Tour de Cincinnati

Downtown Guide to the Writer’s Digest Annual Conference

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For the first time, the Writer’s Digest Annual Conference is coming home to Cincinnati.

Writer’s Digest, a magazine published for beginning and established writers, is the number one resource for writers and was founded in Cincinnati more than 100 years ago. Its first issue was published in 1920, with 8 issues being published annually, featuring interviews, calls for manuscripts, and how-to articles.

We understand Cincinnati is a new and different place for the conference, so in addition to three days of learning, inspiration, and focus, I have partnered with Writer’s Digest (WD) to provide a guide to all things exploring Downtown Cincinnati for attendees to use while in town.

The conference is taking place at the Renaissance Cincinnati Downtown, which is located mere steps from the Fountain Square Station of the fare free Connector (streetcar). There are several things to do, places to visit, and landmarks to see in the core while you are in town.

Writer’s Digest Annual Conference points of interest map

Museums

21c Museum Hotel 609 Walnut Street*
Contemporary art pieces including commissioned site-specific works and rotating exhibitions. Click here to view the event calendar.
Free admission

Cincinnati Black Music Walk of Fame 190 W Mehring Way
Interactive stroll through Cincinnati’s rich history of Black musicians and their contributions to the music industry.
Free admission

Contemporary Arts Center 44 E Sixth Street*
Exhibitions, performances, and creativity spaces throughout a cutting edge Zaha Hadid-designed Deconstructivist building. An event calendar can be viewed here.
Free admission

National Underground Railroad Freedom Center 50 E Freedom Way*
Museum, education center, convener of dialogue, and a bea­con of light for inclusive freedom around the globe. Named a USA Today 10Best History Museum.

Reds Hall of Fame & Museum 100 Joe Nuxhall Way*
Walk through a historical recounting of Major League Baseball’s oldest professional team.

Taft Museum of Art 316 Pike Street
Fine art museum with special exhibitions, outdoor garden, museum shop, cafe, and events.
Save on admission when you buy tickets online

Books

Cincinnati & Hamilton County Public Library: Downtown Main Library 800 Vine Street*
FREE MakerSpace and genealogy department as well as a renovated South Building featuring the Social Stairs (the focal point of the atrium), interactive kids area, reservable outdoor plazas the Reading Garden, and a full event calendar.

Iris Book Cafe 1331 Main Street
Local food and coffee, used books, and photograph gallery.

Joy & Matt’s Books 915 Vine Street*
Independent bookstore

Mercantile Library Mini-Merc Fifth Third Museum at the Fifth Third Center at Fountain Square*
While the Mercantile Library undergoes an extensive historic renovation, you can visit their temporary space inside the Fifth Third Museum, where you can learn about Cincinnati and local history.

Ohio Bookstore 726 Main Street*
Bookstore featuring five floors of books and magazines as well as a book repair and bookbinding department.

Roebling Point Books & Coffee 306 Greenup Street, Covington, KY
Coffee, food, events, and indie bookstore all in one and just across the Roebling Bridge in Covington.

Coffee shops

1215 Wine Bar & Coffee Lab 1215 Vine Street*
Coffee, wine, beer, liquor, snacks

blaCk Coffee Lounge 824 Elm Street
Coffee drinks and pastries

Coffee Emporium 110 E Central Parkway*
Coffee, retail, pastries, and food menu

Deeper Roots 338 W Fourth Street
Historic West Fourth location serving coffee drinks and house-made pastries

Lola’s Coffee + Bar 24 W Third Street
Craft coffee, cocktails, local beer, and wine, plus pastries, bagels, take and bake empanadas, and more

Redtree Coffee and Art 229 W Twelfth Street*
Art gallery and coffee shop

Urbana Cafe & Roaster – Atlas Building 530 Walnut Street*
Coffee, pastries, and ample seating with outlets

Landmarks and sights

Cincinnati Music Hall 1241 Elm Street*
Venetian Gothic classical music performance hall completed in 1878. It is home to the Cincinnati Ballet, Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra (sixth oldest in the US), Cincinnati Opera, Cincinnati May Festival, Cincinnati Pops Orchestra, and more. The facade can be viewed from Washington Park.

Carew Tower and Hilton Cincinnati Netherland Plaza 35 W Fifth Street
An Art Deco complex composed of the 49-story Carew Tower and the neighboring Hilton Netherland Plaza, which includes the Hall of Mirrors and is a member of Historic Hotels of America.
Try: Happy hour at Palm Court at the Hilton Netherland Plaza

Dixie Terminal 49 E Fourth Street*
Historic landmark that was formerly a streetcar terminal in the 1900s and is now an architectural masterpiece.
Note: This is currently an office building, so access may be limited. You can still walk in to the main arcade and look around.

Findlay Market 1801 Race Street*
Ohio’s oldest continuously-operated public market, complete with local food vendors, shops, restaurants, and events. Previously named one of the “10 Best Food Markets in the World” by Newsweek. Click here for the Market event calendar.

Fountain Square 520 Vine Street*
Public gathering space in the heart of the Central Business District, featuring the Tyler Davidson Fountain, Fountain Bar, live music, and events.

John A Roebling Suspension Bridge The Banks, Covington*
An iconic landmark completed in 1866, the Roebling spans the Ohio River from The Banks to Covington and is considered the prototype for the Brooklyn Bridge.

Performing arts

Andrew J Brady Music Center 25 Race Street
State-of-the-art music venue with indoor and outdoor stages.

Aronoff Center 650 Walnut Street*
Home to more than a half-dozen local arts groups, including Broadway in Cincinnati, and the acclaimed Weston Art Gallery.

The Children’s Theatre of Cincinnati Mainstage Performances at Taft Theatre, 317 E Fifth Street*
The oldest children’s theatre in the US, creating lifelong memories through live theatre experience for families with children and school audiences since 1919.

Cincinnati Shakespeare Company 1195 Elm Street*
Resident ensemble theatre company bringing Shakespeare and the classics to life for all.

Ensemble Theatre 1127 Vine Street*
The region’s leading destination for bold, contemporary theater and award-winning education and community programs.

KNOW Theatre of Cincinnati 1120 Jackson Street*
Nonprofit theatre company which produces contemporary and collaborative theatre that tends to be challenging and thought-provoking.

Taft Theatre 317 E Fifth Street*
Historic 2500-seat theatre showing live music, comedy, and theatre events.

Parks

Smale Riverfront Park The Banks, Ohio River Trail*
Connects downtown the Ohio River and the existing riverfront parks. Smale is a place to gather and celebrate as a community and features multiple water play features, giant swings, an interactive foot piano, an imaginative play area, expansive pollinator gardens, and Carol Ann’s Carousel.

Riverwalk Ohio River Banks
The Riverwalk is part of the Ohio River Trail and is three miles connecting the TM Berry International Friendship Park, Sawyer Point & Yeatman’s Cove, and Smale Riverfront Park.

Washington Park 1230 Elm Street*
Public 6-acre green space in the heart of Over-the-Rhine, featuring the Porch concessions, events, and stunning views of surrounding architecture (including Memorial Hall, Music Hall, and some of the largest single collection of Italianate architecture in the US).

Nearby events

BLINK
October 17–20
Back for its fourth edition, BLINK is a four-day citywide art and installation festival spanning dozens of blocks from OTR to NKY. Click the link above for more information and to download the event map.

Every week Tour de Cincinnati publishes the Weekend Rundown, which details goings on around Greater Cincinnati every weekend. Check out the Weekend Rundown the week of the conference to learn more about what’s going on that weekend.

Transit

Cincinnati Metro
Greater Cincinnati’s public bus system. Routes will be disrupted during BLINK weekend (October 17–20) and all service from Government Square will be moved to the Riverfront Transit Center. All Metro service will be fare free from 6p–midnight each night of BLINK.

Cincinnati Red Bike
Nonprofit station-based bike share system with dozens of stations around downtown and NKY. Download the Red Bike app to ride.

The Connector
Fare FREE streetcar providing ADA accessible transport from north of Over-the-Rhine south to The Banks.

Electric Scooters
Bird and Lime scooters available for rent seven days a week from 6a to 11p. Download one of their respective apps to ride.

Transit Authority of Northern Kentucky (TANK)
Including the Southbank Shuttle, a public trolley system that serves the cities of Bellevue, Newport, and Covington in Northern Kentucky; traveling to and from downtown Cincinnati in Ohio. The cost to ride the shuttle is $1 each trip. All TANK service will be fare free from 6p–midnight each night of BLINK.
Note: The Southbank Shuttle will be on a detour for all four nights of BLINK after 6p. It will connect BLINK goers with one stop in Newport, one stop in Covington, and a stop at the Riverfront Transit Center.

Tip: You can download the Transit app while you are in town to help you navigate the bus and streetcar. You can also pay for bus fare in the app.

Worth the trip

If you have time and are able to make the trip(s), the Cincinnati Museum Center is located two miles west from the Renaissance, while the Cincinnati Art Museum is two+ miles northeast. The American Sign Museum is a 10-minute drive from the Renaissance Cincinnati Downtown.

Cincinnati Museum Center 1301 Western Avenue
Cincinnati History Museum, The Children’s Museum, Museum of Natural History & Science, OMNIMAX® Theater, and Nancy & David Wolf Holocaust & Humanity Center—all housed in Union Terminal, a historic Art Deco building with the second largest half-dome (rotunda) in the world.

Cincinnati Art Museum 953 Eden Park Drive
The first purpose-built art museum west of the Alleghenies, and one of the oldest in the United States, featuring tours, exhibitions, events for all ages.
Free admission

American Sign Museum 1330 Monmouth Street
Promotes sign preservation and restoration by displaying nearly 100 years of signage, highlighting a collection that honors an often overlooked part of our culture that hides in plain sight as part of our daily lives.

Food

Cincinnati has a very robust culinary scene and many restaurants accept reservations. If you are looking for a custom recommendation based on your preferences, just ask!

Click here for the full Tour de Cincinnati Downtown Cincinnati Visitors Guide

More about the Writer’s Digest Annual Conference

The conference features everything you need to advance your writing career creatively and professionally, including:

Visit writersdigestconference.com for complete event details.

October 17–20
Renaissance Cincinnati Downtown
Historic Union Trust Bank building (Neoclassical building completed in 1901)
36 E Fourth Street
Cincinnati, Ohio 45202

*On the streetcar line or easily accessed by streetcar with a short walk