When a stranger asks anyone within 30 minutes of Cincinnati proper where they live, what's the likely answer? Blue Ash? Hyde Park? Mt. Washington? More likely than not, they'll reply Cincinnati.
Cincinnati is a region where people live, work and shop across a swath of villages, townships and cities. But look closer. Even though a web of interstates and bridges can quickly take us from one part of town to another, there are still pieces of Cincinnati that in most people's minds remain separate from each another. East vs. West, Cincinnati vs. Northern Kentucky, city vs. suburb.
A new program sponsored by the
Cincinnati USA Regional Chamber "Discover Cincinnati" is working to put those pieces together, giving new and established residents a bigger view of Cincinnati in all its complexity and diversity.
Discover Cincinnati is a series of exploratory sessions that take participants far and wide - literally and figuratively - across the city of Cincinnati and beyond.
The sessions tie in with several a priorities of
Agenda 360 and
Vision 2015 regional planning initiatives of Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky, respectively.
"This is wonderful for anyone who is relatively new to the city and wondering how to learn all the local jargon that we take for granted that everybody knows. And I'm convinced that there are lots of people out there who have lived their entire lives in Cincinnati and may know their part of the community, but don't have a sense of the region as a region," said Dan Hurley, director of Leadership Cincinnati.
It's important that those living here are comfortable and knowledgeable about areas outside their own if Greater Cincinnati is to thrive, Hurley said.
"That's how we function; we don't function as the City of Cincinnati and the City of Covington. We function as region," he said.
You can register
here for Discover Cincinnati The costs $250 and includes these sessions:
Session 1 | Metropolitan Cincinnati from 30,000 feet: An introduction to our region, its character and its place in America. Monday, April 4, 6 p.m. - 8 p.m., Cincinnati USA Regional Chamber, Downtown Cincinnati
Session 2 | Where the Past and Present Meet the Future: Your tour begins at the top of Carew Tower for an all-day exploration of Cincinnati's past, present and future with noted local historian Dan Hurley. Saturday, April 9, 8:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m., Cincinnati Walking/Bus Tour, Lunch provided
Sessions 3 & 4 | Creating Quality Places in the Center City and Suburbs Reflecting the evolving priorities of our regional plans, Agenda 360 and Vision 2015, experience the proactive efforts in motion to create livable communities in Northern Kentucky's riverfront cities and suburban Fairfield.
Session 3 Monday, April 25, 7 p.m. - 9 p.m., Molly Malone's, Covington, KY
Session 4 Monday, May 2, 7:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m., Fairfield Town Center, Fairfield, OH
A second series is schedule to start Oct. 2 to 24.
Writer: Feoshia Henderson
Source: Dan Hurley, director of Leadership Cincinnati
You can follow Feoshia on Twitter
@feoshiawrites
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