Cincinnati, Ohio

The Queen City’s transformation is most evident in its Over-the-Rhine district, first settled by German immigrants in the 19th century. Once a dodgy neighborhood, it has renovated buildings and warehouses that are now apartments and offices for tech companies. On Vine Street, young brands like interiors shop Elm & Iron sit alongside Cincinnati institutions like Holtman’s Donuts. There are larger changes throughout the city: the new Cincinnati Bell Connector streetcar links the northern fringes of OTR with downtown and the Ohio River, and Ziegler Park, with a deepwater pool and redesigned public spaces, will be unveiled this spring, followed by the reopening of the city’s historic Music Hall and the inaugural Blink Cincinnati light and art festival in October. Locals zip across state lines on a daily basis, and the best new place to bed down is actually a 10-minute drive across the river in Covington, Kentucky. The boutique Hotel Covington occupies the former headquarters of Coppin’s Department Store, and the original 1907 architecture serves its new purpose beautifully: upon entering, you get a sweeping view of reception, the lobby, and the bar with its 20-foot ceilings, thanks to a sloping floor originally designed to let shoppers see the entire department store when they walked through its Madison Avenue doors. Filmmakers are also increasingly drawn to Cincinnati, thanks to its Art Deco buildings and its tax incentives. Off-camera, Nicole Kidman, Colin Farrell, and Ellen Page have all been spotted dining in hot spots like Boca and Sotto and checking in to the art-filled 21C Museum Hotel. —Aoife O’Riordain