Comeback Story: Cincinnati's Over-the-Rhine

"Washington Park has undergone an $8 million renovation, but that represents a minor facelift compared to what’s been going on in the rest of the neighborhood," according to Alan Greenblatt, adding, "Cincinnati’s Over-the-Rhine section, which lies directly north of the city’s downtown, has seen a half-billion dollars’ worth of investment over the past decade, resulting in one of the most remarkable urban transformations of recent times."

The population decline that most people associate with Cincinnati, however, means that gentrification concerns haven't corresponded to the neighborhoods ascendance. "We were able to do this because everything was boarded up and hardly anyone was living there,” says City Councilman Chris Seelbach in the article. Moreover, explains Greenblatt, "[instead] of being seen as a boondoggle only helping out one part of the city, the neighborhood is now viewed as an asset that’s helping the whole city to change both its image and its fortunes."

There is reason o believe that the neighborhood's momentum will continue, according to Greenblatt, who cites the city's new streetcar line and plenty of remaining opportunities for redevelopment. The article provides a lot more details about the evolution of the neighborhood, including the role of the Cincinnati Center City Development Corp. (3CDC) in the recovery.