Lively and diverse, Clifton is bordered almost entirely by institutions of higher learning--the
University of Cincinnati and
Hebrew Union College to the south and
Cincinnati State Technical and Community College to the north. Students, professors and bohemians, bring an air of excitement and intellectuality to the neighborhood.
On the main thoroughfare, Ludlow Avenue, one finds coffee houses, gift shops and ethnic eateries, as well as one of the few art-house cinemas in the city,
The Esquire. Clifton is within walking distance to the university, but a short bus ride will get you uphill much faster--or get you downtown in half an hour. Located almost perfectly central in Cincinnati, Clifton is convenient to surrounding neighborhoods of note, and offers a quick entrance to the Interstate 75.
Beyond the shops and hubbub of Ludlow, there are a number of older, stately homes in Clifton. Many of them lie in the Gaslight District, where streets are lit by working gas street lamps. Among the homes are mansions once owned by some of the old "barons" of Cincinnati, such as the George B. Russel house, designed by
Samuel Hannaford, who also built Cincinnati City Hall.
Also nestled in the neighborhood is the
Fairview-Clifton German Language School, which was rated an "Excellent School" by the Ohio Board of Education. It would be negligent to not mention the selection of excellent hospitals in and near Clifton, including
Good Samaritan Hospital,
Deaconess,
The University Hospital,
Cincinnati Children's Hospital and
Christ Hospital (located in nearby Mount Auburn)--as well as the many houses of worship that Clifton has to offer.
