Cincinnati/Over-the-Rhine

Over-the-Rhine (OTR) is Cincinnati's largest historic district. It is the location of Music Hall, home of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra and Cincinnati Opera; Findlay Market, Ohio's oldest public market in continuous operation; the Main Street Entertainment District; and much of Cincinnati's creative arts. Also of note is the Gateway Quarter a rebranded part of the neighborhood which has some of the city's hottest and hippest bars and dining spots between Central Parkway and 14th Street on Vine.

Understand
Care should be taken when visiting this neighborhood as crime is more frequent here than in other areas of the city though its going down every year; see stay safe for details. Since the 1980s, the neighborhood has been a battleground between advocates for low income housing and historic preservationists and real estate developers. As a result, the neighborhood is inconsistent in its make up, with high-end housing and shopping within viewing distance of abandoned and decayed buildings with boarded up windows.

This article also covers the adjacent West End. The little bit that survived of this once large densely populated neighborhood would not be notable for travelers except for TQL Stadium, which opened in 2021 as the new home of the Major League Soccer team FC Cincinnati, and the Dayton Street Historic District. At its peak in the mid-to-late 1800s, the Dayton Street District was a millionaires' row that rivaled Prairie Avenue in Chicago, or 5th Avenue in New York City in terms of wealth. Today it’s more than a bit rundown, but less so than the neighborhood that surrounds it. It’s worth a look for the adventurous traveler.

Museums and galleries




Do




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Drink
The Main Street Entertainment District (on Main Street north of 12th Street) was a popular area featuring many clubs and bars. However the riots did their number on the district forcing just about every bar to close down during the 2000s. This isn't all doom and gloom as, there have been attempts to bring bars back up there with several notable night spots opening up in the last few years such as Japp's.



Stay safe
Over-the-Rhine is becoming a popular destination for locals and tourists alike, but it is still in a transition phase. As of 2015, the safest part of Over-the-Rhine is on Vine Street from Central Parkway to just north of 14th Street at the Cincinnati Color Company building (large sign) and Main Street up to Liberty as well as the area immediately surrounding and including Washington Park (which is monitored security cameras) as far north as Taft's Ale House, and Walnut Street up to 14th street just past the 16 bit bar. These areas is well lit at night, and have constant police presence. Use caution wandering off by yourself in Over-the-Rhine at night as the neighborhood is inconsistent in its makeup. A good rule of thumb for OTR is to stay on the major streets (Vine and Main) and stay south of Liberty. Travel in a group if possible, or call/hail a cab.