These 15 faces tell the story of what it's like in Downtown Cincinnati

This article is part of The Enquirer's Future of Downtown series.

What makes someone want to live Downtown? Why choose a neighborhood where parking isn't free, greenspace is limited and privacy is harder to come by?

We asked Downtown locals − those who live or work in the central business district below Central Parkway. They told us they're attracted to Cincinnati's city center for a variety of reasons, chief among them being walkability, access to entertainment and the chance to really be part of a storied place.

Over 5,800 people live in Downtown Cincinnati, according to the 2020 census. That number is expected to grow. Under construction now are at least six office-to-condo conversions happening around Downtown that will bring over 1,800 units online in the next few years. Developers, city leaders, restauranteurs and retailers alike are banking on that influx of new residents to propel Downtown into a new era as a lifestyle center, not just a job hub.

Meet the Downtowners here.

Jonathan Cody

Jonathan Cody, 53, has been a doorman Downtown at the Hilton Cincinnati Netherland Plaza hotel for 28 years. From his perch standing behind the valet parking booth on the southeast corner of Fifth and Race streets, Cody greets hotel guests and random passersby with the same affable smile. Over the years, he's witnessed the city center's highs and lows firsthand.

Today, he says he's optimistic about the future of Downtown, mainly because of all the new development, including The Reserve at 4th & Race apartment tower and the gleaming Foundry entertainment, retail and office complex − both less than a block away from his stand. "I think we're going to see more residential development and more entertainment that will draw people Downtown. At the hotel, we're seeing leisure travel pick up, which is also a good sign. I'm hopeful."

Lina Muñoz

Lina Muñoz is a relative newcomer Downtown. The 25-year-old University of Florida graduate moved into The Reserve at 4th and Race apartment tower about two years ago after taking a job as a project manager at Procter & Gamble's Downtown headquarters. She said she enjoys the convenience of living Downtown and being able to walk to her gym or favorite bars and restaurants, especially since she doesn't own a car. But there's one thing missing: "Downtown needs a Target. There's no shopping like that Downtown, and only one grocery store, Kroger. A Target is 100% needed."

Mark Buten

Mark Buten, owner of Buten Eyewear on the main floor of the Westin Cincinnati hotel, has been in the same location across from Fountain Square selling high-end, luxury eyewear for 22 years. Buten is one the city's longest-tenured Downtown retailers who says he loves the vibrancy of the urban core. The biggest change he's seen Downtown in recent years has been in his clientele: "Ten years ago, we never saw anybody who lived Downtown come into the store. Now we're seeing more traffic coming from residents, and we're starting to sense a Downtown community. Empty nesters and young kids are all coming Downtown. It's really kind of fun to see."

Katie Treviño

Katie Treviño, 42, co-owns Race Street's popular karaoke bar Tokyo Kitty with her husband, Jacob. As creative director of their company Gorilla Cinema Presents, she creates cinema-inspired pop-up events for brands and operates five other brick-and-mortar businesses throughout the city. Propping up Downtown's nightlife community is a big priority for Treviño. Access to more entertainment options is something Cincinnati is lacking, she said. That's why she's trying to make Tokyo Kitty, which opened in 2018, both a destination for those outside of the urban core and a place where young professionals want to be after work. "We know people want to get dressed up and party," she said. "It's cool to get people excited about coming Downtown again."

One thing she's worried about? The temporary closure of the Duke Energy Convention Center next door to her space in the 84.51 building. A large part of her customer base is convention goers. "What an awesome resource to have as our neighbor."

Alex Yurchak

Alex Yurchak, 36, owns a condo on West Fifth Street and has lived Downtown since 2013. He walks several days a week to his job at Fountain Square, but mostly travels by streetcar to get around and into Over-the-Rhine. An avid follower of Downtown development, he's got his eye on all things happening with the renovation and expansion of the Duke Energy Convention Center, which is across from his apartment. "The only block I'm not hearing anything about is our block," he told The Enquirer. "Let's see how this plays out."

One major thing missing from his corner of Downtown? More restaurants, he says. "A lot of the focus is to getting higher-end restaurants downtown, which is fine if you're coming in from the suburbs and you want to venture out for Jeff Ruby's for dinner. But if you're a common person or don’t want to spend that much money on food, then you're gonna want more quick service restaurants in addition to these fancy schmancy but awesome full-service hotel restaurants."

Annie Burke

Is Downtown Cincinnati so hectic it's unlivable as a resident? No, argues Annie Burke, 36, an Elm Street resident. "With the exception of Blink and Asian Food Fest, it's a little bit less busy on holidays," she said. "Life is a little bit more balanced, which is a good thing. I love the access of sitting outside on the street."

While most Greater Cincinnatians experience Downtown Cincinnati through sporting events or major festivals, the day-to-day for locals is relatively calm. But as more people move there, more amenities are needed so residents don't have to head to Newport for basic goods (many people we spoke to Downtown do that semi-regularly). "I always get afraid when they bring in more housing in places like this because it can begin to feel like an urban dormitory," Burke added. "There isn't enough stuff to hold us up such as nail salons, dermatologists and other businesses."

Eli Frances

Cincinnati Ballet employee Eli Frances, 25, moved to West Fourth Street so his partner could be closer to work near Fountain Square. Originally from Washington, D.C., he loves being in the center of a growing city and believes it has so much to offer recent graduates, millennials and empty nesters. His neighbors are diverse in age, race and occupation, he said, but all are equally passionate about Downtown.

As development continues, Frances hopes more bike lines and outdoor spaces will be added, too. "With the focus on residential, now is the best time to invest in more parks, even small pockets of parks," Frances said. "I don't want Downtown to be a city of parking lots."

Other things Frances would love to see: a corner bodega and a laundromat. "There's already a demand for these basic needs, but with more people moving downtown there's definitely going to be a shift."

Darrah Dunn and Latoya Watson

"We deserve to also have a place in this very popular area of downtown, and in spaces where you don't usually see Black queer women," said Latoya Watson, co-founder of The Black Pearl Experience, a Cincinnati-based organization that hosts pop-up events for Black and Brown members of the LGBTQ+ community. When Darrah Dunn, also known as DJ Rah D, and Watson created their business two years ago, they discovered that people were traveling from all over the region for their meetups. Now, with events at places like Tokyo Kitty, Queen City Radio and Alice, they attract well over 100 people, many of whom previously didn't interact much with Cincinnati's city center.

Next up for The Black Pearl Experience? "Bringing our community to places that are fresh, fun and authentically welcoming," Dunn added, "or are predominantly white." They'd love to host an event on a pedestrian bridge or a Downtown rooftop, or the new Five Iron Golf at the Foundry building.

Jim Carroll and Marie Gemelli-Carroll

Marie Gemelli-Carroll and her husband, Jim, are among the tight-knit neighbors that make up Park Place at Lytle. They purchased their condo at the 119-year-old building in 2018, saying it "felt like coming home." But their love for Downtown started much earlier than that and they've been witness to Downtown's evolution for two decades. (Gemelli-Carroll has operated her business, Starboard Strategy, in all corners of Downtown. Now she's in the Scripps Center.)

Gemelli-Carroll believes Downtown is transforming into the "next version of itself," but it will take some time and patience after the pandemic. "Downtown, for the record, is not back to where we left it in early 2020," she said. "A lot of the office buildings being bid out for repurposing took a lot of activity out. Fourth and Walnut Centre is a dead corner. Atrium One and Two had business changes and then ownership changes. Notice the lunchtime deadness compared to before. What's missing that Downtown has lost were magnets for people."

Chase Mosijowsky

Chase Mosijowksy, 24, has lived on West Fourth Street since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic but moved this summer to the northwestern corner of Downtown Cincinnati near the Kroger-on-the-Rhine. What drew him Downtown? The food and the nightlife. His favorite spots are Tokyo Kitty and Frankie's Sips & Savories. But living Downtown comes with a cost, Mosijowsky admits.

"[Downtown has] gotten noticeably more expensive, but I'm hopeful with all the conversions coming online over the next three-to-five years there will be more options," he said. "The price might be easier to swallow if more people are living Downtown and we have more vibrancy."

William Foreman

William Foreman said he jumped at the chance to open his Sole Food high-end sneaker and streetwear shop Downtown in the fast-developing West Fourth Street retail corridor. The 30-year-old Louisville native, whose inventory includes a Jordan 1 Low Travis Scott “Phantom” that sells for $850, opened his first Cincinnati location in 2021 at the struggling Northgate Mall. He signed a lease with Uptown Properties to open his new store at 328 W. Fourth St. in June. "The mall started dying off. A lot of big-name stores left, so I just decided to look around, and this space just fit what I wanted perfectly. It has high foot traffic, it's close to the [Paycor] stadium. I also get traffic from concerts like Taylor Swift, and Reds games."

While business is booming, Foreman said the thing he likes most about being Downtown is interacting with the people. "You see a lot more diversity Downtown than other places, and I have a lot of good customers from all different backgrounds."

Jackie and Gary Bryson

As president of the Downtown Residents' Council, Jackie Bryson has a mission to connect and inform those living Downtown, and to make sure that those invested in the vitality of the urban core have a voice in creating its future. From letting people know about events like Salsa on The Square to keeping track of new restaurants and the latest data on safety and crime, she and her husband, Gary (formerly head of the council), make it their job to educate others about downtown Cincinnati and its abundance of news and activities. They've lived Downtown for a decade and currently reside near Sawyer Point Park.

"It's the vitality of the city that drew us here and it's the vitality of the city that's keeping us here," Bryson said. "And we want to make sure there is a strong downtown resident base to keep that vitality going because that kind of thing doesn't fund itself. You get funding from the city based on growth and demand."

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: What it's like to live in Downtown Cincinnati