I flew out to Cincinnati to visit my working hubby and was pleasantly surprised to stumble upon a burgeoning renewal and a vibrant art scene.
Throughout the downtown area, I saw major redevelopment of public spaces. A short walk from the city center is an area along the riverfront with numerous restaurants, a sports stadium and the compelling Freedom Center museum. But it was the parkway along the river that caught my full attention. There are gardens, event lawns, fountains and sensible walkways. Major acreage is being decked out to create a scenic community destination that promises to transform into a city landmark.
At the foot of a beloved suspension bridge, I found the construction site of a new playground–kinda fun to see the bones of these play structures. Nearby a banner displayed the rendering of what is to come, and I can already imagine the squeals that will be heard by local kids who are about to get a cool place for some playtime.
Rendering of the future playground along the riverfront – I kinda wanna play here!
The summer construction in progress.
I was also thrilled to find a public labyrinth. So inviting, in fact, that my friend Tess and I couldn’t resist spending thirty minutes meandering through its unicursal maze in walking meditation. A couple kids saw us right as we were finishing and figured this must be a great place to play, so they ran the course in 5 minutes flat. I was amused by the contrast in our approaches to the labyrinth.
A public labyrinth as experienced by the young and younger.
In terms of art, I didn’t make it out to the smaller galleries as I’d originally hoped, but did get to wander into the Contemporary Arts Center one late afternoon. I arrived only an hour before closing and guess because I asked so many questions and it was the end of the day, that they thought it would be easier to just let me see for myself. So, I was kindly invited to a complementary view of the current exhibitions. You probably don’t yet know how obsessed I am with museums, so let’s just say that I thoroughly enjoyed this artistic detour. The museum is quite sensibly organized as you basically ascend your way over manageable step ramps, to circle through every exhibit.
The featured exhibition, “Buildering: Misbehaving the City” was both meditative and inspiring. I loved the varied and playful take on urbanization as interpreted by different artists.
There was a deconstructed forest, complete with real pine trees that had been mounted upside down on creaking pulley’s; a light box that reflected what felt like a typical domestic tile floor; and images of bleak landscapes with fully sculpted, three dimensional agricultural elements inserted within.
Back at the 21c Museum Hotel next door, you are greeted by a stark lobby that is truly more of an art gallery than a cozy place to lounge, but there’s something cool about it. The art rotates frequently, and further magnifies the city’s commitment to contemporary art. I had to make note of the intriguing reception desk. It is a glass and metal sculpture that holds a few laptops for checking in guests, but is more of a conversation piece with gangs of human figurines either holding up or trying to break free from within their glass box. I felt trapped and free at the same time. Probably just as the artist intended?
The artistic hotel reception desk as a conversation starter
Overall, was thrilled to have had the opportunity to visit a city I might otherwise have missed. In addition to the art and community, I found great coffee, signature ice-cream, and fabulous gluten-free friendly gourmet dining; The Coffee Emporium, Graeter’s, and Sotto, respectively. If you do make it to town, you cannot miss the octopus special at the latter — A hip and accommodating subterranean restaurant, thus rightly named Sotto — octopus is not usually my dish of choice, but their smoky grilled concoction made me a believer.
Cincinnati has plenty to explore in a week’s visit, but I am most intrigued by the promise of its investment in urban renewal and look forward to getting back someday to see how it all “Builderings” out.