How I Spent a Weekend in Cincinnati, OH

You won't hear much about Cincy living on either coast, but it is possibly the best mid-sized city in the United States.

Image by Jake Inferrera

The Beginning – The people love their city

I exited the Cincinnati airport and was greeted by my Lyft driver Robert, an old man in his 70s. He wore suspenders and large wire framed glasses. His parched voice came with a slight quiver that made me question if this was the right job for him. The Biden age debate was the crux of the political conversation that week so I couldn’t help but project the country’s age anxiety onto Robert. But he put me at ease with safe, not slow, driving. And when I told him it was my first time in Cincinnati, he handed me a double sided printout titled, “Lyft your spirits while in Cincinnati with things to see, do, and a little history.” I knew right then that Cincinnati would punch above its weight.

Imagine Appalachia, more specifically West Virginia, with its constant roll of verdant hills, but instead of sparse civilization peppered in, a captivating, approachable city breaks through the hills and along the river. But yes, a real city. Not a town with a single building reaching above the trees, a city with a skyline, history, and vibrant renewal that’s palpable.

I’ll say it now – fuck the NFL broadcasters who have reduced this place to shots of Skyline Chili – a heap of spaghetti covered in chili and shredded, glowing cheese.

Crossing the Ohio River into the heart of city, Cincinnati shows off right away with the Roebling Bridge, a classic suspension bridge painted blue that bleeds into the sky above. And peeking from the Skyline downtown sits the Carew Tower, an Art Deco masterpiece, for years the tallest in the city until the Great American Tower was completed in 2011, edging it out by 86 feet.

The rest of the drive was dotted with historic rowhouses, renovated behemoths like the Cincinnati Music Hall (home to their famous Symphony Orchestra), city streets that felt lively, a prevalent city bike system (always a good sign for me), and of course, a solid dose of the Midwest abandon. Brian Olive, a pillar of the Cincinnati rock scene, chatted with me during my visit and highlighted that, “Growing up in the Midwest, everyone had their favorite abandoned buildings. You explored them as kids, that’s what you did with your free time.”

Time to Learn Something - Before proceeding, here are some quick facts about Cincinnati, I know you don’t know anything about the Queen City.

• First, a few things about that goddamn Skyline Chili.

1.     It’s Cincinnati Chili, not Skyline Chili. The origins of the Chili are from immigrant restauranteurs using their own Mediterranean spice blend (ample cinnamon, clove, and tomato) to create the unique flavor.

2.     Skyline is just one of many Cincinnati Chili restaurants in the city. It’s actually a large chain with over 160 locations across Ohio, Kentucky, Indiana, and Florida.

3.     Camp Washington Chili is widely considered the favorite in town. During my visit, they were closed for two weeks for their annual family summer vacation. That bygone tradition warmed my heart. There’s no way a family joint with old school values like that could make bad food.

4.     Cincinnati Chili is pretty damn good. I had it on some Coneys at Great American Ballpark.

• The Roebling Bridge was built by John A. Roebling, it opened in 1867, and was the model for the Brooklyn Bridge, which, duh, was also designed by him.

• The term Soap Opera came out of Cincinnati. Soap manufacturer’s, notably Procter & Gamble (based in Cincy), ran so many ads during these shows (originally radio dramas) that the entire genre was named after the advertising. These slowly morphed into the TV dramas we knew in the 80s and 90s.

• The Cincinnati Reds were the first professional baseball team.

• The Great American Tower’s top has a crown, which was inspired by Princess Diana. Yep.

• The Sultana was a 260 foot wooden steam transport boat built in Cincinnati in the 1860s. In 1865 it was carrying 2,300 Union soldiers (it had a capacity of only 376) on the Mississippi just north of Memphis when a steam broiler exploded killing 1,700 people. That’s 200 more than the Titanic. It remains the worst maritime disaster in American history.

• Cincinnati, being a city on the border of the Union & Confederate States, played a significant role with the Underground Railroad. There’s now the National Underground Freedom Center here. I regretfully chose the American Sign Museum over this one and did not experience it.

• Bootsy Collins is from here, as is the very underrated, late Roger Troutman.

• The Cincinnati Bengals are named after the Cincinnati Zoo’s tigers. Apparently it’s a great zoo.

Clockwise, from top left: The Roebling Bridge looking towards downtown; notes from Robert my Lyft driver; the North Side Yacht Club; Junker's Tavern, the OTR 2X

Northside – Great vibes, cash-only dives, and heavy pours

Locals abbreviate the Northside Yacht Club as NSYC and it looks a lot like NSYNC which is very confusing. I thought I was arriving during their weekly NSYNC karaoke, but it was just Northside Yacht Club karaoke.

Instead, the vibe was immediately good here, a rock crowd mixed with older normies and regulars. ZZ Top’s “Sharp Dressed Man,” was crankin’ on the jukebox as I saddled up to one of two open bar seats for an ice cold high life. Shortly after, an attractive woman around my age sat at the other vacant stool.

Julie and I hit it off – talking about life while she doled out doses of Cincinnati insight, none more affirming than the fact that she loved the city, its trajectory, and didn’t want me turning too many people onto its unheralded coolness. A problem I’d kill for. But for now, Julie’s secret remains safe with us.

After we ate, she turned me onto to their house special, a peanut butter tequila shot. I don’t know what’s in it besides tequila, but it tastes like peanut butter and is somehow delicious. Honestly, fantastic. Between that and the large, emergency assistance buttons in the bathrooms, it’s a wonder I ever left. Confused? Video below.

Julie drove me to my final destination which was very much in walking distance, Junker’s Tavern. This dive proved fortuitous for me. Not only did I get the largest pour of whiskey I’ve ever received (about two and half pours in one), but I saddled up next to John, a true Cincinnatian and evangelist of the city. Within minutes of chatting with him he shared his number and offered to take me Findlay Market. It also marked the first time I willingly left a half full drink at a bar.

After only 6 hours on the ground in Cincinnati I had met three very different advocates for the city. That alone says something for the people and the pride the city has instilled in them.

Over-The-Rhine & Downtown – A downtown I don’t hate + a quintessential neighborhood

The next morning was a muggy Midwest summer standard. I hate humid heat, and yet there’s something undeniable about that air. It feels like how I always imagine summer. That swampy thickness creates a visceral feeling, connecting back to childhood summers traveling to Missouri and Texas, free of school and what feels like endless possibility.

The night before the sky had opened for a quick 20 minute torrential downpour, and it ripped open again on this morning. It’s another Midwest specialty – wild rain that feels like it came out of nowhere. With just a few booms of thunder and cracks of lightning, an overcast sky can darken, and the streets are instantly under flash flood warnings. When these storms have been absent from your daily life, it’s palpable, triggering a positive but uncontrollable feeling, almost like ASMR. When the rain came to an end 90 minutes later, it was like nothing ever happened, the sun reemerged, and I stepped out to explore.

Running the city usually gets me off the beaten path and uncovering hidden gems, here though, I ended up with a closer look at the obvious – Downtown, the Riverfront, and the OTR – Over The Rhine neighborhood. The area lured me in for much of the weekend, it’s a magical spot. Call it touristy, obvious, or easy, but there’s a great energy there, even if it means more gawkers and gentrification.

First, it’s all bordered by the cities three professional teams’ stadiums, but rather than the stadiums all occupying one strip and isolated by highways and parking lots like so many other cities, they create a triangle shape and encompass the area. That means, in any given month, one of the city’s three major league teams is playing and bringing hordes of people into the center of the city. Of course, this area is vibey without the extra foot traffic, but with it, things are intensified.

Second, the Central Business District actually has some fun bars – Knockback Nat’s, Madonna’s, In-between, O’Malley’s in the Alley, and Arnold’s (the oldest bar in the city and seemingly beloved by all). Finally, Over The Rhine is an absolute gem of a neighborhood (The name comes from the Germans who settled the area in the mid-1800s. Many walked to work across bridges over the Miami and Erie Canal, which separated the area from downtown Cincinnati. The canal was nicknamed "the Rhine" in reference to the river Rhine in Germany). The famous Findlay Market is the heartbeat of it, a classic public market offering all you could want, open 6 days a week, and staying consistently slammed at all hours.  But it’s so much more. Over-The-Rhine has been compared to Greenwich Village and Arthur Frommer even said,

“In all of America, there is no more promising an urban area for revitalization than your own Over-the-Rhine… I see in my mind the possibility of a revived district that literally could rival similar prosperous and heavily visited areas.”

That was 1995, so he was either a prophet or people took note because the area has seen an incredible rebuild.

Robert had told me that during the 80s and 90s, the OTR was one of the most dangerous neighborhoods in the country. When he and his wife were finally able to feel safe walking out of the Symphony Orchestra, seeing people in the streets enjoying themselves, not fighting or passed out, he cried. So, what changed?

Mainly the 3CDC got involved. They’re a non-profit focused on revitalizing the urban core in partnership with the city and corporate community. Their mission is reimagining key civic spaces, adding market-rate and affordable housing to the urban core and creating vibrant-density through mixed-use residential and office projects that support local small businesses. Brian mentioned that he saw it as the small businesses that really had helped bring things back to life, and that there was probably an overemphasis on stadiums. Either way, the idea that corporations, which have so much power (good or bad) over the city they inhabit, now have a direct responsibility to the betterment of it, is fantastic.

Yes, 3CDC had restored old buildings, created new spaces with them, and brought in small businesses that could thrive and bring foot traffic, but most fascinating was how the new and old coexisted. Many rowhouses and apartments did not seem to be part of any revitalization and continued to house lower income, predominately black families. Their kids played on the city streets while the adults made the sidewalks into makeshift patios out of their stoops and lawn chairs. They seemed intent to socialize and live in the neighborhood as they always had, even if it was now amongst the evolving landscape of boutique shops, tourists, and buzzy bars and restaurants.

Was 3CDC subsidizing their housing costs? I doubt it. Was there underlying tension over the gentrification of the neighborhood? Likely. Could these families turn a healthy profit if they sold their homes? Only if they owned them. All that said there seemed to be a level of harmony with the long-term residents and the rebuild taking place around them. Rather than being priced out it seemed that maybe they were able to stay and keep a stake in the now desirable neighborhood.

Clockwise, from top left: Downtown / OTR; 3CDC; City Hall; Fireside Pizza + tab; Camp Washington abandonment

Walnut Hill, Camp Washington, Northside, OTR – Cheap fun & peak abandonment

I had big dreams about what a sandwich at the Pickled Pig would be like, but they were closed, so I hopped over to Fireside Pizza, the next closest spot. I sat at the bar and grabbed a Bell’s ale and an 11” Greek pizza. The spot’s an old firehouse with a gigantic wood burning pizza oven — it’s a cute neighborhood joint.

The beer was cold and the pizza was your classic wood-fired oven style – thin crust that’s crunchy on the bottom and still chewy up top. It was perfect for a quick pop-in. Closing out, I was told it was happy hour – half off the beer and the pizza. My total? $9.16. I have been to a lot of inexpensive cities and even more hole in the wall joints. This topped them all. I’m not sure I’ve ever seen a better deal than that. I’d be charged 4X for the same thing in Brooklyn.

The American Sign Museum is on the west side of town in a mostly desolate stretch of abandoned warehouses wedged between train tracks and the freeway — a neighborhood called Camp Washington. A disassembled Arby’s hat sign sits out front while a billboard-sized, original McDonald’s golden arches sign awaits you glowing inside. The museum charges $15 and I worked my way through it in less than 30 minutes. There are some wonderful vintage signs like the aforementioned old school fast food and classic neon beer. There’s even a shop where you can watch the pros making neon.

But the real treat was the abandonment across the street. A behemoth of chipping yellow paint, giving way to lifeless cement stood towering over empty lots. Every window grid was a scattershot of broken panes. It was eight stories tall and what felt like half a city block. It was one of dozens here in Cincinnati, hundreds in Ohio, and thousands across the country. It was covered in graffiti and the futile attempts to mask it. It was a permanent playground for delinquent youth, a home for the houseless, and a gritty beauty from a long gone era.

Since it’s never not mealtime on vacation, I was already planning my next stop. While dives with well executed bar food may be my go-to, I do have a soft spot for some finer dining. To take advantage solo, bar seating is required. Mid City restaurant in the OTR fits the bill, a spot for inventive food and drinks from an unpretentious staff. The place has a full dining room plus a narrow bar room with 8-10 stools and few tables. You’d be at home dressed up here, but there’s no need when the bartender is tatted up wearing a tee shirt and a hat.

I ordered bitter greens — Swiss chard, asparagus, parmigiano, and golden soy dressing. It was straight from the farm, and I could’ve just had a bowl of that. The potato salad was made with smoked trout, leek, carrot, egg, and parsley. It was a perfect cold dish during summer, adding the trout was ingenious. Given these were small plates, I also ordered a baked Alaska for dessert. This was wholly unnecessary but sometimes the only way to show some self love if through a beautiful meringue.

Back in Northside I grabbed a drink at Urban Artifact, a brewery in an old church. Utilizing that space was once a unique prospect, but now borderline cliché. I love beer but we might need to pump the brakes on the craft breweries. Instead of focusing on making delicious beer, so many spots rely on a gimmick like that to lure people in. That said, Urban Artifact is pretty rad. They do make delicious drinks, with their focus on fruit tart beers. “Pickle,” an ale brewed with cucumber and dill, is an absolute delight on a 90 degree day in a cool, dark basement.

I passed through the Northside Rock N’ Roll Carnival – an annual and free, 3-day festival that was in action all weekend from 4 to midnight. The vibes we’re good — college kids, families, and all the alternative types took part in the festivities. It had the feel of an adult oriented street fair, but music as the focal point. Beers were $7 and with only a few hundred people there at that time, no bathroom lines.

I worked my way through Northside, checking out the Northside Tavern for a drink before walking to the northern most end to the Comet. It’s a solid bar and venue in an otherwise residential stretch of the neighborhood. Brian had mentioned that one of the best developments in recent memory for the music scene was that the clubs and bars finally started charging covers. Somehow this was something not done in previous decades. However, I walked into the Comet for free.

Clockwise, from top left: American Sign Museum 2X; Northside; Rock n' Roll Carnival; Mid City bitter greens + baked Alaska; Northside 2X; Abandoned greatness

Covington, Findlay Market, and OTR – I secretly always hope there’s an excuse to drink before noon

The next day I ran straight to, and over, the Roebling Bridge into Covington, Kentucky. I don’t have a good sense of what the feel is supposed to be or if Covington is having a renaissance of sorts like Cincinnati. But I can say that it’s cute, and as a suburb, it feels distinct and built up, not necessarily dependent on Cincinnati. The downtown had several blocks of colorfully painted row houses littered with bars and restaurants. If I ever have to move to a suburb, it better look like Covington.

After my run, I rushed to Findlay Market, into the packed Market Wines wine bar and shop at 11 a.m. John was seated at the end of the bar with an empty stool next to him. “I’ve had to guard this for the last 45 minutes… we’re doing this wine tasting,” he said pointing to a list of 4 wines. John likes to get down, so I saddled up, keeping to myself that I’d just run for an hour on a hangover and hadn’t consumed anything yet that day, save for the coffee in my hand.

We chatted with the owner, who of course John knew well, as we worked our way through the tasting menu. John was in his 60s but presented as a rocker. He was Lemmy-esque in appearance – tall and wide, an imposing figure with long, chest length gray hair that met up with his goatee about three buttons down his shirt. But he was a gentle giant. He wore all black, including his cowboy hat, and walked with a cane and noticeable limp. He seemed to be in a semi-retired state, taking odd jobs here and there, but mostly luxuriating across town on a tight budget. 

He was genuinely friendly and had a real love for Cincinnati. As it always seems to be, hearing that I was traveling to learn about the Cincinnati opened him up completely. He was not the type I had to struggle to fill the conversation with, it was easy for him to share. He regaled me with stories from his previous life as a backline and drum tech in the world of touring music. He worked with Nine Inch Nails for 17 years and did production with the Pixies, Bauhaus, KMDFM, Orgy, Blondie, Guns N Roses, and Earth Wind & Fire. The man had a bona fide career. But he also had gone through some serious loss. His home and recording studio burned down years prior and he lost hundreds of thousands of dollars in equipment alone. While he never recovered financially from that, John seemed to be at peace with it and learned how to live the way he wanted without monetary restrictions keeping him down.

I figured he’d be done with me at this point. I was late to meet, and he just spent an hour with me. Instead, it was only the beginning. He toured me through the market, then took me to the Cincinnati Hemp Company. He knew the staff and we were offered some free gummies to try. I’ve had my share of buybacks at the bar, but never have I seen free weed given at the dispensary. John ate his, I saved mine – it was noon and I already had a wine buzz on an empty stomach.

We grabbed a drink at Holiday Spirits where I had my first Cincinnati Light Lager. Take note breweries, there may be no better name for a beer than, “City of Origin + Type of Beer.” Cincy Light just sounds cheap and delicious. And with a couple Chicago glizzys and fries on a summer day? Perfect. Our crawl continued to Uncle Leo’s.

Leo’s was just a few years old so it wasn’t a true dive, it didn’t have the years of wear and tear serving a no bullshit crowd. It was just easy, welcoming, and a little weird to cut out the squares and basic bros. It’s snug inside, a bit dark with red lighting, and heavy on wall décor – neon signs, random stained glass, clocks, flags, and paintings. This little bar pulled a big crowd away from a beautiful and sunny Saturday afternoon and into the darkness for A/C assisted day drinking.

We emerged from the air-conditioned cave to continue and catch some sun ourselves. We moved a few blocks up to Rhinegeist Brewery, home of Cincy Light. The brewery is in an old warehouse in the OTR, occupying the upper levels and rooftop bar. The roof has 360 degree views of the city. You’re enveloped on three sides by rolling hills with old, abandoned buildings sprouting out from the forest, with Downtown to the south. There’s a cartoon charm to the whole scene — vibrant green hillsides dotted with murals and century-old red brick architecture peak out while fat Midwest marshmallow clouds bob across the blue sky.

Clockwise, from top left: Findlay Market; John at the market; Uncle Leo's 2X; Rhinegeist Brewery Rooftop 2X

Northside –  Off the grid but in the city

John and I could have day drank well into the night, and if not for planning to meet Brian Olive back up north, I would’ve taken that ride. But I held my obligation (I was the one that reached out, after all) and visited Brian’s home-turned-studio, Mt. Saturn Studio. I didn’t have much of a plan when I reached out, other than to understand the appeal of this city from someone who had lived elsewhere, toured internationally, and flirted with fame (he played with the Soledad Brothers when they were support for the White Stripes on their Elephant tour). I climbed the steep staircase to the house and scanned outside but the studio appeared empty. I was looking across the yard and then at the drained pool, when a head appeared just above the lip of it and two eyes darted at me from under a wide brim gardening hat, “Over here.”

The studio was on 2 acres of wooded land and felt removed from the city. My Lyft driver even asked if I was sure I wanted to be dropped off there. Yet, it was a 15-minute walk to the heart of Northside. A perfect example of the small town appeal and urban access that Cincinnati can offer simultaneously.

An Ohio native, Brian spent time in LA and Detroit in the late 90s and aughts while touring as part of the Greenhornes and Soledad Brothers. For the last decade he’d been back in Cincinnati, content to work on solo projects and production for other artists. Today it was a home base where it was possible to build out a studio affordably in a city flush with talented musicians to record. He built the studio and now was completing the pool himself, with hopes of an inaugural party in the next couple of weeks. But early in Brian’s career Cincinnati had been a great place as an ambitious musician – the proximity to so many different cities and markets made building and expanding a fanbase easier without the need for full tour schedules. Cincinnati seemed to meet Brian where we was at, offering the right opportunities with little downside at very different life stages. Brian’s relaxed air and his eagerness to complete the pool made it easy to see the appeal in settling here for the long haul.

Downtown, OTR – The Great American Pastime (eating, drinking… and eating and drinking again)

Back downtown, I got a quick round at Knockback Nat’s, a popular pre-game spot, before heading to the Red’s game at Great American Ballpark. I don’t care about baseball, yet there is something uniquely fun about a summer day at the park. Maybe it’s the fact that it’s a sport that lends itself more to the consumption of food and alcohol under the sun rather than ever paying attention to the game? If so, I executed this well. I ate two Coneys with Cincinnati Chili and grabbed a tall boy of Busch Lite before wedging myself between two families in my seat in the lower bowl. I followed that up with a tour of the stadium, and another tall boy in the upper deck.

I left the stadium and made my way to Milton’s Prospect Hill Tavern for a quick beer. It’s a simple and satisfying neighbor bar that always has the game on. I watched the Reds relinquish the lead to the Tigers before walking back to the OTR.  The area was alive with Saturday crowds that were growing with an influx of fans leaving the Reds game and those pregaming FC Cincinnati’s evening match. I popped into Sundry & Vice, a hipster cocktail bar, for a couple drinks before I made my way to dinner at Collette OTR.

Collette is a self-described “mostly French restaurant.” In the same vein as Mid City, the place is welcoming if you want to dress up and splurge, say, with an $80 Cab Franc and Cote de Boeuf, but they welcome cooked trash like myself to sit at the bar too. I was shocked to find Spaghett on the menu – a Highlife bottle with 1/5^th poured to the side and the bottle topped with Aperol and lemon juice. It’s a great summer drink, the cheap beer version of the Aperol Spritz, named after a classic Tim & Eric character.

To eat, I went with the brisket blend burger and fries. It’s a good gourmet burger, but at $22 I should have dropped another five bucks for something more unique. But I’m not complaining when I’m sitting on a comfortable barstool (with a back!), posted up at a sun drenched marble bar top, swilling Spaghett, and watching the foot traffic flow by.

Clockwise, from top left: Cincinnati Chili dogs; Great American Ballpark; No Hands at the urinal; Milton's Prospect Hill Tavern; The Comet; Covington rowhouses, Collette OTR; Abandoned theatre at the edge of the OTR

The end – It always comes back to Punk

Haggard and waiting for my 6 a.m. flight to board the next day, I noticed a band with their gear, and one of the members wearing a NOFX hat. I ended up sitting next to him on the flight. After I settled into my seat, I pointed to his hat, “Ya know, I was at their final tour in Portland last weekend.”

“Yeah, so was I. We were actually on stage singing ‘Kill All The White Man.”

Didn’t see that coming. Oops.

We talked more about the show and he shared video of the performance. I was floored. Not just by the fact that we were both there, or the video of them onstage, but the fact that his band, 1876, was also from Portland. And they had just closed out Saturday night of Northside Rock N’ Roll Carnival. They’re legit! And they have their own style they call ‘Pow Wow Punk Rock.’ They’re an indigenous band with lyrical content heavily focused on acknowledging the erased past of Native American, while bringing a voice to indigenous musicians. Cincinnati had exceeded expectations all weekend, so it made sense that the little talked about city would be aware of a cool Portland punk band before I was.

It can be hard to write about something that’s just simply good. It’s often easier to find the cracks in things and complain, or offer half-baked solutions. But Cincinnati was cool across the board. It strikes the right balance of midwest resolve, southern charm, grungy rust belt aesthetics, and a slow growing refinement. If anything, I’m struck by how little we ever hear about it. For anyone who likes big city amenities but doesn’t want the prices, sprawl, or intensity that come with them, you’ll be hard pressed to do better than Cincinnati. The pieces are all there – a beautiful setting, eclectic walkable neighborhoods, affordable cost of living, great food, fun bars and music, and the sense that it’s only getting better.

There’s a great quote from Mark Twain that reads, “When the end of the world comes, I want to be in Cincinnati because it’s always 20 years behind the times” (h/t Brian Olive). I love it. The only problem? It’s a quote that’s been attributed to several different people and cities. It does not originate with Twain or Cincinnati, it’s just applied to the city when convenient. There is a less clever quote I found that relates to the origin of the nickname “Queen City.” It’s attributed to the Cincinnati Enquirer and author Ed B Cooke in 1819, who said, “The City is, indeed, justly styled the fair Queen of the West: distinguished for order, enterprise, public spirit, and liberality, she stands the wonder of an admiring world.” I don’t think Cincinnati will feel 20 years behind for much longer but I do think the world needs to start recognizing and admiring her again. Do it now, before the masses start running amuck in this actual hidden gem.