Avondale is a primarily residential urban neighborhood near the center of the city, notable for the presence of the Cincinnati Zoo.
Hyde Park is an upscale, largely white and upper class residential neighborhood. At the heart of the neighborhood is Hyde Park Square, a tree-lined esplanade of boutique shops, such as Morrison & Me, Knickers XY, 45/46 XY Inspired, and Knickers of Hyde Park, and restaurants, including Indigo, Teller's, Cock & Bull Pub and Graeter's Ice Cream.
Mt. Adams is a trendy, upscale neighborhood located directly northeast of downtown Cincinnati. It is known for its lively night scene, beautiful views of the skyline, and the Holy Cross-Immaculata Catholic Church. Steep terrain on three sides, and Eden Park on the fourth side, give the neighborhood a unique sense of isolation. Mt. Adams has some of the highest property values in the city, and is a good destination for anyone overly worried about personal safety.
Clifton is also located near the city center, and is home to an especially wide range of people, boasting a population diverse in ethnicity, race, sexuality, gender, age, country of origin, and economic status. A number of students at the local University inhabit the stately apartment buildings, as well as many of the beautiful older homes that line the gas-lit streets, though a number of families and other residents are also proud to call Clifton home. Especially notable is the stretch of Ludlow between Clifton Ave and Whitfield, as it is home to a number of restaurants specializing both in American fare (perhaps the best Skyline Chili in all of Cincinnati, as well as local diner the Proud Rooster) and ethnic delights (Ambar and Amol India, Thai Cafe, Mediterranean Foods), as well as a number of independent shops and boutiques, and finally, one of Cincinnati's most historic and popular gay dive bars, the Golden Lions, which features dancing on Tuesday nights.
Mt. Washington is an up and coming economically diverse neighborhood located on Cincinnati's east side. The neighborhood contains a variety of shopping options along its Water Tower business district, ranging from thrift shops to upscale women's boutiques (Magnolia Clothing Boutique originated in Mt. Washington). The neighborhood is known for its variety of homes, ranging from large estates (along Salem Avenue and Wayside Avenue) to affordable apartments. Architecturally the neighborhood is home to several notable buildings, including the Mt. St. Mary's Seminary, Mt. Washington Presbyterian Church, and Guardian Angel Church.
Northside is an economically and racially diverse neighborhood notable for a strong sense of community investment and pride. The neighborhood is home to many unique shops including Shake It Records (an independently owned record store), and two vintage clothing stores, NVision and Casablanca Vintage. Restaurants include culinary delights Take the Cake, Honey, and Melt. The nightlife in Northside is lively with a variety of clubs including Bronz, Serpent, The Comet, and the Northside Tavern. The neighborhood is also home to a sizable LGBT population and hosts many of of the city's gay pride events. This neighborhood would appeal to hipsters.
Oakley is an up and coming neighborhood that borders Hyde Park. Oakley has a lively downtown area with many unique restaurants and shops including Dewey's Pizza, Habits Cafe, Denim, and Bova Furniture. Also notable is Aglamesis Ice Cream, a long-time competitor of Graeter's in the gourmet ice cream category.
Over-the-Rhine (OTR) is the city's historic district. It is the location of Music Hall, home of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra and Cincinnati Opera; Findlay Market, Ohio's oldest public market in continuous operation; the Main Street Entertainment District; and much of Cincinnati's creative arts. Care should be taken when visiting this neighborhood as crime is more frequent here than in other areas of the city. The safer areas of OTR are just north of Central Parkway on Vine and Main Streets. North of Liberty Street the area is sketchier and less developed. For the past thirty years the neighborhood has been a battleground between advocates for low income housing and historic preservationists/real estate developers. As a result the neighborhood is inconsistent in its make up, with high-end housing and shopping within viewing distance of abandoned and decayed buildings with boarded up windows.
Price Hill is one of Cincinnati’s oldest neighborhoods, first settled in 1789 and named Price Hill in the 1870s after General Rees Price. An incline opened by Price and his sons brought many wealthy residents to the top of the hill, and the grand mansions they built still stand today. The community’s history is preserved at the Price Hill Historical Society on Warsaw Avenue, and the neighborhood is home to the first Skyline Chili parlor, the upscale Primavista Restaurant, the 120-year-old Crow’s Nest Tavern, the Gothic-style St. Lawrence Church, and the popular Blue Note Café, which features live music every night of the week.
West End the little bit that survived of this once large densely populated neighborhood would not be notable for travelers except for the Dayton Street Historic District. At its peak in the mid to late 1800s this was a millionaires row that rivaled Prairie Avenue in Chicago, or 5th Avenue in New York City in terms of wealth. Today it’s more than a bit rundown, but less so than the neighborhood that surrounds it. It’s worth a look for the adventurous traveler.
The Most Frequently Asked Travel Questions about Cincinnati
Where To Stay & Best Hotels in Cincinnati - updated May 2024
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Cincinnati Travel Guide from Wikitravel. Many thanks to all Wikitravel contributors. Text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0, images are available under various licenses, see each image for details.
