Cincinnatti - need neighborhood advice from locals
 

Hello all. I am planning a weekend trip to Cincinnatti and will be travelling as a single female. I've travelled alone quite a bit (primarily in the UK) and am not skiddish at all, but wondered if there were particular neighborhoods I should stay out of due to reputation and or / utter lack of anything to see. I'm in my late 30s, and my primary activity will be photography (architectural is my favorite). Any locals have suggestions for me?

There's a lot of historical architecture in downtown Cincy, especially if you like art deco stuff at all. Check out Carew Tower for some great views of the area and architecture. The only area you may want to avoid, if only at night, is Over the Rhine. If you're around on a weekend, definitely head to Findlay Market during the day. Music Hall is great to check out, too. To the east of downtown and up up up the hill is Mt. Adams, which is very fun to explore. The Krohn Conservatory and Cincinnati Art Museum are in that area. The conservatory has a lovely butterfly show up right now if you're coming soon! Oh also go to Union Terminal--it's main function is as Cincy's history museum center, but it still operates as a train station for Amtrak. Awesome mosaics on the inside.

Just be aware, at night especially. Cincinnati is a great city. Have fun!

mmsmit5 is right about Over-the-Rhine. It's indeed a bad neighborhood and is located immediately above downtown, pretty much the area from West 9th Street to West Central Parkway to East Central Parkway heading north until the hills start. Keep your "street smarts" radar very much active if you decide to try walking here, and don't even think about doing so at night. And that goes equally for the extension of that neighborhood west to the edge of Union Terminal.

I've copied my Cincinnati observations from an earlier post on this area at this forum, as follows:

--the Cincinnati Art Museum has an excellent medium-sized collection. It's in Eden Park, a large and pleasant green space northeast of downtown.
--the Cincinnati Zoo is first rate. It's a little further north and west of Eden Park.
--the Taft Museum is a good house-style art museum similar to the Frick in New York or the Gardner in Boston. Located downtown.
--at Union Station, there are a clutch of moderate sized museums, one on local historic subjects, the other a natural history museum. They're okay. Slightly west of downtown.
--there's the Contemporary Art Center downtown, which has no permanent collection but features changing exhibits of cutting edge visual art.

And when you're in Cincinnati, get a 5-way Cincinnati chili with a couple chili cheese coneys. Skyline and Gold Star are ubiquitous and good local chains that sell this. Also hit Graeter's ice cream, which is a good as any I've had anywhere. Health food it's not, but it's really tasty stuff.

I suggest you go across the river and checkout Newport Kentucky.Plenty of nice shops,restaurants,take the gangster tour of old gambling joints,casinos,speak easys.You can safely walk the streets at night,you can get some great photos of the Cincinnati skyline from there too.The BB riverboat cruise will take you up the Ohio River,another great way to take photos.

Cincinnati is a city of neighborhoods. 52 to be exact. If you want to take photos most of the 52 neighborhoods will have something for you. All of the areas others mentioned are worth seeing.

For photos and a taste of Cincinnati go to Findlay Market on a Saturday. Findlay is in Over the Rhine, which has great places to photograph. The Gateway district is adjacent to OTR and has cute shops and a few nice Eateries and theaters.

Downtown has a few photo worthy places, be sure to go to Fountain Square. Walnut street between 5th and 8th has the CAC and a few bars restaurants worth checking out.

Hyde Park is a nice neighborhood to both photograph and restaurants/bars to eat at. Same thing for Clifton.

Northside is another nice neighborhood for photos and hanging out.

O'Bryanville and Mt. Lookout are adjacent to Hyde Park and are worthy of checking out. While in Mt. Lookout see the Observatory if you can, but not to be missed is Ault Park. A destination for photographers and painters.

You can get great photos on Milton Street and Corporation Alley they run between Sycamore and Highland about a mile from Findlay. Go in the daytime.

Eden Park, where Krohn conservatory is, has Mirror lake and a gazebo that are much photographed. There is also an Overlook area that is also a haunt of photographers and painters. In that park area there is also a pond with bridges that make a great photographic opportunity.

Mt. Adams is a neighborhood on a hill overlooking downtown that has lots of photo opportunities, and a vibrant nightlife on the weekends.

Music Hall and Washington park near it should provide good shots, but go in the day. Its on Elm between 1th and 14th.

Main street between 13th and 14th maybe worth a stroll for photos, Stop in Iris Cafe for a drink/snack and check out their courtyard. (The best bread in Cincy is made across the street at Shadeau Breads.)

Many people go over to Devou park in Kentucky just over the river to take photos of the city. Unfortunately our most photographed architectural feature...the Robeling Bridge is draped in canvass while it is being painted.

Lastly City Hall and the Museum Center are worth a few snaps.

I hope this helps, and you have a good time.

The newest place to take pics would be of our Shepard Fairy murals located around the city. Check the CAC to find locations.