Visiting Cincinnati

Cincinnati is one of Ohio’s largest cities, located along the Ohio River directly across from Kentucky. The city itself has a population of around 300,000, while the much larger metropolitan area extends well beyond the city limits. Downtown Cincinnati has its share of high rises, including the buildings photographed above. During my visit I also went to the observation deck of Carew Tower, which gave me some excellent views of downtown, the surrounding neighborhoods, the Ohio River, and Kentucky on the opposite shore.

Crossing the Ohio River

When I visited Cincinnati, I actually parked across the river in Kentucky and walked into Ohio across the John A. Roebling Suspension Bridge. Completed in 1866 and opened at the beginning of 1867, the bridge was the longest suspension bridge in the world at the time and became an important predecessor to Roebling’s later Brooklyn Bridge. Walking across was a great introduction to Cincinnati, with views of both the skyline and all the activity along the Ohio River.

The Ohio River is still an active transportation corridor, and from the bridge I could see large barges moving cargo along the water. There were also plenty of recreational boats taking advantage of the nice summer weather.

Great American Ball Park

As soon as I crossed into Cincinnati, I came across Great American Ball Park, home of the Cincinnati Reds. Baseball has a particularly long history in Cincinnati, which was home to baseball’s first openly professional team in 1869. I arrived just as a Reds game was ending, and a huge stream of fans was pouring out of the stadium.

The area immediately around the stadium has plenty of restaurants and bars, which were especially busy as the baseball crowd came out. Above is a saxophone player entertaining the departing fans, along with people having drinks at one of the nearby restaurants after the game.

Downtown Cincinnati

Fountain Square is one of the main gathering places in downtown Cincinnati and a good area to find restaurants, entertainment, and nightlife. The square regularly hosts concerts, festivals, and other events throughout the year. When I visited, a small band was playing while people sat outside enjoying lunch.

The statue above also caught my attention while I was exploring downtown. It depicts Abraham Lincoln very differently from most of the monuments I’d seen before. Instead of presenting him as an imposing president, the sculpture shows a much younger and more ordinary-looking Lincoln.

Cincinnati’s Neighborhoods

One thing I really liked about Cincinnati was the variety of houses I came across while exploring its different neighborhoods. I’m certainly no architecture expert, but even I could see how dramatically the styles changed from one street to another. One of my favorites was the incredibly narrow house in the center above, squeezed onto a small piece of land between two streets. I’d love to see what the inside looks like.

I also passed through some older and more worn-down residential areas. In one neighborhood I came across a big party taking place along a side street. Some people had their cars partially blocking the road, and as soon as they saw me coming they apologized several times and hurried over to move them. Everyone seemed so friendly that I seriously got the impression I could have asked to join the party and they would have welcomed me. Maybe I should have!

Mount Auburn and William Howard Taft

Some of the historic homes I photographed were in Mount Auburn, which became one of Cincinnati’s prominent residential neighborhoods during the 19th century. Its hilltop location offered wealthy residents convenient access to downtown while providing some distance from the congestion of the growing city below.

Mount Auburn is also home to the birthplace of William Howard Taft, who became both President of the United States and later Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. His Greek Revival home is now preserved as the William Howard Taft National Historic Site. I reached it too late to go inside.

On the right is the Taft Museum of Art, housed in another historic mansion. Despite the name, it isn’t the former president’s childhood home. The building eventually became the home of Charles and Anna Taft and today contains a collection of paintings, decorative arts, sculpture, and other works.

Mount Adams and Eden Park

The photo on the left is from one of the neighborhoods I passed through, while the view on the right is from Mount Adams. Sitting on a hill overlooking Cincinnati and the Ohio River, Mount Adams is one of the city’s most distinctive neighborhoods and is located beside Eden Park.

Eden Park ended up being one of my favorite parts of Cincinnati. On my way through the park I even came across the deer photographed above. On the right is the Spring House Gazebo, one of the park’s recognizable landmarks near Mirror Lake.

There’s actually a lot going on in Eden Park, and I wish I had taken more photographs to show everything that’s there. The park contains remnants of Cincinnati’s historic water system, including old structures associated with the reservoirs that once occupied much of the area. One of the old reservoir walls has even become a local spot for rock climbing.

I missed several of Eden Park’s major attractions during this trip, including the Cincinnati Art Museum and Krohn Conservatory. Between those, the surrounding neighborhoods, the historic architecture, and more of the riverfront, Cincinnati is one Ohio city where I still have plenty left to see on another visit.