I recently visited a friend that lives in the neighborhood, and as I was driving up to his home, I…read morewas in total awe of how charming and nostalgic-feeling his community felt. Tucked away from the hustle and bustle of Cincinnati, technically in Covington, KY, MainStrasse has everything I would want and need in a place to call home. For starters, the vibrantly painted brick homes left me oohing and ahhing as we walked up and down the streets. Tack on all the amazing flower boxes and Pride flags waving proudly and you've got yourself a warm and welcoming village. The area was also very walkable and I really loved being able to take a quick stroll up the street for tacos or breakfast. They have a community pool, a good sized park, tons of cute restaurants, boutiques, and various shops. It's honestly like straight out of a storybook. I will definitely be paying this adorable village another visit soon and I suggest you do too!

This is such a charming neighborhood tucked within Covington, KY, and walking distance to all of…read morethe action and one of my favorite hotels, Hotel Covington. I'm a sucker for historical markers and this area is full of them as well as beautiful esplanades. I also enjoy the overflowing window boxes on the shops in the summertime. My last visit to MainStrasse Village featured dinner on the sidewalk accompanied by great people watching. This neighborhood is filled with shops, salons restaurants and bars and can easily be reached on foot from Covington's main street.

In 1993, the Inner City Youth Opportunities organization was founded by Jeanne and Phillip Bell…read more They saw inner city children struggling in the classroom and with family problems, and they wanted to help. Seeing the positive impact that sports has on the development of children, the Bells took to combining their love of tennis with helping local inner city kids succeed in the classroom and out in the real world. By combining tennis, academic intervention, and youth development programs the ICYO strives to teach the children important life skills to succeed (according to ICYO Newsletter and website). Through the Academic Intervention Program, the ICYO offers tutoring and homework help four days a week, assisting with anything from reading, writing, and spelling to organization skills, math, and even computer/keyboarding. During the summer months, Mrs. Bell runs a tennis program at Withrow High School, Monday through Thursday for three hours. I was a volunteer three years ago and it was such a great experience and it felt really good to help the many children with their tennis, watch them enjoy it, and just to be their friend while I was there. Transportation (and meals) to all ICYO events is free, and for those really interested in tennis, they will take them around to play in the area tournaments. Although I was too young to see it at the time, playing in these tournaments and sometimes seeing the Bells spending their Friday and Saturday nights watching their program's kids play tennis is truly remarkable. The best thing is when they issue their seasonal newsletter and you can read some of the success stories. The most important thing to the Bells and their staff and many volunteers is teaching the children life skills and leading them down the right path towards earning a high school degree. In the summer tennis program in 2005, I worked alongside a man who was ICYO's first high school graduate in 2000, an honors student and National Honors Society member, and then a 2005 graduate of Kent State University where he was on scholarship for football. Without the ICYO program, it's not likely he would have been able to achieve what he did, and he recognized that, which is why he gave back to the program in which he grew up. Inner City Youth Opportunities is an excellent program and the number of nationally and community-based partnerships they are involved in shows that too. Whether it's from tutoring, tennis, or a trip to a Xavier basketball game or Camp Ernst, for example, ICYO provides great opportunities for inner city children of Cincinnati to have fun, while also growing as both persons and students. It's truly outstanding and touching what the Bells have been doing these last 15 years with the ICYO program, and I'm glad to have been a part of it.

Sarah Center is located in over-the-rhine and provides women with the opportunity to learn how to…read moremake jewelry and make money! Sarah Center provides classes and all materials to make their own jewelry. When their jewelry sells, the representative keeps track of who made the jewelry and that woman will get credit for their sale will receive a profit to help ends meet. "Women Helping Women" What a great idea! I bought several pairs of earrings at Lakota West Art Fair and they are just lovely! I bought 5 pairs from 5 different women! Thank you ladies!

Over the Rhine Foundation is a great organization that is working to revitalize the most beautiful…read moreneighborhood in Cincinnati. They have money and they are using it to keep it beautiful and keep it growing. Sometimes they will have fundraisers and auctions to keep their funds going, but they seem to be doing okay. They are working on a market for antiques and crafts that might happen every weekend on Main Street, recruiting new businesses in the area, support for current businesses, a marketing campaign for promoting coming to Over the Rhine on weekends, working towards preserving current buildings, and working on renovations. They also do a lot of work with youth growing up in Over the Rhine and the quality of their organization. They do a lot of good things and are really succeeding in what they've started out to do. Cheers!

This is a great place. Individuals living with disabilities attend this program as a 4 year school…read more They learn how to be more independent by taking many classes. I have volunteered in their awesome kitchen and taught some crock pot cooking classes. There are many opportunities as a volunteer here. I have found it very rewarding. We have had just as much fun as the students!

"You don't know what you've gotten yourself into," smirked Nikki. "Once you walk through these…read moredoors, you can't stay away!" Four years ago, Nikki started StarfireU as a shy, silent 21-year-old. Today she enthusiastically led me on a tour of her school. StarfireU is a four-year college geared towards individuals with developmental disabilities. Their goal is to enrich lives through unlimited opportunities that build independence and community inclusion. Students have the opportunity to improve social skills, create art, photography, learn yoga, cook, and everything in between. Many go on to lead independent lives and become involved in the community. I sat in on a seminar where the Senior class discussed their capstone projects. Ideas ranged from documenting Cincinnati murals through photography, to fundraising for homeless advocates, to adapting a play from a favorite book. I was beyond impressed with the initiative and support within these classroom walls. StarfireU has been educating adults with disabilities since 1993. Over the years, it has grown from a single classroom to a state-of-the-art facility with computers, roundtable classrooms, and dry erase walls. They're always open to working with volunteers around the community, so if you're in need of a smile and a life-changing opportunity, get involved here!

It was August and school was about to start up again in whatever form that it is going to be in…read morethis #covid19 year of 2020. My soon to be four year old grandson was with me this weekend. Happen, Inc was sponsoring the #backtoschool #northsideschoolbackpackgiveaway just a few blocks away from my house on #hoffnerstreet. We arrived just after 10:00 am for the 10 am to 2 pm event. It wasn't busy at all. The main gate entrance to this enclosed garden that I didn't even know existed was the required flow for the parents & children coming here. #Covid19 precautions were being taken. Facemasks and social distancing was promoted. We checked in at the registration table. Emails were asked for so they could keep people informed of future events. Most of their events used to be held at their storefront on #hamiltonavenue until the #covid19 pandemic. The friendly staff directed us to walk through the garden to the next table at the back entrance. My grandson and I got a little bit off of the main path but we made it to the next table. Here my grandson was able to pick out what color backpack he wanted! Green was his choice. He was excited to look inside it and we stopped on the sidewalk just down the street. He sat down and opened it up. To my surprise it was loaded with writing pads, paper, folders, crayons, a ruler and a zippered pouch with a lot of erasers and pencils and a pencil/crayon sharpener. My grandson was so happy! He sat there on the sidewalk sharpening the pencils. I was glad to see that the backpack was made from high quality materials. After this we headed to #jacobhoffnerpark for more fun. It was a great day! Until next time stay healthy & be kind to each other. #happeninc #northside #familytime #weekendfun #grandchildren

This place hosts free crafting events for kids about once every other month, usually around a…read moreholiday. I love taking my kids! Even though my oldest is only three, the atmosphere is perfect for him. It's laid back. You come and go at your convenience - it's nice that he can participate, but doesn't have to stay in a seat longer than he can handle. They provide all the tools and supplies for free!On our most recent visit this past October, they had pumpkin decorating. The pumpkin had already been emptied of it's guts, so all you had to do was draw and then carve your design!

What a gorgeous space! Great views from the windows, high tech environment and the art on the walls…read moreis gallery worthy. What I like about this place is that I absolutely have no idea what they actually do here. I've been here dozens of times and they have played host to the continuum of care for homeless service providers in Cincinnati as well as offered community trainings for resources to help veterans, student loan forgiveness for folks working in non-profits along with other things that promote positive change in the community. I've really enjoyed the space they provide here to affect so much change in our area and want to give them the kudos they deserve. Not so humbly submitted, Michael C.

3CDC parking garages are horrendous. My car was broken into. I pay for monthly parking, and they…read moredidn't give me any sort of credit. I have emailed their "support" for various things and have never heard back. I have told the staff working there about people parking in the EV charging spaces that don't have EVs or are not charging - nothing is done. The gates are constantly having issues. Park somewhere else.

Never has a parking garage management migration been done so poorly, haphazardly, and…read moreunprofessionally as by 3CDC.