Always a great place to visit in Ohio. It's probably the best downtown in Ohio. If you get a time…read moreto go take a weekend and go all through Cincinnati and downtown, you'll have a great time

I was recently in Downtown Cincinnati for a weekend stay a month ago. I am an international student…read morefrom Norway who has been in the States for two months now. I have traveled a lot in my 18 years on this planet, but this is my first time outside of Europe. I have been to 12 countries in total and have been to a lot of cities in different countries. Cincinnati was my first impression of an American city, and my expectations were high. I expected a clean, colorful, and fun riverside city that had a lot to offer. I went there with my mom because she came to visit me. We stayed at Quality hotel Downtown Cincinnati, witch were a pretty outdated and disappointing hotel. The first day, we walked over a big bridge over to the Ohio side and in to the city, we headed north up towards Washington Park and Cincinnati soccer stadium. All I saw within a 1 km radius was just grey beat down buildings, homeless people and trash. It was really ugly and disgusting to be honest. I have never in my life seen that many homeless as in Downtown Cincinnati. We also thought it was really weird, because there were no stores or places to eat at all. We eventually reached Washington Park where there was a second hand marked, witch were cool. Big ups for that! After that we headed down towards the river and the football stadium after advice from a friend. After touring the stadium and walking alongside the river, we quickly realized that this was the "nicer area" of the city. We walked until we reached the baseball stadium and also walked over the river to the Newport area and the Aquarium. I have to say that these areas actually met my expectations. The next day we also viewed the high rise area, with also met my expectations. Clean, good infrastructure, cafes and no homeless people. I also have to give credit to the life of the city. We were fortunate to be there at the same time as the Oktoberfest in the park alongside the river, which was fun. There were a lot of people and fun activities. An inviting and social event for everyone. There was also a Bengals game that same day, which was also fun to witness. We did not go, because we went out to eat, but it was something that gave life to the city and lifted the overall spirit. Overall I have to give it a 3/5 rating. The nicer areas and the culture of the city lifts the rating up, but other than that it was a lot of bad aspects of the city. There was really ugly areas downtown filled with trash, old and almost destroyed buildings, no colors or soul, no stores or activities, and a huge amount of homeless people. I truly believe that there is more homeless people in Downtown Cincinnati than in every Norwegian city combined.

27 feet tall and installed in 1988 to celebrate the city's bicentennial, Metrobot stands mostly…read moreproud in front of the Contemporary Arts Center. Refurbished in 2014, he now has a dynamic digital sign and an electronic message board. Metrobot is the work of Nam June Paik, a Korean-American artist who works out of the Solway Gallery. The artwork is on the streets of downtown Cincinnati and you can't miss it when you're visiting the museum. And while I usually love getting FTR's, I'm really pleased to see that the Cincinnati Yelp community spotted this artwork and added it to the Yelpiverse! Compliments all around! [Review 20497 overall - 224 in Ohio - 1478 of 2023.]

Cannot believe the Cincinnati's Metrobot had not been reviewed yet!…read more It's a staple of Cincinnati's downtown business district. Just a big shiny robot, smiling and sharing fun info on multiple screens! Go see it, he is cool!

Just a few blocks from my AirBnB- I managed to get over there twice during my stay. First time, was…read moreabout 30 minutes before close- but I got my Babushka's perogies! I also snagged an apple crumb mini pie, cookies and found a chocolate shop with marvelous St Patrick's Truffles! The public art surrounding the market is vibrant and playful. When I returned on my last day, my first stop was for coffee and I enjoyed (even though it was bitterly cold) the outdoor market. The flower shop was delightful and I found myself in several shops buying various items like an apron, teas, honey and more! I even snagged quiche at a small bakery. I am so happy I made time to explore and I highly recommend. Locals must love all the meat markets, delis, produce and eateries!

Love the market. Great food, shopping, people watching & great gathering spot with friends. Would…read morehave given it a 5 but their music (not the entertainment) is WAY TOO LOUD!!! Almost impossible to have a conversation.

We came across this mural in Cincinnati. "ArtWorks, Urban Blooms, and the Walnut Hills…read moreRedevelopment Foundation partnered to facilitate a living green wall mural in historic Walnut Hills. A project steering committee with representatives from each partner/organization as well as prominent community members was assembled to organize this project. The plants on the green wall will grow and thrive thanks to their built-in irrigation system. The design, created by artist April Sunami (who has family ties to Walnut Hills), is meant to represent the literal and figurative growth of the community. Youth worked with Professional Artists to executed the project which seamlessly integrates with a living green wall, designed by Urban Blooms."

Yesterday I was treated to a special tour of Graeter's state of the art manufacturing facility…read morethanks to Yelp. This plant is four years old and has been optimized for nationwide distribution of the finest ice cream around. Before taking our tour, we were given hair nets and beard nets when appropriate. I was excited to wear a beard net for only the second time! You may recall my first beard net from my tour of the Frisch's commissary. Those who are familiar with Graeter's ice cream already know that one of the best parts of the ice cream are the massive chunks of chocolate in many varieties. These chunks of chocolate start out as ten pound blocks of the finest chocolate available. I believe that retail price of this chocolate is $19.95 per pound. Nothing like staring at a $200 piece of chocolate! The chocolate is melted and mixed with non-GMO soybean oil to achieve a better consistency for use in ice cream. The vats containing this rich chocolate mixture smelled heavenly. Graeter's still a small-batch french pot process slowly creating just two gallons at a time. This creates an irresistible creaminess that cannot be achieved through modern commercial products. There are four pods of eight french pots. Each pod is staffed by three employees, two who work the french pots and the other who hand-packs the ice cream into containers. The flavor of the day during our visit was double chocolate chip. Yum! As I just mentioned, all the ice cream is hand-packed into the packaging, nearly 20,000 pints per day. One employee was kind enough to hand pack samples for our entire tour group right off the assembly line. This ice cream was almost of a soft serve consistency and was simply perfect. The new manufacturing facility does make use of machines to automate the bookends of the manufacturing process, while still allowing the ice cream to be made by hand in small batches. After viewing the entire production line, we took a quick tour of the warehouse, which can reach temperatures of negative forty! It literally took minutes for my body to recover from just a quick visit to this massive storage room. After our tour was over we were treated for a few more samples, including two varieties of the new gelato line, the most authentically made gelato in North America. I really enjoyed the caramel truffle variety and will have to check for that in stores.

Holy smokes! This Elite event was out of this world awesome!! What a way to celebrate National…read moreIce Cream month Behind the scenes at the Graeter's Ice Cream Factory! This is not open to the public, so I felt very special to be part of this event! Checked in and was greeted by Cindy. Btw, loved the complimentary smores jar! Graeters factory was on Reading road but moved to a bigger location off Paddock Rd. Jeff and Nick started off the tour discussing the history, the process of making the ice cream, the workers and equipment. Even Bob Graeter (4th generation) was there to support and answer questions!!! Holy flypaper batman!!! How cool was that??!!! For sanitary reasons and safety, we had to wear a long smock and hair net (I needed two of them. I have long thick hair). We must be covered before entering the factory. This is how clean the factory is-there is soapy foam on the floor so when we walk, it cleans and sanitizes our shoes. As we entered the factory, we are up close with the workers and pictures are allowed. They encourage we post and share to the world their hard work and how they take pride in making ice cream. Graeter's ice cream is made using the French Pot method. This is a slow, small batch process making only two gallons at a time. It creates ice cream that is rich, creamy and dense. Graeter's also uses this method to create chocolate chips completely different from other brands. The French Pot process begins with the mix being placed into a chilled, spinning French Pot. Each batch of ice cream is only about two gallons and is thus very labor-intensive. The ice cream is so thick that it must be hand-packed into pints. I have mass respect for the workers and how hard they work to create the best ice cream in the world! (In my opionion). We were able to taste the chocolate-chocolate chip ice cream right off the assembly line!!! That is as fresh as it will get!! Pure heaven!! I also love the chunky chocolate chips! After the tour, we were able to sample their latest creations- Gelato and other Graeters flavored ice cream. It was hard to choose my favorite. As a courtesy, Yelp offered us a bagged lunch from Silverglades Deli. I got the Turkey Sandwich on marble rye bread with Potatoe Salad and fruit. Thank you Miss Cincy Cindy for an awesome event and most of all Graeters for letting us tour your facility. I will always be a fan and support your business!! WORD!!!!

Taking time to explore my new area, yesterday it was Bellevue's turn. It's like going back 50 years…read morein time when "downtown" was the place to be...you know, when you're alone is life is making you lonely... Very walkable and plenty of parking. Lots of cute little restaurants and bars. But Monday isn't the best time to go because many little places were closed. I'll go back on First Friday, which is supposed to be a blast. I walked all the way to Dayton...Kentucky that is. That's a story for another day. People are friendly in this town - at least in the stores that are open on Monday. I did kinda laugh when I saw the sign for the Beach Park. Just the thought of a beach on this river. Don't get me wrong...I love the river and the river traffic. But I wouldn't put my little toe in that water. Next time I head down think I'll take the levy...love walking on the levy. At least the Newport levy. I'll report back on Bellevue levy.

FACT: Bellevue is super underrated. There are so many great charming NKY neighborhoods and Bellevue…read moreis definitely towards the top of that list. There are so many small businesses that make this part of town such a great place to visit. Among the coffee shops and restaurants, visiting Bellevue Beach park is also a great time to be had. It's peaceful and serene with lots of great river views. If you're looking for a spot to grab coffee or lunch, make it a point to start checking out some of these businesses. Besides, who can pass up a chance to stop by The Party Source (enormous booze outlet) while you're in this neck of the woods. If you haven't taken the time to visit and explore Bellevue, make sure you do - it's such a charming part of greater Cincy.

I love Gorman Heritage Farm - everything about it feels so natural, wholesome and healthy. So, of…read morecourse, having a Yelp event here was just fantastic!. We were given a tour of some of the gardens (with all of their captivating scents and sights) where we harvested some fresh basil for our cooking class. Thanks to Katie and her two interns for prep work, set up, and clean-up while walking us through making four delicious dishes - Sauteed Brussel Sprouts, Kale Salad, Stuffed Chicken Breast and Cauliflower Au Gratin. Because it was my favorite with savory cheeses and a perfectly crispy crust, I will be making the cauliflower over the week-end. Shout out to Team Grigio to include Austin & Katie! It felt very synergistic to cook with such enthusiastic and personable Yelpers. They both have the positive energy and limitless potential which makes meeting new people so fun & rewarding. I can easily see why this would be a super team-building activity and/or class. Actually, at first it was unbelievable to think that we could prepare all the food and dine with our co-horts within 3 hours, but manage it we did. What a great opportunity to meet lots of new Yelpers! To the newbies, yes, these Yelp events are always this much fun. Cindy has a total knack for bringing all these fabulous happenings to fruition time and time again. Thank you for that. This wasn't my first time to Gorham Farm, nor will it be my last. There is much going on there than you can imagine. I didn't find out truly what it was about until the last 3 years, but I plan to make up for lost time.

Gorman Heritage Farm is a Cincinnati gem! This was a lovely way to see a tucked away spot in…read moreCincinnati and experience true farm to table dining. This event is a great bridge between the Yelp community and the advantages to exploring Cincinnati. I would recommend the experience for a private cooking party, family farm tour, buying local produce/meat and even sending children to chef camp. Thank you for the introduction, I hope to pass this experience to countless friends and family!

What an awesome Yelp Event! I know we are only half way through the year, but this is my favorite…read moreone so far. The night started off checking in. We got cool bandanas and a complimentary drink ticket. I got the 5 Star Stout (Tropical brewed with coffee). Awesome stuff. City Barbeque provided the delicious meal. We were given a tote bag with instructions on making a simple rub recipe, coupon and faqs about their business. I LOVED creating my own Rub! So much fun. My friend Brandy and I did not waste any time and headed to the Buffet line and got our meal. There was green beans (with bacon), Macaroni and Cheese (you can choose the toppings), Brisket (so tender and juicy, the best!!! YUM!!) and for desert- the peach cobbler. The long tables felt like we were outdoors on a picnic. Sweet!! After dinner, we were given a tour by Braxton Brewing Co. Very informative and interesting. It was short and to the point. They brew their beer at this location which is small, yet spacious. I've never been to Braxton Brewing and will definitely return. I love the décor and the long couch to chill out. My second drink is the Storm Golden Cream Ale (smooth and crisp). At the end of the night we had some pictures taken by WINKINGMANPHOTO.COM (Cool Props and backdrop provided). Overall, I had a blast!!! Thank you Cindy, Yelp, Braxton Brewing Co., City Barbeque, and Winking Man Photo, for everything!! The night was absolutely perfect!

Since I don't get to Covington very often, I wonder how long it would've taken me to find this…read morejewel known as Braxton Brewing. I shudder to think about it. Predominantly a family run business, it is clear that they want to set themselves apart from the rest of the craft beer pack. We learned on our tour that one of the sons in the family started out brewing beers at home when he wasn't even old enough to buy a beer. At 18, he already had an award-winning concoction!! This place is so high-tech that in order to vie for some of the gift cards, you could tweet and see it almost instantaneously right there!! The facility itself was modern, spacious and clean. Co-hosting this amazing Yelp event was City Barbecue! They started off with a bang by letting us all go through their make-your-own-spice-rub bar to bring home some of the resulting deliciousness. Not only were the scents of their spices enticing, but the colors were as well. I don't know about you, but I can't wait to make use of it tomorrow!! Their brisket was mouthwatering and who could resist their mac n' cheese with extra fixings to top it with - think bacon and extra cheeses! After filling our tummies, we were sent home with their simple rub recipe, along with a small container of the one we had made with their ingredients. I found this to be a novel and fun idea!! Then as if that wasn't enough, they gave us a coupon for two free sides when we purchase the smoked meat from them. Here is a company trying to "rub' us the right way. Another fun night coordinated by Cindy again! A big thanks to her, as well as Braxton Brewing and City Barbecue!