This year, Centric is visiting Cincy for our annual Spring Meeting, and we can’t wait!
After nearly two years of strictly virtual meetings, countless emails and endless Microsoft Teams chat messages, over 400 of our employees will finally reunite in person for our Spring Meeting on March 10-11.
If you’ve never been to Cincinnati, here are a few suggestions for things to do and see during your visit:
1. Food & Drinks
Cincinnati has a strong multi-cultural heritage, which means two things: there are a lot of great restaurants, and having so many people of German descent, you can find a brewery almost anywhere you go. Here are a few suggestions to guide your culinary experience:
- Rhinegeist Brewery – Rhinegest started out as a small operation that quickly gained popularity in the Cincinnati area and is now building a strong country-wide presence. Located in the historic Over The Rhine neighborhood, there is plenty to see and do once you finish your famous Rhinegeist Trust pale ale.
- Sotto – Described as “rustic Italian cuisine,” Sotto sits in the heart of downtown Cincinnati and is a great dinner spot if you are looking for a more elevated dining experience. With amazing pasta dishes, a great selection of wines and a charcuterie board to die for, you can’t go wrong with this option.
- Montgomery Inn Boathouse – If you’re a barbecue fan, The Montgomery Inn Boathouse is a must. Sitting right on the edge of the Ohio River, The Boathouse is known for its unbeatable ribs and barbecued spring chicken. This is about as good as it gets when it comes to northern barbecue.
- Ghost Baby – One of the newer establishments in Cincinnati, Ghost Baby offers a unique setting unlike anything else in the city. Over 150 years ago, before refrigeration was a thing, breweries would age and cool their beer in underground tunnels, and Ghost Baby now occupies one of those tunnels. If you’re looking for a unique cocktail and great live music with a one-of-a-kind atmosphere, Ghost Baby is a location you need to see. Note: Avoid if claustrophobic. It’s in an underground tunnel, after all!
- Skyline Chili – If you’re talking about food in Cincinnati, you need to at least mention Skyline. One of the most polarizing foods you will ever come across, Nicholas Lambrinides opened the first Skyline Chili in 1949, serving his family’s Greek chili recipe as a “sauce” to serve on top of spaghetti and coney dogs. Now a staple in all Cincinnati neighborhoods, Skyline is worth checking out for yourself.
2. Sports
Cincinnati is home to some of the most loyal sports fans you will ever meet, as is much of Ohio.
Situated on the shore of the Ohio River, you should easily find Paul Brown Stadium, home of the Cincinnati Bengals. With the Bengals recent success taking them to the Super Bowl in 2022, the hype around this team is real. After checking out the stadium, you will be across the street from The Banks, Cincinnatians’ favorite spot to grab some food and a drink while you watch a Reds or Bengals game.
Speaking of the Reds, it won’t take more than a quick five-minute stroll down Riverwalk to see Great American Ball Park, also right along the Ohio River. While the Reds haven’t had as much success in the modern era as the Bengals, Great American Ball Park always pulls in a respectable crowd for games and is in a great setting with the Cincinnati skyline overlooking the park behind home plate.
Having two stadiums in such close proximity to each other really makes you feel like you are in a “sports district,” and the energy is always great along the river.
If you travel a little further north to the West End area, you will find Cincinnati’s most recent addition to its professional sports franchises: FC Cincinnati. Founded in 2016, FC Cincinnati has had no problem attracting soccer fans in the city and games are always highly attended.
In 2019, FC Cincinnati officially joined the MLS as an expansion team, and the excitement around this franchise has only grown since then. Bordering the Over the Rhine neighborhood, TQL Stadium is in the perfect spot if you want to make an entire day out of your trip to see a match.
3. Museums
If you aren’t a sports fan, you may be more interested in Cincinnati’s amazing museums. One of the most notable museums in the city is the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center. Opened in 2004, this museum highlights the efforts to “abolish human enslavement and secure freedom for all people.”
Walking through the Freedom Center is a very sobering experience, as you come across shackles, interactive displays that let you simulate escape attempts, and even “slave pens” used to house enslaved African Americans before auction. While this museum highlights the darker areas of the United States’ history, you will undoubtedly learn very important lessons as you walk the halls.
Another great museum to pay a visit to is the Cincinnati Museum Center. The Museum Center hosts several rotating exhibits, including art created by Lego sculptors, The Science Behind Pixar and a Star Wars exhibit that displays wardrobes, models and props used in the films. No matter when you choose to visit the Museum Center, you can count on finding a unique exhibit that you won’t soon forget.
Lastly, in the Eden Park neighborhood of Cincy, you will find the Cincinnati Art Museum. With over 67,000 works spanning 6,000 years of human history, the Cincinnati Art Museum has one of the most comprehensive collections in the Midwest. Established in 1881, the Art Museum is a long-standing institution in the city, and no matter what type of art you are interested in, you can probably find it here.
4. Neighborhoods
If you’re looking for even more to do, the seven hills of Cincinnati host several interesting neighborhoods with a ton to do. Below are some of these neighborhoods that are a quick trip outside of downtown.
- Hyde Park
- Mt. Lookout
- Pendleton
- Over the Rhine
- East Walnut Hills
- Covington, KY – Technically not Cincinnati, but a great spot across the river.
See you in Cincy!