306,487
Population
Sunny Days: 176
95100 Affordability
80100 Schools
90100 Diversity
65100 Safety
Cincinnati, Ohio
A Square Deal
Cincinnati Skyline, Credit: Dave Morgan
Cincinnati Central District, Credit: Robert Conklin
Cincinnati Bike Culture, Credit: Ahshea1 Media
Anderson Pavillion, Credit: Jessica Tan
LookyLOO Review of Cincinnati
Easy to get a job
Cincinnati is a mid-sized city with the amenities of a big one, without being crowded. There are a lot of Fortune 500 companies with plenty of high-paying jobs along with a low cost of living. Those companies attract people of all ages and at all wages. The great jobs vs. low costs is an incredibly appealing draw to the city.
Locals bemoan the lack of a central subway system and a poor transit system overall. Car ownership is a given, but parking is also hard. And despite the lack of crowds, traffic can get snarled and cumbersome. While you get the amenities of a bigger city it is missing the public transport of one.
Lifestyle
The city of Cincinnati is much like any other big-ish city. Lots of young people, go out and enjoy a good social life at a growing bar/club, or restaurant scene. Downtown is also home to the shocking, to some, world-class performing arts culture. A Symphony, Pops, Orchestra, Contemporary Arts Center, and Art Museum means you can get your fill of culture downtown when you’re in the mood, and you can get your fill of partying if that’s your mood. Check out Wander Cincinnati for the gaslight district entertainment scene descriptions.
Also, if you want to get more details on what locals get up to for fun and culture check out the calendar of events.
Worklife
First of all, know that Cinci is “booming”. Other cities like Austin and Nashville get a lot of attention but if you’re looking for work Cincinnati is a great option. An outsized number of Fortune 500 companies (including Proctor & Gamble), major retailers, and two massive hospital systems keeps the economy jumping. Terrible driving is apparently a thing here and there is virtually no strong public transport system, so if you have to commute that will probably be painful. On the other hand many of the companies here as everywhere are going hybrid or wfh so the inexpensive housing and cost of living will make up for those days you do have to make the drive.
Schools
Cincinnati City School District receives a "B-" grade on niche.com. As with many city districts, locals bemoan overall performance for the schools but highly celebrate schools at the elementary level and a handful of magnet/niche schools at the high school level. Scout the schools with a discerning eye and you can do fine here.
The district assigns students to elementary schools in your neighborhood. Magnet and high schools are not tied to students' addresses and are based on application, qualification, and availability.
The most coveted schools in the district include:
-Walnut Hills High School is the most coveted magnet school in the district. It receives an "A+" on niche.com and serves grades 5-12. As a magnet, it requires taking an admittance exam for entry.
-Spencer Center for Gifted and Exceptional Students is another popular draw in the district. It receives an "A-" on niche.com with particularly high grades for Academics and Diversity. One of the distinctive characteristics of Spencer is the integration of the classroom and the world beyond the school - internships and field experiences. It serves students from 1-12 grades.
Why You Should Move Here Now?
Growth
Cincinnati is in acceleration mode. The population is growing, the job market is growing, the downtown social and cultural scene are growing. If there is a reason to move here it is centered around the incredible energy and enthusiasm for the city that comes with that growth. Come here because the people that live here love it.
Reviews of Cincinnati from Locals
Hard to get around.
Purrilla
Living near Cincinnati
2y ago
🦉🦉🦉🦉
Hi neighbor! I've lived in Cincy 20 years and still haven't seen everything! So much to see and do. We have a lot of water around, rivers leading to the Ohio. Also lakes. All thanks to glacial melt. I kayak quite a bit. I hike too. I have a membership to Cincinnati Nature Center ($100 annual) and Hamilton county parks, $15 non resident. Hamilton county encompasses all Cincinnati parks. Red River Gorge is 2 hours south, in Kentucky. Hocking Hills is 2 1/2 hours North East from Cincy. Pyramid Hill outdoor giant sculpture park. Amazing zoo- baby Fritz the newborn hippo, Khron's conservatory and the butterfly exhibit, Cincinnati art museum.
Our food scene is very diverse. Plenty for everyone. We love to brew and distill in this city too. No shortage there. Wanna gamble, got 2 casinos. Wanna bet on horses we have a track. And Kentucky has the Derby the 2nd Saturday in May.
I live suburban, about 15 miles out of downtown. The greater Cincy area has a Ton of history. Civil war battle sites, underground railroad to assist with slaves escaping the south, prohibition and gangsters-speak easy, porkopolis, underground beer cellars. Eat some fried goetta and a 2 or 3 cheese coneys from Skyline.
You just gotta visit. We're rich in history and culture. I can't list everything! LOL How'd I do? You ready to visit now?
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Living in Cincinnati
Neighborhoods in Cincinnati
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Gaslight District
Young Professionals
The Clifton Gaslight District, just north of downtown, is a cool spot to start your search for a neighborhood to live in. It’s near the UC campus so there’s plenty of bars, good interesting eats, a movie theater and boutique shopping. The housing off of the main commercial streets are really interesting as well. Historic homes that house students, professors and young professionals mean you don’t have to live in a high rise apartment building to call this area home. https://wandercincinnati.com/2019/09/17/gaslight-district-cincinnati/
Downtown is another interesting option. Close to a lot of the companies in the city, so walking to work becomes your new best friend. It’s also surrounded by bars, restaurants and the stadiums and ballparks of the sports teams, so good choice if you want the social scene but also want an extremely high walkscore for your apartment/condo.
- Gaslight District
- Downtown