Would you recommend owning a car if moving to Cincinnati?

I would say only if you're living in Downtown/Over-the-Rhine and work around there, too. Taking a bus or riding a bicycle is always an option if you need to go somewhere. I recently read that Cincinnati will be installing more bike lanes around the city, making it easier for cyclists to safely get around town.

I would say yes unless you will be living and working downtown. If thats the case, everything you need will be within walking distance.

I know several people who live and work in Downtown Cincinnati who don't have cars. They get around just fine as they can find most of what they need in the city. If they want to go elsewhere, they can hop on the Metro (buses) to take them to other neighborhoods or outside the city limits.

Gotta be honest, Yes!

Something I heard about last year and I just found out is available is a Car Share program for UC students and Community members called Zipcar. (http://www.zipcar.com/uc/)

I've never used it but it seems like a great way to have the ability to use a car without actually owning one in the city. You pay an annual membership fee to be a part of the program, then when you reserve the car you pay a low hourly price to use it for however long you need it. They advertise that its a simple walk up and take the car you reserved with the Zip key you own with your membership. That way you don't need to speak to an employee every time you need it.

I would suggest you check this out if you are interested in living in the are but don't want a car tying you down.

I lived without a car in Cincinnati for a little over a year while I was going to school at UC. I managed fine but I did wish I had a car for making grocery trips and errands from time to time and semi often I borrowed a friends car to accomplish those things. The thing about having a car in Cincinnati is that its not like New York where its an inconvenience to have one, in Cincinnati Parking is relatively cheap and easy to find (depending where you are), traffic is only bad in business rush hour, and if you keep your valuables out of your car it isn't very likely to get broken in, even in some of the rougher sections.

Taxi or bus are the options if you do not have a car and they work well enough. But however much you decide to move around you may end up spending closely the same with a car as you would without it. So the choice is really a preference on your part.

If you live and work in town or a few other of the city's walkable neighborhoods, you could live without a car. Corryville, areas of Clifton, Northside and a few other areas have the basics of life. If you needed anything else the walkable areas also have bus access to other areas.

The bus system covers many parts of the city, but mostly only on the main streets.

It depends on where you live and work. If you live and work in the central part of Cincinnati, you should be okay without a car. There is very good bus coverage in the more urban areas of Cincinnati. There are also many areas convenient for walking and you can always bicycle to your destination. If you choose to live in the more suburban areas, I would recommend owning a car. The suburbs have very limited bus routes and many areas are not walking or bicycle friendly.