's largest

private university Private universities and private colleges are institutions of higher education, not operated, owned, or institutionally funded by governments. They may (and often do) receive from governments tax breaks, public student loans, and grant (money ...

and is one of the top 10 Catholic universities in the United States. UD is also home to the

University of Dayton Research Institute The University of Dayton Research Institute is the professional research arm of the University of Dayton The University of Dayton (UD) is a private, Catholic research university in Dayton, Ohio. Founded in 1850 by the Society of Mary, it is one ...

which ranks second in the nation for sponsored research, and the

Center for Tissue Regeneration and Engineering at Dayton The Center for Tissue Regeneration and Engineering at Dayton (TREND) is a research center which focuses on tissue regeneration and is partnered with the National Institutes of Health, the National Science Foundation, Air Force Research Laboratory, ...

which focuses on human tissue regeneration.

Entertainment

Entertainment in the downtown Dayton area is diverse. Downtown is home to the

Dayton Art Institute The Dayton Art Institute (DAI) is a museum of fine arts in Dayton, Ohio, United States. The Dayton Art Institute has been rated one of the top 10 best art museums in the United States for children. The museum also ranks in the top 3% of all art mus ...

which is a museum of fine arts that owns collections containing more than 20,000 objects spanning 5,000 years of art and archaeological history. The Dayton Art Institute was rated one of the top 10 best art museums in the United States for children. Along with the Dayton Art Institute, there are also other arts in the downtown area. The Dayton Region ranked 33rd in the nation out of 373 metropolitan areas in

arts The arts are a very wide range of human practices of creative expression, storytelling and cultural participation. They encompass multiple diverse and plural modes of thinking, doing and being, in an extremely broad range of media. Both hi ...

and

culture Culture () is an umbrella term which encompasses the social behavior, institutions, and norms found in human societies, as well as the knowledge, beliefs, arts, laws, customs, capabilities, and habits of the individuals in these groups.Tyl ...

. The Benjamin and Marian Schuster Performing Arts Center in downtown Dayton is a world-class performing arts center and the home venue of the

Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra The Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra (DPO) is a fully professional musical group in Dayton, Ohio, formed in 1933. It is a member of the League of American Orchestras (LAO) and the Regional Orchestra Players' Association (ROPA), and presents programs ma ...

Dayton Opera Dayton Opera is an American opera company based in Dayton, Ohio. The company makes its home at the Schuster Performing Arts Center in downtown Dayton where it annually produces three operas and an operatic concert and has an annual budget of appro ...

, and the Dayton Ballet. In addition to

Philharmonic An orchestra (; ) is a large instrumental ensemble typical of classical music, which combines instruments from different families. There are typically four main sections of instruments: * bowed string instruments, such as the violin, viola ...

and

Opera Opera is a form of theatre in which music is a fundamental component and dramatic roles are taken by singers. Such a "work" (the literal translation of the Italian word "opera") is typically a collaboration between a composer and a librett ...

performances, the Schuster Center hosts concerts, lectures, traveling Broadway shows, and is a popular spot for

weddings A wedding is a ceremony where two people are united in marriage. Wedding traditions and customs vary greatly between cultures, ethnic groups, religions, countries, and social classes. Most wedding ceremonies involve an exchange of marria ...

, and other events. The historic Victoria Theatre, located in downtown Dayton, hosts

concerts A concert is a live music performance in front of an audience. The performance may be by a single musician, sometimes then called a recital, or by a musical ensemble, such as an orchestra, choir, or musical band, band. Concerts are held in a w ...

, traveling

Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street **Broadway Theatre (53rd Stree ...

shows,

ballet Ballet () is a type of performance dance that originated during the Italian Renaissance in the fifteenth century and later developed into a concert dance form in France and Russia. It has since become a widespread and highly technical form of ...

, a summertime classic film series, and more. The Loft Theatre, also located downtown, is the home of the

Human Race Theatre Company The Human Race Theatre Company is the professional producing theatre company of Dayton Ohio, dedicated to producing works on universal themes that explore the human condition and startle us all into a renewed awareness of ourselves. The HRTC is l ...

. Downtown Dayton is the home of the

Dayton Ballet The Dayton Ballet is a ballet company based in Dayton, Ohio. The Dayton Ballet was founded in 1937, making it the second oldest regional ballet company in the United States. Dayton Ballet seasons typically comprise four works—familiar tradition ...

, one of the oldest professional dance companies in the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

. The Company runs the Dayton Ballet School, the oldest

dance school A dance studio is a space in which dancers learn or rehearse. The term is typically used to describe a space that has either been built or equipped for the purpose. Overview A dance studio normally includes a smooth floor covering or, if used f ...

in Dayton and one of the oldest in the country. It is the only ballet school in the

Miami Valley The Miami Valley is the land area surrounding the Great Miami River in southwest Ohio, USA, and includes the Little Miami, Mad, and Stillwater rivers as well. Geographically, it includes Dayton, Springfield, Middletown, Hamilton, and other c ...

associated with a professional

dance company A dance troupe or dance company is a group of dancers and associated personnel who work together to perform dances as a sport, spectacle or entertainment. There are many different types of dance companies, often working in different styles of dan ...

. Additionally, Dayton is home to the Gem City Ballet and Progressive Dance Theater, companies in residence at the Pontecorvo Ballet Studio. The Oregon District is a historic residential and commercial district in southeast downtown Dayton. The district is populated with

art galleries An art gallery is a room or a building in which visual art is displayed. In Western cultures from the mid-15th century, a gallery was any long, narrow covered passage along a wall, first used in the sense of a place for art in the 1590s. The lon ...

specialty shops A specialty store is a shop/store that carries a deep assortment of brands, styles, or models within a relatively narrow category of goods. Furniture stores, florists, sporting goods stores, and bookstores are all specialty stores. Stores such as ...

pubs A pub (short for public house) is a kind of drinking establishment which is licensed to serve alcoholic drinks for consumption on the premises. The term ''public house'' first appeared in the United Kingdom in late 17th century, and was ...

nightclubs A nightclub (music club, discothèque, disco club, or simply club) is an entertainment venue during nighttime comprising a dance floor, lightshow, and a stage for live music or a disc jockey (DJ) who plays recorded music. Nightclubs gener ...

, and

coffee houses A coffeehouse, coffee shop, or café is an establishment that primarily serves coffee of various types, notably espresso, latte, and cappuccino. Some coffeehouses may serve cold drinks, such as iced coffee and iced tea, as well as other non-ca ...

. Not far from the Oregon District is the

PNC Second Street Market The PNC Second Street Market is a public market in Dayton, Ohio. The market is located at the corner of Webster Street and East 2nd Street. It is Dayton's largest and oldest operating public market. In 2012, ''Country Living Magazine'' mentioned the ...

a public market owned by Five Rivers MetroParks.

Nightlife

Downtown Dayton is considered one of Ohio's best

nightlife Nightlife is a collective term for entertainment that is available and generally more popular from the late evening into the early hours of the morning. It includes pubs, bars, nightclubs, parties, live music, concerts, cabarets, theatre, c ...

districts. It is home to over 70 nightclubs and over 130 restaurants/bars. Most of the nightlife is concentrated near the Oregon District, Fire Blocks District, and around the Ballpark (Webster Station). Downtown Dayton has an eclectic choice of sports bars, raves, lounges, pubs, musical bars, and holes in the wall. One of the most popular clubs is Club Masque which is a gay-friendly bar near the Fire Blocks District, home to four LGBT friendly clubs and businesses. There are many local bands that play at pubs and musical bars in the Oregon District as well.

Sports

Downtown Dayton is host to the

Dayton Dragons The Dayton Dragons are a Minor League Baseball team of the Midwest League and the High-A affiliate of the Cincinnati Reds. They are located in Dayton, Ohio, and play their home games at Day Air Ballpark, formerly known as Fifth Third Field. In 2 ...

baseball team, and the

Dayton Flyers The Dayton Flyers are the intercollegiate athletic teams of the University of Dayton of Dayton, Ohio. All Flyers intercollegiate sports teams participate at the NCAA Division I level. The football team competes in the Division I FCS non-schola ...

NCAA division one basketball team. The

is Dayton's only professional baseball team and is the minor league affiliate for the

Cincinnati Reds The Cincinnati Reds are an American professional baseball team based in Cincinnati. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) National League Central, Central division and were a charter member of ...

. The Dayton Dragons are the first (and only) team in minor league baseball history to sell out an entire season before it began and was voted as one of the top ten hottest tickets to get in all of professional sports by

Sports Illustrated ''Sports Illustrated'' (''SI'') is an American sports magazine first published in August 1954. Founded by Stuart Scheftel, it was the first magazine with circulation over one million to win the National Magazine Award for General Excellence twic ...

. The Dayton Flyers play at The

University of Dayton Arena University of Dayton Arena (commonly known as UD Arena) is a 13,409-seat multi-purpose arena located in Dayton, Ohio. The arena opened in 1969. It is home to the University of Dayton Flyers basketball teams. From 2001 to 2010, the facility host ...

, which hosted 82 games in the

NCAA men's basketball tournament The NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament, branded as NCAA March Madness and commonly called March Madness, is a single-elimination tournament played each spring in the United States, currently featuring 68 college basketball teams from ...

over its history, making it the second most prolific venue in NCAA history and the most prolific among active venues, with the most recent being first and second round games of the 2017 tournament.

Recent developments

CareSource Management Group in 2009, completed construction of a $55 million corporate headquarters at the corner of Main Street and Monument Avenue in downtown Dayton. The , 10-story building marks downtown's first new office tower in more than a decade. Along with this construction was built a new seven-floor parking garage that accommodates 1,200 vehicles. The facility represents an investment downtown of approximately $20 million. Since NCR vacated its world headquarters near downtown Dayton, the

announced that they would be relocating to the former National Cash Register world headquarters building. The former HQ and the surrounding land came under acquisition of the University of Dayton at a purchase price of $18 million. Downtown Dayton has also seen numerous residential developments, most notably in the

Water Street District The Water Street District, a large part of downtown Lock Haven in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania, is a historic district added to the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) in 1973. The district includes the city's entire central business ...

announced in mid-2013. Transportation projects in Downtown Dayton have also been on the rise. The

Ohio Department of Transportation The Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT; ) is the administrative department of the Ohio state government responsible for developing and maintaining all state and U.S. roadways outside of municipalities and all Interstates except the Ohio T ...

is currently in the process of $533 million of construction to modify and reconstruct I-75 through downtown Dayton. ODOT is upgrading and widening I-75 from Edwin C Moses Blvd. to Stanley Avenue. Many downtown bridges are also being upgraded. In 2010, the Greater Downtown Dayton Plan was announced. The Plan represents a vision for Dayton’s center city that focuses on strengthening connections and creating a downtown attractive to investors, businesses, employees, residents, students and visitors. This vision focuses on the potential of Greater Downtown to become an authentic

urban Urban means "related to a city". In that sense, the term may refer to: * Urban area, geographical area distinct from rural areas * Urban culture, the culture of towns and cities Urban may also refer to: General * Urban (name), a list of people ...

center and the catalyst for Dayton's regional economy. The plan focuses on housing opportunities, and creating an inviting environment for businesses to relocate and stay in the downtown area. The plan will also home in on what makes downtown Dayton unique and build on it. This includes downtown arts, sports, health care, and entertainment. Face-lifts and improvements such as gateway projects, repaving, and upgrading building facades are also part of the plan.

References

External links

Downtown Dayton Partnership
{{Content, date=May 2019 Neighborhoods in Dayton, Ohio

Dayton Dayton () is the sixth-largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Montgomery County. A small part of the city extends into Greene County. The 2020 U.S. census estimate put the city population at 137,644, while Greater Da ...

Tourist attractions in Dayton, Ohio Economy of Dayton, Ohio