“The Lighthouse of the Sky” is the jewel of Hyde Park, moving here from Mt. Adams in 1873. Known as the birthplace of American astronomy for good reason, the Cincinnati Observatory is the first public observatory in the U.S. and has one of the country’s oldest working telescopes, dating from 1842. The elegant Greek Revival building was designed by Cincinnati Music Hall architect Samuel Hannaford. Fun fact: the Observatory’s original turret rotated on cannonballs! The iconic dome added in 1895 was surely a structural upgrade, but might be missing a little cool factor. Visit most weekday afternoons or weekend evenings, but call or consult the website for hours and specifics.

Hyde Park Square is more than just an island park: It’s the bustling center of the Hyde Park neighborhood and Cincinnati’s destination for upscale shopping and exclusive dining. The Square consists of more than 100 businesses surrounding a small central park that doubles as a community event space. Enjoy the boutiques and galleries, restaurants and bars Hyde Park has to offer; then visit the Square itself to relax at the basin of Kilgour Fountain, a bronze beauty created by Cincinnati sculptor Joseph Cronin, and donated by one of the neighborhood founders, Charles Kilgour, in 1900. A perfect spot to enjoy your scoop of Graeter’s.

A Hyde Park Square original, family-owned Graeter’s is the place to stop for a scoop of delicious French Pot ice cream. Louis Graeter began selling his ice cream at Cincinnati street markets almost 150 years ago. The Hyde Park parlor has offered the same family-friendly atmosphere on an idyllic street for almost a century. With the richness of the flavor, one scoop can be immensely satisfying. The most popular flavor is black raspberry chocolate chip, and Oprah is said to love the butter pecan.

With the abundance of restaurants in the Hyde Park and Oakley areas, you don’t have to drag yourself downtown for outstanding meals out. American fare is well represented, not to mention international ambassadors including Continental, Thai, Indian, Chinese and Lebanese. Stone Bowl is a standout. Offering authentic ramen, Korean and Japanese cuisine, the signature dish is its namesake—a stone bowl lined with crunchy rice and topped with a selection of vegetables and meats. Hearty, full of texture and straight-up delicious.