Cincinnati

"Cincinnati" redirects here. For other uses, see Cincinnati (disambiguation).

Cincinnati, Ohio
Flag Official seal of Cincinnati, Ohio Seal
Nickname:  The Queen City
Location in Hamilton County, Ohio, USA
Country	United States
State	Ohio
County	Hamilton
Founded	1788
Incorporated	1802 (village)
-	1819 (city)
Government
• Type	Strong mayor
• Mayor	Mark L. Mallory (D)
Elevation	482 ft (147 m)
Population  (2005)
• City	331,310
• Urban	1,563,352
• Metro	2,113,011
Time zone	UTC-5 (EST)
• Summer (DST)	UTC-4 (EDT)
Website	http://www.cincinnati-oh.gov/

Cincinnati is a city in southwestern Ohio, in the United States of America, that lies on the Ohio River. It is the county seat of Hamilton County.Template:GR Cincinnati is Ohio's third largest city, behind Columbus and Cleveland. However, Greater Cincinnati stands as the second largest metro region in Ohio, just behind Cleveland. Greater Cincinnati region's population has grown 4.7 percent since 2000 - and is on pace to surpass the Cleveland Metropolitan area in population sometime this year, according to census estimates.[2]

As of 2005, Cincinnati's population was 331,310, making it the third largest city in Ohio and the 56th largest in the United States. It has a much larger metropolitan area, commonly called "Greater Cincinnati", which covers parts of Ohio, Kentucky, and Indiana. As of July 1, 2005, the U.S. Census Bureau esimates that the Cincinnati-Middletown-Wilmington Combined Statistical Area has a population of 2,113,011 (making it the 20th largest in the country) and is growing at a rate of about one percent annually. Greater Cincinnati is the 25th largest metropolitan area in the nation. Cincinnati is also home to major-league sports, including the Cincinnati Reds (America's first professional baseball team), the Cincinnati Bengals (a National Football League team), the Cincinnati Masters (the oldest tennis tournament in the United States played in its original city), as well as several minor league teams. Such as the Cincinnati Kings (a professional soccer team), the Cincinnati Cyclones (a professional hockey team), and the Cincinnati Jungle Kats (an arena football team).

It is considered to have been the first major American "boomtown", rapidly expanding in the heart of the country in the early nineteenth century to rival the coastal metropolis in size and wealth. As the first major inland city in the country, it is sometimes thought of as the first purely American city, lacking the heavy European influence that was present on the east coast. However, by the end of the century, its growth unexpectedly stopped and it was surpassed in population by many other inland cities.

Cincinnati is also known for the distinction of having the largest collection of nineteenth-century Italianate architecture in the country [3], primarily concentrated in the Over-the-Rhine neighborhood, just north of downtown. Over-the-Rhine is the largest National Historic District in the United States.

History

Main article: History of Cincinnati, Ohio

Cincinnati was founded in 1788 by John Cleves Symmes and Colonel Robert Patterson. [4] Surveyor John Filson (also the author of The Adventures of Colonel Daniel Boone) named it "Losantiville" from four terms, each of different language, meaning "The city opposite the mouth of the Licking River." "Ville" is French for "city," "anti" is Greek for "opposite," "os" is Latin for "mouth," and "L" was all that was included of "Licking River."

In 1790, Arthur St. Clair, the governor of the Northwest Territory, changed the name of the settlement to "Cincinnati" in honor of the Society of the Cincinnati, of which he was a member.[5] The society honored General George Washington, who was considered a latter day Cincinnatus—the Roman general who saved his city, then retired from power to his farm. To this day, Cincinnati in particular, and Ohio in general, are home to a disproportionately large number of descendants of Revolutionary War soldiers who were granted lands in the state.

In 1802, Cincinnati was chartered as a village and David Ziegler (1748-1811), a native of Heidelberg, Germany, who fought in the Revolutionary War became the first Mayor. Cincinnati was incorporated as a city in 1819. The introduction of steam navigation on the Ohio River in 1811 and the completion of the Miami and Erie Canal helped the city grow to 115,000 citizens by 1850.[6]

On April 1 1853, Cincinnati's Fire Department became a paid department, the first full-time paid department in the United States, and the first in the world to use steam fire engines [7].

Nicknames

Cincinnati has a number of nicknames, including the "The Queen City," "The Queen of the West," "The Blue Chip City," "The City of Seven Hills,", and "Porkopolis." These are more typically associated with professional, academic and public relations references to the city and are not commonly used by locals in casual conversation.

The most common nickname for Cincinnati is the shortened "Cincy" for casual conversation and informal usage.

There are newer nicknames emerging and are used in different cultural outlets such as the hip-hop scene and more casual settings such as "The 'Nati" [8]. Some, particularly those of older generations, still use a regional pronunciation of the city's name where the final vowel ("I") is short as opposed to long. Phonetically, this variation would be spelled [sin-suh-nat-/ɪ/] instead of the generally accepted [sin-sin-nat-ee]. This has, however, fallen out of common usage and is no longer considered a proper pronunciation of "Cincinnati" today.

The nickname, "The City of Seven Hills," is not now a literal description of the city, as there are many more than seven hills in modern Cincinnati. When the city was younger and smaller, the June 1853 edition of the West American Review, "Article III -- Cincinnati: Its Relations to the West and South" described and named seven specific hills. The hills form a crescent around the city: Mount Adams, Walnut Hills, Mount Auburn, Vine Street Hill, Fairmont (now rendered Fairmount), Mount Harrison (now known as Price Hill) and College Hill.

Geography and climate

Geography

Cincinnati is located at 39°8′10″N 84°30′11″W (39.136160, -84.503088).Template:GR

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 206.1 km² (79.6 mi²). 201.9 km² (78.0 mi²) of it is land and 4.1 km² (1.6 mi²) of it (2.01%) is water.

The Cincinnati-Middletown-Wilmington Combined Statistical Area has a population of 2,113,011 people and is the 20th largest in the country. It includes the Ohio counties of Hamilton, Butler, Warren, Clermont, and Brown, as well as the Kentucky counties of Boone, Bracken, Campbell, Gallatin, Grant, Kenton, and Pendleton, and the Indiana counties of Dearborn, Franklin, and Ohio.

Physical geography of Ohio

Climate

Cincinnati is located within a climatic transition zone; the area is at the extreme northern limit of the humid subtropical climate or at the southern end of the humid continental climate (Koppen climate classification Cfa or Dfa), depending on the criteria used. The local climate is basically a blend of the subtropics to the south and the mid-latitude area to the north. Evidence of both climatic influences can be found in Cincinnati's landscape material and fauna (see: Southern magnolia, Sweetgum, Bald cypress, and the common wall lizard). The USDA Climate Zone map assigns Cincinnati with a 6a/6b hardiness zone rating (zone 1 being the coldest and zone 11 being the warmest). More mild "microclimates" of a 7a/b rating may be found, particularly along the Ohio River basin. Cincinnati, which is in the Bluegrass region of the Interior Low Plateau of Ohio, generally receives less snow and has a longer growing season than much of the rest of Ohio. Although widely accepted as part of the Midwest, Cincinnati is climatically and geographically located within the northern periphery of the Upland South region of the United States.

The summers in Cincinnati are generally hot and humid with cool evenings. The mean annual temperature is 54 °F (12 °C), with an average annual snowfall of 16 inches (58.4 cm) and an average annual rainfall of 41 inches (1,040 mm). The wettest seasons are the spring and summer, although rainfall is fairly constant all year round. During the winter, particularly in January and February, several days of snow can be expected, allowing for winter sports, although snowfall is lighter than in most of Ohio. January temperatures range from 22 to 39 °F (-6 to 4 °C) and July temperatures range from 66 to 87 °F (19 to 30 °C). The highest recorded temperature was 103.0 °F (39.4 °C) on August 17 1988, and the lowest recorded temperature was -25°F (-32 °C) on January 18 1978.

Monthly Normal and Record High and Low Temperatures
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Rec High °F	69	75	84	89	93	102	103	102	98	88	81	75
Norm High °F	38	43.1	53.9	64.7	74.4	82.4	86.4	84.8	78	66.4	53.6	42.7
Norm Low °F	21.3	25	33.8	42.7	52.9	61.6	66.1	64.2	56.8	44.9	35.7	26.4
Rec Low °F	-25	-11	-11	15	27	39	47	43	31	16	1	-20
Precip (in)	2.92	2.75	3.9	3.96	4.59	4.42	3.75	3.79	2.82	2.96	3.46	3.28
Source: USTravelWeather.com [9]

Cityscape

Main article: The cityscape of Cincinnati, Ohio

Cincinnati is home to numerous structures that are noteworthy due to their architectural characteristics or historic associations. The city also boasts Fountain Square, Cincinnati and a riverfront that is being revitalized under The Banks project. Cincinnati is unique in design as an American City, with its focus centered around Fountain Square, which then is surrounded by its tallest buildings. The city is undergoing significant changes due to an influx of new development and private investment as well as the beginning of the often-stalled The Banks project.

Society

Government and politics

The city is governed by a nine-member city council, whose members are elected at large. Prior to 1924, city council was elected through a system of wards. The ward system lent itself to corruption and Cincinnati was run by the Republican political machine of Boss Cox from the 1880s through the 1920s with a few brief interludes. A reform movement arose in 1923, led by another Republican, Murray Seasongood. Seasongood eventually founded the Charter Committee, which used ballot initiatives in 1924 to eliminate the ward system and replace it with the current at-large system and also to introduce a city manager form of government. From 1924 to 1957, the council was selected by proportional representation. Beginning in 1957, all candidates ran in a single race and the top nine vote-getters were elected (the "9-X system"). The mayor was selected by the council. In 1977 Jerry Springer, later a controversial television talkshow host, was chosen to serve one year as mayor. Starting in 1987, the top vote-getter in the city council election automatically became mayor. Starting in 1999, the mayor was chosen in a separate election and the city manager received a lesser role in government; these reforms were referred to as the "strong mayor" reforms. Cincinnati politics includes the participation of the Charter Party, the party with the third-longest history of winning in local elections.

Race relations

Main article: Race relations of Cincinnati, Ohio

Cincinnati was a bordertown between the states that allowed slavery such as Kentucky and the Union before and during the Civil War. In the years before the Civil War, Cincinnati and surrounding areas played a major role in the Abolition Movement. The area was a part of the Underground Railroad and was home to Harriet Beecher Stowe. Her characters in Uncle Tom's Cabin were based on escaped slaves she met in the area. Levi Coffin made the Cincinnati area the center of his anti slavery efforts in 1847. Today, The National Underground Railroad Freedom Center commemorates the era at its center located at 50 East Freedom Way,

There have been many incidents of race-based violence before and after the Civil War with the most notable recent one being the 2001 Cincinnati Riots. The neighborhoods in Cincinnati are highly segregated. This separation was not explicitly created in law books or social procedures, but it is easily seen when considering the density of one racial domination of a particular area. There are also more highly integrated neighborhoods, but these are often surrounded by more demographically polarized neighborhoods.

Law enforcement and crime

Before the riots of 2001, Cincinnati's overall crime rate was dropping dramatically [10]. It was at its statistical lowest point in records dating back to 1992. After the riots, Keith Fangman, president of the Cincinnati Police Department's Fraternal Order of Police made various suggestive statements inspiring an unofficial "work slowdown" to demonstrate their frustration with the additional scrutiny and lack of support from other city entities. This meant they did not go out of their way for discretionary or self-related work, but they still did respond to emergencies. One example of Fangman's statements is: "If you want to make 20 traffic stops a shift and chase every dope dealer you see, you go right ahead," he wrote. "Just remember that if something goes wrong, or you make the slightest mistake in that split second, it could result in having your worst nightmare come true for you and your family, and City Hall will sell you out."

After the riots, violent crime has skyrocketed, but still well below the statistics in the 1970s . The police force "work slowdown" correlates with this increase. It is important to note that Fangman repeatedly denied there was an organized effort for a slowdown, but many of his various recorded and public statements clearly discouraged pro-active policing repeatedly.

In 2006, Morgan Quinto ranked Cincinnati as the 18th most dangerous city in the United States.

In May and June 2006, together with the Hamilton County Sheriff, the Cincinnati Police Department created a task force focusing on a crackdown of crime. This consisted of an extra twenty deputies assigned to Over-the-Rhine and helped reduce the crime rate of downtown Cincinnati by 29% . This marks a dramatic decrease in crime but has not reduced the crime levels to pre-riots/pre-work slowdown levels.

In June 2006 the Greater Cincinnati Police Historical Society Museum opened showcasing over 150 years of policing in the Cincinnati area.

In the general elections on November 7, 2006, Hamilton County voters rejected a quarter-cent sales tax increase which would have been used to build a new jail system.

As of 2007, the city is beginning a program called the Cincinnati Initiative to Reduce Violence, modeled after the Boston Gun Project, in an effort to reduce the record-high 89 homicides of 2006.[11]

Demographics

As of the census estimatesTemplate:GR of 2005, there were 331,310 people, 166,012 households, and 72,566 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,498.0/km² (3,879.8.0/mi²). There were 166,012 housing units at an average density of 822.1/km² (2,129.2/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 52.97% White, 42.92% Black or African American, 0.21% Native American, 1.55% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 0.63% from other races, and 1.68% from two or more races. 1.28% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 148,095 households out of which 25.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 26.6% were married couples living together, 18.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 51.0% were non-families. 42.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.15 and the average family size was 3.02.

The age distribution is 24.5% under the age of 18, 12.9% from 18 to 24, 31.6% from 25 to 44, 18.7% from 45 to 64, and 12.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females there were 89.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.6 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $29,493, and the median income for a family was $37,543. Males had a median income of $33,063 versus $26,946 for females. The per capita income for the city was $19,962. About 18.2% of families and 21.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 32.0% of those under age 18 and 14.8% of those age 65 or over.

There has been concerted effort by the local government to stem the tide of emigrants. The population of Cincinnati decreased by nine percent between 1990 and 2000. Many of those leaving are living in the suburbs just outside of Cincinnati (often considered "Greater Cincinnati"). Several reasons are mentioned for this phenomenon common to many American cities, including job opportunities, entertainment, racial tensions, education opportunities and others. But according to a report released in The Cincinnati Enquirer on October 30, 2006, for the first time in over half a century, the U.S. Census Bureau has reported that the City of Cincinnati has actually gained population.[12] Based on the new 2005 estimate of just over 331,000, this represents an increase of nearly 20,000 new residents since 2004.

Source: United States Census Bureau

Although the Jewish population of Cincinnati at the turn of the century was estimated to be only about 15,000 -- roughly 1% of the national Jewish population of 1,522,500 at the time -- Cincinnati was a center of the American Reform Judaism movement in the 19th Century. Rabbi Isaac Mayer Wise, a major contributor to the movement, immigrated to Cincinnati in 1854. Under his supervision the Hebrew Union College -- the oldest Jewish Seminary in the Americas – opened here in 1875. The American Jewish Archives (AJA) is also found on Hebrew Union College's campus, and is the repository for Reform Judaism in the Americas. Isaac Mayer Wise also founded the historic Isaac M. Wise Temple, also known as K. K. B'nai Yeshurun.

Economy

Procter & Gamble is one of many corporations based in Cincinnati.

Fifth Third Bank can trace its history back to June 17 1858, when the Bank of the Ohio Valley opened in Cincinnati.

Cincinnati is home to major corporations such as Procter & Gamble, The Kroger Company, GE Infrastructure, Federated Department Stores (owner of Macy's and Bloomingdale's), Convergys, Chiquita Brands International, Great American Insurance Company, The E. W. Scripps Company, the United States Playing Card Company, and Fifth Third Bank. Comparatively-speaking, the region fares well nationally with 10 Fortune 500 companies and 18 Fortune 1000 companies headquartered in the Cincinnati area. Statistically, Greater Cincinnati ranks sixth in the U.S. with 4.98 Fortune 500 companies per million residents and fourth in the U.S. with 8.96 Fortune 1000 companies per million residents.[13]

Economic Statistics and Ranks[14]:

• Cincinnati ranked 6th safest region for business in nation by Risk & Insurance magazine.
• More than 1,000 firms engaged in international trade - ranking Greater Cincinnati 22nd nationally in total exports.
• Fortune Magazine ranked Cincinnati 7th among the Top 15 Cities as Great Places to Live and Work
• Forbes Magazine calls the region one of the "Best Places for Business and Careers".
• Business Development Outlook (magazine) names Cincinnati as one of the top 25 "2000 Choice Cities" for business expansion or relocation.
• The New York Times says, "Cincinnati exemplifies the cities driving the US Economy."
• Employment Review and Outlook (magazine) both both listed Cincinnati among the Top 20 Best U.S. Cities in which to Live and Work.
• Inc. Magazine ranked Cincinnati among the top 25 Large Metro Areas to Start a Business in Now.
• Entrepreneur Magazine ranked Cincinnati 16th for entrepreneurship and #1 for "Lowest Failure Rates".
• Yahoo Internet Life says Cincinnati is one of the Top Wired Cities in 2000 - ranking it 25th out of 50.
• Sprint Business ranked Greater Cincinnati on their list of "Most Productive Cities in America" based on economic productivity composite index.
• Sales & Marketing Management ranked Cincinnati 10th in its Top 20 Hottest Markets for Selling and Doing Business. Factors considered included population increases, retail sales, effective buying income, increase in building permits, unemployment rates, job growth, mix of industries, tax rates, number of corporate relocations and number of new corporations.
• Dun & Bradstreet and Entrepreneur Magazine ranked Cincinnati 16th among large cities in its "Best Cities for Small Business."
• Dun & Bradstreet and Entrepreneur Magazine ranked Cincinnati 1st with the Lowest Business Bankruptcy Rates.

Education

The Cincinnati Public School district includes 16 high schools, each accepting students on a city-wide basis. The area has a number of Catholic high schools, most of which are single-sex. The city is also home to a variety of other schools, both public and private. Template:Multicol High Schools within the Cincinnati Public Schools District:

• Aiken High School
• Clark Montessori High School
• Dater High School
• Hughes Center High School
• School for Creative and Performing Arts (SCPA)
• Shroder Paideia High School
• Taft High School
• Virtual High School
• Walnut Hills High School
• Western Hills High School
• Withrow High School
• Woodward High School

Cincinnati Metro Public School Districts:Indiana

• Lawrenceburg School Corporation
• South Dearborn School Corporation
• Sunman Dearborn School Corporation

Cincinnati Metro Public School Districts: Kentucky

• Beechwood Independent School District
• Bellevue Independent Schools
• Boone County Schools
• Campbell County School District
• Campbell County School District
• Covington Independent Public Schools
• Dayton Independent Schools
• Erlandger-Elsmere Schools
• Fort Thomas Independent Schools
• Kenton County Schools
• Ludlow Independent Schools
• Newport Independent Schools
• Silver Grove Independent Schools
• Southgate Independent School District
• Walton-Verona

Cincinnati Metro Public School Districts: Ohio

• Batavia Local Schools
• Bethel-Tate Local Schools
• Clermont-Northeastern Local Schools
• Community Charter Schools in Cincinnati
• Deer Park City Schools
• Fairfield City Schools
• Felicity-Franklin Local Schools
• Finneytown Local School District
• Forest Hills School District
• Franklin City Schools
• Goshen Local Schools
• Hamilton City School District
• Harrison City Schools
• Indian Hill Exempted Village School District
• Kings Local School District
• Lakota Local School District
• Lebanon City Schools
• Little Miami Local School District
• Lockland City Schools
• Loveland Schools
• Madeira City Schools
• Madison Local School District
• Mariemont City Schools
• Mason City School District
• Middletown City School District
• Milford Exempted Village Schools
• Monroe Local School District
• Mount Healthy City School District
• New Richmond Exempted Village School District
• North College Hill City Schools
• Northwest Local School District
• Norwood City Schools
• Oak Hills Local School District
• Princeton City School District
• Reading Community Schools
• Ross Local School District
• Southwest Local School District
• Springboro Community City Schools
• St. Bernard/Elmwood Place City Schools
• Sycamore Community Schools
• Three Rivers Local School District
• Wayne Local Schools
• West Clermont Local Schools
• Western Brown Local Schools
• Williamsburg Local School District
• Winton Woods School District
• Wyoming School District

Catholic Archdiocesan / Private Schools:

• Archbishop Elder High School
• Bishop Fenwick High School (coed)
• La Salle High School
• McAuley High School
• Archbishop McNicholas High School (coed)
• Archbishop Moeller High School
• Mother of Mercy High School
• Mount Notre Dame High School
• Archbishop Purcell Marian High School (coed)
• Roger Bacon High School (coed)
• Seton High School
• Cincinnati Country Day School
• Cincinnati Hills Christian Academy
• Liberty Bible Academy
• Miami Valley Christian Academy
• St. Xavier High School
• St. Ursula Academy
• Seven Hills School
• Summit Country Day School
• Ursuline Academy

Culture

Main article: Culture in Cincinnati, Ohio

See also: List of people from Cincinnati

Cincinnati is home to numerous festivals and events throughout the year. The Cincinnati Horticultural Society organizes the Cincinnati Flower Show in late April. This floral event, endorsed by the Royal Horticultural Society, is staged at Lake Como at Coney Island and is claimed to be the biggest outdoor Flower Show in the United States. To celebrate its German heritage, Cincinnati hosts the second largest Oktoberfest in the world (after the original Oktoberfest in Munich, Germany). During the summer the Jazz festival is held a weekend in July. The Tall Stacks festival is celebrated every three or four years to celebrate Cincinnati's riverboat history. The Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden and a local bank sponsor the Festival of Lights during the holiday season. Other festivals include: Taste of Cincinnati, Goetta Fest (in Newport, KY), MidPoint Music Festival and the Toyota/WEBN Riverfest.

The city plays host to numerous musical and theater operations, boasts a large park system, and has a diverse dining culture.

One of Cincinnati's most famous attractions is The Fountain Square, Cincinnati, which serves as one of the cultural cornerstones of the region.

Cincinnati is also famous for its unique culinary delicacies. "Cincinnati Chili" is commonly served by several independent chains such as Skyline Chili, Gold Star Chili, Empress Chili, Camp Washington Chili, and Dixie Chili. Cincinnati is known for the quantity and quality of its many gourmet restaurants. Until 2005, when the restaurant closed, the Maisonette carried the distinction of being Mobil Travel Guide's longest running five-star restaurant in the country. Jean-Robert de Cavel has opened four new restaurants in the area since 2001 including Jean-Robert's at Pigall's. Cincinnati's German heritage is also evidenced by the many eateries that specialize in schnitzels and hearty Bavarian cooking.

Many popular bands/musicians including: Over the Rhine which traces its roots to the Over-the-Rhine district in Cincinnati, Bootsy Collins, and 98 Degrees. Many other bands, preformers, and notable people come from the Greater Cincinnati region.

Media

Main article: Media in Cincinnati, Ohio

Cincinnati is served by two daily newspapers, the Cincinnati Enquirer and the Cincinnati Post and six alternative, weekly, and monthly publications. It is home to twelve television stations and many radio stations. The Cincinnati Post will issue its final paper at the end of 2007.

Sports

Main article: Sports in Cincinnati, Ohio

Cincinnati is home to seven major sports venues, two major league teams, six minor league teams, and hosts five college institutions with their own sports teams. It is home to baseball's Reds, America's first professional baseball team, the Bengals of the National Football League, and the historic international men's and women's tennis tournament, The A.T.P. Masters Series Cincinnati Masters.

Transportation

Streetcar

Cincinnati is currently planning a streetcar line to connect Downtown, Over-the-Rhine and the area around the University of Cincinnati. The initial study will be completed in May 2007 and the line may be operational as early as 2009-2010. [15]

Highways

Main article: Roads of Cincinnati, Ohio

Cincinnati is served by three major interstate highways. Interstate 75 is a north-south route through the Mill Creek valley, whereas Interstate 71 cuts northeast towards Mt. Adams and Walnut Hills. Interstate 74 begins at Interstate 75 west of downtown and proceeds towards Indiana.

The city also has an outer-belt, Interstate 275, and a spur to Kentucky, Interstate 471. It is also served by numerous U.S. highways: US 22, US 27, US 42, US 50, US 52 and US 127.

ARTIMIS is Cincinnati's interstate information service. Current highway conditions are available 24/7 locally by dialing "511". For out-of-town drivers or "511"-disabled phone systems, one can call 513-333-3333. [16]

Rail

Amtrak, the national passenger rail system, provides service to Cincinnati. Ticket offices and boarding stations are located at Cincinnati Union Terminal at 1301 Western Avenue. The Cardinal, is the only scheduled Amtrak passenger train service that goes through Cincinnati.

The Ohio Hub plan has Cincinnati being part of the C Corridor, which will connect Cincinnati, Columbus and Cleveland.[17]

The city is served by several railroad freight services. The largest of these is CSX Transportation which operates a large railroad yard west of Interstate 75. The Norfolk Southern Railroad and Indiana & Ohio Railway also have a large presence. Norfolk Southern operates the city-owned Cincinnati, New Orleans and Texas Pacific Railway under a lease agreement.

Air

Cincinnati-Northern Kentucky International Airport (CVG) is the major airport serving the metropolitan area and is located across the river in Kentucky. The airport is a hub for Delta and its subsidiary, Comair. Lunken Airport is a municipal airfield used for smaller business jets and private planes. It was the main city airport before the Cincinnati-Northern Kentucky International Airport was built and is located on the east side of town on the Little Miami River. A smaller airport, Cincinnati West Airport, is located in Harrison, Ohio. The Blue Ash Airport, in Blue Ash, Ohio but owned by the City of Cincinnati, was the subject of failed attempts to build a large commercial airport north of the city.

Public transportation

Cincinnati is served by the Metro city passenger bus system, operated by the Southwest Ohio Regional Transit Authority (SORTA). The Transit Authority of Northern Kentucky (TANK) serves northern Kentucky and operates bus links in Cincinnati south of Sixth Street.

Greyhound Lines also serves the city from a significant downtown station.

Cincinnati Subway

Cincinnati has an incomplete subway system. It was abandoned during construction in 1925 due to cost overruns and is used today as a conduit for fiber optic and water lines. There have been several attempts by SORTA to utilize the subways for a modern light-rail system within Hamilton County. All of these initiatives have thus far failed when placed on the ballot, with the most recent failing 2 to 1 in 2002.

Bridges

• The Newport Southbank Bridge (or the Purple People Bridge as some people call it) which goes from Cinncinati to Newport Kentucky.
• The John A. Roebling Suspension Bridge, opened in 1866, links Cincinnati and Covington, Kentucky. This bridge was the prototype for the Brooklyn Bridge, also designed by Roebling. This bridge is currently being renovated.[18]
• The Daniel Carter Beard Bridge connecting Cincinnati to Newport and Cold Spring KY, was finished in 1976.
• The Brent Spence Bridge connecting Cincinnati to Covington and serving as part of one of the largest trucking routes in the United States, I-75/I-71. Currently this bridge is under evaulation for destruction and revamping.
• The Clay Wade Bailey Bridge (U.S. Routes 25/42/127, the Dixie Highway) connecting Cincinnati to Covington.

Ferry

The Anderson Ferry has been in continuous operation since 1817 and currently operates three vessels, named Boone 7, Little Boone and Deborah A. Boone 7 was built in 1937. The ferry provides an Ohio River crossing about 8 miles west of downtown Cincinnati. This is the only automobile crossing between the I-71/75 Brent Spence Bridge and the I-275 West Bridge. The dirt road leading to the ferry, dating from the early 1800s, had grown into a major West Side road by the 20th century.

Ferry traffic has increased in recent years due to higher gasoline prices and the proximity of the Kentucky terminal to the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport (CVG), which is about three miles to the south. The Ferry also supports a daily commute for some people who live and work near the ferry.

The Anderson Ferry operates daily, sometimes two ferry boats in operation at peaks hours, off-peak just one.

Sister cities

Cincinnati has nine sister cities:

- Munich (Germany) - Harare (Zimbabwe) - Kharkiv (Ukraine) - Liuzhou (China) - Rome (Italy)

- Gifu City (Japan) - Nancy (France) - Taipei (Taiwan) - Netanya (Israel)

Trivia

The Cincinnati skyline was prominently featured in the opening and closing sequences of the daytime drama The Edge of Night prior to 1980; the cityscape was the stand-in for the show's setting, Monticello. Coincidentally (or not), Procter & Gamble, the show's producer, is based in Cincinnati.

The sitcom WKRP in Cincinnati featured the skyline in its credits, as well.

See also

• Anchor Buggy
• Cincinnati Flower Show
• List of people from Cincinnati
• List of Mayors of Cincinnati, Ohio
• List of cities and towns along the Ohio River
• History of Cincinnati, Ohio
• Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center
• University of Cincinnati
• New Madrid Seismic Zone
• Cincinnati Communities
• List of Cincinnati neighborhoods
• WKRP in Cincinnati
• Whitewater Canal

External links

• Cincinnati official website
• Cincy Update (Arts, Charities and other events in Cincinnati)
• Cincinnati Fire Department History
• Cincinnati.Com, home of 50 local news media brands owned by various companies
• Template:Wikitravelpar
• Space513.com: Interactive At-A-Glance Cartoon Map of Cincinnati
• Give Back Cincinnati, a volunteer group of local young professionals
• Greater Cincinnati Convention & Visitors Bureau
• Greater Cincinnati Police Historical Society Museum
• Cincinnati Photographs
• Northern Cincinnati Convention & Visitors Bureau
• Cincinnati Film Commission
• City government in the reform period
• Cincinnati Theater Web
• Skirball Museum,Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion
• Cincinnati Wine Events
• Fun Day Events
• [19] Some information about the historical race riots
• [20] Detail of the 1841 riots
• [21] Detailed account of the 1884 Courthouse Riots (and earlier riots)
• [22] Thousands of Blacks leave for Canada as a result of the riots
• Railroads of Cincinnati
• Learn about historic bridges in and around Cincinnati.

Crime Section References

• [23] Crime rate trends from 1992 to 2002.
• [24] City of Cincinnati Crime Statistics (prepared January 19 2007)

Police slowdown

• Police frustration brings slowdown – Cincinnati Enquirer
• Time to Pay – CityBeat
• Black motorists pulled over more often in city, study finds – Cincinnati Post
• Cincinnati's Riots: One year later – Cincinnati Enquirer