is $4, and if you have the time to visit, it’s certainly worth it.
Follow Eden Park Drive around the bend and toward Mirror Lake. At this point, this walk abuts Walk 5: Mount Adams. Continue along Eden Park Drive and you’ll pass the
Stay left on the roundabout and continue along Eden Park Drive. Soon you’ll see a bed of solar panels that, along with a wind turbine, power the park’s administration building.
Exit the park and turn right onto Gilbert Avenue. Once you cross over Morris Street, you’ll continue along Gilbert Avenue in the Gilbert-Sinton Historic District. Here you will find a number of Queen Anne and Shingle-style homes built between 1880 and 1900. This area was developed along the main streetcar corridor and offered a number of amenities within a short travel time for wealthy Cincinnatians. The neighborhood was established as a national historic district in 1983.
As you continue up Gilbert to return to your starting location, you’ll pass several local businesses that reflect the history of the neighborhood’s once-prominent African American Business District. Many African Americans took residency here at the beginning of the 19th century because Reverend Kemper was one of the few property owners to rent and sell land to African Americans.
If you’re looking for a snack or a drink after all this walking, a number of great spots line Gilbert Avenue, including
Points of Interest
Connecting the Walks
You can extend this walk by adding Walk 5: Mount Adams. When you reach the Spring House Gazebo, head south, skirting Mirror Lake. Follow the route of Walk 5 back to Mirror Lake and then continue on Walk 6.
7 Clifton Heights, University Heights, and Fairview
Heights, Flights, and Hidden Sights
St. George’s is a prominent architectural presence at W. McMillan and Ravine Streets.
BOUNDARIES: Vine St., Calhoun St., Ohio Ave., Park Dr., Warner St., Ravine St., Fairview Rd., W. McMillan St., Clifton Ave.
DISTANCE: 3.3 miles
DIFFICULTY: Strenuous
PARKING: Parking in this part of town is a challenge. If you must drive instead of taking the bus, hailing a car, or riding a bike, there are sidewalk meters in the business district and free spots the farther you get from the center. One of these garages will gladly take your cash in exchange for a covered parking spot: Calhoun Garage (240 Calhoun St.), University Park Apartments Parking (238 Calhoun St.), USquare East Garage (211 Calhoun St.), USquare West Garage (301 Calhoun St.), and 121 West McMIllan St.
PUBLIC TRANSIT: Metro buses (go-metro.com) serve this area. Cincinnati Red Bike (cincyredbike.org) has nearby bicycle rental stations at 123 Calhoun and Dennis Streets and 166 W. McMillan and W. Clifton Streets, and elsewhere closer to UC.
This walk covers the hilltop neighborhood of Clifton Heights, University Heights, and Fairview immediately south of the University of Cincinnati (UC) main campus. It includes captivating views of the Cincinnati skyline, a slew of historic structures, hidden pathways, and food options at a variety of multicultural eateries. CUF, the official acronym used to describe the three communities that compose it, is often confused with Clifton, which is located north of UC and featured separately in this book in Walk 8. CUF is largely a rental area and functions as off-campus student housing. The busy business area of W. McMillan and Calhoun Streets between Vine Street and Clifton Avenue has changed dramatically over the past decade, while the residential sections south of W. McMillan remain remarkably intact and full of Italianate architecture in dense blocks. A generous helping of public space for leisure and
