Quality of Life in Greater Cincinnati

Greater Cincinnati, where southwestern Ohio, Northern Kentucky and southeastern Indiana join together, consistently ranks as one of the best places to live, work and raise a family. This diverse metropolitan region has urban, suburban and rural areas within 15 counties in the three states.

The region’s very affordable cost of living, and the variety of cultural, recreational, entertainment and sports opportunities are among the reasons why the area is recognized nationally for livability:

Churches - From the smallest church, the Monte Cassino Chapel on the campus of Thomas More College, to one which is likened to the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris. The Cathedral Basilica of the Assumption on Madison Avenue in Covington, KY, graced by a lovely facade patterned after the Notre Dame in Paris, and interior copies the French Abbey of St. Denis.

There are more than a thousand churches, synagogues, temples and mosques representing the cross-section of religions in our region. 

Shopping - A wide variety and high quality of merchandise is found in our region, with easy accessibility for both downtown and all suburban shipping centers.

Major department stores include: Dillard's Elder Beerman, JC Penney, Kohl's, Macy's, Sears, and Saks. Nordstroms will be open in 2009.

Healthcare - 28 hospitals in the region plus a medical college. The area is well endowed with healthcare. St. Elizabeth - Edgewood, KY is nationally recognized for both heart health and their cancer facilities. St. Elizabeth has the only open heart surgery program in Northern Kentucky and the second largest in the Greater Cincinnati area. Their Cancer Care Center is one of the largest out-patient programs in the region.

The new St. Elizabeth – Covington opening this August, will house a state-of-the-art ambulatory care facility unlike anything currently existing in the Tri-State. In addition to the emergency department, St. Elizabeth Covington will house:

• Wound Care Center will 200 hyperbaric chambers 
• Women’s Services offering digital mammography and dexascans
• Imaging services including nuclear medicine, CAT scan, general radiology and ultrasound 
• A family medical practice facility 
• Lab MRI 
• Dialysis Unit
• Physical Therapy.

Schools - With nearly 15,000 students, Northern Kentucky University is the fastest growing university in the Commonwealth. NKU is nationally recognized for their College of Informatics and their Fifth-Third Bank Entrepreneurship Institute, ranked nationally among the top 25 undergrad programs for Entrepreneurs.

For K-12, one of the largest public school systems nationally, offering new programs and new techniques in education. Regionally, the ninth largest Catholic school system in the nation is in the Covington Diocese.

Culture - Aronoff Center for the Arts, Broadway Series, Cincinnati Art Museum, Cincinnati Ballet, Cincinnati Museum Center, 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, and The Lois & Richard Rosenthal Center for Contemporary Art.

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.

Sports - Reds professional baseball, Cincinnati Bengals professional football, numerous collegiate sports, Thoroughbred Racing at Turfway and Riverbend.

Parks - With over 25,000 acres of parkland, Greater Cincinnati 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.

Climate - Average temperatures range from 30 degrees in January to 76 degrees in July. Annual average temperature is 54 degrees. The region has four distinct seasons.