The OTR neighborhood came by its name more than 100 years ago. There used to be a canal where Central Parkway is now. When the German immigrants who lived in the neighborhood crossed the canal to go to work downtown, they joked that it was like crossing the Rhine River in Germany.

By the late 1800s, OTR had a robust brewing industry (with nearly 18 breweries) and a thriving theater and arts scene. To house the thousands of residents, rows of tall, narrow, Italianate-style brick single and multi-family buildings were densely constructed.

After WWII, many of the residents moved to the suburbs. By the 1980s, the neighborhood was in rough shape. That began to change in the early 2000s, when significant investments were made in the area.

Public spaces like Washington Park were reimagined and hundreds of historic buildings were renovated. All that effort in OTR has resulted in the largest intact collection of 19th-century Italianate architecture in the United States.

Now, OTR is a vibrant, walkable neighborhood with interesting shops, highly-rated restaurants, and intimate bars.

Landmarks
Findlay Market opened in 1852 and is still a thriving center of Cincinnati’s culinary culture.

Music Hall, across from Washington Park, was constructed in 1878. Its stunning architecture and acoustics draw thousands of visitors for tours and musical performances.