It’s been over a year since I finished, but graduate school at the University of Cincinnati’s College of Design, Architecture, Art, and Planning (DAAP) was both rewarding and challenging. Cliché I know, but the ability to study urban planning and design in a city like Cincinnati and in the atmosphere of DAAP was something I won’t soon forget. For the second half of my two-year program, much of my energy was geared towards writing my Master’s thesis, something that proved to be the most academically challenging process I’d ever partaken in. But it was also rewarding because I chose to study the implementation of Form Based Codes in Cincinnati’s Neighborhood Business Districts, a topic that allowed me to truly explore every inch of the city. By the time my thesis was written and turned in, I had gained a true appreciation for Cincinnati’s built form and fell in love with the varying and unique business districts that truly make Cincinnati a city of neighborhoods.
For those unfamiliar with Cincinnati, the city has numerous neighborhood business districts (NBDs) spread across its urban landscape – places of mixed-use and/or commercial activity that are typically pedestrian oriented, intimate, and urban scaled. These unique, diverse NBD’s often act as identity markers and place makers for their respective neighborhoods as they are centralized in their communities and retail tenants tend to reflect the population that serves them. For example, when people think of or talk about Hyde Park, the famous Hyde Park Square and its restaurant and upscale boutiques are often the images conjured up that represents that neighborhood, for Clifton its Ludlow and the Esquire Theatre, and for Northside, its Hamilton Avenue and the unique eateries and shops located there.
As part of my thesis, I had to define and inventory every NBD that officially existed within city limits and from there, I had to discuss different types of form based codes that was appropriate for that neighborhood’s future. For the sake of discussion and an interesting blog post, I thought I would re-visit my thesis topic and put together a completely subjective list on both form and experience that summarizes what I generally concluded about the city’s business districts. So for fun, here is what I think of some of Cincinnati’s best NBD’s:
Most unique: Northside
The NBD with the most unique eating, shopping options (hello Casablanca Vintage, Shake It Records, and Melt), and bar scene (where Northside Tavern meets Bronze) all in a wonderfully unique urban form with a terminating vista and everything!
Most aesthetically pleasing: Hyde Park and Mt. Adams
Hyde Park
The picture of neighborhood business districts, with a beautifully landscaped esplanade, a fountain, wide and clean sidewalks, and well-groomed buildings.
Mt. Adams
Not as ‘squeaky clean’ as Hyde Park, yet has a great intimate feel, brick walks, and hilly landscape that makes its sense-of-place undeniable.
Most active: Clifton
One of the smaller NBD’s, yet this short strip of activity along Ludlow Avenue packs a big punch. Right when you enter the district, pedestrians, bicyclists, and dogs on leashes fill the sidewalks and plazas in an urban, fairly dense atmosphere.
Most walkable: Clifton
While most of Cincinnati’s NBDs are quite walkable, Clifton is the ‘most’ walkable because of the amount of essential services provided along Ludlow, the narrow nature of the street, and the great transit access the district has.
Most underrated: Oakley
Oakley Square seems to get looked over by its more prominent neighbors: Hyde Park Square and Mt. Lookout Square. And yet, it is Oakley who has some of the city’s best restaurants (Boca), ice cream parlors (Aglamesis), shopping (Voltage and Closson’s), and the best Skyline. The Square’s current streetscape and design overhaul should make the district a bit more aesthetically pleasing and allow people to truly appreciate all it has to offer.
Most urban: Northside
Probably Cincinnati’s true ‘urban village’, as it is features the most densely built form outside the basin. Plus, the experience is as diverse and eclectic as Cincinnati has to offer.
Most diverse: Northside
The business district that brings together Cincinnati’s hipsters, gays, African-Americans, college kids, socialites, and restaurant snobs.
Best architecture: DeSales Corner (East Walnut Hills)
St. Francis DeSales, San Marco flats, and the entire building stock along Woodburn are simply breathtaking.
Most untapped potential: Peebles Corner (Walnut Hills)
It’s central location, density/urbanity, potential for mix of uses, beautiful architecture, and transit access makes this NBD Cincinnati’s diamond in the rough.
NBD to watch out for: Mt. Lookout
Surrounded by promising demographics (young, educated, and wealthy), its sense of place characteristics (the NBD sits in a small valley tucked between hills), its strong community anchors (MLT’s), and its desire to get better and more urban (currently going through a significant streetscape and redesign), Mt. Lookout Square is quickly catching up with Hyde Park Square, it’s glitzy, more attractive neighbor.
Best Overall NBD: Clifton
In the end, I have to go with the NBD I lived by during my two-year stint in Cincinnati. While Northside’s Hamilton Avenue gave it a good run for its money, Ludow Avenue in Clifton is the clear winner. When it comes down to it, Ludlow probably has the most energy and activity, is surrounded by considerable density, has great transit access, and has all the essential services (urban grocery store, library, post office, hardware store, banks, movie theatre, restaurants, bars, etc, etc, etc) that cater to an urban lifestyle. basically, Clifton provides the best opportunity to live car free in Cincinnati outside the basin.
It is important to know that this list excludes any neighborhood found in the city’s basin, as this is generally referred to as ‘downtown Cincinnati’ and thus considered one giant business district (sorry OTR). This list also does not include the wonderful NBDs of Northern Kentucky. Certainly, Bellevue, Newport, and Covington all can lay claim to a number of these titles.
I know there are some prominent NBDs left off my list (O’Bryonville and Pleasant Ridge come to mind) but in reality, I could go on and on and on with a list of ‘most’ this or ‘most’ that so for the sake of this post, I limited myself to ten categories. So what do you think? What is Cincinnati’s most unique, most underrated, most diverse? All in all, what do you think is Cincinnati’s best neighborhood business district?
I would disagree that Downtown & OTR are “one giant business district.” OTR is incredibly distinctive as a neighborhood including shopping, dining, drinking and dwelling.
In fact, having lived in Covington, Highland heights, Obryonville & Hyde Park, I’ve never felt more a part of a neighborhood & community as I do in OTR.
Day in and day out, the people I interact with in OTR are my OTR neighbors. Northside always feels like visitors, but few residents. Clifton always seems like mostly students.
Regardless, its always nice to see a take on all the great neighborhoods of Cincinnati. No matter what kind of neighborhood you want to live in, there are tremendous & affordable options for almost all tastes.
Ill agree that otr has a ton of neighborhoody traits but it didn’t seem fair to compare otr to other ‘hoods as its a completely different type of place, has a number of nbds, and whose built form is incomparable to any other Cincinnati neighborhood.
Very interesting! I have to agree with you a quite a few fronts. In a way it makes me sad, though. I really wish that when they were doing the redevelopment in my neighborhood, Columbia Tusculum, they would have made a more integrated city scape. I think they missed a major opportunity here!
I agree. That new development along columbia pkwy is really a missed opportunity in an other wise great neighborhood.
I agree with you that Clifton’s Ludlow Avenue is probably the best neighborhood business district in Cincinnati. It has it all: open space, grocery, pharmacy, post office, library, movie theatre, restaurants, watering holes, transit access, and vibrancy.
With that said, Clifton Heights may have the most potential as the empty space between Calhoun and McMillan Street is developed. Currently the area boasts a lot of very good things, and the remaining pieces to the puzzle could very well be filled in with this large development opportunity. Add in a small grocery and something like a comedy club or live music lounge and you will really have a nice collection of businesses there. A hotel, or two, are coming and there is already a great density of people there that create a very vibrant district.
As for some of the other areas not mentioned. Bellevue has a terrific NBD over in Nky, and I would say that Newport and Covington are similar to downtown Cincinnati in a sense that they aren’t the same type of animal when it comes to NBDs.
A couple of other places not to sleep on are Cheviot (gritty, but there) and College Hill (potential).
Randy. I agree that Bellevues nbd as well ad main strasse in Covington are certainly top notch nbds. But I kept my discussion to Cincinnati nbds only. Sorry Cheviot.
i live 1/2 block from ludlow ave. in clifton gaslight. i love this neighborhood and couldn’t live anywhere else in the city. i can very easily get all my essentials by walking. i work at home and it’s not uncommon for me to not use my car for a week or more. i would even go as far as to say it’s one of the best neighborhoods in the midwest.
Pleasant Ridge has potential, but it remains far more a middle class bedroom suburb than most of the other neighborhoods w/ great NBDs. The Hyde Park/Mt. Lookout and even Oakley NBDs have quite a bit more wealth at their disposal to drive development. I think that Northside could someday displace Clifton, but generally I’d agree w/ your rankings.
Having been born in Cincinnati and raised in Chicago (with yearly Cincinnati pilgrimages) and a livelong architectural urbanophile, I’ve always been perplexed why Cincinnati is not better known for its natural beauty and urban texture.
Since I was a kid I have always found Mt. Adams, Hyde Park and Over The Rhine enchanting. The hills and views were particularly exciting for this flatlander, and the scale and ages of the communities were captivating (to one who’s home city had nothing older than 100 years in it). All and all, a city as physically charming as any and with such layering of age and history (and I have traveled extensively).
Unfortunately, Cincinnati’s most visible and prominent “vibe” noticed by visitors is it’s uber-conservative and “uptight” nature. Having visited Cincinnati for business often throughout my career, I am always struck by the homogeneous “Stepford”-ness of the place from the the airport to downtown.
Accepting that Cincinnatians will never resemble San Franciscans socially or politically, I nonetheless wonder from this article whether the fact that, as a result of the topography/geography of the city, few business visitors experience or even pass through the city’s communities and neighborhoods that would have them return to their home cities and recount “what a secret cool place” Cincinnati is.
The city’s reputation for racism and puritanic anti-gay attitudes is VERY VISIBLE AND PERCEPTIBLE — enough to off-put all the physical charm the city has to offer. It’s a shame because Cincinnati’s “vibe” leaves it a perpetually unpolishable gem.
Jon Boehner isn’t helping to lighten-up Cincinnati’s image either. On the contrary, he’s the embodiment of Cincinnati’s outside image — white, angry and intolerant.
Scott, you hit the real sub-topic here. I visited Cincinnati a couple of times and was also struck by the natural setting and urban fabric. My first time, staying at the Queen City Club and spending most of my time around the university was a myopic view of the city but on later visits that included broader exposure to the neighborhoods,some aptly described here, I could not shake the overwhelming conservative, prevailing attitudes. It ultimately turned me from a curious and eager visitor to “been there, done that”. This must be a stressful task for an urban planner such as the talented Mr. Greg.
Scott and Paul, thanks for the comments. I completely agree with both of your sentiments. Check out a post I wrote a while back on this very topic where I discussed my love-hate relationship with Cincinnati. http://urban-out.com/2010/03/08/cincinnati-a-love-love-hate-relationship/
Greg . . . I stumbled upon this site because I am planning a move to Cincinnati in a few weeks for work. You recap of the NBD is informative and gives some great base information. I have a degree in interior design from a program strongly rooted in architecture so I love your architecture/planning point of view.
I also read your other blog love hate . . . I grew up in Philadelphia and have lived 18 years in NYC. As a result I do have some of the concerns about the city not being open.
The pictures you post are all very alluring each for different reasons and I love the threads of NBD weaving the tapestry of the city. In your pics and in person these areas look like postcards, but I have heard so many concerns about crime and safety.
Hyde Park is certainly beautiful (and safe) but a little sleepy. I drove through Walnut Hills NBD and tit looks charming but I have seen blogs warning of the crime and drugs in the area.
So . . . I have a question for you. Since you have lived there and studied architecture/urban planning . . . what are the safer areas possesing the charm that you seem to admire which are walking distance to NBD to live?
Robert
Robert. I’d look into Clifton, MT Adams, main strasse in Covington, and perhaps northside. All great. Let me know if you find anything of interest.
I also graduated from the graduate urban planning at DAAP, albeit about 10 years ago. During my time in school, and for more than two years after that, I lived in the grande dame of Clifton’s apt. houses, the Roanoke. I cannot tell you how oddly exciting it was to wake up Monday morning to go to work or class and I forgot where I parked! I could usually go the whole weekend without any need did my car. What a rare and special experience in 21st century America it is to not need a car! I’m now back in my hometown of Memphis and bought a condo on a street that has some Ludlow-like qualities, but I think Clifton is truly a national treasure, as are most of Cincinnati’s NBD’s.