CINCINNATI, OHIO & COVINGTON, KENTUCKY
Set only five minutes apart on the confluence of the Ohio and Licking Rivers and joined by the John A. Roebling Suspension Bridge, the best of Kentucky and Ohio merge at the border of Covington and Cincinnati. At their industrial peaks, Covington touted the title as the world’s largest iron fence producer and Cincinnati became known as the largest manufacturer of carriages in the world, both histories that fuel the brimming art scene now on the uptick in these Rust Belt hubs.
Where to Stay
If basing yourself in Cincinnati, book a stay at 21c Museum Hotel Cincinnati, a 156-room property and museum located adjacent to the Contemporary Arts Center and across the street from the Aronoff Center for the Arts. On the Covington side, stay at the newly opened Hotel Covington, a fashion-inspired property housed in a former Coppin’s Department Store, built in 1910, which once sold the most-sought-after industry trends as “the greatest store in Northern Kentucky.”
Where to Eat and Drink
Begin your food and drink crawl in Covington at Braxton Brewing Co.’s garage-style taproom, and then visit MainStrasse Village for a taste of Kentucky’s bourbon roots at Old Kentucky Bourbon Bar. Soak up your revelry with farm-to-table brisket at Bouquet or opt for braised beef tacos and Mezcal cocktails at Frida 602. In Cincinnati, book the The Nati in a Nutshell tour with Urban Adventures, where you’ll sample eats from Cincinnati staples like Eckerlin Meats in the Findlay Market and Graeter’s Ice Cream. Visit Taft’s Ale House, the new three-level microbrewery; feast on homemade pastas and cured meats at Salazar; or reserve a table at Boca for foie gras and oysters. Order tuna poke tostadas at Maplewood Kitchen and Bar and sip cocktails at Sundry and Vice, a turn-of-the-century, apothecary-themed bar.
What to Do
Explore Cincinnati’s revitalized Over-the-Rhine district, one of the largest intact urban historic areas in the country. Shop at MiCA 12/v gallery and boutique, and taste your way through Rhinegeist Brewery, housed in a former bottling facility. Stroll the neighborhood to view street art murals, brightly painted buildings, and, reportedly, America’s largest collection of 19th-century Italianate architecture. In Covington, shop Durham Dept. in the downtown district for trendy lifestyle garments, then hop to MainStrasse Village’s cobblestoned streets to explore eateries, shops, and bars, making sure to snap a photo of the iconic Goose Girl Fountain and Carroll Chimes Bell Tower before departing.
...
