Downtown Cincinnati

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. Bridges from Downtown Cincinnati span the Ohio River across to Covington and Newport in Northern Kentucky.

Often considered to be the heart of Cincinnati, Fountain Square is located in the center of the Central Business District. The 1871 dedicated Tyler Davidson Fountain stands prominently on the often busy city square. Other city parks located Downtown are Lytle Park and Piatt Park. The Backstage District that sprang up around the Aronoff Center 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 National Register of Historic Places listings in downtown Cincinnati, Ohio.

All but one of the twenty-five tallest buildings in Cincinnati are located in Downtown Cincinnati. The Carew Tower has a public observation deck on the forty-ninth floor.

Since 1971, the Cincinnati Skywalk 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.

Museums downtown include the high-rise Contemporary Arts Center, National Underground Railroad Freedom Center, and the Taft Museum of Art.

The Banks is a waterfront mixed-use development hosting bars and restaurants. It is especially crowded following games at the adjacent Paul Brown Stadium and Great American Ball Park, 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, Macy's, Inc., The E.W. Scripps Company, Fifth Third Bank, Procter & Gamble, Cintas, Convergys, Western & Southern Financial Group, Ashland, Omnicare, Tire Discounters and AK Steel are all headquartered in Downtown Cincinnati.

The Duke Energy Convention Center is the convention center of Cincinnati. Opened in 1968, it offers 750,000 square feet of meeting space.

Local government

The historic Cincinnati City Hall 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 daily citywide newspaper, has its headquarters downtown, as does the alternative newspaper Cincinnati CityBeat.

Transportation

Downtown is a transportation hub for the entire region. Downtown is served by Fort Washington Way which connects interstates 71 and 75 with Route 50.

Southwest Ohio Regional Transit Authority operates public transportation with its transit hub at Government Square. The Cincinnati streetcars is an ongoing project to restore streetcar service to the city.