Future of Downtown: What concerns residents about visiting downtown Cincinnati

Cincinnati.com readers say crime, panhandlers and parking are what concern them most about coming to Downtown.

Those thoughts are among the results of an unscientific online survey that accompanied the launch of The Enquirer and Cincinnati.com's "Future of Downtown" project. Here are the highlights:

The top reason for coming to Downtown was to see special events like sports or concerts. Few people come to shop.

Detractors cite crime, panhandlers

An open-ended question asking "What concerns you most about coming to downtown Cincinnati" brought hundreds of responses.

Among the reasons cited dozens of times: fear of crime, panhandlers and parking costs. "Safety. Don't want to come after dark" wrote one commenter. "Bums and beggars," wrote another.

But several dozen people also said nothing concerns them about Downtown.

"Nothing. When you've lived in other places, you realize Cincinnati is a beautiful medium-size city and that the crime here pales in comparison to other places," wrote one.

What else commenters said

Here are other reasons cited by those concerned about going downtown.

• "Drivers run red lights and don't give pedestrians in crosswalks the right of way" wrote one commenter whose views were echoed by others.

• Others cited the lack of good public transit, saying they would come to Downtown if they didn't have to drive and park.

• Another gripe: a lack of affordable restaurants that could be counted on to be open.

• "Kinda dirty, deteriorated buildings, and sometimes lots of vagrants."

• "Will restaurants be open, especially on weekend afternoons."

• "Suburbanites in SUVS."

• "I'm a single female so parking close to my destination."

• "My wife."

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Future of Downtown Cincinnati: What our poll revealed