The handsome, mid-sized city of Cincinnati is a bit of an American anomaly, in that it sits in not just one state, but two; its metropolitan area straddles both Ohio and Kentucky (and its western suburbs even stretch into Indiana). Want more weird and wonderful facts about Cincy, as the locals call it? Well, in 1977, notorious talk show host Jerry Springer was its mayor; the ashes of Frederic J. Baur, the inventor of the packaging for Pringles, are buried in one of his iconic tubes in a local cemetery; and it was named after a respected Roman general called Cincinnatus. Ohio is generally seen as a flyover state, but BA handily launched a direct flight from London last year. One of Cincy’s most fascinating aspects is its German history; thanks to an influx of immigrants in the 1800s, beer became big business here, leading to the city being crowned Beer Capital of the World. By contrast, its Kentucky side, just across the Ohio River, is all about bourbon - decisions, decisions...
Add in an eclectic food scene, a healthy helping of art, culture and sport (go Bengals!), and a globally famous hippo called Fiona, and you’ve got your next big go-to US destination...
Where to stay
North by Hotel Covington
North by Hotel Covington
Cross the pale blue Roebling suspension bridge from Ohio into North Kentucky, where you’ll find Covington, a charming, atmospheric district crammed with ornate, Victorian-era red-brick buildings interspersed with cool coffee shops, independent stores, and stylish bars and restaurants. Among them is Hotel Covington, a converted department store, which is home to an all-suite extension called North. Its 53 apartment-style rooms are vast, featuring kitchenettes, huge walk-in showers, and plenty of lounging space. Beds have plush velvet headboards, and walls are hung with art prints; on staying, I was delighted to discover a Magic 8 Ball on the dresser, a nod to the fact that the man who originally invented its prototype, Albert C Carter, was from Cincinnati. North shares facilities, such as a bar and restaurant, with its neighbour; head to Coppin’s for cocktails and classic dishes, from wedge salads to smoked pork belly and rack of lamb.
638 Madison Ave, Covington, KY 41011; hotelcovington.com/hotel-north
The Cincinnatian
Located on the Ohio side, this elegant hotel benefits from a great location right on Vine Street, one of the city’s main thoroughfares. Vine cuts through the downtown neighbourhood and stretches into the curiously named but highly hip district of Over-the-Rhine. OTR, as it’s known for short, got its name from a now-dried-up canal that used to separate it from downtown; the German immigrants who moved here nicknamed the canal ‘Rhine’ after the river from their homeland. The Cincinnatian occupies a historic building which originally dates from 1882, but inside it couldn’t be more contemporary; rooms contain modern artworks and modish furniture, and there’s a stylish small plates restaurant, Maverick’s Restobar, on-site.
601 Vine St, Cincinnati, OH 45202; hilton.com
What to do
American sign museum
Go Deutsch
Germans started coming here in the 1830s, attracted by the parcels of land being sold off by the local government. The river valley in which Cincinnati was founded had a good climate for farming and hop growing, which led to the growth of the brewing industry here. Start in Covington, KY, and head to Mainstrasse Village, a storybook-perfect neighbourhood criss-crossed with pretty streets and tree-lined avenues which will have you furiously Googling property prices. This is where aspirational Germans moved to once they’d made money in brewing or in pork production – at one point Cincinnati was known as Porkopolis – and today many Germanic details remain, from the Gothic script on some shop signs to businesses owned by family names like Jentz, Kemper, and Frisch, and the picturesque glockenspiel bell-tower inside Goebel Park. Then take the Ultimate Queen City Underground tour in OTR (americanlegacytours.com); breweries did a lot of their production and storage under the city streets. Before Prohibition, there were around 27 breweries in Cincy, and over 1,800 bars; back then, it was the fifth-biggest brewing city in the US. Today, there’s a big craft brewery scene; check out the popular Rhinegeist or Taft’s Brewing Co. And admire the Roebling Bridge, which connects the two parts of the city (its architect, John A Roebling, was born in Germany). When it was built in 1866, it was the longest suspension bridge in the world at 1,056ft, but Roebling beat his own record when he went on to design the Brooklyn Bridge in 1883 (1,595ft).
Check out Findlay Market
Findlay Market is Ohio’s oldest continuously operating public market; its distinctive ironwork structure was built in 1852. It’s home to dozens of independent sellers and producers, where you can find everything from fish and flowers to cheese, crafts and pre-prepared meals. Make sure to try goetta, a local speciality which was originally invented by, guess who: the German community. Not dissimilar to haggis, but without the offal, it’s made with a mix of ground meat – pork or beef – onion, steel-cut oats, and spices, including lashings of black pepper. Once it’s cooked, it’s sliced and served in a bun.
See the Signs
An Instagrammer’s dream, the American Sign Museum is the largest public museum dedicated to the art and history of commercial signs and sign-making. The huge 20,000sq ft collection includes early, pre-electric signs adorned in gold leaf, but the real appeal is the photogenic ones made from neon. You’ll find an 80s Burger King sign and a 60s Mcdonald’s one, a supersized Bob’s Big Boy diner logo, and a flashing one for the Howard Johnson hotel chain. There are signs for barbers, motels, delis, and drugstores, and there’s even a workshop on site where artists carry out private commissions and do repairs.
Go Underground
Opened in 2004, the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center tells the history of African enslavement in America and beyond, and there are also areas devoted to modern-day slavery and trafficking. The underground railroad evolved in the 1780s among Abolitionist societies in the Northern states (including Ohio) and wasn’t actually a railroad at all, rather a network of secret routes and houses. One of the most appalling artefacts in this admirable and important institution is a ‘slave pen’ – a wooden structure built on a farm in Kentucky in 1830 which used to house slaves prior to their being shipped for auction. Other exhibits focus on slavery’s opponents, such as John Brown and Abraham Lincoln, and highlight ways the Underground Railroad has inspired similar groups in India, Poland and South Africa.
Hang out with a hippo
The Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden dates from 1875 and is currently home to 3,000 different plant species and 1,800 animals, including meerkats, monkeys, and manatees. However, its most famous inhabitant is called Fiona. A Nile hippo, she was born six weeks premature on 24 January, 2017. She was underweight (for a hippo) at just 29lb, and it was thought she wouldn’t survive, as she was too weak to nurse or even stand up. Teams of volunteers fought to keep her warm and fed, and her daily battle for survival went viral on social media. Today, Fiona – she was named after the princess in Shrek because of their similar ears – is thriving, and you can follow The Fiona Show on Facebook or visit her in her enclosure, where she splashes about happily with her mum, Bibi, and little brother, Fritz. Elsewhere, the zoo also functions as a conservation centre and is one of the greenest in the country, getting most of its power from solar panels and using recycled rainwater.
Where to eat
Bouquet restaurant
Skyline Chili
You’ll be asked, on ordering, whether you want a three-way, four-way, or even a five-way; relax, you’ve not just entered an orgy, but you’re about to enjoy a Cincy staple: chili. Not chili as we know it, this is a mix of minced beef seasoned to a secret recipe, served over spaghetti (or a hot dog), and buried under grated cheddar (the classic three-way). A four-way adds either diced onions or beans, a five-way adds both. Originally created by Greek immigrants in the 1920s – which is perhaps why you can detect the flavour of cinnamon – it’s now one of the city’s most famous dishes. Skyline has branches all over, but other chili parlours worth checking out include Gold Star, Dixie Chili & Deli, and Pleasant Ridge Chili Restaurant.
Bouquet
This stylish farm-to-table restaurant in Covington is helmed by chef Stephen Williams and was one of the first in the area to embrace the sourcing of local and sustainable ingredients. All the dishes are curated with incredible care, prioritising flavour, as shown in the likes of a tomato salad with smoked peaches, curry aioli, cashews and herb oil, or wagyu beef meatballs with cauliflower coconut puree and pineapple rum chutney. Don’t miss their cocktails, which are just as creative – try the likes of Honey, it’s Thyme.
Nolia Kitchen
Nolia brings a little taste of New Orleans to Cincy, courtesy of 2023 James Beard Foundation Award finalist Jeffrey Harris, who grew up in NOLA. Don’t miss the oysters, served with apple mignonette, then follow them with fresh-from-the-skillet cornbread, pork rinds with lime, chilli and salt, and a smoked half chicken. Afterwards, check out some of the cool bars around nearby Vine Street, from The Hub to Wodka. ♦
