Northside is a neighborhood located 15 minutes north of downtown Cincinnati. Northside is home to various exciting businesses, coffeehouses, restaurants, pubs, and breweries and is known for being hip, alternative, and progressive.
Not only does Northside have a lot to offer, but it’s also one of Cincinnati’s more walkable neighborhoods. This ensures that you will be within walking distance of some fascinating things no matter where you are in the area.
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Along with various activities in the neighborhood, Mt. Airy Forest, Buttercup Valley Preserve, and Parkers Woods Nature Preserve are all just a five-minute drive away, which is excellent news for people who enjoy hiking, jogging, or spending time in nature.
Northside is often significantly cheaper than comparable neighborhoods throughout the city, despite being home to several outstanding restaurants, pubs, and breweries, being reasonably close to Downtown, and near plenty of green spaces.
It is both a fantastic place to live and a delightful place to visit for all of these reasons.
In this post, we’ll give you a tour of Northside, including a bit of history of how it came to be the neighborhood it is now, a list of the best bars and breweries in the region, and recommendations for restaurants and businesses to visit.
Northside’s Brief History
Beginnings
Northside originated as a small village in Indian territory until the 1820s when the Miami and Erie Canal was built, and the settlement grew in size. Cumminsville was named after one of the area’s early residents, David Cummins. The population continued to grow after the completion of the Cincinnati, Hamilton, and Dayton railroad.
Throughout the 1800s, Cumminsville saw an inflow of German immigrants seeking a better life away from the instability of Europe. This resulted in even more population growth.
The city of Cincinnati absorbed Cumminsville in 1873.
Throughout the 1920s, the neighborhood continued to grow and develop, with shops, merchants, and manufacturing sites springing up all over the place. Cumminsville quickly became recognized as a place where Cincinnati residents could get away from the city.
Industrial Boom
However, following WWII, the vehicle industry boomed, along with the expansion of the highway system. People began to relocate to more rural areas as they no longer need proximity to their workplaces. As home prices fell, so did property values and business in the area. By the 1960s, much of the previously existing industry had vanished.
The neighborhood was renamed Northside and South Cumminsville after the I-74 expressway was built, dividing it into two halves. As one might expect, the area is presently known as “Northside” is located north of I-74.
When the 1980s arrived, Northside began to see an increase in population and commercial expansion. Attracted by low house prices, first-time home purchasers attracted to the neighborhood. New stores, restaurants, and bars began to open as the city invested in improvement initiatives.
The Present
Today, Northside has a bustling commercial community and a developing housing market. And, just as it was once a haven for those wishing to get away from the city, it is still popular today as a place to live close to downtown but far enough away to feel like its own distinct neighborhood.
Today, the area is renowned as Cincinnati’s principal LGBTQ-friendly neighborhood, with a significant LQBTQ allied representation in the neighborhood’s annual 4th of July neighborhood parade and other community events.
Restaurants, Breweries, and Bars
A diverse range of restaurants, bars, and breweries can be found in Northside. Here are some of our personal favorites:
[…] Valley Preserve, located in the trendy Northside district, is an excellent place to get away from it all for a spell. The preserve includes multiple […]
[…] Sidewinder is one of Cincinnati’s most unusual independent coffee shops, located in the trendy urban district of Northside. […]
[…] Look no further than Django Western Taco if you’re looking for a taco in the trendy Northside district. […]
[…] next stop is Northside Yacht Club, a bar and restaurant in Northside that serves some of Cincinnati’s best-smoked wings. On Wednesday evenings, they offer […]
[…] think of a “hipster coffee shop,” chances are you will think of Collective Espresso in Northside. The shop is located at a one-way street corner that can only be accessed on […]
[…] Artifact, in Northside, is another unique venue to have a beer. Urban Artifact, located beneath St. Patrick’s […]
[…] Northside […]
[…] you since we opened our first cafe location in 2009. Dojo Gelato has stores in Findlay Market and Northside and a mobile gelato truck and cart that travels across the Tri-State […]
[…] Factory, a beautiful and unique restaurant in the popular Northside district, is known for its pizza, mac ‘n cheese, meatball sandwich, and other American delicacies. The […]
[…] This shop, which opened in 1978 and has been in its current location since 2001, is located in Northside. They carry some mainstream recordings among their approximately 25,000 vinyls and 15,000 CDs, but […]
[…] is a Northside vintage clothing store with many vintage shirts, shoes, gowns, and other […]
[…] a selection of rotating craft beers, a terrace, and a pool table, is located in the fashionable Northside district. Live events such as karaoke, DJ dance parties, and stand-up comedy evenings are […]
[…] young and skilled artists who painted nine paintings in 2007 alone, in areas such as Walnut Hills, Northside, Roselawn, Downtown, and […]
[…] Cincy is an indoor rock climbing gym in Cincinnati’s Northside district that welcomes all ages and abilities […]
[…] Littlefield is one of the more sophisticated places to eat in Northside, with burgers, wraps, patty melts, smoked wings, and a full selection of drinks, including bourbon, […]
[…] Listing Loon, located in the fashionable Northside district, is another favorite venue for wine and food, which can be enjoyed on a comfortable […]
[…] a bakery in the Northside neighborhood, makes a range of baked goodies, but we’re particularly fond of their doughnuts. They have […]
[…] Revival, a hip cafe and restaurant in Northside, specializes in vegetarian-friendly sandwiches, wraps, chili macs, salads, soups, and other dishes. […]
[…] See also Cincinnati’s Northside Neighborhood […]
[…] the name suggests, Northside Tavern is a bar in Northside that hosts live music by local performers on most nights, which can be accompanied by a selection […]
[…] See also Cincinnati’s Northside Neighborhood […]
[…] Designs By Dana, which has been in business in Cincinnati since the 1970s and is well known in the community of local tattoo artists, is located in the Northside neighborhood. […]
[…] the Northside suburb of Cincinnati, two people who were already close friends established the Northside Distilling Company. They had […]