Fantastically family friendly! Grab tickets on the first base line for playground access on levels…read more1&4. There's almost always a free face painting station on the 1st level by the playground - be sure to tip with cash or Venmo. Level 4 also has free kiddie bating cages and swings that overlook the river. Oh, and, Go Cubs!

The last time I saw a baseball game in Cincinnati was in 1977 when Pete Rose and Johnny Bench were…read morestill playing. Back then the Big Red Machine was dominating, and the stands were filled with folks like my great grandmother who went to every Reds home game. As a Chicagoan and Cubs fan, I can't pretend to like this team at all. The rivalry is thick and mostly one-sided. The Reds have had their way for decades. But I've always admired so many of their players like Pete Rose and Eric Davis. So, it was a pleasure to be here almost 50 years later. We parked near the northeast corner of the stadium and the first thing that I saw as we approached was a street sign that said Pete Rose Way. It's nice to see that the team honors him, he deserves it. As we arrived at the northwest corner of the park, we discovered all of the bronze statues of Reds greats. They also have a cool cement wall art facade and an amazing gazebo dedicated to the 1869 Cincinnati Redstockings, America's first team to popularize baseball. There are plenty of other things to see and do in this area like the gift shop and several bars and restaurants. The field itself has an amazing view of the Ohio River and Kentucky. You can see this when you watch a game, but it's much more impressive in person. We sat middle up on the leftfield side. This lent to optimal views of everything. We really enjoyed our time and experience here.

10/10 !! This tennis…read morecenter and venue is the perfect location and space used for instruction as well as hosting National Tennis events. Hubby and I visited twice within the past 4 days and it has been an amazing experience each time. We visited for the Cincinnati Open. Everything was so organized from the parking options to entry points. The premises were clean, signs were informative, and amenities were perfect. Clean bathrooms, plenty of seating areas, plenty of food/ beverage/ and snack options. Amazing store for shopping for apparel, etc. The tennis courts were in great condition, the flowers and plants were absolutely gorgeous. The staff stayed visibly present and sooooo helpful. I look forward to returning back to this amazing event within the next 2 years.

This was our first Tennis tournament ever, and I cannot stop talking about it! It was an awesome…read morevenue with plenty to do. Highly recommend getting one of the spots in the shade.

Pete rose hit #4192 marker is a small imbedded into the ground Remembrance of legendary…read moreCincinnati reds baseball player being the all time hits leader located outside the home baseball stadium of the reds great American ballpark. This easy to miss marker celebrating the hit king is located in some Astro turf along the side street next to the stadium just outside of the red stockings pavilion. Overall very cool honor for the hitting legend. Unfortunately with his baseball van keeping the hit king out of baseball these are only type of superlatives the man can have right now. They also have a rally cool statue out front of Pete rose. So it's cool to see his old team honor the man in many ways as possible.

Located on the corner of one of the 'hippest' business districts in Cincinnati is the Matthew…read moreO'Brien Diggs III Plaza. This little corner park is part of Burnet Woods. When this pavilion was built, it was a great place to meet up with friends and hang out after school. There is a low wall on one side that is great to sit on and relax next to the park. At the top corner there is a gorgeous fountain with a lady in the middle. She is adorned with flowers and lots of pretty decorations and water pours out of her two outstretched hands. In the summer, the Cincinnati Park Board and the Groesbeck Music Fund sponsor a summer Saturdays music performances. Lots of different kinds of artist set up and play music right on the corner. I have seen several very good jazz trios play. My friends and I gave this pavilion a short easy to remember name. We would say, "I'll see you at Diggs!"

I actually knew Matthew O'Brien Diggs III (aka Matt Diggs). I went to high school with him at the…read moreMiami Valley School in Dayton, class of 1992. Matt was a great guy. I still remember the shock of hearing he had died in the summer of 2000. He was only 26 or 27. Matt was a lot of fun to be around. He loved David Bowie and Syd Barrett from Pink Floyd, and he often wore tie-dyed T-shirts. He was really into photography and writing, playing videogames, and he also sang in a rock band. I remember going to see some crappy Addams Family movie with him and we threw popcorn at the screen 'cause the movie sucked so much. Even though he could act pretty crazy, he was a very gentle, creative, talented person. He would be really amused at the idea of a Matt Diggs "Plaza," I'm sure. I'm really glad this plaza exists--and keeps his name alive. He would be psyched that kids hang out there too! Anyway, I always see random people's names on buildings and parks and rarely think about the actual person the place is named after (I usually figure it's some 80-year old rich guy or something, but not in this case). So I just thought I would share my Matt Diggs story.

Once again, Bob Castelini and company have put together the perfect Hot Stove event to keep Reds…read morefans happy during the winter break. This year the major draw was the new Blue Wahoo booth. The line to spin the wheel was three city blocks long, but worth the wait to win awesome prizes including seat packages, hats, seat cushions, an awesome Christmas ornament, and the limited edition Billy Hamilton bobblehead. The Louisville Slugger booth gave out awesome pilsner glasses this year. You should also check out the Hall of Fame area for cool gifts. The best deal at the convention is the Reds Community Mystery bags. For $20 you get an official MLB ball signed by a current or former Reds player. When you consider that an official ball retails for $18 this is a heck of a deal and benefits an excellent organization. Plenty of booths with Larosa's pizza and Skyline chilli, but if you are a season ticket holder, this year they are serving short rib tacos, angus sliders, and wings in the Ultra Lounge. The only shortfall, is somebody in the Reds front office made a terrible choice for Friday's entertainment. Rather than invite back the perennial crowd favorite: The Buffalo Wabs and the Price Hill Shuffle, they decided to "shake things up" according to the staff, and brought in Eden Park Trio. They are terrible. I will be calling my STH rep Monday to complain. Bring back the Wabs!

Attended RedsFest for the first time this year and I was a bit underwhelmed. I guess it's for…read morereally hard core fans, but it seemed to mostly involve a whole lot of standing in lines (at least if you wanted any autographs or photographs with players). It seems like there should be a more efficient way to do that--maybe give out tickets or something that give a specific time. Autograph/photo schedules aren't posted before the event, but you can follow @Reds on Twitter for 30 min advance listings or just walk around and look at the signs by each line. Food options were as expected: limited and expensive. I pretty much just saw LaRosa's and Skyline on the main level and there was an Ovations kiosk in the (lame) VIP lounge for season ticket holders. There were a good number of activities for kids, particularly on the third level, but if you're bringing a child, keep in mind that they need to be old enough for independent play and young enough to be easily impressed. There are additional opportunities to spend money at various memorabilia shops and the official Reds gear store. And there's a main stage that has different player panels or other speakers, so just check the schedule in advance to know if there's anything specific you want to see. RedsFest is a 2-day affair and to really maximize the experience, you would probably want to go both days and just be prepared to be there all day to have the chance to see and get autographs/photos with the players you like. Those with significant others and/or kids who aren't as hard core, should probably leave them at home or drive separately.

We live just down the road from this place and stop by when we pass on the Miami bike trail…read more I do have to say it is one of the most inspirational places to visit. All the kids have a handicap but that defers from the enjoyment this place offers them. Each kid is a star period!!!! They are all treated the same period!!! They are all on the big screen TV (in which they have 2 fields ) and announced loud and PROUD to everyone. A foul ball or just a tapper is cheered as loud as a hard it ball maybe more!! You see all these kids are my heroes. Do yourself a BIG favor and stop by take a few min our your day sometime and just watch and listen. It will make you smile,cry and realize how special this place is!!!! And how special the people who run this place are to both the kids and the families!! Thanks and again thanks!!

So first I have to say that it's a shame Cincinnati does not celebrate this local African-American…read morewine company. Since they don't have a physical location themselves the only place you can find their product (outside of Giant food stores on the east coast) is Cincy Liquors on Reading rd. I was able to taste multiple varietals at a tasting recently and even walked away with a few bottles. I'm a dry red drinker but thanks to them, I've reconsidered sweet wines. And by sweet, I don't mean Muskat. They use really non traditional grapes and other fruit to get a complex semi sweet finish. The wines range from 11-14% abv so don't underestimate them. The company was started by two childhood friends who went out on a double date. At dinner they ordered wine and apparently a company was born. They have a great story and a great product that I absolutely love. For less seasoned wine drinkers, I always have a bottle of this on hand to bridge the gap. Great guys, great wines, great times! Not so humbly submitted, Michael C.

This really is "as good as it gets!"…read more Every Friday during the summer, PNC Bank sponsors the MidPoint Indie Summer Series. The series takes place around 7:00 on Fridays and is completely free! I don't know if other cities offer anything this cool for free. National acts who have played the festival include We Are Scientists, Neon Indian, Maps & Atlases, Ted Leo and the Pharmacists, and Margot and the Nuclear So and So's. Local bands who have played include Pomegranates, Wussy, Eat Sugar, The Ridges, The Cincy Brass, The Harlequins and Bad Veins! Even international acts like Camera Obscura have played! The beer is not necessarily cheap ($4 for a 12 oz cup of beer), but the free admission is well worth spending a little money on beer to see the great bands play. Afterwards it is always fun to go to MOTR in Over-the-Rhine to see a set by another great band or go to another bar and enjoy the city. Thankfully Cincinnati has such an amazing even every week. Check out the lineup and see if there are any bands you would like to see. Then buy a wristband for the actual MidPoint Music Festival in September!