SIX18 TRAVEL

"Cincinnati is a beautiful city; cheerful, thriving, and animated," said celebrated novelist Charles Dickens. And we quite agree. The winds of revitalization are blowing through the city with force. Only look to the historic Over-the-Rhine district for proof: This neighborhood features vibrant Findlay Market, which gathers hordes of foodies on the weekends, and Cincinnati Music Hall, home to the prestigious Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra. Downtown is another example of this renaissance – the fairly recent renovations of the riverfront Great American Ball Park and the pedestrian-friendly Fountain District (previously Fountain Square) are cases in point.

But there's more to Cincy than just urban development. Some of the more pastoral areas have remained just as green. A walk through the Spring Grove Cemetery & Arboretum will convince you of that point, as will Eden Park, which spreads out beside the Cincinnati Art Museum. So it should be no surprise that Dickens also said, "The inhabitants of Cincinnati are proud of their city as one of the most interesting in America: and with good reason."