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Step up to the plate in Cincinnati: this ever-changing Ohio River city brims with major league fun - City Of The Month

Travel America, March-April, 2004 by Randy Mink

OUR SEATS HIGH ABOVE LEFT FIELD commanded Ohio River panoramas, one of many fan-friendly features of Great American Ball Park, the new home of baseball's Cincinnati Reds. Glancing away from action on the field, we gazed out at mighty bridges, boat and barge traffic, and twinkling lights on the Kentucky shore. At one point a grandiose paddlewheeler, the 1,000-passenger Belle of Cincinnati, glided by.

Docked at the levee was the River Explorer, a mammoth hotel barge out family had taken a few years ago on a cruise from Cincinnati to St. Louis. The mission last summer, with my baseball-crazy son Jeremy, was to see the stadium in its inaugural-season glory, plus some other city sights. Wherever we roamed, the Ohio River, backed by green hills in the distance, was never far away. Our hotel room window afforded a glimpse of it, too.

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Jeremy and I based ourselves downtown at the Hyatt Regency Cincinnati, just a short walk from the ballpark. In fact, we walked almost everywhere during our four-day stay--even across the bridges to Kentucky--leaving our car in the parking garage the whole time. Twice we took city buses to museums outside of downtown, and we could have used the convenient Southbank Shuttle (50 cents) to Covington and Newport in Northern Kentucky.

The Hyatt, attached to Saks Fifth Avenue, is connected to the business district by the city's second-level skywalk system. These enclosed passageways also link other hotels, including the landmark Hilton Cincinnati Netherland Plaza, an Art Deco jewel in the Carew Tower complex, best known for the shops of Tower Place Mall. Built in 1933, Carew Tower is still the tallest building in town; its 48th-floor observation deck offers bird's-eye views.

Fountain Square, across from Carew Tower, is the symbolic heart of Cincinnati. A gathering place since 1871, it's dominated by the Tyler Davidson Fountain, a 43-foot masterpiece adorned with allegorical figures and bas-reliefs depicting the influence of water in our lives. A popular spot for lunch breaks and people-watching, Fountain Square hosts public art displays and big festivals like Oktoberfest-Zinzinnati, a mid-September celebration of the city's strong German heritage.

Steps away, the Cincinnati Visitor Center makes a logical starting point for charting your course. Across the street, the Reds Dugout store in the Westin Hotel Cincinnati has Reds souvenirs (including players' used bats) and sells game tickets at face value. For those who can afford the finer things in life, Tiffany & Co. also faces Fountain Square.

The newest eye-opener downtown is the Lois and Richard Rosenthal Center for Contemporary Art. Its futuristic six-story home, a cutting-edge glass creation of Iraqi-born architect Zaha Hadid, represents the first major American museum designed by a woman. The neighboring Aronoff Center for the Arts, consisting of three theaters and an art gallery, anchors downtown's arts and entertainment hub, the Backstage District, a block from Fountain Square.

To get away from the bustle, mosey on down to the riverfront, where park-like expanses provide plenty of elbow room. For unsurpassed views of the Ohio, walk the winding concrete tiers of the Serpentine Wall or find one of several overlooks. Cool off on a hot summer day in the Concourse Fountain, a shallow pool with shooting spray and cascading waterfalls.

Recreational facilities along the riverbank include tennis and sand volleyball courts, a 16-station fitness area, playgrounds, and an outdoor rink for roller and inline skating. The Great Lawn provides room for picnicking and frisbee-throwing and accommodates up to 7,000 people for shows at the Procter & Gamble Performance Pavilion. (Cincinnati-based P & G is one of the city's big-time benefactors.)

Moored at the Public Landing, a concrete levee below Great American Ball Park and US Bank Arena (a concert venue), is the Showboat Majestic, last of the original floating theaters. A National Historic Landmark built in 1923, it presents musicals, comedies, and dramas from April through December.

For a relaxing introduction to the metro area's waterfront, take a BB Riverboats cruise from Covington Landing, just over the historic Roebling Suspension Bridge from downtown Cincinnati. The Belle of Cincinnati, River Queen, and Mark Twain offer lunch, dinner, and regular sightseeing options.

Sharing a border with Kentucky seems to give Cincinnati a sunny Southern disposition. For us, the Southbank place to be was Newport on the Levee, a shopping/dining/entertainment complex that has revived Newport since opening in 2001. Its centerpiece is the world-class Newport Aquarium, where we spent two hours watching penquins, sharks, stingrays, and loggerhead sea turtles.

At Newport on the Levee, you can relax on benches in the red-brick plaza, hear live music, admire the Cincinnati skyline, and browse hip boutiques as well as familiar stores like Barnes & Noble. The large main building has a 20-screen cinema and clubs that rock to the wee hours.

Step up to the plate in Cincinnati: this ever-changing Ohio River city brims with major league fun - City Of The Month

Travel America, March-April, 2004 by Randy Mink

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