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"Cincinnati" redirects here. For other uses, see Cincinnati (disambiguation).
Cincinnati, Ohio
Flag of Cincinnati, Ohio
Flag
Official seal of Cincinnati, Ohio
Seal
Nickname: 
The Queen City
Motto: 
Juncta Juvant (Strength in Unity)
Location in Hamilton County, Ohio, USA
Location in Hamilton County, Ohio, USA
CountryUnited States
StateOhio
CountyHamilton
Founded1788
Incorporated1802 (village)
-1819 (city)
Government
 • TypeStrong mayor
 • MayorMark L. Mallory (D)
Elevation
482 ft (147 m)
Population
 (2006)[1] [2]
 • City332,252
 • Metro
2,104,218
Time zoneUTC-5 (EST)
 • Summer (DST)UTC-4 (EDT)
Websitehttp://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 With a 2006 population of 332,252, Cincinnati is Ohio's third largest city, behind Columbus and Cleveland, and the 56th largest city in the United States. The much larger metropolitan area, commonly called "Greater Cincinnati", stands as the second largest metro region in Ohio, just behind Cleveland, and includes parts of Ohio, Kentucky, and Indiana. As of 2006, the U.S. Census Bureau estimates that the Cincinnati-Middletown-Wilmington Combined Statistical Area has a population of 2,147,617[3] (making it the 20th largest in the country) and is growing at a rate of about one percent annually.

Cincinnati is 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, including 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, Cincinnati's growth had slowed considerably, and the city was surpassed in population by many other inland cities.

Cincinnati is also known for having one of the largest collections of nineteenth-century Italianate architecture in the country [2], primarily concentrated in the Over-the-Rhine neighborhood, just north of downtown.

History

Main article: History of Cincinnati, Ohio
File:Cincinnatus statue.jpg
"With one hand he returns the fasces, symbol of power as appointed dictator of Rome. His other hand holds the plow, as he resumes the life of a citizen and farmer." — A statue of Cincinnatus in downtown Cincinnati.
The Tyler Davidson Fountain was dedicated in 1871 to Cincinnati by Henry Probasco and is a symbol for the city and the region.

Cincinnati was founded in 1788 by John Cleves Symmes and Colonel Robert Patterson. [3] 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.[4] 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.[5]

Construction on the Miami and Erie Canal began on July 21, 1825, when it was called the Miami Canal, a reference to the Little Miami River, which was its origin, and water was diverted into the canal bed in 1827.[4] The canal began by connecting Cincinnati to nearby Middletown in 1827, and by 1840 the canal had reached Toledo, changing the Miami Canal to the Miami and Erie Canal and signifying the connection between the Little Miami River and Lake Erie.

Railroads were the next major form of transportation to come to Cincinnati. In 1836, the Little Miami Railroad was chartered.[5] Construction began soon after, with the purpose of connecting Cincinnati with the Mad River and Lake Erie Railroad, and thus the ports of the Sandusky Bay.[4]

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 [6].

Six years later in 1859, Cincinnati laid out six street car lines, making it easier for people to get around the city.[5] By 1872, Cincinnatians could travel on the streetcar line within the city and then be transported by rail car to the hill communities. The Cincinnati Inclined Plane Company began transporting people to the top of Mount Auburn in that year.[4]

The Cincinnati Red Stockings, eventually known as the Cincinnati Reds, began their career in the 1800s as well. In 1868, meetings were held at the law offices of Tilden, Sherman and Moulton to make Cincinnati’s baseball team a professional one; it became the first regular professional team in the country, being formally organized in 1869.[5]

Cincinnati in 1862, a lithograph in Harper's Weekly.

During the American Civil War, Cincinnati played a key role as a major source of supplies and troops for the Union Army. It also served as the headquarters for much of the war for the Department of the Ohio, which was charged with the defense of the region, as well as directing the army's offensives into Kentucky and Tennessee.

In 1879, Procter & Gamble, one of Cincinnati's major soap manufacturers, began marketing Ivory Soap. It got its appeal because of its ability to float. After a fire at their first factory, Procter & Gamble moved to a new factory on Mill Creek and began soap production again, which eventually lead to the area being known as Ivorydale. [Writers' Program of the Works Project Administration, Cincinnati: A Guide to the Queen City and its Neighbors]

Cincinnati weathered the Great Depression better than most American cities of its size, largely because of a resurgence of inexpensive river trade. The rejuvenation of downtown began in the 1920s and continued into the next decade with the construction of Union Terminal, the post office, and a large Bell Telephone building. The flood of 1937 was one of the worst in the nation's history, resulting in the building of protective flood walls. After World War II, Cincinnati unveiled a master plan for urban renewal that resulted in modernization of the inner city. Riverfront Stadium and the Coliseum were completed in the 1970s, as the Cincinnati Reds baseball team emerged as one of the dominant teams of the decade. Tragedy struck the Coliseum in December 1979 when eleven people were killed in a mass panic prior to The Who rock and roll concert. In 1989, the two-hundredth anniversary of the city's founding, much attention was focused on the city's Year 2000 plan, which involved further revitalization.

The completion of several major new development projects enhance the city as it enters the early years of the new millennium. Cincinnati's beloved Bengals and Reds teams both have new, state-of-the-art homes: Paul Brown Stadium, opened in 2000, and the Great American Ball Park, opened in 2003, respectively. Two new museums have opened: the Rosenthal Center for Contemporary Art in 2003, and the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center in 2004. The Banks is a new, developing 24-hour urban neighborhood of restaurants, clubs, offices, and homes with sweeping skyline views, along the city's riverfront. Cincinnati has received such accolades as "Most Liveable City," Partners for Livable Communities, April 2004; number five U.S. arts destination, American Style Magazine, Summer 2004; and inclusion in the top 10 "Cities that Rock," Esquire Magazine, April 2004. [The Cincinnati Historical Society]

Nicknames

Cincinnati has a number of nicknames, including the "The Queen City," "The Queen of the West,"[6] "The Blue Chip City,"[7] "The City of Seven Hills,"[8], and "Porkopolis."[9] 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.

Newer nicknames such as "The 'Nati" [7] are emerging and are used in different cultural contexts such as the hip-hop scene and more casual settings.

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 seen less usage and is no longer considered an acceptable 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.

A common abbreviation for Cincinnati is "Cincy," used in casual conversation and informal usage, and was once common in postal addresses. "Cinti" is also used, with somewhat less frequency, but can be seen on some road signs.

Geography and climate

Physical geography of Ohio, with the bluegrass region in yellow.
Cincinnati from Mt. Echo Park.
Cincinnati skyline at night, from the Kentucky shore.

Geography

Cincinnati is located at 39°8′10″N 84°30′11″W / 39.13611°N 84.50306°W / 39.13611; -84.50306 (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.

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. Although technically located in the Midwest, Cincinnati is also considered to be within the periphery of the Upland South. 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.


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).[10] 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 1977.

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 [8]

Cityscape

Main article: Cityscape of Cincinnati, Ohio
The Carew Tower is not only the tallest building in Cincinnati, but it is also a great example of French Art Deco.

Cincinnati is unique in design as an American city, with its focus centered around Fountain Square, Cincinnati, which then is surrounded by its tallest buildings.

Cincinnati is home to numerous structures that are noteworthy due to their architectural characteristics or historic associations including the Carew Tower, the Scripps Center, the Ingalls Building, Cincinnati Museum Center at Union Terminal and the Isaac M. Wise Temple.

Cincinnati's riverfront is being revitalized under The Banks project. 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
The National Underground Railroad Freedom Center offers lessons on the struggle for freedom in the past, in the present, and for the future as it attempts to challenge visitors to contemplate the meaning of freedom in their own lives.

Before the Civil War, Cincinnati was a bordertown between states that allowed slavery such as Kentucky and those that did not, such as Ohio. Cincinnati and surrounding areas played a major role in Abolitionism. 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[11]. Today, The National Underground Railroad Freedom Center commemorates the era at its center located at 50 East Freedom Way.

Although Cincinnati has a history of good race relations, in 2001 a series of race riots was triggered by the police involved shooting death of a teenage boy. Following these riots, Cincinnati's race relations have remained strained and easily shaken.

Law enforcement and crime

Before the riot of 2001, Cincinnati's overall crime rate was dropping dramatically [9] and had reached its lowest point since 1992. After the riot, Keith Fangman, president of the Cincinnati Police Department's Fraternal Order of Police made various suggestive statements inspiring an unofficial "work slowdown" to demonstrate 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 riot, violent crime increased, but is still well below the level of the 1970s [citation needed]. The police force "work slowdown" correlates with this increase.

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

Mayor Mark Mallory is a member of the Mayors Against Illegal Guns Coalition[12], a bi-partisan group with a stated goal of "making the public safer by getting illegal guns off the streets." The Coalition is co-chaired by Boston, Massachusetts Mayor Thomas Menino and New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg. In 2007, the city began 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.[10]

Demographics

Historical population
CensusPop.Note%±
18102,540—
18209,642279.6%
183024,831157.5%
184046,33886.6%
1850115,435149.1%
1860161,04439.5%
1870216,23934.3%
1880255,13918.0%
1890296,90816.4%
1900325,9029.8%
1910363,59111.6%
1920401,24710.4%
1930451,16012.4%
1940455,6101.0%
1950503,99810.6%
1960502,550−0.3%
1970452,524−10.0%
1980385,457−14.8%
1990364,040−5.6%
2000331,285−9.0%

As of the census estimatesTemplate:GR of 2006, there were 332,252 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.[11] Based on the new 2006 estimate of 332,252[1], this represents an increase of over 20,000 new residents since the previously assumed population of around 308,728 in 2005.[13]

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, Macy's, Inc. (owner of Macy's and Bloomingdale's),Convergys, Chiquita Brands International, Great American Insurance Company, Western & Southern Financial Group, The E. W. Scripps Company, the United States Playing Card Company, and Fifth Third Bank. Kao Corporation's United States headquarters are in Cincinnati as well. 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.[12]

Education

University of Cincinnati's McMicken Hall.

Secondary education

See also: List of high schools in Cincinnati

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, many of which are single-sex. The city and region is also home to a variety of other schools, both public and private.

Cincinnati is home to many public Montessori schools, one of which, Clark Montessori, is the first public Montessori high school in the United States.

Post-secondary education

The city of Cincinnati is home to multiple colleges and universities, including: The University of Cincinnati, Xavier University (Cincinnati), Cincinnati Christian University and Cincinnati State Technical and Community College. Other colleges or universities in the region include: Northern Kentucky University, Miami University, College of Mount St. Joseph, Thomas More College, and Gateway Community and Technical College.

Culture

Oktoberfest attracts hundreds of thousands of people with the Germanic themed festival.
Riverfest/WEBN Fireworks is one of the most famous annual fireworks shows in the nation.
Cincinnati's Tall Stacks Festival
Ohio's oldest still functional market--Findlay Market
File:Great American Ballpark 2006.JPG
The Cincinnati Reds play in the Great American Ball Park.
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 during 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. In addition, Goetta is a meat product popular in Cincinnati, usually eaten as a breakfast meat.

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.

Also in Cincinnati is Findlay Market; Ohio’s oldest continuously-operated public market and one of Cincinnati’s most famous institutions. The market is the last remaining market among the many that once served Cincinnati.

Music

Many popular bands/musicians including: Over the Rhine which traces its roots to the Over-the-Rhine district in Cincinnati, Bootsy Collins, Blessid Union of Souls, 98 Degrees, The Greenhornes, and The Heartless Bastards. Many other bands, performers, and notable people call the Greater Cincinnati region their home such as Adrian Belew, Peter Frampton, etc.

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 is expected to publish its final edition at the end of 2007.

Movies that were filmed in part in Cincinnati include "Rain Man," "Airborne," "Little Man Tate", "Milk Money", "Batman Forever," "The Pride of Jesse Hallam," "In Too Deep," and "Public Eye".

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. Procter & Gamble, the show's producer, is based in Cincinnati.

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

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. It is also home to three professional soccer teams, the outdoor teams, the Cincinnati Kings (men's) and Cincinnati LadyHawks (women's), and the indoor team, the Cincinnati Excite (men's). Major League Lacrosse has also announced that Cincinnati is in the running for one of the two expansion teams that will start play in 2008.

Transportation

Streetcar

Cincinnati is currently planning a streetcar line to connect Downtown, Over-the-Rhine and the area around the University of Cincinnati.[13] The initial study conducted by Omaha-based HDR Engineers was completed on May 31, 2007 estimating the cost to be around $100 million dollars. The first line connecting Over-the-Rhine to the Banks is expected to ready by 2009 and is estimated to spur the establishment of 1,200 to 3,400 new households resulting in $1.4 billion in redeveloped property, $34 million in new tax income for the city per year, and $17 million in new retail spending.[14]

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. [15]

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.[16]

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 the second largest 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.[14]

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

File:Daniel Carter Beard Bridge 2006.JPG
The Daniel Carter Beard Bridge is more commonly called the "Big Mac" bridge because of its resemblance to McDonald's iconic arches.

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.[15]

Sister cities

Cincinnati has nine sister cities:[16]


See also

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Cincinnati, Ohio.

References

  1. ^ a b "2006 US Census Estimates by city". 2007-06-28. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  2. ^ "2006 US Census Estimates by MSA". 2007-04-06. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  3. ^ "2006 US Census Estimates by CSA". 2007-04-06. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  4. ^ a b c Condit, Carl W. The Railroad and the City: A Technological and Urbanistic History of Cincinnati. {{cite book}}: More than one of |author= and |last= specified (help)
  5. ^ a b c Vexler, Robert. Cincinnati: A Chronological & Documentary History. {{cite book}}: More than one of |author= and |last= specified (help)
  6. ^ Frequently Asked Questions about Cincinnati, Ohio
  7. ^ Cincinnati: many discounters say it's a 'blue chip' investment
  8. ^ Ups and downs: The hills are alive, but don't try counting
  9. ^ Gateway Sculpture
  10. ^ Climate information from The Weather Channel.
  11. ^ Reminiscences of Levi Coffin, the reputed president of the underground railroad: being a brief history of the labors of a lifetime in behalf of the slave, with the stories of numerous fugitives, who gained their freedom through his instrumentality, and many other incidents. Coffin, Levi, 1798-1877, Cincinnati: Western tract society, Ann Arbor, Michigan: University of Michigan Library
  12. ^ "Mayors Against Illegal Guns: Coalition Members". Retrieved 2007-06-12.
  13. ^ "2005 US Census Estimates by city". 2007-06-28. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  14. ^ Blue Ash Airport, Cincinnati-Transit.net.
  15. ^ [1], www.andersonferry.org.
  16. ^ Sister cities designated by Sister Cities International, Inc. (SCI)

Crime Section References

Police slowdown

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