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Cincinnati travel guide: Connector streetcar loop, Over-the-Rhine and Smale Riverfront

Set in an amphitheatre of steep wooded hills above a wide bend of the Ohio River, Cincinnati pairs a modern riverfront park corridor with one of America's largest intact 19th-century Italianate neighbourhoods in Over-the-Rhine (OTR). A free 3.6-mile modern streetcar loop links the riverside bridges directly to downtown plazas, Music Hall and the historic market house.

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  1. Cincinnati (Approximate city location)

Location coordinates: Cincinnati.

Arrival and getting around in Cincinnati

Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport (CVG) lies 21 km southwest of downtown across the Ohio River in Hebron, Kentucky; the TANK Route 2X Airporter express bus runs directly from the terminal to downtown Cincinnati and Covington every 30 to 60 minutes in about 25 minutes.

  • Inside the urban basin, the Cincinnati Bell Connector streetcar is completely free to ride and runs a continuous 18-station figure-eight loop between The Banks riverfront, Fountain Square, Washington Park and Findlay Market.
  • Walking between the riverfront, downtown and Over-the-Rhine is flat, whereas reaching hilltop lookouts in Eden Park or Mount Adams requires a short Metro bus ride, bike climb or rideshare.
  • You can easily cross into Covington, Kentucky on foot via the dedicated pedestrian walkways of the historic 1866 John A. Roebling Suspension Bridge.

Sources: Cincinnati Parks: Smale Riverfront Park, Cincinnati Parks: BLINK at Smale Riverfront

Where to stay in Cincinnati

Stay inside the streetcar loop so you can move effortlessly between the Ohio River parks and the dining streets of Over-the-Rhine without driving.

  • Fountain Square and Central Downtown: classic high-rise and historic Art Deco hotels within steps of the TANK airport bus stops, theatres and the riverfront walk.
  • Over-the-Rhine (around Washington Park and Vine Street): restored brick buildings and boutique stays facing Music Hall with immediate access to independent restaurants, bakeries and breweries.
  • Avoid interstate highway hotels up along I-75 or in suburban Blue Ash if your goal is walking the riverfront and Over-the-Rhine, and verify whether major stadium events at The Banks will restrict riverfront parking.

Sources: Cincinnati Parks: BLINK at Smale Riverfront, City of Cincinnati: Riverfront Park Flood Closures

Two-day route for Cincinnati

Link the Ohio River bridges and the free streetcar spine on your first day, then head up into the eastern hilltop parks on day two for panoramic valley views.

  • Day 1: start on the gardens, swings and river terraces of Smale Park and Roebling Bridge along the Ohio River, walk up to the Tyler Davidson Fountain at Fountain Square, ride the free Connector streetcar north to photograph the red-brick Victorian Gothic facade of Music Hall from Washington Park and finish at the 1855 iron-framed market hall of Findlay Market.
  • Day 2: ascend east to Eden Park to walk around the stone bridge and reservoir views at Eden Park Twin Lakes (plus the adjacent Krohn Conservatory and Cincinnati Art Museum), then continue east to the formal tiered gardens and Italian Renaissance Ault Park Pavilion overlooking the Little Miami valley.
  • Rainy-day alternative: ride west to the monumentally scaled Art Deco rotunda of the Cincinnati Museum Center at Union Terminal or spend the afternoon inside the free-admission Cincinnati Art Museum in Eden Park.

Sources: Cincinnati Parks: Smale Riverfront Park, Cincinnati Parks: BLINK at Smale Riverfront, City of Cincinnati: Riverfront Park Flood Closures, Cincinnati Parks: Photography FAQ

Seasonal timing and practical rhythm

Cincinnati's Ohio River valley location produces warm, humid summers with July highs around 30 degrees Celsius, colourful autumns and changeable winters.

  • Late April through June and September through October bring the best walking conditions, spring blooms around Ault Park Pavilion and autumn events such as Oktoberfest Zinzinnati or the biennial BLINK light festival.
  • During heavy spring snowmelt or rain, check City of Cincinnati Parks advisories for lower promenade closures at Smale Riverfront Park, and keep in mind that Findlay Market is closed on Mondays.

Sources