The city has taken the green bull by the horns with numerous rooftop and community gardens, along with a growing locavore movement that includes volunteer community gardens, farmers markets, organic wine and produce stores, and restaurants serving up meals centered around local homegrown foods. If you're a chocolate lover, and who isn't, you can immerse yourself in a slightly decadent and delicious chocolate massage at one of the local day spa's.
Along with healthy garden fresh eating, the area also offers a wide range of healthy outdoor activities to coincide with your gastronomical pleasures. Ways that are not only healthy for the human body and spirit, but also friendly to the ecological well being of the planet. Cincinnati has enough green space to make make John Muir smile.
Why drive when you can put on a pair of your favorite stylish Birkenstocks. Park the gas guzzler in the garage, grab your hiking stick and take to any one of the numerous trails to enjoy a trek of urban hiking on two feet through a network of parks and green spaces strung pleasantly throughout the city resembling a beautiful, green string of natures pearls.
The crown jewel of Cincy's green scene is the world class Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Gardens. The Botanical Gardens are a network of meandering trails for peaceful walks through a diverse and verdant Garden of Eden that includes over 3,000 different species of plants, and thousands of flowering trees and shrubs that explode with a kaleidoscope of vibrant color and sensuous fragrance in the spring. The Butterfly Garden is home to a vast collection of these beautiful winged creatures attracted to the nectar producing flora that were planted specifically for that reason. It's a visual art gallery of unmatched beauty on a natural floral canvas.
The Rain Garden is a brilliant example of sustainability showcasing how a garden can help reduce urban pollution from a cities storm water runoff through natural filtering that improves water quality. Rain gardens are the most efficient means of absorbing and retaining the precious commodity of rain water than the standard backyard lawn.
The implementation of "green roof technology" is exploding across America, but, Cincinnati has one of the largest collection of them in the country. Giraffe Ridge located at the zoo is a massive 2,400 square foot roof garden planted with sedum and other plants. These roofs not only collect rainwater, but, also creates a natural cooling factor to combat summer heat without the use of wasteful and pollution producing fossil fuel electricity.
Green City Resources of Cincinnati is the undisputed landscaping leader in the field of roofs gone green. Owned and operated by eco-minded women who take going green seriously, they design, install and maintain storm water management systems for residential and commercial properties. They understand the importance of rainwater collection systems to promote a sustainable lifestyle, and utilize their expertise in developing plans for sustainable site development to reduce adverse impacts to the planets soil, air and water, which helps create a healthier environment for the city's inhabitants.
Not all gardens offer a birds-eye view of the city, as many neighborhoods in Cincinnati are blooming with local volunteer community gardens These volunteer gardens of bounty are established in many neighborhoods, including poorer ones where the option of shopping at a local supermarket is perhaps non-existent, or the cost of healthy foods is prohibitive. The community gardens involve local participation of individuals and families who not only gain experience and education on eating right, but the gardens instill a sense of volunteerism that is downright infectious, while building a foundation of camaraderie and community spirit at the same time, not to mention the satisfaction of "growing our own" and taking pride in it.
The Civic Garden Center of Cincinnati organizes community gardens throughout the city, and helps residents through a series of educational classes for individuals, schools and organizations. One of the programs to get the kids started early on nurturing their green thumb is the Compost Kids Project. There are currently over 40 community gardens in Cincinnati that provide low cost healthy food for those neighborhood low income residents, and adds to the areas beautification.
The foodie community nationwide has embraced the "locavore movement," and this gastronomical revolution is catching on like an agricultural wildfire. Cincinnati produces an abundance of agricultural products, with a lot of them organically grown. These make their way into farmer's markets and restaurants throughout the city, and Cincinnati has plenty to choose from.
Locally grown produce, fruits and vegetables are not only healthy and heart smart, but, they also help grow the garden of the local economy. The revenue generated stays in a community where the produce is grown, and locals and visitors alike have a rich and healthy variety of local homegrown products to choose from. Many restaurants in the area are altering their menus to offer locally grown foods in season, along with organic stores that stock everything from local organic foods and wines
Farmers markets are not only a source of healthful local produce and plants, but also offer a "social" aspect as the markets fill with local residents who during the summer season congregate in a festive market atmosphere. Although there are numerous farmers markets in the Cincinnati area, the Godzilla of them all is the Hyde Park Farmers Market located at Hyde Park Square and is open every Sunday from June through October. Local growers and vendors set up shop and along with good natured conversation and home grown products, it's a convivial atmosphere with rural and urban residents come together to mingle and socialize, bringing a touch of country to the city.
Chocolate is not only the favored food for those with a sweet tooth, but it's a pretty sexy food too, and Cincinnati has a place where chocolate is used for a near Zen experience of relaxation.
Food is not only relegated to gastronomical experiences, but imagine yourself immersed in layers of warm chocolate to get in touch with your inner-self. Chocolate is not only the favored food for those with a sweet tooth, but it's a pretty sexy food too, and Cincinnati has a place where chocolate is used for a near Zen experience of relaxation.
Many spas offer mud baths and cucumber treatments, but the Inner Peace Holistic Center and Day Spa gets downright decadent by offering the hedonist within a full body chocolate scrub and rub! Drench your body in rich, creamy chocolate, covering every delicious orifice on you, and your mate is sure to understand the phrase, melts in your mouth and not in your hands, as you become a human Valentine chocolate treat to delight and excite the senses with the power of a sugar loaded aphrodisiac! Chocolate has many health properties such as helping to lower blood pressure and the caffeine content stimulates blood circulation allowing your skin to rejuvenate and heal slowly. It's the closest thing to a chocolate fountain of youth to maintain a healthy body.
Cincinnati has a green mantra, and is a food lovers paradise, a hikers garden of Eden, and when it comes to going green in a big way in many aspects, they don't wait for the future. In Cincinnati the "green" future is here and now, and although they are hometown proud of the Cincinnati Reds, they are equally proud of their "green" as well. Go Cincinnati, Go Green!