Brandon and I spent less than 24 hours in Over-the-Rhine, Cincinnati, during our trip along the Kentucky Bourbon Trail, but it is one of the most memorable destinations of our 50 in 5 travels so far. I’m not sure if all the stars aligned for us to have the perfect night in the city, or if Cincinnati is always that awesome. We plan to return to find out for sure. Here’s our visit in 5 photos:
Penthouse Airbnb
Since we’d be waking up in Cincinnati on Brandon’s birthday, I looked for a sweet Airbnb for the night and kept it a surprise. A penthouse in the Over-the-Rhine neighborhood was surprisingly affordable, and I snatched it up. The building didn’t have an elevator, but we didn’t mind the climb. My photos of the interior don’t do it justice, but look at the listing to see!
OTR Neighborhood
The weather was chilly, but not cold, and we decided to walk to dinner. We both instantly loved the Over-the-Rhine (OTR) neighborhood. It was full of interesting art at every turn, and beautiful architecture. I snapped several pics, but the one below was a favorite.
In researching OTR since we returned from this trip, I think it’s important to note the revitalization and gentrification that has occurred in the neighborhood. Two articles, in particular, are interesting reads:
- “How Cincinnati Salvaged the Nation’s Most Dangerous Neighborhood”
- “The Rise and Fall of the African-American Community in OTR Cincinnati”
Scooting around
We were in Cincinnati on Super Bowl Sunday, and had no idea that the city essentially shuts down for the night. Most restaurants were closed, including the one where I had intended for us to dine. We finally found a place that was open, Spoon & Cellar, and we were the only two people in the restaurant.
After dinner, Brandon suggested renting scooters to ride back to the Airbnb. I’ll admit that I was highly skeptical, but agreed. Once I got the hang of it, it was so much fun! There were no cars and almost no pedestrians around, so we rode down the streets and sidewalks of Cincinnati alone.
first and second breakfast
The next morning, we walked to Coffee Emporium for breakfast. As we strolled back through OTR, we couldn’t resist stopping for second breakfast at Holtman’s Donuts.
FAREWELL
We had to leave before most of the shops were open for the day, and were both so disappointed to not have more time to explore OTR and the rest of Cincinnati during our trip. Additionally, our Airbnb was seconds from the Cincinnati Music Hall, and we’d love to see a performance there someday.
