The city of Cincinnati is situated on the Ohio River within the state of Ohio. Cincinnati's scenic river location has contributed both to its charm and prosperity. Winston Churchill once called it "the most beautiful of America's inland cities."
Cincinnati was founded in the year 1788 and incorporated as a city during 1819. With a population of 340,000, Cincinnati is the third-largest city within the state. The city of Cincinnati grew dramatically during the mid 1830s after the completion of the Erie and Ohio Canal. With the development of steamships, the city became a major shipping center, particularly for the pork business. Cincinnati gets its name from the Society of the Cincinnati, that honored George Washington, who was compared to the great Roman General Cincinnatus.
At the moment, major companies are located in Cincinnati, comprising Clnergy Corporation, Kroger, Procter & Gamble, Chiquita Brands International, and Federated Department Stores, that owns Bloomingdale's and Macy's. The area is home to over 10 Fortune 1000 company head offices and over 370 Fortune 500 firms have operations there. Cincinnati has a unique cultural atmosphere because of the fact that its metropolitan area comprises parts of Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana, a convergence of Midwestern industrial together with southern country. Famous personalities which hail from Cincinnati consist of talk show host Jerry Springer (a former mayor of the city of Cincinnati), Sarah Jessica Parker, Nick Lachey and Carmen Electra.
Unquestionably, sports are Cincinnati's biggest draw. Sports enthusiasts could watch major league baseball's oldest team, the Cincinnati Reds, play at the 42,000-seat Great American Ballpark in downtown Cincinnati. At the 65,600-seat Paul Brown Stadium, hockey enthusiasts could watch the NFL's Cincinnati Bengals. US Bank Arena hosts the International Hockey League's Cincinnati Cyclones. Locals support the nationally competitive basketball teams at Xavier University and the University of Cincinnati.
The city of Cincinnati even draws visitors with its top-notch cultural attractions, consisting of the Contemporary Arts Center, the American Classical Music Hall of Fame and Museum and the Cincinnati Art Museum. The Cincinnati Historical Museum and the Museum of Natural History and Science are housed within a revamped railroad terminal. The city's downtown core boasts several art deco buildings. The city of Cincinnati has the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, which one of the oldest orchestras within the nation. The city's festivals are a big draw each and every year. During the month of March the International Wine Festival draws numerous visitors. In September, tourists come to the Labor Day Riverfest and the Octoberfest, which thanks to the huge German population is among the nations biggest and most authentic. The city's famous dish is Skyline Chili, served over spaghetti.