Schaefer loves Cincinnati. We grew up here. When we leave our backyard to speak at conferences or design projects across the nation, we are sometimes asked, “Why Cincinnati?”. We tell them these top 10 reasons (and sometimes more) why we will always call the Queen City home.
1. The food. You can find our favorite fare all over our city. There are too many to include – these are our most notable.
- Skyline Chili is not your Texas-style hearty chili. A recipe brought from Greece, this chili is better on spaghetti or hot dogs and smothered with cheese.
- Goetta is a nod to our German roots, a meat and grain sausage. You can find it on breakfast menus and grocery store shelves across the city. We could argue the best way to sample it is at the annual Goetta Fest that features it in unique dishes like goetta spring rolls and goetta lasagna.
- Graeter’s is our hometown, handcrafted ice cream of choice. Even Oprah loves it!
2. The beer. Beer is a big part of our history; the first commercial brewery opened in 1812. We’ve even been called the Beer Capital of the World. Today, you can tour the old, abandoned cellars and taste the local brews. No one goes thirsty in Cincinnati.
3. Sports. Cincinnati boasts all your favorite sports:
4. The arts. We have the [rock, opera, Broadway, ballet, musical, art, comedic, etc.] venues to host your favorite entertainer. Museums – from historic to art to signs – cover the city. Sounds like you’ll have plans for every Saturday night.
5. Kings Island. Just north of the city screams a Cincinnatian’s favorite summer activity – the largest amusement + waterpark in the Midwest.
6. Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden. The second oldest zoo in the United States (and voted one of the best) opens its doors year-round.
7. Over-the-Rhine. New, modern construction happens every day in Cincinnati, but we don’t forget our roots. OTR is “one of the largest, most intact, nineteenth century urban historic districts in the United States and is believed to contain the nation’s largest contiguous collection of nineteenth century Italianate Architecture“. These renovated historic buildings are now home to one of the trendiest parts of town.
8. The weather. OK the summer heat feels like it can melt tar and in the winter we can drop below zero, but you get to experience all four seasons in Cincinnati.
9. The outdoors. We have nearly 50 parks just in the city limits! Whether you settle in the heart of the city or in the suburbs, you’re never far from green space to explore.
10. The location. The City of Seven Hills (although we’re still confused about which hills make up the seven) is nestled against the Ohio River. Developers and architects have taken advantage of the views, building communities and developments along the river. Across the river lies Kentucky, and less than a half hour away, Indiana. Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport sits just across the river, but we’re driving distance to large, desirable cities. Some of our favorite weekend jaunts? Nashville, Tennessee; Put-in-Bay, Ohio; Chicago, Illinois; Windsor, Canada; and Asheville, North Carolina. We want you to stay local, but there are plenty of new experiences just outside of the city.
It was hard to stop at ten! What’s your favorite part of Cincinnati?
