Work Trip: Cincinnati Rules or How I walked and biked the inner core of Cincy

Another week, another 360 college campus shoot. This time I was photographing the University of Cincinnati. I was stoked to go here and tried talking Brooke into going, knowing that it's an awesome place for old house nuts like us. Unfortuntely Brooke didn't say yes until after rewards tickets disappeared.

First stop was Short Vine right next to the University of Cincinnati campus.

Reddit told me I needed to try out Al-Madina so that's where I headed. With no car I just walked everywhere the first couple of days.

I found a place to eat behind the local library. Al-Madina is well worth a stop.

This part of town was already making me fall in love with this city. Why is it not mentioned alongside Boston, New Orleans and Savannah as great American architectural cities?

My room at the Graduate Hotel had a corner dedicated to local rock and roll acts. A nice touch.

Cincinnati was rad. A place that felt equally East Coast while being squarely in the Midwest. Missing teeth in places, yet containing multitudes.

After my shoot at the University of Cincy, I meandered the mile and a half or so from the hotel to Over the Rhine.

About halfway I happened upon an abandoned valley, the Glencoe Hole. It turns out this was once row houses split into tenements. It was only recently knocked down.

The neighboring area was a bit rough. Almost felt like I was in an Appalachian town.

Finally made it to the upper reaches of Over the Rhine.

You might have to look a little closer, but many blocks of Over the Rhine are still in transition. It's true more so in the neighboring West End, but many buildings on the northern end of Over the Rhine remain in various states of repair.

Down one of the many public staircases, I was into the heart of the neighborhood.

This section had yet to get the TLC that had remade the once derelict neighborhood.

Findlay Market felt straight out of Europe.

Yeah, I could totally live here.

After getting a few beers in Over the Rhine (at Standard Beer) I planned to walk to Camp Washington Chili. Along the way, Over the Rhine leads into the West End, a mish-mash of industry, lovely blocks and others that have seen better days

A few West End blocks seemed to have been fixed up in recent years. This block in particular wouldn't have felt too out of place in Boston's South End.

I could almost feel the push and pull of gentrification seeping into the West End. Signs of its transition were everywhere.

Like any American city, Cincinnati feels a bit disjointed. The byproduct of urban renewal and freeways splitting up the city, but it's also a landscape more akin to San Francisco than many of its Midwest counterparts.

I climbed up into the western periphery of Clifton Heights only to descend into the valley below and under I-75 into the semi-industrial Camp Washington. Chili was almost at hand.

I had finally made it to Camp Washington Chili after 30,000 odd steps. Cincinnati Chili was consumed.

I raced back to the campus area through the somewhat odd Burnett Woods. It just felt very empty.

Normally I would've headed home in the morning, but flights were much cheaper on Saturday. So, I got to explore even more of Cincy.

Bur first I had to traverse Corryville and Clifton.

Feel like the Northside would be my ideal neighborhood. In-between days. Bohemian. A cool corner of the city.

This area felt a lot like Minneapolis' Northeast or Milwaukee's Bay View.

At this point between the highs in the 90s and 70 degree dew points, I decided to get a Cincinnati Red Bike to traverse the city. It was my first time on an e-bike and I was cruising right through through Camp Washington, the West End and back into Over the Rhine.

It wasn't exactly safe getting to, but I eventually hauled my Red Bike past a mess of freeway on-ramps up to Mount Adams.

Mount Adams was a picture perfect neighborhood.

Back down in Walnut Hills, I passed a few houses in various states of repair.

I ended up eating at Just Q'in BBQ along one of Walnut Hills main drags before calling it a night.

Before flying out I stopped by Cincy Cafe for a second time. Amazing pastries and chai lattes.

Cincinnati rules, folks.