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Photo: MamaGeek at en.wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons
The renovated Fountain Square holds the Tyler Davidson Fountain, restaurants, an ice skating rink, a big screen video board, free Wi-Fi, and a hands-on water wall!
Fountain Square is a city square in Cincinnati, Ohio, United States. Founded in 1871, it was renovated in 1971 and 2005 and currently features many shops, restaurants, hotels, and offices.
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The Carew Tower served as the basis for the design of the later Empire State Building. During the mid- to late-1980s, a giant inflatable gorilla was attached to the upper floors! Notice the Art Deco interior of the common areas as you follow the signs to find the elevators. You have to change elevators and then take the stairs up the final level to make it to the 49th floor. The 49th floor of Cincinnati's 2nd tallest building provides a breathtaking, inexpensive, and gorilla-less view of the city. Take a high-speed elevator to the 45th floor, then choose from walking up four flights of stairs or taking another elevator to the 48th floor and walking up one flight. The admission is collected once you reach the top.
Non-members can browse but not check out books during business hours and it's open to the public. Old-school private library complete with busts of famous literary figures, artwork, globes, dusty stacks of books and spiral staircases. Also hosted here are frequently literary events, lectures and local public affairs talks. It's worth a look to see a unique library space.
The CAC is one of the regional leaders in thought-provoking art; the building is a piece of art with some of Cincinnati's boldest architecture. The center has also been the center of controversy; some may not see the "art" in some exhibits. If you do get this kind of art, hop one door north on Walnut to the 21C Museum Hotel for a few more exhibits in its publicly open/free museum, for info on staying there see details under the Sleep section below.
The Weston Art Gallery is in the Aranoff Center for the Arts. Exhibitions feature painting, sculpture, prints, photography, textiles, independent film, performance and electronic media. Ten diverse exhibitions are programmed annually in the gallery's 3,500 square foot museum-quality space.
This is the main place in Cincinnati to see a Broadway musical, famous stand up comics, the Cincinnati Ballet and other large scale performing arts events.
Like most old large cities in the US alleyways have old houses and buildings on them, Cincinnati is no exception, though not as many survived the onslaught of mid-late 20th century urban destruction as are in Philly or Boston. In one of these alleys is the oldest synagogue west of the Appalachian mountains, that was saved by being converted to condominiums in the early 2000s. This is a private residence, but should be something noted by travelers who happen to be next to Restaurant Row/The Aronoff Center. The alley is well lit and fairly wide as its branded the Backstage District.