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To say in with a quick answer, yes Cincinnati does! Its character would be way different than New Orleans though due to cultural, climatic and geographic, differences.
This is a subject I've been very interested in since I took a Queen City underground tour and a Architreks tour a few months back. I had figured judging on the quality of the old architecture in Cincinnati and the many elaborate institutional buildings that at one point in time the city had to have been more than it is today, but it was both of those tours opened my eyes to just how amazing a city Cincinnati was in its heyday. Over the Rhine was a world famous place to party and drink, much like what the French Quarter is today. Not only that but it was a place to hear music, visit Sangerhalle, or what is now Music Hall. What was lost is horrible, but since a fair amount remains Cincinnati should capitalize on it as opposed to shunning it.
Not only that but Cincinnati used to be one of the most densely populated cities in the US, its character if it hadn't have abandoned it, but instead embraced it would be similar to San Francisco or Boston. Cincinnati shouldn't focus on being a New Orleans for tourists despite the parallels, it should focus on being like a Boston, as both cities were known for being conservative (remember the old phrase Banned in Boston) but also have a wealth of cultural and historic treasures for an outsider to discover. With the revitalization of OTR Cincinnatian's should seize upon it and take the city back, celebrating as opposed to hiding its cultural treasure.
I've been to Savannah and frankly they do way more with way less. Savannah is a lively place and really doesn't have much of an economy to back it up as a real functioning city, its really just a tourist and retiree haven. Cincinnati should be on a tier just below San Francisco and Boston in terms of heritage tourism, yet the city makes itself inaccessible to outsiders.
Dayton St. for instance is one of the largest collections of mid-late 1800s mansions in the United States. Its comparable to 5th Ave in New York City and Prairie Avenue in Chicago. Since I currently live in Chicago, I can tell you, Prairie Avenue is widely known, and is promoted in most tourist guides to the city. Dayton street is a secret, only really known to people who are interested in history. The thing is that Dayton Street has way more buildings than Prairie Avenue does yet it recieves no promotion! That's Cincinnati's problem, it doesn't know how to promote itself, seemingly the locals are so pessimistic that they forget the pride they should have in their city! The sort of pride that has made Chicago a great place and a tourist destination! The sort of pride that even makes small places like Savannah and Charleston nationally known! Cincinnati has it, and it has its own percular brand of it, that is somewhere between the staunch conservative history of Boston and the wild ruckuss of New Orleans. All that people need to do is stop being cynical and take action to make the place what it was!
Along those lines, I've been working on updating the wikitravel page for Cincinnati, to make outsiders more aware of these hidden secrets, feel free to update if you think something else needs to be added. http://wikitravel.org/en/Cincinnati
To say in with a quick answer, yes Cincinnati does! Its character would be way different than New Orleans though due to cultural, climatic and geographic, differences.
This is a subject I've been very interested in since I took a Queen City underground tour and a Architreks tour a few months back. I had figured judging on the quality of the old architecture in Cincinnati and the many elaborate institutional buildings that at one point in time the city had to have been more than it is today, but it was both of those tours opened my eyes to just how amazing a city Cincinnati was in its heyday. Over the Rhine was a world famous place to party and drink, much like what the French Quarter is today. Not only that but it was a place to hear music, visit Sangerhalle, or what is now Music Hall. What was lost is horrible, but since a fair amount remains Cincinnati should capitalize on it as opposed to shunning it.
Not only that but Cincinnati used to be one of the most densely populated cities in the US, its character if it hadn't have abandoned it, but instead embraced it would be similar to San Francisco or Boston. Cincinnati shouldn't focus on being a New Orleans for tourists despite the parallels, it should focus on being like a Boston, as both cities were known for being conservative (remember the old phrase Banned in Boston) but also have a wealth of cultural and historic treasures for an outsider to discover. With the revitalization of OTR Cincinnatian's should seize upon it and take the city back, celebrating as opposed to hiding its cultural treasure.
I've been to Savannah and frankly they do way more with way less. Savannah is a lively place and really doesn't have much of an economy to back it up as a real functioning city, its really just a tourist and retiree haven. Cincinnati should be on a tier just below San Francisco and Boston in terms of heritage tourism, yet the city makes itself inaccessible to outsiders.
Dayton St. for instance is one of the largest collections of mid-late 1800s mansions in the United States. Its comparable to 5th Ave in New York City and Prairie Avenue in Chicago. Since I currently live in Chicago, I can tell you, Prairie Avenue is widely known, and is promoted in most tourist guides to the city. Dayton street is a secret, only really known to people who are interested in history. The thing is that Dayton Street has way more buildings than Prairie Avenue does yet it recieves no promotion! That's Cincinnati's problem, it doesn't know how to promote itself, seemingly the locals are so pessimistic that they forget the pride they should have in their city! The sort of pride that has made Chicago a great place and a tourist destination! The sort of pride that even makes small places like Savannah and Charleston nationally known! Cincinnati has it, and it has its own percular brand of it, that is somewhere between the staunch conservative history of Boston and the wild ruckuss of New Orleans. All that people need to do is stop being cynical and take action to make the place what it was!
Along those lines, I've been working on updating the wikitravel page for Cincinnati, to make outsiders more aware of these hidden secrets, feel free to update if you think something else needs to be added. Cincinnati travel guide - Wikitravel
Outstanding post! I'm so glad that you are trying to get the word out!
In fact, especially, in reference to comparisons with Chicago, I might even say that Cincinnati may very well have easily have more to show off in terms of 19th century. The 1871 fire in a many ways unfortunately has been engrained into the Chicago pscyhe that sometimes newer is better. There is a LOT that was destroyed in the name of urban progress.
However, like I mentioned before, the germanophobia of the two world wars plus prohibition (which took a toll on German-American breweries) took a toll on German heritage not only in Cincinnati but everywhere across the country. And a big reason for OTRs decline, and why the city doesn't show off its heritage the way Boston or New Orleans does.
However I think for the most part, things are moving in a positive direction in terms of revitalization, people just have to truly believe that their city is special.
To say in with a quick answer, yes Cincinnati does! Its character would be way different than New Orleans though due to cultural, climatic and geographic, differences.
This is a subject I've been very interested in since I took a Queen City underground tour and a Architreks tour a few months back. I had figured judging on the quality of the old architecture in Cincinnati and the many elaborate institutional buildings that at one point in time the city had to have been more than it is today, but it was both of those tours opened my eyes to just how amazing a city Cincinnati was in its heyday. Over the Rhine was a world famous place to party and drink, much like what the French Quarter is today. Not only that but it was a place to hear music, visit Sangerhalle, or what is now Music Hall. What was lost is horrible, but since a fair amount remains Cincinnati should capitalize on it as opposed to shunning it.
Not only that but Cincinnati used to be one of the most densely populated cities in the US, its character if it hadn't have abandoned it, but instead embraced it would be similar to San Francisco or Boston. Cincinnati shouldn't focus on being a New Orleans for tourists despite the parallels, it should focus on being like a Boston, as both cities were known for being conservative (remember the old phrase Banned in Boston) but also have a wealth of cultural and historic treasures for an outsider to discover. With the revitalization of OTR Cincinnatian's should seize upon it and take the city back, celebrating as opposed to hiding its cultural treasure.
I've been to Savannah and frankly they do way more with way less. Savannah is a lively place and really doesn't have much of an economy to back it up as a real functioning city, its really just a tourist and retiree haven. Cincinnati should be on a tier just below San Francisco and Boston in terms of heritage tourism, yet the city makes itself inaccessible to outsiders.
Dayton St. for instance is one of the largest collections of mid-late 1800s mansions in the United States. Its comparable to 5th Ave in New York City and Prairie Avenue in Chicago. Since I currently live in Chicago, I can tell you, Prairie Avenue is widely known, and is promoted in most tourist guides to the city. Dayton street is a secret, only really known to people who are interested in history. The thing is that Dayton Street has way more buildings than Prairie Avenue does yet it recieves no promotion! That's Cincinnati's problem, it doesn't know how to promote itself, seemingly the locals are so pessimistic that they forget the pride they should have in their city! The sort of pride that has made Chicago a great place and a tourist destination! The sort of pride that even makes small places like Savannah and Charleston nationally known! Cincinnati has it, and it has its own percular brand of it, that is somewhere between the staunch conservative history of Boston and the wild ruckuss of New Orleans. All that people need to do is stop being cynical and take action to make the place what it was!
Along those lines, I've been working on updating the wikitravel page for Cincinnati, to make outsiders more aware of these hidden secrets, feel free to update if you think something else needs to be added. Cincinnati travel guide - Wikitravel
Outstanding post! I was going to post something along the same lines when this thread started but then someone with a greater interest and fascination with things other than architecture and history took it in an entirely different direction. I believe your reply may have been more what the OP was seeking as well. I might only add that both cities were also old (pre-railroad and highways) riverboat towns (of the same river system and basin) connected by water so by being the first American "Super-Highway" it shared people, culture, and goods with all the cities along the route. Travel to and from Cincinnati and all points leading to New Orleans was quite brisk in the early days. That legacy from the time when water travel was king has all but disappeared today but it helped shape both cities into what they are today. Thanks again for a great post!
New Orleans French heritage is comparable to Cincinnnatis German heritage.
New Orleans French Quarter is comparable to Cincinnatis Over The Rhine.
New Orleans has Mardi Gras, Cincinnati has Oktoberfest.
New Orleans was the birthplace of Jazz, Cincinnati was a top destination for the escapees on the underground railroad.
Both cities have unique tasty food options, that can't easily be found elsewhere.
Although non Cincinnatians are always surprised to find a city so rich in culture and fine restaurants, Cincinnati will NEVER be a tourist destination like NOLA.
Everything that you reference has attracted world wide visitors to NOLA. Do you see them in Cincy? Hey, let's hop a flight to Cincy....Ain't gonna happen.
And, that is a shame. We do have the culture and some of the better eateries. But everything else just isn't gonna attract attention to the Mid-West
Although non Cincinnatians are always surprised to find a city so rich in culture and fine restaurants, Cincinnati will NEVER be a tourist destination like NOLA.
Everything that you reference has attracted world wide visitors to NOLA. Do you see them in Cincy? Hey, let's hop a flight to Cincy....Ain't gonna happen.
And, that is a shame. We do have the culture and some of the better eateries. But everything else just isn't gonna attract attention to the Mid-West
Sure, and maybe Cincinnati doesn't want the type of craziness that New Orleans is known for. But, like Neilworms mentioned, if Charleston and Savannah are known tourist destinations being MUCH, MUCH smaller cities, then certainly I think Cincinnati can be at least as much of a tourist destination as those places.
There is no reason, why Cincinnati can't be at least a little more known as far as a destination for its tourism heritage.
Like I mentioned in another thread I started: Cities like St. Louis and Pittsburgh are cities that are similar in size, and so many other ways as Cincinnati, but those cities have had a bit more of a tourism marketing campaign. I do think Cincy be a little more well known than those. There are still a lot of people, that think Cincinnati is in the same league as Dayton (no offense to Dayton! Its just a smaller metro area with a much smaller downtown area!).
Cincinnati would be a tourist attraction IF Ohio weren't viewed by the media as a hillbilly and trashy state.
Sad to say, there's some truth to what you say; it's even reflected in many of the comments seen on C-D--i.e, that "Ohia" is nothing more than another fly-over state and/or a refuge compound for poor white trash who ran out of gas on their way north to the Great Lakes Promised Land of the auto/steel industries. Or so the story goes...
With this sad state of affairs in mind, let's consider doing what Cleveland has threatened to do--secede from Ohio! People up there talk about forming an axis of power and prestige that will extend from Cleveland to Pittsburgh, thereby divorcing themselves from all the backwater rabble to their south. So why can't we in Cincinnati do the same thing--except one step better? We secede from OH/KY/IN altogether! Just think of it, folks--our own "city-state," beholden to nobody but our own sweet selves. The Queen City transformed into The Emerald City. Rule # 1--don't even think of stopping here unless you're prepared to settle down and share in the love of your new home. Rule # 2--unless you read at 12th grade level or higher, just keep on driving. Rule #3--we supply the means, you supply the ends. Rule # 4--rose colored eyeglasses are provided for free, but must be worn all the time. Rule # 5--our Bavarian beer is not free, and must be paid for out-of-pocket.
Although non Cincinnatians are always surprised to find a city so rich in culture and fine restaurants, Cincinnati will NEVER be a tourist destination like NOLA.
Everything that you reference has attracted world wide visitors to NOLA. Do you see them in Cincy? Hey, let's hop a flight to Cincy....Ain't gonna happen.
Then why can't Cincinnati try to do it too? I mean it seems that the only attitude stopping Cincinnati is a prevailing culture of "Can't".
Cincinnati would be a tourist attraction IF Ohio weren't viewed by the media as a hillbilly and trashy state.
Anyone who knows anything doesn't think that.
And if state stereotypes determine the fate of a city, how do you explain Austin, Texas?
Just sounds like more Cincinnati 'whaw whaw whaahh' to me.
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People up there talk about forming an axis of power and prestige that will extend from Cleveland to Pittsburgh, thereby divorcing themselves from all the backwater rabble to their south. So why can't we in Cincinnati do the same thing--except one step better? We secede from OH/KY/IN altogether! Just think of it, folks--our own "city-state," beholden to nobody but our own sweet selves. The Queen City transformed into The Emerald City. Rule # 1--don't even think of stopping here unless you're prepared to settle down and share in the love of your new home. Rule # 2--unless you read at 12th grade level or higher, just keep on driving. Rule #3--we supply the means, you supply the ends. Rule # 4--rose colored eyeglasses are provided for free, but must be worn all the time. Rule # 5--our Bavarian beer is not free, and must be paid for out-of-pocket. 
