Montgomery Cincinnati, OH

Settled in 1796, Montgomery is one of the oldest settlements in Hamilton County. The city began as the Cincinnati-Zanesville Road coach stop, housing an inn, two taverns, a carding mill and a grist mill. In the 1960s, people migrated away from downtown Cincinnati into its suburbs, turning the small, quiet hamlet into a typical suburban bedroom community.

Montgomery has a thriving arts scene. The city houses several art galleries, including Deborah Ridgley Fine Art on Wetherfield Lane, Green Diamond Investments on Montgomery Road and Nightowl Studio on Ross Avenue. The city also co-sponsors the Blue Ash/Montgomery Symphony Orchestra, while its arts commission hosts a photo contest, the July 3 Patriotic Concert and the Live at the Uni concert series annually. Montgomery doesn’t have museums, but residents often visit the Cincinnati Museum Center, which features three museums, the Cincinnati History Library and Archives, OMNIMAX Theater and Union Terminal.

Fast food and chain restaurants sit along Montgomery Road. Local favorites include Cincinnati originals like Skyline Chili and Gold-Star Chili, as well as restaurants that serve Chinese, Italian and American cuisine. The restaurants sit in two clusters: one near Montgomery Road's Interstate 275 exit and the other near the State Route 126 and Montgomery Road intersection.

The Original Montgomery Inn, a city staple that opened in 1951, serves amazing barbecue ribs that have become a rite of passage in Cincinnati. Don't expect to find traditional smoked ribs at the Montgomery Inn. The restaurant serves Cincinnati-style ribs that fall off the bone, are slathered in a sweet barbecue sauce and served with a side of Saratoga chips. If you aren't a rib fan, don't worry. The Montgomery Inn also serves succulent barbecue chicken filled with flavor, pulled pork sandwiches and juicy cheeseburgers.

Many locals agree that Bon Chinese, a restaurant that specializes in Chinese and Cantonese dim sum, serves the best shrimp dumplings and dim sum in the Cincinnati area. Regulars enjoy the restaurant's wide variety of shumai (Japanese dumplings) and recommend the sticky rice in bamboo-leaf lettuce wraps, the crispy-on-the-outside red-bean sesame balls and steamed-pork dumplings.

For some of the best barbecue around, visit Eli's BBQ on Riverside Drive. This cozy barbecue joint is one of Cincinnati's most treasured hidden gems. Some of the traditional American comfort foods served at Eli's include jalapeño cornbread, slow cooked baked beans, pulled pork, ribs, and coleslaw. In the warmer weather months you can sit outside at one of the many picnic tables, making it feel more like a neighborhood barbecue.

Montgomery has a low-key nightlife, so don't expect to find wild bars or dance clubs in the city. Residents looking for a lively night on the town visit downtown Cincinnati and Newport, Kentucky. Those seeking a laid-back spot to drink a beer have several local options.

Locals call the Corner Pub on Cooper Road the best dive bar in the Cincinnati suburbs, probably because it's slightly classier than your typical dive bar. Regulars visit the pub to hear local bands play, watch the game and drink bottled beer. However, the pub also serves a decent margarita. For a classic divvy atmosphere, a decent burger and a game of pool, visit Montgomery Towne Tavern. The bar features daily drink specials that appeal to the after-work crowd and offers outside patio seating.

Village Tavern caters to a more upscale crowd, but retains a relaxed atmosphere. Visit Village Tavern on Burger Mania Monday for an affordable dinner and a smooth mixed drink.

The majority of Montgomery residents prefer to drive their own vehicles, and access to Interstates 71 and 275, and State Routes 126 and 3, make area navigation simple. Local businesses provide ample free parking, and residents enjoy free on-street parking in downtown Montgomery.

Even though Montgomery sits on fairly flat land, walking and riding bikes aren’t common modes of transportation. Most retail establishments sit outside of the residential neighborhoods, and the city doesn’t have designated bike lanes. Traffic gets congested during rush hour, making it difficult to run errands without a car.

Many residents who don’t drive ride the bus. The Southwest Ohio Regional Transit Authority buses run throughout Montgomery. You can’t hail a cab in Montgomery, but several Cincinnati taxi companies service the area, along with Uber's ride-share service, so scheduling a ride via phone isn’t difficult.

Even though Montgomery only covers approximately 5.3 squares miles, it has numerous free public parks. Swaim Park, located at the corner of Zig Zag and Cooper roads, features several family-friendly amenities, including a playground and a tot lot, and it also has several options for avid sports players, including a soccer field, volleyball courts, tennis courts, a basketball court and baseball fields. The park hosts the Harvest Moon Festival in the fall, and its Laf-n-Lunch entertainment series in July.

Also a family favorite, Weller Park features a playground with creative climbing structures and a sand play area near the sand volleyball courts. A shelter, several shaded areas, basketball courts, a soccer field and a baseball diamond make Weller Park a popular choice for playgroups and sports teams.

Parents take older kids to Dulle Park on Deerfield Road because the park features a playground designed for children between ages five and 12. Meanwhile, Montgomery Park caters to people of all ages. It features a tot lot and a school-age playground, a baseball field, a basketball court and a paved walking trail. The park’s hillside makes it a popular destination for sledding, and the on-site recreation building offers fitness and art classes. Montgomery Park also hosts the city’s annual Independence Day festival.

Exercise enthusiasts jog along Pfeiffer Park’s paved trails to enjoy the garden scenery and will frequently use the trails at Pioneer Park and Johnson Nature Preserve to go hiking, biking or jogging. All Montgomery parks are dog-friendly; however, dogs must remain on their leashes at all times.

Montgomery’s cost of living averages around 27 percent higher than the cost of living in Cincinnati. Fortunately, only higher housing costs create the city’s higher cost of living, so other necessities remain on par with the rest of the city. Expect to pay approximately $780 per month for a one-bedroom apartment, between $3 and $6 for a beer and $2 for one-way bus fare. Typical gas prices average around 9 percent less than the national average.

Montgomery houses an abundance of retail establishments, most of which sit on Montgomery Road, including the Montgomery Plaza shopping center. Montgomery’s historic downtown area also features a variety of shops, and residents frequently visit the high-end stores in the adjacent Kenwood Towne Center.

Historic downtown Montgomery houses an array of upscale boutiques and designer and vintage shops. Pink Tulip Club specializes in upscale women’s clothing. The shop features a variety of trendy dresses, cocktail dresses, designer jeans and a small collection of Steve Madden shoes. Vintage Marketplace specializes in vintage clothing, accessories and jewelry. The boutique sells everything from dresses and coats to scarves, handbags and hats. Blaine’s Fine Men’s Apparel features a distinct blend of traditional and trendy clothes from European designers, along with custom-made clothing, weekend wear and business-casual attire. Patrons visit the shop to browse through the latest fashions and to purchase everything from suits and ties to belts and wallets.

Montgomery residents visit Kroger in the Montgomery Plaza shopping center to fulfill their large-scale grocery shopping needs, or they stop at Trader Joe’s in neighboring Kenwood to purchase organic and international food. Located in the Montgomery Elementary School’s parking lot, the Montgomery Farmers Market opens on Saturdays between May and October from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Vendors sell a wide range of fresh produce, baked goods and fresh waffles and crepes.