Cincinnati is the third largest city in Ohio State. It is located to the North of Licking’s confluence with River Ohio. Cincinnati is home to two major league teams the Cincinnati Bengals of the NFL and the Cincinnati Reds, MLB’s oldest franchise. Cincinnati is a cosmopolitan city with almost equal numbers of Caucasian and non-Caucasian residents. Cincinnati’s economy is the fastest growing in the Midwest. There are many multinational companies headquartered in Cincinnati such as Procter & Gamble, Macy’s, General Electric Aviation, Inc. and The Kroger Company. Cincinnati’s culture has strong influences from the city’s early Irish and German immigrants. Many restaurants specialize in Bavarian cooking and schnitzels and the Italian Cincinnati chili.
Mount Lookout is located to the east of Cincinnati overlooking River Ohio’s valley. The neighborhood gets its name from the Mount Lookout Observatory, the neighborhood’s main attraction. Mount Lookout has a lively central business district that has many local bars and restaurants. Two well-known bars and cafes are Mount Lookout Tavern and Zip’s Café. Part of Ault Park crosses into Mount Lookout. Tennis enthusiasts can play at the Mt. Lookout Swim and Tennis Club, which is operated by Swimsafe Management. The neighborhood has only three schools Cardinal Pacelli School, St. Ursula Villa School and Kilgour School. Housing in Mount Lookout is 179 percent more expensive than the rest of Cincinnati. The median house price is $340,000. Most of the homes in Mt. Lookout are owner occupied. Mount Lookout is one of the more affluent areas of Cincinnati with an average household income of more than $90,000.
Oakley is relatively young neighborhood that neighbors Madisonville, Hyde Park and Pleasant Ridge. Oakley’s main shopping district is Oakley Square, which lies along Madison Road. There are two other shopping centers Hyde Park Plaza to the south and Rockwood. Oakley’s Community Council organizes a monthly street festival known as Oakley After Hours. During this event stores and restaurants open for extended hours and offer dining specials, live music and sales. Oakley’s houses are affordable with an average house price of $200,000. Renters will not lack options as 60 percent of homes are renter occupied.
Hyde Park is an old neighborhood located to the east of Cincinnati. It is named after New York’s famous Hyde Park. At the center of Hyde Park is Park Square, a two block area that features a park, restaurants and retails shops. There are two schools in Hyde Park, Hyde Park School and Withrow High School. Hyde Park is a very desirable neighborhood leading Forbes to name it as the Best American Neighborhood in 2010. Due to its desirability and social amenities, houses in Hyde Park are expensive with a median price of around $300,000. Only 40 percent of houses in Hyde Park are available for rent. Crime is rare in Hyde Park with the crime rate being lower than the national average. Hyde Park’s residents are well educated with 96 percent of residents having finished high school and 75 percent of residents have a bachelor’s degree.