Cincinnati, Ohio is a Great Place to Live

When I tell people that I’m moving to Cincinnati, Ohio, it’s usually followed by a blank stare. After regaining composure, the next question is whether I have any family in Ohio. It’s as if there needs to be some extremely compelling reason to set foot into the state. It’s clear that people aren’t too impressed by my decision to move to Ohio, but I chalk it up to ignorance. They don’t know what they’re missing.

Anyways, I thought I’d spend a post talking about Cincinnati and why it’s a great place to live. That way, next time you go to a dinner party and someone tells you that they’re from Cincinnati, you don’t act like a fool. So, here are five reasons that I think Cincinnati is a great place to live:

1. Character

The main reason I like Cincinnati is that it’s a city with character. It’s known for its deep German roots. Beer, brats, and tasty meats can be found throughout the city. Over the Rhine, an older part of the city, was named for the river in Europe. The river has since been filled up, but the name stuck. Across the way and within walking distance of the city is the Hofbrauhaus – yes, like the one in Munich. The oversized, soft pretzels are delicious there, and the beer is great. The Hofbrauhaus here is one of only two outside of Germany – the other is in Nevada, I believe.

Also, a lot of the newer cities in America have a cookie-cutter feel to them, as if they were unwrapped from packages shipped from the same suburb-producing factory. Cincinnati’s not like that. It’s got some grit and years of experience under its belt. Even the different parts of the city feel really different. Downtown, Mt. Adams, Clifton, Hyde Park, etc. are all neighborhoods in the city of Cincinnati that feel like they could be separate towns. So if you’re a little bored, you can drive over to a different part of the city, and it’ll feel like you’re somewhere new.

I think it’s funny when people snub their noses at Cincinnati and suggest that Charlotte, NC or Atlanta, GA are better places to live. Those are cities with no character. But that’s okay, maybe you’re the kind of person that just likes tall buildings and no personality. Charlotte and Atlanta might be perfect for you.

2. An Awesome Looking City

When most people see the city for the first time, they’re impressed with the skyline (no, not that one). Flanking the small army of tall buildings at the center of the city is a set of stadiums – the Bengal’s football stadium and the Red’s baseball stadium. And branching out from the city are 7 bridges, one of which, John Roebling designed before going on to design the Brooklyn Bridge in New York.

It’s also a pretty easy city to get around. Parking is cheap, and the downtown area is compact, making it pretty easy to get anywhere. And on any given weekend, there’s a decent amount of stuff going on to keep anyone entertained.

3. Graeter’s

I don’t care who you are or where you are from, until you’ve had Graeter’s, you haven’t had the best ice cream ever. It’s delicious, creamy, chocolate-chip-filled ice cream that deserves to be eaten at least once a week.

4. The Arts

Cincinnati’s a pretty artsy city.

There’s always a show playing or a musical group coming into town. All the major bands come through Cincinnati and play at Riverbend (about 20 minutes from downtown). The Arnoff Center has musicals and shows playing throughout the year. And since it’s downtown, you can come a few hours before the show and have a great meal at one of the many restaurants in the area.

There’s a Contemporary Arts Center that’s a lot of fun if you like expanding your mind. It’s a little weird at first but surprisingly entertaining.

Music Hall is where the Cincinnati Symphony plays – they’re great, by the way. Student tickets are dirt cheap and you’ll hear some of the best orchestral music in the country. And I’ve heard that Music Hall is the largest building in the world dedicated solely to classical music. It’s a wonderful building, so even if you don’t like classical music, you should still stop by and check it out.

5. Pretty Affordable

Who cares that Cincinnati isn’t on one of those “best places to live” lists? It’s a great city, and it’s pretty affordable. There’s a lot of decent places to live that are much cheaper than where I went to school (Central North Carolina), so you don’t have to feel like living expenses are holding you hostage. Hopefully, that means more take home money at the end of the day.

So now that you’re a little more acquainted with Cincinnati, you can speak more intelligently about it when a stranger tells you that he or she is from Ohio.