Mount Auburn - Cincinnati, OH

Most consider Mount Auburn the first Cincinnati suburb. The first homes in the neighborhood appeared on the original Key's Hill, and the community still has an elite reputation. Named for an old settler, Mount Ausburn was established independently in 1837 and annexed by Cincinnati in 1842. Several historic homes remain in the neighborhood, but the landscape has changed over the past century. The William Howard Taft House, Cincinnati's only National Historic Landmark, was recognized as such in 1973.

For arts and culture, locals visit the Cincinnati Art Museum in downtown Cincinnati and Cheers to Art in nearby Over-the-Rhine. Cheers in Art combines a fun studio with a bar and boutique.

The local arts scene hosts many festivals and galleries, including Final Fridays. The annual Craft Supermarket showcases dozens of vendors and an interesting selection of art, custom jewelry and accessories.

Most locals know Mount Auburn for its history rather than for its dining and nightlife, as the area has only a few small businesses and coffee shops. Travel south to Over-the-Rhine or north to Corryville for a wider selection of restaurants.

Two restaurants in nearby Over-the-Rhine stand out. Nicola's Ristorante prides itself on its innovative Italian dishes, such as the cavatelli pasta with sausage, buffalo Parmesan and cannellini beans. The impressive dessert menu features a rich German chocolate torte and maple panna cotta with apple and cranberry. When eating at Alabama Fish Bar, sample the whiting dinner, which comes with a side of their famous mix of onions and peppers. Locals swear by the ocean perch with crisp fries on the side.

Very few bars serve drinks within the boundaries of Mount Auburn, the most popular of which include Milton's Prospect Hill Tavern and the Plum Court Wine Room. At Milton's, residents take in cheap drinks and participate in plenty of social activities held at the location. At Plum Court Wine Room, amateur sommeliers get a chance to sample new flavors at wine tasting events on Thursday nights. Live bands play evenings throughout the week. In addition to wine, Plum Court features a menu made mostly of inexpensive items.

In Over-the-Rhine, The Eagle and Neons Unplugged serve as the local hot spots. Both feature drink specials and live music at night.

Residents and visitors of Mount Auburn have plenty of accessible transportation options. You can hail a taxi downtown, or call to dispatch a cab from your location. The popular ridesharing app Uber serves the Cincinnati area, including the Mount Auburn neighborhood. Several upgrades by the city improve street traffic in the area and help reduce crowding in private parking lots. The Cincinnati Metro bus system runs directly from downtown Cincinnati through Mount Auburn, allowing residents to travel all over the Cincinnati area.

Mount Auburn has two small, quiet parks that typify the clean, upper-class neighborhood. Hopkins Park sits on less than an acre and was donated to the city in 1866 by Lewis C. Hopkins. Redesigned in 1971, the park features a children's area, basketball court and concrete benches and picnic tables.

Inwood Park, created in 1904 from a stone quarry, saw the addition of a Mission-style pavilion in 1910. Locals love the park for its lake, children's wading pool, swimming pool and playgrounds. Residents can also spend the day at Jackson Hill Park, which the community maintains. These parks see a lot of traffic during the annual Up and Away to Mount Auburn, where visitors enjoy speakers, tours and presentations on the neighborhood's rich history. On Mount Auburn Family Day, families can experience live music, food, games and health screenings.

The monthly one-bedroom apartment rent in Mount Auburn averages $464, and the overall cost of living tops that of Cincinnati by three percent. Because the area sits so close to downtown, the gas prices in Mount Auburn compare to those of Cincinnati as a whole. This comes in at 2.5 percent below the national average price per gallon. A one-way bus ride from the neighborhood to nearby downtown costs $1.75, or you can purchase a limitless monthly pass for $70.

Few grocery stores and retailers operate inside Mount Auburn, but nearby Over-the-Rhine and Corryville have plenty of options, including Kroger and CVS Pharmacy. RJ General has a convenient location right in Mount Auburn, or you can shop at Daisy Mae's Market in Over-the-Rhine or Mt. Olive Market to the north in Corryville. Just south of the neighborhood lies Findlay Market, the most popular farmers market in the Cincinnati area. The market runs weekends from spring through fall.

Article Menswear in Over-the-Rhine delivers excellent customer service and sells a large selection of clothing made in the United States. Sloane Boutique, another Over-the-Rhine store, often receives recognition from local news and Cincinnati publications for its unique, chic women's clothing.

Mount Auburn has HighStreet, a unique store with a wide variety of women’s clothing and home décor from their Design Studio. Shoppers can visit the physical storefront for specialty clothing and home products with an urban London design, or they can shop online.