Understand

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Cincinnati is named after The Society of the Cincinnati, which was founded at the end of the Revolutionary War and was itself named after the Roman consul Cincinnatus. Arthur St. Clair, a member of The Society of the Cincinnati and the first governor of the Northwest Territory, renamed Losantiville to Cincinnati in honor of the society.

In its early years, Cincinnati's local economy was powered largely by the pork industry. This pork heritage was made evident by a host of flying pig statues that lined the streets of downtown during the Big Pig Gig in the summer of 2000. Many of these pigs are still on display at various locations downtown, as well as at businesses, parks and private residences throughout the area.

Cincinnati also has a charming riverboat heritage due to the large, steam powered, paddle-wheel driven vessels that were used for exportation of the locally produced pork products. The local stretch of river here is overrun by riverboats (and people) during the Tall Stacks Festival which is held in Cincinnati every four years. Baseball is another Cincinnati tradition going back to the earliest days of the sport. The Cincinnati Reds were the first professional baseball team in the United States, which is why opening day is held at home every season. Recently, the city built a new stadium for the Reds, The Great American Ballpark. Other recent developments on the riverfront include Paul Brown Stadium (home of the Bengals), the Newport Aquarium in Newport, KY, and The Underground Railroad Freedom Center. The Cincinnati Art Museum and the "Playhouse in the Park" are located on neighboring hills in Eden Park.

Cincinnati has a thriving local industrial economy and is home to many businesses ranging from manufacturing to services, including General Electric, Procter and Gamble, Fifth Third Bank, Milacron, Chiquita, Kroger, Federated Department Stores, and the American Financial Group. In World Wars I and II, Cincinnati's local machine tool companies, such as LeBlond (now Makino) and the Cincinnati Screw and Tap Company (now Milacron), played an important role, providing what is commonly considered the best machine tool technology in the world for its time.

Recently, Cincinnati has seen some large scale "revitalization" projects, such as the construction of Great American Ballpark and Paul Brown Stadium, and the reconstruction of Fountain Square in Cincinnati. Despite the progress, county officials, city government, and area residents remain flabbergasted that other large scale projects like "The Banks" – a proposed site for an upscale hotel, shopping and dining center – remain undeveloped, while the smaller cities of Newport and Covington, across the Ohio River, continue to develop their riverfronts and draw visitors away from Cincinnati.

Orientation
The city center is "Downtown" Cincinnati, sometimes referred to as the "Central Business District." With many major attractions and corporate headquarters located here, the focus of the region revolves around this district. Downtown's north-south streets can be easily remembered by the mnemonic:

Big Strong Men Will Very Rarely Eat Pork Chops

Going East to West this stands for:

Broadway Sycamore Main Walnut Vine Race...