Bellevue Brewery and Central Parkway, Cincinnati, Ohio

The former Bellevue Brewery sits high up on a hill above Central Parkway, the former Miami and Ohio Canal. Ironically, this was originally the back of the building. But of course, it might seem logical that industry would grow up along the canal, though I wonder how much utility the waterway really provided by the…

Cincinnati Music Hall, Over the Rhine, Cincinnati, Ohio

The Cincinnati Music Hall, built in 1878, is one of those monumental buildings in America that might very well have been swept away by urban renewal, replaced by a new performing arts center. Instead, it has been revitalized, and almost 150 years later, is still very much part of the cultural fabric of the city…

Elm Street Between Elder and Wade Streets, Over the Rhine, Cincinnati, Ohio

Heading south down Elm Street from Findlay Market, there are more commercial and restaurants spaces compared to Race Street, which run parallel to each other. The north side of Elder Street, below, shows how vibrant the area around the market is. Heading south, there are a wide variety of Italianate buildings. But later, taller buildings…

Half Flounders, Over the Rhine, Cincinnati, Ohio

Half flounders are not somehow unique to St. Louis. I found them all over the Over the Rhine neighborhood, mostly north of Liberty Street where there is more demolition and vacant lots, making it easier to see the rear of buildings. Like I had mentioned when visiting the town of Blois in France, while certainly…

Main Street, Over the Rhine, Cincinnati, Ohio, West Side

Going back to the south and heading north again looking at the west side of Main Street in the Over the Rhine neighborhood of Cincinnati, we see more of the newly rehabbed, and a little of the old. I love this old storefront church, which is a remnant of when this was not a “hot”…

Main Street, Over the Rhine, Cincinnati, Ohio, East Side

The built environment on Main Street through Over the Rhine in Cincinnati is just about perfectly preserved, with few building losses. We’ll look at the east side of the street first. Despite being “Main Street,” it’s a surprisingly narrow thoroughfare, allowing for relatively slow traffic speeds and easy pedestrian crossing. The street has one of…

Vine Street and Environs, Over the Rhine, Cincinnati, Ohio

Vine Street is one of the main streets cutting through the Over the Rhine neighborhood, coming up from the Ohio River through Cincinnati’s downtown. It is not interrupted from the central business district by any interstates and other than the overly wide Central Parkway, pedestrians can easily connect with the heart of the city from…

Over the Rhine, Cincinnati, Ohio

We’re heading to Cincinnati, Ohio next, to look at Over the Rhine, which is one of the best preserved early Nineteenth Century neighborhoods in America. St. Louis used to have numerous neighborhoods like Over the Rhine, but we annihilated them like fools. Kosciusko, Carr Square (read part two) and Mill Creek, all neighborhoods in St….