I often give people tours of Cincinnati. People that are both from Cincinnati and from out of town. The common thing that I hear is how “shocked” they are that there is so much activity and life in our center city.
This is no shock to the people who spend the majority of their lives there, but I often wonder about these 9-5er’s who claim superior knowledge of the place given their location there five days a week for eight hour a day.
These people are just as “shocked” when they come down on the weekend or in the evening for the occasional show or sporting event. But why is it they feel the place “dies” when they leave? Is it just because they only spend the 9-5 there and they assume that everyone else does as well?
Likewise, how many times does it take for a “shocking” experience to no longer be considered a “shock?” Some of these people I have brought into our downtown and beyond make the statement every time. I wonder if it takes five, seven or maybe twenty-two times of experiencing the same scenario to no longer be shocked.
Over time these people will learn and eventually learn that our center city is viable and is an exciting place to not only work, but live and play as well. If you don’t believe me ask one of the thousands of downtown residents, or the hundreds and hundreds of thousands of visitors that come downtown for entertainment each year.
