Ohio Scenes

The art scene is heating up in Cincinnati. Scores of captivating new galleries are popping up like so many Monet irises. New directors at the city’s top museums have made wild improvements. And more than ever, art pilgrims are on the prowl in funky urban enclaves.

Food-obsessed visitors to Cincinnati typically have a chili parlor at the top of their list, but there’s more to the Queen City dining scene than dreamy three-ways. Options include contemporary Cuban, farm-to-table American, high-flying Italian and boutique burgers.

It was Cincinnati's King Records that delivered The Godfather of Soul, James Brown, on a silver platter. Keeping that dream alive is the irrepressible Bootsy Collins, plus other breakout acts like Over the Rhine, Pearlene, the Hiders, and the Pomegranates.

Inhabited by the Cleveland Museum of Art, the Cleveland Institute of Art, and the Museum of Contemporary Art, University Circle is the undeniable epicenter of the local art scene. But keen observers know that art thrives outside the Circle too.

Forced indoors by a winter that never quits, Clevelanders love restaurants. That fondness has fostered a progressive dining scene that rivals cities twice its size. Home to an Iron Chef, a bustling Chinatown, and a certified green restaurant, the city satisfies every taste.

Cleveland rocks, that’s for sure. Filling venues large and small are yesterday's, today’s and tomorrow’s hottest musical stars. When locals want to rock, they head to killer clubs like the Beachland Ballroom, Grog Shop, Agora and Peabody’s. 

Columbus calls itself the “Independent Art Capital of the World.” To judge for yourself, take a stroll through Short North, explore the museums of downtown, and trek out to the cutting-edge and collaborative studios of Grandview. 

Columbus may get billed as a test-market city, but the spirit of independence is alive and well in the dining scene. In neighborhoods as diverse as German Village, Grandview and the Short North, tony bistros continue to outnumber bland chains. 

If you hadn’t heard, Columbus is a college town. As such, the city is infused with the youthful energy of 50,000 coeds. Much of that energy naturally spills over to the music scene, where on any given night myriad clubs teem with zealous fans.

Art fans are finding themselves inexorably drawn to Ohio. In cities big and small are scores of museums, galleries and boutiques highlighting the works of yesterday’s, today’s and tomorrow’s brightest talent.

Cleveland rocks, that much we know, but so too does the rest of the Buckeye State. Hear for yourself at the countless Ohio clubs that showcase the very best in indie music.