It happens on cue: When one hears the word "Cincinnati," the familiar sitcom tune runs through one's mind, along with images of Johnny Fever. As one of America's older cities, Cincinnati is often associated with the days of heavy industry and may be overlooked in the list of the nation's scenic metropolitan areas. But a visit here will convince you otherwise. Cincinnati, which represents the point where Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana meet, is surrounded by rivers and gently rolling, tree-covered hills. The downtown district is filled with unique, historical architecture that other cities aspire to recreate. Although "Cincy," or the "Queen City," as it's often called by the locals, isn't known for being a mixed-use residential/commercial urban city such as New York, Boston, San Francisco or Dallas, where residents live and work downtown, Cincinnati certainly has the potential to become such a city. Its architecture offers plenty of opportunities for loft-style units, and its diversity of cultural opportunities and wealth of retail stores and restaurants make it a desirable location for incoming residents.

Cincinnatians play hard. The city is the home of the Bengals (football) and the Reds (baseball), as well as the Cyclones (hockey). Cincinnati's strong German heritage is cause for celebration each October, when Cincy holds America's largest Oktoberfest. Beer flows in large quantities, and Cincinnati certainly knows how to produce beer. Several breweries are based in and around the city. The Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden is acclaimed for its exhibits and wildlife diversity, which attracts thousands of visitors each year. Parks scattered throughout the city offer the chance to roller-blade, jog or just people-watch. The river traversing downtown Cincy is occupied by riverboats offering cruises -- one of the best ways to enjoy the dramatic skyline.

Among the city's cultural attractions are the American Classical Music Hall of Fame, which recognizes the history of classical music; the Cincinnati Art Museum; the mega-sized Cincinnati Museum Center, an art deco-style train station built in the early 1930s and reopened in 1990 as the home of an OMNIMAX theater as well as the Cincinnati History Museum and Museum of Natural History & Science; and the Krohn Conservatory, an enclosed rainforest containing 5,000 plant species.

While its old buildings, as well as the barges crossing the Ohio River, might lead you to believe that Cincy relies on heavy industry, the city benefits from a diversified economy that reaches well beyond the manufacturing arena. Some 375 Fortune firms -- including The Kroger Company, Procter & Gamble, American Financial Corporation, Cinergy Corporation and Federated Department Stores, Inc. -- call Cincinnati their home. The health services, research and development, retailing, insurance and finance industries have grown here throughout this century. Manufacturing continues to provide Cincy with much of its bread and butter. The city is known for its manufacture of transportation-related equipment, such as auto and aircraft parts; industrial machinery; food and related products; as well as publishing and printing.

Relocating families who arrive in Cincinnati to take advantage of its business opportunities often fall in love with their new hometown. Fortune magazine has ranked the city among the nation's best places to live and work. Metropolitan Cincinnati's crime rate ranks as the seventh-lowest in the United States. The cost of living here is reasonable in comparison with other major metropolitan centers in the United States; the average cost of a single-family home in Cincinnati in 1997 (according to the National Board of Realtors) was $106,600, while the national average was $119,400. The average apartment rental in Cincinnati in 1997 was $572. Projected average household income for the city in 2001 stands at a relatively healthy $50,613.

Cincinnati has begun to catch on to the national trend of urban revitalization, as more and more locals discover the merits of living downtown in historic, architecturally unique homes. Among Cincinnati's downtown neighborhoods are Liberty Hill, a popular area for professional singles and couples. Brick buildings accommodate multiple units and offer sweeping views of the city. Over-the-Rhine is a neighborhood known for its historic architecture and reasonable home prices. The neighborhood has been a popular choice with families in recent years. Downtown Cincinnati in general has seen an increase in luxury condominium and apartment construction -- both new construction and the renovation of older buildings.

Among America's cities, Cincinnati is often overshadowed by other major metropolitan centers that create more buzz and make more noise in the tourism industry. But this beautiful city boasts scenery and plenty of cultural offerings in its own right, and many of Cincy's fiercely loyal residents couldn't imagine living anywhere else. A strong economy, reasonable cost of living and high quality of life are likely to keep Cincy among the nation's most liveable cities.

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Published: May 17, 1999

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