Over-the-Rhine
Encyclopedia
Over-the-Rhine, sometimes shortened to OTR, is a neighborhood in Cincinnati, Ohio
. It is believed to be the largest, most intact urban historic district
in the United States. Over-the-Rhine was added to the National Register of Historic Places
in 1983 with 943 contributing buildings. It contains the largest collection of Italianate architecture
in the United States, and is an example of an intact 19th-century urban neighborhood. Its architectural significance has been compared to the French Quarter
in New Orleans, the historic districts of Savannah, Georgia
and Charleston, South Carolina
, and Greenwich Village
in New York City
. Besides being a historic district, the neighborhood has an arts
community that is unparalleled within Cincinnati. Over-the-Rhine is bordered by the neighborhoods of Downtown
, CUF, Mount Auburn, Pendleton, and the West End. Over-the-Rhine was voted best Cincinnati neighborhood in CityBeat's Best of Cincinnati 2011.
, which separated the area from downtown Cincinnati. The canal was nickname
d "the Rhine" in reference to the Rhine River in Germany
, and the newly settled area north of the canal as "Over the Rhine." In German, the district was called "über'm Rhein."
An early reference to the canal as "the Rhine" appears in the 1853 book White, Red, Black, in which traveler Ferenc Pulszky
wrote, "The Germans live all together across the Miami Canal, which is, therefore, here jocosely called the 'Rhine.' " In 1875 writer Daniel J. Kenny referred to the area exclusively as "Over the Rhine." He noted, "Germans and Americans alike love to call the district 'Over the Rhine.' " The canal no longer exists, but was located at what is now Central Parkway.
in the United States. Because of its size, Over-the-Rhine is home to several distinct districts. OTR is bisected by Liberty Street. The Northern Liberties and Over-the-Rhine Brewery District are north of Liberty Street. South of Liberty is the Gateway Quarter and Pendleton, Cincinnati.
(3CDC). 3CDC is a major holder and developer in the Gateway Quarter and neighboring Washington Park on the west side of the Gateway Quarter which is also undergoing an expansion and renovation that is expected to be completed in 2011.
began brewing beer in the Brewery District in December, 2010.
Christian Moerlein established his first brewing company in Over-the-Rhine in 1853. Eventually the Christian Moerlein Brewing Co. became the city’s largest brewery and expanded into the national market. At its height the brewery occupied three entire city blocks. Prohibition brought an end to the company in the 1920s.
Bockfest
is held annually in OTR. The Bockfest Hall was located in the Brewery District in 2010 and 2011.
is the oldest continuously operating farmers' market in Ohio. Findlay Market was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1972. The structure was among the first markets in the United States to use iron frame construction technology and is one of very few that have survived.
Findlay Market
is a center of economic activity in Over-the-Rhine. Cincinnati City Council named The Corporation for Findlay Market its Preferred Developer for 39 city-owned properties near the market in June 2006.
In 2004, the City of Cincinnati completed a $16 million renovation of the market and it was 47% occupied. In 2010, the market became 100% occupied and continues to grow.
immigration, Over-the-Rhine became notorious for its poverty by the end of the twentieth century. In 2001 Reason Magazine dubbed it "ground zero in inner-city decline." Since the late 1970s, advocates for historic preservation
and low-income housing have struggled over how to preserve the neighborhood without causing mass displacement of the poor
. The 2001 Cincinnati riots
brought international attention to Over-the-Rhine, and accelerated a century-long trend of population decline. Low property value allowed developers to buy and renovate a large number of historic buildings. Since 2004 hundreds of millions of dollars have been invested in revitalization projects, and since 2006 the crime rate has decreased each year.
described the neighborhood as having "a scale and grace reminiscent of Greenwich Village
in New York
." When Arthur Frommer
, founder of the Frommer's travel guides
, visited Over-the-Rhine he described it as the most promising urban area for revitalization in the United States, and claimed that its potential for tourism "literally could rival similar prosperous and heavily visited areas."
Most of Over-the-Rhine's ornate brick buildings were built by German immigrants from 1865 to the 1880s. The architecture of Over-the-Rhine reflects the diverse styles of the late nineteenth century—simple vernacular
, muted Greek Revival
, Italianate
and Queen Anne
. Most of the buildings in Over-the-Rhine are one of these styles, but there are other odd balls as well. Art Deco
is represented by the American Building on Central Parkway, the Germania Building at Twelfth and Walnut streets is ironically one of the few examples of German ornamentation in the neighborhood, Music Hall's mixture of styles is best described as Venetian Gothic
, there are a handful of buildings with Gothic architecture
, and the new SCPA
on Central Parkway is the most notable example of Modern architecture
in the neighborhood.
has listed the status of Over-the-Rhine as "Endangered." Since 1930, approximately half of Over-the-Rhine's historic buildings have been destroyed. More will follow unless currently deteriorating buildings are repaired. Between 2001 and 2006, the city approved more than 50 "emergency demolitions," which were caused by absentee landlord
s' allowing their buildings to become so critically dilapidated that the city declared them a danger to the public. Reinvestment could have saved them. Due to the situation, the National Trust for Historic Preservation declared Over-the-Rhine one of Eleven Most Endangered Historic Places
in 2006. Over-the-Rhine was included in the 2008 book, Frommer's 500 Places to See Before They Disappear, which noted the district's "shocking state of neglect".
According to research conducted by WCPO in 2001, some of the worst-kept properties are owned by Over-the-Rhine's non-profits, which let the buildings sit vacant and deteriorating because of lack of funds or volunteers. As of 2009, approximately 66% of the buildings in Over-the-Rhine are vacant. Squatters, such as vagrants, prostitutes, drug addicts and dealers sometimes occupy them illegally. With some buildings on the verge of collapse, investors and real-estate developers are trying to restore them before deterioration to the point of requiring demolition. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, part of Over-the-Rhine has one of the highest rates of abandoned and vacant homes in the country. They classify it as the sixth hardest area in the nation to get an accurate population count.
and are clustered in one area near Downtown.
.
The number of serious crimes plateaued from 2002 to 2005, after which crime began decreasing at a rapid pace. In 2006 sheriff's deputies were brought in to help patrol the neighborhood. The decrease has been credited to the redevelopment of the area, the increase in population, and the increased presence of the police and sheriff's deputies. Operation Vortex and Ceasefire, a program that reaches out to gang members, were also credited with helping decrease crime. In the summer of 2006 police assembled an élite sixty-man crimefighting squad code-named Vortex. The Vortex unit made "zero tolerance" sweeps of high-crime areas, where they arrested people for misdemeanors, such as jaywalking and loitering, as well as for serious crimes. In its first 25 days the unit made 1,000 arrests. In the first six months of 2009, no calls for emergency help were made. A business owner reported that pan handling and shoplifting in his store dropped 90 percent after he moved from the Central Business District to Over-the-Rhine. Through July 29 of 2009 crime in Over-the-Rhine was down 22% when compared to the same period in 2008.
In 2009 a website, using data collected from 2005 to 2007, ranked a section of Over-the-Rhine north of Liberty Street as, statistically, the "most dangerous neighborhood in the United States." Critics, however, argue that the statistic is "intellectually dishonest" because the data selected to represent Over-the-Rhine focused on a "mostly vacant industrialized strip," and the data used by the website was "old." In July 2009 a rise in prostitution was reported along McMicken Avenue; police said that new development is pushing the women out of other parts of Over-the-Rhine into a smaller area.
As of the census
of 2000, the racial makeup of Over-the-Rhine was 19.4% Caucasian
, 76.9% African American
, and less than 4% of other races. 0.6% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
The neighborhood's residents comprise roughly 1.2% of the population of the City of Cincinnati.
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
. It is believed to be the largest, most intact urban historic district
Historic district
A historic district or heritage district is a section of a city which contains older buildings considered valuable for historical or architectural reasons. In some countries, historic districts receive legal protection from development....
in the United States. Over-the-Rhine was added to the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
in 1983 with 943 contributing buildings. It contains the largest collection of Italianate architecture
Italianate architecture
The Italianate style of architecture was a distinct 19th-century phase in the history of Classical architecture. In the Italianate style, the models and architectural vocabulary of 16th-century Italian Renaissance architecture, which had served as inspiration for both Palladianism and...
in the United States, and is an example of an intact 19th-century urban neighborhood. Its architectural significance has been compared to the French Quarter
French Quarter
The French Quarter, also known as Vieux Carré, is the oldest neighborhood in the city of New Orleans. When New Orleans was founded in 1718 by Jean-Baptiste Le Moyne de Bienville, the city was originally centered on the French Quarter, or the Vieux Carré as it was known then...
in New Orleans, the historic districts of Savannah, Georgia
Savannah, Georgia
Savannah is the largest city and the county seat of Chatham County, in the U.S. state of Georgia. Established in 1733, the city of Savannah was the colonial capital of the Province of Georgia and later the first state capital of Georgia. Today Savannah is an industrial center and an important...
and Charleston, South Carolina
Charleston, South Carolina
Charleston is the second largest city in the U.S. state of South Carolina. It was made the county seat of Charleston County in 1901 when Charleston County was founded. The city's original name was Charles Towne in 1670, and it moved to its present location from a location on the west bank of the...
, and Greenwich Village
Greenwich Village
Greenwich Village, , , , .in New York often simply called "the Village", is a largely residential neighborhood on the west side of Lower Manhattan in New York City. A large majority of the district is home to upper middle class families...
in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. Besides being a historic district, the neighborhood has an arts
ARts
aRts, which stands for analog Real time synthesizer, is an audio framework that is no longer under development. It is best known for previously being used in KDE to simulate an analog synthesizer....
community that is unparalleled within Cincinnati. Over-the-Rhine is bordered by the neighborhoods of Downtown
Downtown Cincinnati
Downtown Cincinnati is the central business district of Cincinnati, Ohio, and one of its 52 neighborhoods.-Geography:Downtown Cincinnati's streets are arranged in a grid configuration. It is bisected by Vine Street....
, CUF, Mount Auburn, Pendleton, and the West End. Over-the-Rhine was voted best Cincinnati neighborhood in CityBeat's Best of Cincinnati 2011.
Etymology
The neighborhood's distinctive name comes from its builders and early residents, German immigrants of the mid-19th century. Many walked to work across bridges over the Miami and Erie CanalMiami and Erie Canal
The Miami and Erie Canal was a canal that connected the Ohio River in Cincinnati, Ohio with Lake Erie in Toledo, Ohio. Construction on the canal began in 1825 and was completed in 1845. It consisted of 19 aqueducts, three guard locks, and 103 canal locks. Each lock measured by and they...
, which separated the area from downtown Cincinnati. The canal was nickname
Nickname
A nickname is "a usually familiar or humorous but sometimes pointed or cruel name given to a person or place, as a supposedly appropriate replacement for or addition to the proper name.", or a name similar in origin and pronunciation from the original name....
d "the Rhine" in reference to the Rhine River in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, and the newly settled area north of the canal as "Over the Rhine." In German, the district was called "über'm Rhein."
An early reference to the canal as "the Rhine" appears in the 1853 book White, Red, Black, in which traveler Ferenc Pulszky
Ferenc Pulszky
Ferenc Aurél Pulszky de Cselfalva et Lubócz was a Hungarian politician and writer.-Biography:He was born at Eperjes, now in Prešov in Slovakia. After studying law and philosophy at the high schools of his native town and Miskolc, he travelled abroad...
wrote, "The Germans live all together across the Miami Canal, which is, therefore, here jocosely called the 'Rhine.' " In 1875 writer Daniel J. Kenny referred to the area exclusively as "Over the Rhine." He noted, "Germans and Americans alike love to call the district 'Over the Rhine.' " The canal no longer exists, but was located at what is now Central Parkway.
Geography
Over-the-Rhine is believed to be the largest, most intact urban historic districtHistoric district
A historic district or heritage district is a section of a city which contains older buildings considered valuable for historical or architectural reasons. In some countries, historic districts receive legal protection from development....
in the United States. Because of its size, Over-the-Rhine is home to several distinct districts. OTR is bisected by Liberty Street. The Northern Liberties and Over-the-Rhine Brewery District are north of Liberty Street. South of Liberty is the Gateway Quarter and Pendleton, Cincinnati.
Gateway Quarter
The Gateway Quarter is a subdistrict of Over-the-Rhine. It is located in the south central area of Over-the-Rhine, bordered by Central Parkway to the south and west, Main Street to the east, and Liberty Street to the north. It is also known as "The Q", "The Quarter", and "The Gateway". In 2003, the City of Cincinnati and the City's corporate leaders made a joint commitment to jumpstart economic development in Cincinnati's urban core. Together they created the Cincinnati Center City Development CorporationCincinnati Center City Development Corporation
Cincinnati Center City Development Corporation is a private, non-profit corporation based in Cincinnati, Ohio. Most of 3CDC's work targets the Gateway Quarter of the Over-the-Rhine neighborhood, Fountain Square, and the central business district of Cincinnati...
(3CDC). 3CDC is a major holder and developer in the Gateway Quarter and neighboring Washington Park on the west side of the Gateway Quarter which is also undergoing an expansion and renovation that is expected to be completed in 2011.
Pendleton
Pendleton is a neighborhood in the Over-the-Rhine Historic District. Pendleton is considered a neighborhood in the Over-the-Rhine Historic District by the National Register of Historic Places and City of Cincinnati and the Over-the-Rhine Chamber of Commerce. Pendleton is south of Liberty Street, north of Reading Road and east of Sycamore Street.North of Liberty Street
Until 1849, today's Liberty Street, then called Northern Row, was the corporation line forming Cincinnati's northern boundary. The area north of Northern Row was not subject to municipal law and was, appropriately, called The Northern Liberties.Over-the-Rhine Brewery District
The Area was the heart of Cincinnati's beer brewing industry. Christian Moerlein Brewing Co.Christian Moerlein Brewing Co.
Christian Moerlein Brewing Co. is a historic, high quality craft beer company headquartered in the Cincinnati, Ohio neighborhood of Over-the-Rhine.Hudepohl Brewing Company is wholly owned by the Christian Moerlein Brewing Company.-History:...
began brewing beer in the Brewery District in December, 2010.
Christian Moerlein established his first brewing company in Over-the-Rhine in 1853. Eventually the Christian Moerlein Brewing Co. became the city’s largest brewery and expanded into the national market. At its height the brewery occupied three entire city blocks. Prohibition brought an end to the company in the 1920s.
Bockfest
Bockfest
Bockfest is an annual beer festival held in Over-the-Rhine, Cincinnati, Ohio. It is the oldest bock beer festival in the United States....
is held annually in OTR. The Bockfest Hall was located in the Brewery District in 2010 and 2011.
Findlay Market
Findlay MarketFindlay Market
Findlay Market in historic Over-the-Rhine, Cincinnati, Ohio, is the state's oldest continuously operated public market. The Findlay Market Building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on June 5, 1972...
is the oldest continuously operating farmers' market in Ohio. Findlay Market was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1972. The structure was among the first markets in the United States to use iron frame construction technology and is one of very few that have survived.
Findlay Market
Findlay Market
Findlay Market in historic Over-the-Rhine, Cincinnati, Ohio, is the state's oldest continuously operated public market. The Findlay Market Building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on June 5, 1972...
is a center of economic activity in Over-the-Rhine. Cincinnati City Council named The Corporation for Findlay Market its Preferred Developer for 39 city-owned properties near the market in June 2006.
In 2004, the City of Cincinnati completed a $16 million renovation of the market and it was 47% occupied. In 2010, the market became 100% occupied and continues to grow.
Annual Events
Over-the-Rhine is home to several distinctive annual events. A few of them are:- BockfestBockfestBockfest is an annual beer festival held in Over-the-Rhine, Cincinnati, Ohio. It is the oldest bock beer festival in the United States....
- Cincinnati Fringe FestivalCincinnati Fringe FestivalThe Cincinnati Fringe Festival, produced by Know Theatre of Cincinnati, was founded in Cincinnati, Ohio in 2004. It consiststs of 12 Days of Theatre, Film, Visual Art, and Music in the heart of Over-the-Rhine. It is Ohio's Largest Performing Arts Festival. It occurs annually and begins the day...
Annual - Occurs the two weeks after Memorial Day - MidPoint Music FestivalMidPoint Music FestivalMidPoint Music Festival launched in 2002 in Cincinnati, Ohio, as an independent music festival and industry conference. The annual three-day event occurs each Septemberin the city's downtown and historic Over-the-Rhine entertainment district...
- Cincinnati May FestivalCincinnati May FestivalThe Cincinnati May Festival is a two-week annual choral festival, held during the last two weekends in May in Cincinnati, Ohio, USA. The festival's roots go back to the 1840s, when Saengerfests were held in that city, bringing singers from all over the United States and abroad to perform large...
- Cincinnati RedsCincinnati RedsThe Cincinnati Reds are a Major League Baseball team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the National League Central Division. The club was established in 1882 as a charter member of the American Association and joined the National League in 1890....
Opening Day Parade from Findlay MarketFindlay MarketFindlay Market in historic Over-the-Rhine, Cincinnati, Ohio, is the state's oldest continuously operated public market. The Findlay Market Building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on June 5, 1972...
to Fountain SquareFountain Square, CincinnatiFountain Square is a city square in Cincinnati. Founded in 1871, it was renovated in 1971 and 2005 and currently features many shops, restaurants, hotels, and offices.- History :...
History
Built in the nineteenth century during a period of extensive GermanGermans
The Germans are a Germanic ethnic group native to Central Europe. The English term Germans has referred to the German-speaking population of the Holy Roman Empire since the Late Middle Ages....
immigration, Over-the-Rhine became notorious for its poverty by the end of the twentieth century. In 2001 Reason Magazine dubbed it "ground zero in inner-city decline." Since the late 1970s, advocates for historic preservation
Historic preservation
Historic preservation is an endeavor that seeks to preserve, conserve and protect buildings, objects, landscapes or other artifacts of historical significance...
and low-income housing have struggled over how to preserve the neighborhood without causing mass displacement of the poor
Gentrification
Gentrification and urban gentrification refer to the changes that result when wealthier people acquire or rent property in low income and working class communities. Urban gentrification is associated with movement. Consequent to gentrification, the average income increases and average family size...
. The 2001 Cincinnati riots
2001 Cincinnati riots
The Cincinnati riots of 2001 were the largest urban disorders in the United States since the Los Angeles riots of 1992. The four days of rioting were a reaction to the fatal shooting in Cincinnati, Ohio of Timothy Thomas, a 19-year-old black male, by Steven Roach, a white police officer, during an...
brought international attention to Over-the-Rhine, and accelerated a century-long trend of population decline. Low property value allowed developers to buy and renovate a large number of historic buildings. Since 2004 hundreds of millions of dollars have been invested in revitalization projects, and since 2006 the crime rate has decreased each year.
Architecture
Over-the-Rhine has been praised for its collection of historic architecture. The New York TimesThe New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
described the neighborhood as having "a scale and grace reminiscent of Greenwich Village
Greenwich Village
Greenwich Village, , , , .in New York often simply called "the Village", is a largely residential neighborhood on the west side of Lower Manhattan in New York City. A large majority of the district is home to upper middle class families...
in New York
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
." When Arthur Frommer
Arthur Frommer
Arthur Frommer is a travel writer, publisher and consumer advocate, and the founder of the Frommer's series of travel guides and Arthur Frommer's Budget Travel magazine. He has published many books for budget-conscious travelers and has been one of America's foremost budget travel authorities...
, founder of the Frommer's travel guides
Frommer's
Frommer's is a travel guidebook series and one of the bestselling travel guides in America. The series began in 1957 with the publication of Arthur Frommer's book, Europe on $5 a Day. Frommer's has expanded to include over 350 guidebooks across 14 series, as well as other media including the award...
, visited Over-the-Rhine he described it as the most promising urban area for revitalization in the United States, and claimed that its potential for tourism "literally could rival similar prosperous and heavily visited areas."
Most of Over-the-Rhine's ornate brick buildings were built by German immigrants from 1865 to the 1880s. The architecture of Over-the-Rhine reflects the diverse styles of the late nineteenth century—simple vernacular
Vernacular architecture
Vernacular architecture is a term used to categorize methods of construction which use locally available resources and traditions to address local needs and circumstances. Vernacular architecture tends to evolve over time to reflect the environmental, cultural and historical context in which it...
, muted Greek Revival
Greek Revival architecture
The Greek Revival was an architectural movement of the late 18th and early 19th centuries, predominantly in Northern Europe and the United States. A product of Hellenism, it may be looked upon as the last phase in the development of Neoclassical architecture...
, Italianate
Italianate architecture
The Italianate style of architecture was a distinct 19th-century phase in the history of Classical architecture. In the Italianate style, the models and architectural vocabulary of 16th-century Italian Renaissance architecture, which had served as inspiration for both Palladianism and...
and Queen Anne
Queen Anne Style architecture
The Queen Anne Style in Britain means either the English Baroque architectural style roughly of the reign of Queen Anne , or a revived form that was popular in the last quarter of the 19th century and the early decades of the 20th century...
. Most of the buildings in Over-the-Rhine are one of these styles, but there are other odd balls as well. Art Deco
Art Deco
Art deco , or deco, is an eclectic artistic and design style that began in Paris in the 1920s and flourished internationally throughout the 1930s, into the World War II era. The style influenced all areas of design, including architecture and interior design, industrial design, fashion and...
is represented by the American Building on Central Parkway, the Germania Building at Twelfth and Walnut streets is ironically one of the few examples of German ornamentation in the neighborhood, Music Hall's mixture of styles is best described as Venetian Gothic
Venetian Gothic architecture
Venetian Gothic is a term given to an architectural style combining use of the Gothic lancet arch with Byzantine and Moorish architecture influences. The style originated in 14th century Venice with the confluence of Byzantine styles from Constantinople, Arab influences from Moorish Spain and early...
, there are a handful of buildings with Gothic architecture
Gothic architecture
Gothic architecture is a style of architecture that flourished during the high and late medieval period. It evolved from Romanesque architecture and was succeeded by Renaissance architecture....
, and the new SCPA
School for Creative and Performing Arts
The School for Creative and Performing Arts is a magnet arts school in Cincinnati, Ohio, United States, and part of the Cincinnati Public Schools...
on Central Parkway is the most notable example of Modern architecture
Modern architecture
Modern architecture is generally characterized by simplification of form and creation of ornament from the structure and theme of the building. It is a term applied to an overarching movement, with its exact definition and scope varying widely...
in the neighborhood.
Historic Restoration
In 2011, the Over-the-Rhine Foundation, which works to prevent historic building loss in OTR, won 3rd place in the National Trust for Historic Preservation's nationwide This Place Matters community challenge. In 2006, the National Trust for Historic PreservationNational Trust for Historic Preservation
The National Trust for Historic Preservation is an American member-supported organization that was founded in 1949 by congressional charter to support preservation of historic buildings and neighborhoods through a range of programs and activities, including the publication of Preservation...
has listed the status of Over-the-Rhine as "Endangered." Since 1930, approximately half of Over-the-Rhine's historic buildings have been destroyed. More will follow unless currently deteriorating buildings are repaired. Between 2001 and 2006, the city approved more than 50 "emergency demolitions," which were caused by absentee landlord
Absentee landlord
Absentee landlord is an economic term for a person who owns and rents out a profit-earning property, but does not live within the property's local economic region. This practice is problematic for that region because absentee landlords drain local wealth into their home country, particularly that...
s' allowing their buildings to become so critically dilapidated that the city declared them a danger to the public. Reinvestment could have saved them. Due to the situation, the National Trust for Historic Preservation declared Over-the-Rhine one of Eleven Most Endangered Historic Places
America's Most Endangered Places
Each year since 1987, the National Trust for Historic Preservation has released a list of places they consider the most endangered in America. The number of sites included on the list has varied, with the most recent lists settling on 11...
in 2006. Over-the-Rhine was included in the 2008 book, Frommer's 500 Places to See Before They Disappear, which noted the district's "shocking state of neglect".
According to research conducted by WCPO in 2001, some of the worst-kept properties are owned by Over-the-Rhine's non-profits, which let the buildings sit vacant and deteriorating because of lack of funds or volunteers. As of 2009, approximately 66% of the buildings in Over-the-Rhine are vacant. Squatters, such as vagrants, prostitutes, drug addicts and dealers sometimes occupy them illegally. With some buildings on the verge of collapse, investors and real-estate developers are trying to restore them before deterioration to the point of requiring demolition. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, part of Over-the-Rhine has one of the highest rates of abandoned and vacant homes in the country. They classify it as the sixth hardest area in the nation to get an accurate population count.
Landmarks
Most of Over-the-Rhine's landmarks are related to the artsThe arts
The arts are a vast subdivision of culture, composed of many creative endeavors and disciplines. It is a broader term than "art", which as a description of a field usually means only the visual arts. The arts encompass visual arts, literary arts and the performing arts – music, theatre, dance and...
and are clustered in one area near Downtown.
- Art Academy of CincinnatiArt Academy of CincinnatiThe Art Academy of Cincinnati is a private college of art and design, accredited by the National Association of Schools of Art and Design, in Cincinnati, Ohio...
, originally founded in 1869, is a four year arts college with its campus centered around 12th and Jackson streets. - Cincinnati Music Hall, built in 1878, is a concert theatreTheatreTheatre is a collaborative form of fine art that uses live performers to present the experience of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place. The performers may communicate this experience to the audience through combinations of gesture, speech, song, music or dance...
that hosts the Cincinnati OperaCincinnati OperaCincinnati Opera is an American opera company based in Cincinnati, Ohio and the second oldest opera company in the United States .-History:...
, the Cincinnati Symphony OrchestraCincinnati Symphony OrchestraAs the fifth oldest orchestra in the United States, the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra has a legacy of fine music making as reflected in its performances in historic Music Hall, recordings, and international tours...
, the Cincinnati Pops OrchestraCincinnati Pops OrchestraThe Cincinnati Pops Orchestra is a pops orchestra based in Cincinnati, Ohio, United States, founded in 1977 out of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra. Its members are also the members of the Cincinnati Symphony, and the Pops is managed by the same administration...
, and the Cincinnati May FestivalCincinnati May FestivalThe Cincinnati May Festival is a two-week annual choral festival, held during the last two weekends in May in Cincinnati, Ohio, USA. The festival's roots go back to the 1840s, when Saengerfests were held in that city, bringing singers from all over the United States and abroad to perform large...
. - Emery TheatreEmery TheatreThe Emery Theatre, or Emery Auditorium, is a historic, acoustically exceptional theater located in the Over-the-Rhine neighborhood of Cincinnati, Ohio...
was built as the original home of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra. Its acoustics were compared to that of Carnegie HallCarnegie HallCarnegie Hall is a concert venue in Midtown Manhattan in New York City, United States, located at 881 Seventh Avenue, occupying the east stretch of Seventh Avenue between West 56th Street and West 57th Street, two blocks south of Central Park....
by the famous conductor Leopold StokowskiLeopold StokowskiLeopold Anthony Stokowski was a British-born, naturalised American orchestral conductor, well known for his free-hand performing style that spurned the traditional baton and for obtaining a characteristically sumptuous sound from many of the great orchestras he conducted.In America, Stokowski...
. It is currently closed for renovations. - Ensemble Theatre of Cincinnati In Over The Rhine since 1988, a theatre that presents new works and works that are new to the region.
- Findlay MarketFindlay MarketFindlay Market in historic Over-the-Rhine, Cincinnati, Ohio, is the state's oldest continuously operated public market. The Findlay Market Building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on June 5, 1972...
is the oldest continuously operated public marketPublic marketPublic markets are markets, in public spaces, where independent merchants can sell their products to the public. Typical products sold at public markets include fresh produce and baked goods, locally raised meats and dairy products, and various other food items and handcrafted goods...
in Ohio. It is also the site of special events and a farmers' marketFarmers' marketA farmers' market consists of individual vendors—mostly farmers—who set up booths, tables or stands, outdoors or indoors, to sell produce, meat products, fruits and sometimes prepared foods and beverages...
. - Know Theatre of CincinnatiKnow Theatre of CincinnatiKnow Theatre of Cincinnati is a non-profit theatre company located in the historical Over-the-Rhine neighborhood of Cincinnati, Ohio, which produces contemporary and collaborative theatre that tends to be edgy, challenging, and thought-provoking. Season performances occur in a 99-seat versatile...
a theatre that produces contemporary theatre with new works and regional premeieres. Know Theatre produces the annual Cincinnati Fringe FestivalCincinnati Fringe FestivalThe Cincinnati Fringe Festival, produced by Know Theatre of Cincinnati, was founded in Cincinnati, Ohio in 2004. It consiststs of 12 Days of Theatre, Film, Visual Art, and Music in the heart of Over-the-Rhine. It is Ohio's Largest Performing Arts Festival. It occurs annually and begins the day...
- the largest performing arts festival in Cincinnati. - Memorial HallHamilton County Memorial BuildingThe Hamilton County Memorial Building , more commonly called Memorial Hall, is located at Elm & Grant Streets, in Cincinnati, Ohio. The building is next to Cincinnati's...
is the home of the Cincinnati Chamber Orchestra, the progressive MusicNow festival, and the American Classical Music Hall of Fame and MuseumAmerican Classical Music Hall of Fame and MuseumThe American Classical Music Hall of Fame and Museum celebrates the individuals and institutions of the past and present that have made significant contributions to classical music...
. - School for Creative and Performing ArtsSchool for Creative and Performing ArtsThe School for Creative and Performing Arts is a magnet arts school in Cincinnati, Ohio, United States, and part of the Cincinnati Public Schools...
is the first K-12 selective arts school in the United States. In 2009 the school was the subject of the MTVMTVMTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
reality televisionReality televisionReality television is a genre of television programming that presents purportedly unscripted dramatic or humorous situations, documents actual events, and usually features ordinary people instead of professional actors, sometimes in a contest or other situation where a prize is awarded...
series Taking the StageTaking the StageTaking the Stage is a musical reality show set at the School for Creative and Performing Arts in Cincinnati, Ohio. It is produced by Nick Lachey, a SCPA alumnnus, for MTV. The first season chronicled the lives of five high school students and their friends as they train for careers in the arts...
. - Washington ParkWashington Park, Cincinnati, OhioWashington Park is bounded by West 12th, Race and Elm Streets in the Over-the-Rhine neighborhood of Cincinnati, Ohio, United States. The park is owned and operated by the Cincinnati Park Board. The nearly six acre park was a Presbyterian cemetery before it was acquired by the city in 1855. The park...
, the second oldest park in the city behind Piatt ParkPiatt ParkPiatt Park , is the oldest park in Cincinnati, Ohio. It stretches two blocks between Elm Street and Vine Street on Garfield Place/8th Street. The park is owned and maintained by the Cincinnati Park Board.-History:...
, originally established as a burial ground for several small churches.
Crime
In February 2006 the city reported that Over-the-Rhine had the highest crime rate of the city's neighborhoods. Between 2001 and 2006 Over-the-Rhine had the highest number of calls for police service—more than twice the next highest neighborhood. It experienced 606 violent crimes in 2005; no other Cincinnati neighborhood exceeded 243—the average for all other neighborhoods was 65 violent crimes. In 2005 Over-the-Rhine experienced 350 robberies; the average for all other neighborhoods was 38. According to Cincinnati Police, 80% of the suspects arrested in Over-the-Rhine do not live in the community, and the majority of violent crimes in Over-the-Rhine are drug-relatedIllegal drug trade
The illegal drug trade is a global black market, dedicated to cultivation, manufacture, distribution and sale of those substances which are subject to drug prohibition laws. Most jurisdictions prohibit trade, except under license, of many types of drugs by drug prohibition laws.A UN report said the...
.
The number of serious crimes plateaued from 2002 to 2005, after which crime began decreasing at a rapid pace. In 2006 sheriff's deputies were brought in to help patrol the neighborhood. The decrease has been credited to the redevelopment of the area, the increase in population, and the increased presence of the police and sheriff's deputies. Operation Vortex and Ceasefire, a program that reaches out to gang members, were also credited with helping decrease crime. In the summer of 2006 police assembled an élite sixty-man crimefighting squad code-named Vortex. The Vortex unit made "zero tolerance" sweeps of high-crime areas, where they arrested people for misdemeanors, such as jaywalking and loitering, as well as for serious crimes. In its first 25 days the unit made 1,000 arrests. In the first six months of 2009, no calls for emergency help were made. A business owner reported that pan handling and shoplifting in his store dropped 90 percent after he moved from the Central Business District to Over-the-Rhine. Through July 29 of 2009 crime in Over-the-Rhine was down 22% when compared to the same period in 2008.
In 2009 a website, using data collected from 2005 to 2007, ranked a section of Over-the-Rhine north of Liberty Street as, statistically, the "most dangerous neighborhood in the United States." Critics, however, argue that the statistic is "intellectually dishonest" because the data selected to represent Over-the-Rhine focused on a "mostly vacant industrialized strip," and the data used by the website was "old." In July 2009 a rise in prostitution was reported along McMicken Avenue; police said that new development is pushing the women out of other parts of Over-the-Rhine into a smaller area.
Demographics
In 2001 there were an estimated 500 vacant buildings in Over-the-Rhine with 2,500 residential units. Of those residential units 278 were condemned as uninhabitable. Also in 2001 the owner-occupancy rate was between 3 and 4 percent compared to the city-wide rate of 39 percent. According to the "Drilldown", a comprehensive analysis of the city's actual population and demographics conducted in 2007, OTR's current population is just 4,900 people in an area of 0.64 square miles (1.7 km²).As of the census
Census
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, the racial makeup of Over-the-Rhine was 19.4% Caucasian
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 76.9% African American
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and less than 4% of other races. 0.6% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
The neighborhood's residents comprise roughly 1.2% of the population of the City of Cincinnati.
In media
- In the movie Ides of March, George ClooneyGeorge ClooneyGeorge Timothy Clooney is an American actor, film director, producer, and screenwriter. For his work as an actor, he has received two Golden Globe Awards and an Academy Award...
plays a politician who campaigns at Memorial Hall in Over-the-Rhine. - In the movie TrafficTraffic (2000 film)Traffic is a 2000 American crime drama film directed by Steven Soderbergh and written by Stephen Gaghan. It explores the illegal drug trade from a number of perspectives: a user, an enforcer, a politician and a trafficker. Their stories are edited together throughout the film, although some of the...
(2000), the teenage daughter of the US drug czar becomes addicted to heroin and goes to Over-the-Rhine for drugs. - Harry's LawHarry's LawHarry's Law is an American legal comedy-drama television series created by David E. Kelley. which premiered on January 17, 2011.On May 12, 2011, NBC renewed the show for a second season, which premiered Wednesday September 21, 2011...
(2011), an NBCNBCThe National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
legal comedy-drama, is set in Over-the-Rhine, though only old stock photos are shown. No filming was done in Over-the-Rhine or Cincinnati. - Little Man TateLittle Man TateLittle Man Tate is a 1991 motion picture drama directed by and starring Jodie Foster.It tells the story of Fred Tate, a 7-year-old child prodigy who struggles to self-actualize in a social and psychological construct that largely fails to accommodate his intelligence...
(1991) was filmed in Over-the-Rhine as well as various other Cincinnati locations. - A Rage in Harlem (1991) was filmed in Over-the-Rhine because the un-gentrified areaGentrificationGentrification and urban gentrification refer to the changes that result when wealthier people acquire or rent property in low income and working class communities. Urban gentrification is associated with movement. Consequent to gentrification, the average income increases and average family size...
resembled 1950s HarlemHarlemHarlem is a neighborhood in the New York City borough of Manhattan, which since the 1920s has been a major African-American residential, cultural and business center. Originally a Dutch village, formally organized in 1658, it is named after the city of Haarlem in the Netherlands...
. - In Eight Men OutEight Men OutEight Men Out is an American dramatic sports film, released in 1988 and based on Eliot Asinof 1963 book 8 Men Out. It was written and directed by John Sayles....
(1988) scenes depicting Chicago in 1919 were shot in Over-the-Rhine. - Over-the-Rhine and other nearby neighborhoods are featured in the 3 Doors Down3 Doors Down3 Doors Down is an American rock band from Escatawpa formed in 1996. The band consists of Brad Arnold , Matt Roberts , Todd Harrell , Chris Henderson , and Greg Upchurch ....
music video It's Not My TimeIt's Not My Time"It's Not My Time" is the first official single from the self-titled fourth studio album by rock band 3 Doors Down. A minute and a half preview of the song is currently available on the band's MySpace page, with the full song having appeared on the internet. The song was digitally released to...
. - A local writer created a television crime series which was independently filmed in Over-the-Rhine in 2009. The producer intends to release the series on DVDDVDA DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
. - A group of film makers are chronicling current efforts to transform Over-the-Rhine in their documentary Rebirth of Over-the-Rhine. Rebirth of Over-the-Rhine is scheduled to be completed in 2012.
Community organizations
- Over-The-Rhine Chamber of CommerceOver-the-Rhine Chamber of CommerceThe Over-the-Rhine Chamber of Commerce, located at 1401 Main st. in Cincinnati, Ohio is a chamber of commerce that serves to promote economic vitality in the Over-the-Rhine neighborhood of Cincinnati...
- Over-the-Rhine Community Housing- Formed in April 2006 by the merger of two organizations supporting affordable housing.
- Drop Inn CenterDrop Inn CenterThe Drop Inn Center is a non-profit agency serving homeless individuals in Cincinnati, Ohio. Their stated mission is to be a "community of residents, staff and volunteers working together to provide basic human services for men & women experiencing homelessness with a primary commitment to...
a homeless shelterHomeless shelterHomeless shelters are temporary residences for homeless people which seek to protect vulnerable populations from the often devastating effects of homelessness while simultaneously reducing the environmental impact on the community...
which offers chemical dependency treatment. - Over-the-Rhine Foundation, works to protect OTR's endangered historic structures, preserve its cultural heritage, and promote a physically and socially sustainable neighborhood.
- Brewery District Community Urban Redevelopment Corp. works to develop the northern half of the neighorhood, with an emphasis on OTR's brewing heritage and the mixed-use neighborhood created by use of the nineteenth-century brewery building stock.
- Cincinnati Center City Development CorporationCincinnati Center City Development CorporationCincinnati Center City Development Corporation is a private, non-profit corporation based in Cincinnati, Ohio. Most of 3CDC's work targets the Gateway Quarter of the Over-the-Rhine neighborhood, Fountain Square, and the central business district of Cincinnati...
A non-profit corporation redeveloping much of downtown CincinnatiDowntown CincinnatiDowntown Cincinnati is the central business district of Cincinnati, Ohio, and one of its 52 neighborhoods.-Geography:Downtown Cincinnati's streets are arranged in a grid configuration. It is bisected by Vine Street....
and Over-the-Rhine. - Over the Rhine Community Council Since 1970, the council has represented the interests of residents and partnered with other organizations in service to our neighbors in our unique, historic neighborhood.
Historic churches
- St. Paulus KircheSt. Paulus Kirche, CincinnatiSt. Paulus Kirche is a German Evangelical Protestant church in the Over-the-Rhine historic district of Cincinnati, Ohio.- History :It is the oldest surviving Protestant church in the city and the second oldest church in Cincinnati.- Stabilization:...
, 1419 Race Street, German Evangelical Protestant (Oldest Protestant church in the city) - German Baptist Church, Walnut and Liberty Streets
- Old St. Mary's ChurchOld St. Mary's ChurchOld St. Mary's Church is a parish church of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Cincinnati in the United States. It is located at 123 E. Thirteenth Street in the Over-the-Rhine neighborhood of Cincinnati, Ohio. This Roman Catholic parish was organized in 1840 by German immigrants...
, 123 E. Thirteenth Street - Philippus United Church of ChristPhilippus United Church of ChristPhilippus United Church of Christ is located on the northwest corner of West Mcmicken and Ohio Avenues, in the Over-the-Rhine neighborhood, in Cincinnati, Ohio. The church is a landmark because of a gilded hand, with its index finger pointing to the heavens, on its tall steeple. The church is an...
, West Mcmicken and Ohio Avenues - St. John the Baptist Church, Green and Bremen Streets
- Saint Francis Seraph ChurchSaint Francis Seraph ChurchSt. Francis Seraph Church is a Roman Catholic parish in Cincinnati, Ohio. It was established in 1859 by Franciscan Friars of Province Of St. John the Baptist on the site of the first Catholic Church in Cincinnati, "Christ Church" which was built in 1819. Bishop Fenwick, in 1822, decided to move...
, Vine and Liberty Streets - St. Paul ChurchSt. Paul Church (Over the Rhine)The St. Paul Church was a Roman Catholic Church located in the St. Paul Church Historic District at the SE corner of East 12th and Spring Streets, in Cincinnati, Ohio....
, East 12th and Spring Streets - Salem United Church of ChristSalem United Church of ChristThe Salem United Church of Christ, known in previous generations as the Salem German Evangelical Reformed Church or Deutsche Evangelisch Reformierte Salems Kirche, is located at 1425 Sycamore Street in the Over-the-Rhine neighborhood of Cincinnati, Ohio...
, 1425 Sycamore Street - Nast Trinity United Methodist ChurchNast Trinity United Methodist ChurchThe Nast Trinity United Methodist Church is a historic congregation of the United Methodist Church in Cincinnati, Ohio, United States. Designed by leading Cincinnati architect Samuel Hannaford and built in 1881, it was the home of the first German Methodist church to be established anywhere in the...
, 1310 Race Street - Wesley ChapelWesley Chapel (Cincinnati)Wesley Chapel was a Methodist church in Cincinnati, Ohio, United States. Built in 1831 on the north side of Fifth Street between Broadway and Sycamore, it was a simple red brick Georgian structure copied after John Wesley's original Methodist church in London...
, 76 E. McMicken Avenue - Prince of Peace Lutheran ChurchPrince of Peace Lutheran ChurchPrince of Peace Lutheran Church is located on 75th Street in Woodridge, Illinois, just west of the Veteran's Memorial Tollway near 75th and Janes Avenue. The church is part of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America...
, 1528 Race Street
Notable residents
- Levi CoffinLevi CoffinLevi Coffin was an American Quaker, abolitionist, and businessman. Coffin was deeply involved in the Underground Railroad in Indiana and Ohio and his home is often called "Grand Central Station of the Underground Railroad"...
, "President of the Underground RailroadUnderground RailroadThe Underground Railroad was an informal network of secret routes and safe houses used by 19th-century black slaves in the United States to escape to free states and Canada with the aid of abolitionists and allies who were sympathetic to their cause. The term is also applied to the abolitionists,...
" - Nick ClooneyNick ClooneyNicholas Joseph "Nick" Clooney is an American journalist, anchorman, and television host. He is the brother of the late singer Rosemary Clooney, and father of actor and film director George Clooney.-Early life:...
, journalist and game showGame showA game show is a type of radio or television program in which members of the public, television personalities or celebrities, sometimes as part of a team, play a game which involves answering questions or solving puzzles usually for money and/or prizes...
host and father of George ClooneyGeorge ClooneyGeorge Timothy Clooney is an American actor, film director, producer, and screenwriter. For his work as an actor, he has received two Golden Globe Awards and an Academy Award... - Ronald HowesRonald HowesRonald B. Howes was the American toy inventor, best known for his invention of the Easy-Bake Oven, which was introduced to consumers in 1963.-Early life:...
, AmericanUnited StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
toy inventor, created the Easy-Bake OvenEasy-Bake OvenThe Easy-Bake Oven is a working toy oven introduced by Kenner in 1963, and currently manufactured by Hasbro. The original toy used an ordinary incandescent light bulb as a heat source; current versions use a true heating element. By 1997, more than 16 million Easy-Bake Ovens had been sold.The...
. - Venus RameyVenus RameyVenus Ramey was Miss America in 1944, and was the first red-haired contestant to win the title.Ramey competed as Miss District of Columbia and worked during her reign to help win suffrage for Washington D.C. in 1945...
, 1944 Miss AmericaMiss AmericaThe Miss America pageant is a long-standing competition which awards scholarships to young women from the 50 states plus the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands...
winner - Jim TarbellJim TarbellJames "Jim" Tarbell is an American politician of the Charter Party, who served as a member of the city council and Vice-Mayor of Cincinnati, Ohio. By mayoral proclamation, Jim Tarbell holds the title "Mr. Cincinnati" for life.- Political career :...
, Cincinnati politician - Buddy GrayBuddy GrayStanley "buddy" Gray was a controversial political activist and social worker who lived in the Over-the-Rhine neighborhood of Cincinnati, Ohio. Gray used 1960s-style confrontation and intimidation to persuade Cincinnati officials to pour money into his low-income housing projects...
, community activist - Anna Marie HahnAnna Marie HahnAnna Marie Hahn was a German-born American serial killer....
, female serial killerSerial killerA serial killer, as typically defined, is an individual who has murdered three or more people over a period of more than a month, with down time between the murders, and whose motivation for killing is usually based on psychological gratification... - Chris SeelbachChris SeelbachChristopher Don Seelbach is a former Major League Baseball pitcher who played for the Atlanta Braves from -. He also played for the Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters of Japan's Nippon Professional Baseball in ....
, 2011 candidate for Cincinnati City Council
External links
- Overview of Over-the-Rhine at cincy.com
- Visions of Vine Street - The Peabody AwardPeabody AwardThe George Foster Peabody Awards recognize distinguished and meritorious public service by radio and television stations, networks, producing organizations and individuals. In 1939, the National Association of Broadcasters formed a committee to recognize outstanding achievement in radio broadcasting...
winning 2001 documentary about Over-the-Rhine. - Vine Street Changes - A 2007 update to Visions of Vine Street.
- Over-The-Rhine Chamber of Commerce
- Rebirth of Over-the-Rhine Documentary: Working clip
- iRhine.com
- Over-the-Rhine Community Council
- Over-the-Rhine Foundation
- Merchants on Main Street
- OTR Brewery District
- The OTR/Gateway Merchants Group
- Gateway Quarter
- Know Theatre of Cincinnati
- Cincinnati Fringe Festival
- Cincinnati Center City Development Corporation (3CDC)
- Short film about Over-the-Rhine
- The Over-The-Rhine Brewery District Charrette
- Over the Rhine collection at the Internet ArchiveInternet ArchiveThe Internet Archive is a non-profit digital library with the stated mission of "universal access to all knowledge". It offers permanent storage and access to collections of digitized materials, including websites, music, moving images, and nearly 3 million public domain books. The Internet Archive...
's live music archive