If any city suffers from image problems, it's Cincinnati.
The past decades have tainted the "Queen City" with racial unrest (following the 2001 police shooting of an unarmed black man) and a reputation for intolerance (after the unsuccessful prosecution of the Contemporary Arts Center and director Dennis Barrie on charges of pandering obscenity for a 1990 Robert Mapplethorpe exhibit). But the past few years have seen a cultural revival in Cincinnati, which sits regally at the southwestern end of Ohio on the Ohio River across from Kentucky. A visitor will find world-class museums, a vibrant nightlife and dining scene, and a rich look at the state's history.
Cincinnati boasts a mild climate, leisurely Southern pace, strong German heritage, hilly geography and a lovely river location.
The sights
Even if you've never been to Cincinnati, Fountain Square may look familiar -- and send the theme to "WKRP in Cincinnati" looping through your head. But there's nothing dated about the heart of the city. The area around the lovely 1871 fountain was renovated in 2005 into a cultural hub surrounded by shops and restaurants that host concerts, markets, festivals and other public events.
From Fountain Square, several other downtown destinations are within walking distance. Must-sees include two of Ohio's newest museums: the stunning Lois & Richard Rosenthal Center for Contemporary Art (1-513-345-8400; www.contemporaryarts center.org) designed by renowned London-based deconstructivist architect Zaha Hadid, and the sober National Underground Railroad Freedom Center (1-877-648-4838; www.freedomcenter.org/). Next, head to the University of Cincinnati, just north of downtown, for a look at several buildings by leading world architects on the forward-thinking campus, including Frank Gehry's Vontz Center for Molecular Studies and the Aronoff Center for Design and Art designed by Peter Eisenman.
The eats
Ever heard of goetta? Probably not, unless you're of German extraction with roots in the southern Ohio/northern Kentucky area. A mixture of ground beef and oats, this poverty dish once made to stretch meat servings is little known outside the Cincinnati area. But despite its peasant origins, goetta has become downright chic. Mokka (1-859-581-3700), a sleek breakfast-lunch joint across the river in Newport, Ky, serves its goetta in wisp-thin slices, with a crisp, sausage-like consistency and taste. Even more tempting was the French toast topped with crème brûlée, cornflakes and bananas. Divinely decadent.
