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6 Walnut Hills

From Prominent Suburb to Urban Neighborhood

Be sure to visit Twin Lakes Overlook for a spectacular view of the city.

BOUNDARIES: Gilbert Ave., William Howard Taft Rd., Victory Pkwy., Eden Park Dr.

DISTANCE: 2.75 miles

DIFFICULTY: Moderate

PARKING: On-street or at the Walnut Hills Branch Library

PUBLIC TRANSIT: Metro bus to Taft Rd. and Gilbert Ave.

Walnuts Hills is a unique Cincinnati neighborhood that is in the process of redefining its identity through deep introspection and a genuine celebration of its history of diversity, walkability, and proximity to great amenities such as Eden Park. This walk traverses some of Cincinnati’s most beautiful parkland, as well as some historic and commercial districts of Walnut Hills.

Reverend James Kemper purchased 150 acres for his homestead from John Cleves Symmes in 1791 and called it Walnut Hill. Kemper’s legacy stretches far beyond naming Walnut Hills, however, as he and his family helped to establish the First Presbyterian Church of Walnut Hills and supported the development of the neighborhood as a racially and spiritually diverse community. During the 1830s, Kemper sold land to the Lane brothers, who opened the Lane Theological Seminary. The seminary was home to famous abolitionists Calvin and Harriet Beecher Stowe during those early years, and soon after Harriet moved out of Cincinnati, she published Uncle Tom’s Cabin, one of the most influential books in the history of the United States.

Walk Description

Begin at the southeast intersection of Gilbert Avenue and William Howard Taft Road in front of the Alexandra Apartments. Before you set off, look to the northwest corner of the intersection, where you can see the lone remaining tower of the Walnut Hills Presbyterian Church, once a centerpiece of Walnut Hills life. This Gothic Revival church is another influential architectural gem designed by famous Cincinnati architect Samuel Hannaford. The church itself was founded in 1819 by Reverend James Kemper. This structure was erected in the late 19th century but underwent a variety of expansions through the 1930s. By the 21st century, much of the church had deteriorated beyond repair and was torn down and replaced with a parking lot. Preservation activists worked hard to successfully save the remaining tower.

Walk away from the tower and along William Howard Taft Road beside the Alexandra Apartments. This expansive property holds an important place in the development of Cincinnati’s hillside neighborhoods, the original suburbs. When it was built in 1904, it was the largest apartment building in the city and a symbol of development patterns, including the expansion of residential life to the hillsides, the role of the streetcar in determining development, and the impact of population growth on residential styles.

Just beyond the apartments is the Walnut Hills Branch Library. This library opened just a couple of years after the Alexandra and was the first in the Cincinnati system to be financed by philanthropist Andrew Carnegie. The front columns and Tyler Davidson Fountain were both shipped from Munich.

Continue on William Howard Taft Road for two more blocks until you reach the Alms Hill Apartments. Originally built as the Hotel Alms in 1925, the expansive modern hotel had 500 rooms and a number of eccentric and glamorous amenities, including the Mermaid Lounge and Tokyo Garden. The towers were also used as a TV broadcasting site for WKRC.

Turn right onto Victory Parkway, where you’ll walk through the tree-lined streets for several blocks as you approach Eden Park.

After crossing Cypress Street, a University of Cincinnati campus sits on your left at 2220 Victory Parkway. This site is home to Communiversity, a program of noncredit education programs designed for nonenrolled community members who enjoy ongoing education.

Follow the bend and keep right to continue on Victory Parkway. Take a slight left onto Eden Park Drive and enter Eden Park.

You’ll first come upon the iconic Twin Lakes. If you’d like to add a short side trip, take the loop around the lakes to Twin Lakes Overlook, where you can find breathtaking views of the city.

Just beyond and opposite Twin Lakes is the Eden Park Standpipe, also designed by Samuel Hannaford and listed on the National Register of Historic Places. This historic water tower was erected in 1894 and, at that time, was an active channel in the water supply system in Walnut Hills.

Continue along Eden Park Drive and you’ll quickly come upon the Krohn Conservatory, open Tuesday–Sunday, 10 a.m.–5 p.m. The conservatory hosts a variety of seasonal shows but is regionally most famous for the Butterfly Show, which runs mid-March–mid-June. Admission is $4, and if you have the time to visit, it’s certainly worth it.

Follow Eden Park Drive around the bend and toward Mirror Lake. At this point, this walk abuts Walk 5: Mount Adams. Continue along Eden Park Drive and you’ll pass the Spring House Gazebo. If the weather is nice, you’re likely to see anything from engagements to wedding photo shoots at this park icon. Public restrooms are across the street. The gazebo also rests at the center of Cincinnati folklore as the location where famous bootlegger George Remus shot his ex-wife Imogene in the abdomen. Many claim that her ghost still occupies the park and gazebo today.

Stay left on the roundabout and continue along Eden Park Drive. Soon you’ll see a bed of solar panels that, along with a wind turbine, power the park’s administration building.

Exit the park and turn right onto Gilbert Avenue. Once you cross over Morris Street, you’ll continue along Gilbert Avenue in the Gilbert-Sinton Historic District. Here you will find a number of Queen Anne and Shingle-style homes built between 1880 and 1900. This area was developed along the main streetcar corridor and offered a number of amenities within a short travel time for wealthy Cincinnatians. The neighborhood was established as a national historic district in 1983.

As you continue up Gilbert to return to your starting location, you’ll pass several local businesses that reflect the history of the neighborhood’s once-prominent African American Business District. Many African Americans took residency here at the beginning of the 19th century because Reverend Kemper was one of the few property owners to rent and sell land to African Americans.

If you’re looking for a snack or a drink after all this walking, a number of great spots line Gilbert Avenue, including The Greenwich, a historic jazz club; Gomez Salsa Cantina, famous for its fresh ingredients and tasty burritos; and just left down McMillan Street, Fireside Pizza.

Points of Interest

Walnut Hills Presbyterian Church 2601 Gilbert Ave.

Walnut Hills Branch Library 2533 Kemper Ln., 513-369-6053, cincinnatilibrary.org/branches/walnuthills.html

Krohn Conservatory 1501 Eden Park Dr., 513-421-4086, cincinnatiparks.com/krohn

Spring House Gazebo Eden Park, cincinnatiparks.com/eden-park

The Greenwich 2442 Gilbert Ave., 513-221-1151, the-greenwich.com

Gomez Salsa Cantina 2437 Gilbert Ave., 513-954-8541, gomezsalsa.com

Fireside Pizza 773 E. McMillan St., 513-751-3473, firesidepizzawalnuthills.com

Connecting the Walks

You can extend this walk by adding Walk 5: Mount Adams. When you reach the Spring House Gazebo, head south, skirting Mirror Lake. Follow the route of Walk 5 back to Mirror Lake and then continue on Walk 6.