Over-the-Rhine
Over-the-Rhine, also known as "Cincinnati's Rhineland, and the "Rhineland of America", is a German cultural district of Cincinnati, Ohio.[2][3][4] Over-the-Rhine is among the largest, most intact urban historic districts in the United States.[5] Germans from Ohio are known as "Ohio Rhinelanders" (German: Ohio Rheinländer), named after the Ohio Rhineland.[6][7][8] The Cincinnati Reds baseball team was highly supported by Ohio Rhinelanders, and was commonly known as the "Cincinnati Rhinelanders", referring to Cincinnati's German heritage.[9]
This article is about the Cincinnati neighborhood. For the Ohio-based band, see Over the Rhine (band).Location
Bounded by Central Parkway to the south, Central Parkway to the west, Sycamore St. to the east, and Mulberry, W Clifton & Klotter St. to Brighton Approach to the north.Cincinnati, Ohio
319 acres (1.29 km2)
May 17, 1983[1]
Etymology[edit]
The neighborhood's name comes predominantly from Rhinelanders and other Germans who settled the area in the mid-19th century.[10] Many walked to work across bridges over the Miami and Erie Canal, which separated the area from downtown Cincinnati. The canal was nicknamed "the Rhine" in reference to the river Rhine in Germany, and the newly settled area north of the canal as "Over the Rhine".[11][12] In German, the district was called über den 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.' "[13] 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.' "[14]
Eventually, the canal was drained and capped by Central Parkway; the resulting tunnel was to be used for the now-defunct Cincinnati Subway project.
Revitalization[edit]
Over-the-Rhine Neighborhood Revitalization[edit]
Over-the-Rhine, the site of the 2001 Cincinnati riots, became the city's most dangerous neighborhood by 2009. However, it has since seen intensive redevelopment efforts.[25] Private development corporations and city officials have begun to address the problems that come with a neighborhood with low employment and high crime rates. A neo-liberal urban renewal strategy encourages private corporations rather than the city government to take on renewing and updating this area.[26]
Cincinnati Center City Development Corporation[edit]
The Cincinnati Center City Development Corporation (3CDC) is a private, non-profit real-estate development and finance organization focused on revitalizing Cincinnati's urban core with the city government and local corporations. Its work is focused on the central business district and in the Over-the-Rhine neighborhood. The organization is widely credited with revitalizing OTR.[27] The organization began as a full-service real estate developer, but has since branched out and produces more than 1,000 events per year[28] at the four civic spaces it manages: Fountain Square, Washington Park, Ziegler Park and Memorial Hall.
In July 2003, 3CDC was formed by former mayor of Cincinnati Charlie Luken and other corporate community members. This was a result of a recommendation by a City of Cincinnati Economic Development Task Force. Most funds are gathered through corporate contributions. In 2004, 3CDC accepted responsibility for overseeing Cincinnati New Markets Fund and Cincinnati Equity Fund. As of May 2018, those funds total over $250 million and have resulted in over $1.3 billion[29] invested in downtown and Over-the-Rhine real estate projects.
The Germania Building (Eastlake H)
Music Hall (Venetian Gothic)
Elaborate ornamentation of an Elm Street building
Rounded window cornices are a common feature of Italianate architecture.
Italianate greystone at Clay and 13th Streets.
Entrance to the American Building (Art Deco)
Hanke Building on Main Street detail (Renaissance Revival)
Queen Anne architecture on Main Street
A partial list of Over-the-Rhine’s distinctive annual events includes: