Quality of Life

Livability is Northern Kentucky's most valued characteristic. Whether your preference is the city, urban living or the tranquility of the countryside, the many choices of neighborhoods and residential locations offered in Northern Kentucky will meet your unique needs and fit comfortably into your budget. Once you are settled, the area boasts a wide variety of entertainment options and attractions. With all of the great assets this region has to offer, it’s not surprise that the Cincinnati MSA was ranked as a Top 10 City for Young Adults (2012) by Kiplinger, as well as a Top 10 U.S. Travel Destination (2012) by Lonely Planet.

Healthcare

Thirty general hospitals (20 acute-care facilities) provide superior health care for area residents, including the world-renowned Children’s Hospital Medical Center and the University of Cincinnati Medical Center. The area also is home to one of only three Shriners Pediatric Burn Centers, a premier facility that draws patients worldwide. Children’s Hospital recently announced plans for a new $180 million research tower at the current campus, giving the hospital the largest pediatric research facility in the country, with 1.4 million square feet.

Two excellent hospitals are located in Northern Kentucky alone. St. Elizabeth-Edgewood is nationally recognized for both heart health and its cancer facilities. St. Elizabeth has the only open heart surgery program in Northern Kentucky and the second largest in the Greater Cincinnati area. Its Cancer Care Center is one of the largest outpatient programs in the region. St. Elizabeth-Covington houses a state-of-the-art ambulatory care facility unlike anything currently existing in the Tri-State. In 2012, St. Elizabeth passed a rigorous review process and was selected as a member of the Mayo Clinic Care Network.

More than 5,700 doctors and 1,200 dentists serve the general population. Additionally, the Greater Cincinnati MSA health service organizations employ more than 77,000 individuals.

Entertainment

Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden, The Beach Waterpark, Kings Island, Newport on the Levee, Newport Aquarium, Coney Island, Kentucky Speedway, just to name a few. Entertainment venues are scattered throughout the region. Northern Kentucky consists of riverboat restaurants and entertainment complexes throughout the region, attracting visitors, young professionals and a mix of others.

Culture

Aronoff Center for the Arts, Broadway Series, Cincinnati Art Museum, Cincinnati Ballet, Cincinnati Museum Center at Union Terminal, Cincinnati Opera, Cincinnati Pops, Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, Krohn Conservatory, May Festival, Playhouse in the Park, Riverbend Music Center, Showboat Majestic, Taft Museum of Art, Timberwolf Amphitheater, The Lois & Richard Rosenthal Center for Contemporary Art as well as annual cultural events and fairs.

Sports

Reds professional baseball, Cincinnati Bengals professional football, numerous collegiate sports, Thoroughbred Racing at Turfway Park and River Downs.

Parks

With over 25,000 acres of parkland, the Northern Kentucky/Cincinnati region has one of the largest park systems, per capita, found in major metropolitan areas. More than 20 state parks are within a two-hour drive of downtown Cincinnati. The parks have a variety of programs and facilities from golf, fishing, boating, equestrian instruction and excellent picnic facilities.

Shopping

A wide variety and high quality of merchandise is found in our region, with easy accessibility for both downtown and all suburban shopping centers. Major department stores include: Dillard's, JC Penney, Kohl's, Macy's, Sears, Saks and Nordstrom. Northern Kentucky shopping venues include the Crestview Hills Town Center and Florence Mall.

Dining - Greater Cincinnati

is the capitol of fine dining in the Midwest. The range of award-winning restaurants includes those offering unique regional specialties and those featuring international ethnic cuisines. Only San Francisco has more Mobil "stars per capita" for fine dining. The most scenic dining in the region is from the floating restaurants along the riverfront in the City of Newport, where diners enjoy a spectacular view of the downtown Cincinnati skyline.

The Banks, a new, mixed-use development along the downtown Cincinnati riverfront, offers interactive and passive recreational elements, dining, entertainment and residential options. The next phase of the development, which will include additional residential options, an office building and a hotel, is expected to be completed in 2013.

The Gateway Quarter, a dining and retail district in the heart of the historic Over the Rhine neighborhood just north of downtown Cincinnati, offers a wide array of entertainment, from bars and restaurants to boutiques and other retail shops.

Religion

From the smallest church, the Monte Casino Chapel on the campus of Thomas More College, to the Cathedral Basilica of the Assumption in Covington, there are more than a thousand churches, synagogues, temples and mosques representing the cross-section of religions in our region.