Stopped by the Statue of James A. Garfield while walking through Piatt Park and was really…read moreimpressed. The statue is beautifully detailed and sits in a peaceful spot that makes it easy to stop and appreciate a little history. It's a great landmark in downtown Cincinnati and definitely worth checking out if you're exploring the area. A nice place to take a quick break, snap a few photos, and enjoy the park.

This statue of President James A. Garfield (20th POTUS, March to September 1881) stands in…read moreCincinnati's Piatt Park. An Ohio native, he served as a general in the Civil War and then nine terms in the US House of Representatives. He was the only sitting member of the House to be elected President. Garfield opposed the Confederate secession and was a major general in the Union Army, fighting in the battles of Middle Creek, Shiloh and Chickamauga. After taking office in March, he was shot in July 1881 but actually died two months later of the infection caused by the doctor's poor sanitation methods. I won't mention the assassinator's name. The oversize bronze statue shows Garfield wearing a knee length coat. He stands with his right foot forward and a stack of papers in his right hand with his left hand extended but palm down. It is by artist Charles Henry Niehaus and was unveiled in 1885. [Review 20501 overall - 228 in Ohio - 1482 of 2023.]

Absolutely beautiful mural on the corner of Walnut and 5th St. depicting Niel Armstrong taking a…read morephotograph of Earth with the famous silhouette of Elliot from the movie E.T. on his bike flying across it. Neil Armstrong and his camera are painted in black and white but the rest of it is an explosion of color. It certainly catches your attention while you're walking or driving down the street and I love it. A few fun facts... Niel Armstrong is from Ohio and he was also a professor of aeronautics at the University of Cincinnati. The mural was created by a Brazilian street artist named Eduardo Kobra who painted it right after doing a huge mural in Rio for the 2016 Olympics. It's located on the giant Fifth Third Bank headquarters building, which is who funded it. Cincinnati is known for its many murals and this one definitely stands out for its vibrant colors and downtown location. If you ever get the chance to explore, I highly suggest doing a mural tour and checking this one out.

I love this mural. It is an explosion of color.This mural was funded by Fifth Third Bank, with the…read moremural being painted on the side of its headquarters. This mural is the work of Brazilian street artist Eduardo Kobra, who is know for his larger than life colorful murals. He painted it in 2016. The mural takes up the entire side of the building, covering 7,600 square feet. The mural depicts Armstrong, an Ohio native, behind a camera. Armstrong's face is in black and white, while everything else is rainbow. I love the contrast they make. You will see a small 3D image of Earth in the upper right corner. Nice touch! If you look closely, you will see, a silhouette of Elliot and his floating bike from the Steven Spielberg hit movie, E.T. Spielberg happens to also be an Ohio native. Construction in the area has really limited metered street parking to get a closer look of this mural. There is still some in a reasonable waking distance. I parked about a quarter mile away. There are also commercial garages and lots you can park in, but they are pretty pricy. I love this mural and Kobra is one of my favorite artists. It is definitely worth a peak and will surely grab your attention. Anyway, as with most murals that I have visited and reviewed, this is not a very long stop. I was there less than 5 minutes. You may want to consider planning out additional stops at many of the other murals in the area or making this stop part of a larger itinerary to maximize your time and trip. I just did a mural tour. There are a ton within about a half mile of each other.

A simple but eye catching mural of a boy holding a baseball bat. It's clean, bold, and easy to…read moreappreciate at a glance without needing a lot of explanation. Not overly complex or flashy, but it works well as a quick photo stop and adds a nice bit of character to the area.

No, no, no... it's not cannibalism of football players. Taste of the NFL is an annual event that…read moretakes place in hometown football stadiums across the country as a fundraiser for homelessness and hunger. The Cincinnati Bengals' Taste benefits one of my favorite charities: Freestore Foodbank. The event features 45 of the city's finest chefs and restaurants serving one or two delectable samples at each booth. The entire Bengals team and Ben-Gal Cheerleaders are in attendance at the event for guests to snap photos with and get autographs. There is also a gigantic silent auction, a live auction of event packages going for $2,000+, and of course, an open bar. There was more than enough food samples here to fill me up. Everything looked incredible; I wish I had room for more! Some of my favorites included: - Burnell's Restaurant: White bean hummus, shamander mutabal, and crispy flat bread. - Cincinnati Cooks! Catering: Cubano chicken, greens, bacon with fried cornbread. Spicy chicken cutlet on a sweet Hawaiian bun with paprika sauce. Key lime pie. - Sugar Cupcakery: Sweet corn cupcake with raspberry frosting. - Second Course: Seared shrimp & steak with lemon, cilantro and garlic. Gazpacho shots. - J. P. Chocolatier: Chocolate bacon truffle. - La Petite Pierre: Lobster ravioli with a saffron tomato sauce. - Aramark: Roasted garlic Dijon lamb with orange pepper risotto. - Jean Robert's Table: Spicy chicken confit salad with Mediterranean couscous. - Eat Well: Devils food whoopie pie. Pretty much everything was delicious. The only thing I didn't like was the martini from SkinnyGirl. The drink tasted watered down because they put ice in the mix to keep it cool. Bartending Basics 101: NEVER put ice in a martini! Price per person: $150.00 (Keep in mind, this is a fundraising event for charity. Every $150.00 provides 600 meals to those in need. And you definitely get your monies worth in unlimited fine food and free alcohol.)

I've had the pleasure of attending this event for the past 3 years in a row as a former Freestore…read moreFoodbank (FSFB) employee and loyal volunteer to the organization. Let me tell you this event does not disappoint. This event is one of the FSFB's most popular fundraisers for Cincy area foodies and football fanatics alike. The event is a great opportunity to get those Bengals autographs you've always wanted and the opportunity to eat and drink yourself into a food coma. At almost $200 for a ticket, you better believe that some of Cincy's best restaurants are showcasing what they've got. There are restaurants that I've seen represented every year, like my personal favorites Tom + Chee and Holtmans and of course Cincinnati classic Jeff Rubys. There are always new showings (or new to me showings) too. Some of the standouts to me this year: Taste of Belgium- They had a pulled pork and mango chutney topped waffle. Hello delicious. Alfio's Buon Cibo- The ravioli was spot on Nashville Hot- This was a new to me restaurant. It wasn't fancy or extravagent, just a tasty waffle with some tasty hot chicken. Jag's- I've sampled their food previous years and it's always tasty. Loved their creative smores dessert this year. Holtmans- You redeemed yourself from last year by not running out of donuts and from the previous years I've attended by providing FULL SIZED donuts (instead of donut holes) to us Tom + Chee- You'll have to wait in line for their delicious sandwiches but the owner is down to earth and keeps you entertained while you wait for your fresh and delicious DONUT GRILLED CHEESE SANDWICH There were a bazillion other tasty bites but these are the ones I remember as standouts. PRO TIP if you come to this event- to make the most out of your ticket, definitely definitely have a "sharing buddy." This way you can try one of everything without having to toss half your tasting plate. Word of advice for the restaurants- While I love the larger portions this year, I felt like a lot of my bites got wasted because I only wanted a taste with over 20-30 other bites I needed to taste. It just seemed a bit silly to be wasting food at an event where the benefiting charity was a hunger relief organization. Can't wait to volunteer next year and all the years to come!

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."

The crème de la crème of suburbs, Fort Thomas is the real life Stepford: exquisite houses,…read moreperfectly manicured lawns, friendly neighbors, and joggers out exercising every hour of the day. While the sound of "suburbs" may make some cringe, this city is safe, quiet, and just a five minute drive from Downtown. What you'll find here: - Low home insurance rates, as the city has a paid fire department - Frequent visibility of police patrol - St. Elizabeth Hospital - The city's branch of the Campbell County Public Library - Fort Thomas Schools, offering some of the best education and extracurriculars in the area - Well-paved sidewalks that connect all over town. It's a very walkable community, but most of the city is residential. - A handful of local eateries: sandwich shops, coffee, fancy restaurants, and even a candy shop. - A town center filled with white-collar local businesses, from dance studios, wedding planners, lawyers and more. - The Fort Thomas Museum, focusing on the city's Civil War history. - City architecture is uniform, reflecting a cobblestone look of the 1800s. You won't find obtrusive corporate signs here. - Grand, luxurious mansions, 1800s homes, and upscale apartments. - Gated properties and nuclear families Downsides: - Fort Thomas Schools tacks on an additional fee to utility bills, regardless if you have kids in the school system. - Gas stations are taxed heavily for being in Fort Thomas, causing prices to be at least 10 cents higher than at the Kroger gas station down the street in Newport City Limits.

Last summer my dad was in the market for a boat, so we all met up at the Levee during the first…read moreannual Boat Festival for a night of fine dining (we ate at Mitchell's Fish Market) and boat shopping. Every marina in the Greater Cincinnati area came out to the boat show, most brought along boats from the previous year at sale prices to induce impulse buys (though how you could rationalize buying a boat on impulse, I'll never know.). The vendors line their wares and stalls up at the base of the Levee, using the Ohio River and the Cincinnati skyline as a pretty backdrop. We browsed the boats for a few hours while listening to live entertainment (a pretty decent cover band that played everything from "Walking on Sunshine" to Johnny Cash) and downing ice-cold slushies. My dad did not end up buying a boat that day but he did get valuable information about the vendors in the area and he was able to determine exactly the style of watercraft he was in the market for. Every vendor welcomed his questions despite knowing he wasn't intending to purchase immediately. Even if you aren't willing or able to purchase a boat, this is a fun event to stroll through during a night at the Levee. Some vendors bring miniature yachts with insanely luxurious interiors and features; pretend you're loaded and get yourself a tour! The festival will take place on these dates and times this year at the Levee's dock: Fri, Aug 15 5 - 11 p.m. Sat, Aug 16 11 a.m. - 11 p.m. Sun, Aug 17 11 a.m. - 9 p.m.

Oh Artworks, how you woo me. The second best thing to a piece of Charley Harper eye candy is a…read morepiece of Edie Harper eye candy. *places hands over mouth/nose and begins SNL Stefon voice* located in an overpriced parking lot behind the know theatre, this mural has EVERYTHING: quilt patterns, modernist art, vomit from a Below Zero patron (it doesn't have this, it's actually well-kept), a cat. Just blocks away from the Charley Harper "Homecoming" mural, this piece of art is a favorite of mine and honors Edie Harper (a graduate of the Cincinnati art academy), Charley's wife. The mural captures Edie's parallel to her husbands, but also maintains her unique style of lithography. Anytime you want to slap a Charley/Edie Harper on the side of a building...I'm cool with it.

Love this mural! I was leaving Below Zero, and I had never noticed this mural before! I love all…read morethe beautiful colors and shapes, I'm not into Art History but I hear this is by Charley Harper's wife Edie! I love cats, so naturally this became a quick favorite of mine! Can't wait to find more fun, hidden gems!