Our City
About Cincinnati
Xavier's 190-acre campus is located in a residential neighborhood in the heart of Cincinnati, just five miles north of downtown Cincinnati.
Cincinnati is a diverse, bustling community that Places Rated Almanac calls America's 11th most livable city, and Lonely Planet just named the third most desirable travel destination for 2012.
Located on the banks of the Ohio River and at the convergence of three states—Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana—Cincinnati is centrally located and easily accessible to more than half of the nation's population.
The nation's 25th largest region, Greater Cincinnati is a vibrant, prosperous area with numerous points of pride. It's affordable, safe and blessed with small-town charm, big-city excitement, mild weather and its own famous brand of chili. It's home to 2 million people, two major league sports teams and the headquarters of 15 Fortune 1000 companies.
Local leisure activities include:
- Visiting shops and restaurants at nearby Hyde Park Square
- Attending outdoor concerts at Riverbend Music Center
- Viewing the annual Labor Day fireworks festival
- Enjoying the nation's largest Oktoberfest celebration
- Shopping at Kenwood Towne Centre and Rookwood Commons
- Cheering the Xavier men's and women's basketball teams on to victory
- Eating Skyline Chili, Graeter's Ice Cream and LaRosa's Pizza
- The Banks
- Fountain Square (seasonal activities)
Professional sports include:
- Cincinnati Bengals (football)
- Cincinnati Reds (baseball)
- WS Tennis U.S. Open (formerly ATP)
- Kentucky Speedway (NASCAR)
- Cincinnati Cyclones (hockey)
Cultural resources include:
- Cincinnati Art Museum
- Cincinnati Ballet
- Aronoff Center for the Arts
- Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra
- Contemporary Arts Center
- Union Terminal
- National Underground Railroad Freedom Center
Amusements:
- Kings Island Amusement Park
- Sawyer Point riverside park
- Cincinnati Zoo
- Newport Aquarium
- Coney Island and Sunlite Pool
- Newport on the Levee
Cincinnati Bucket List
Run the Flying Pig Marathon. (If you’re not up for a full marathon quite yet, there’s also the half marathon, a 10K, a 5K and a one-mile fun run.)
Go to Opening Day. (The Reds are America’s first professional baseball team. 1869. A Long Time Ago.)
Put some pep in your step with free salsa dancing lessons every Thursday night in the summer on Fountain Square, in the heart of downtown.
Eat a plate of gravy cheese fries at Pleasant Ridge Chili. (If you’ve just run the Flying Pig, you’ve earned it. Open until 4:30 a.m., it’s a Xavier institution.)
View the history, present and future of art at the Cincinnati Art Museum, the Taft Museum of Art and the Contemporary Arts Center.
Ride The Beast roller coaster at night. At King’s Island you’ll find America’s greatest wooden roller coaster. Crazy fun by day, crazier funner by night.
Spend a Saturday morning at Findlay Market. Buy a Belgian waffle, from a real Belgian!
Stock up on hot sauce at Jungle Jim’s International Market. (They have 1,400 varieties, including some so scorching they come with medicinal warnings.)
Cruise the Little Miami Scenic Bike Trail—78 leafy miles of old railroad turned into a peaceful path along the Little Miami River.
Take a ghost tour at Spring Grove Cemetery—see the tombs of Procter, Gamble, Kroger and Fleischmann (that guy who packaged yeast).
