Penguin Days Mean Half Price Admission to Cincinnati Zoo! From January 2nd to February 28 2013 it's half price admission to the Cincinnati Zoo during their Penguin Days promotion!  While the hot weather critters may be bunkering down and wondering about all the white stuff on the ground, the Arctic and Antarctic animals are  "Now THIS is more like it!!  A taste of home!". So put some parkas and gloves on the kids and take a stroll through the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden!  The Cincinnati Zoo is already a kid friendly activity as long as they play by the rules...no little Johnnie, stop throwing that stuff back at the monkeys!! And with your budget having taken a hit for Christmas, but the kids are getting a little stir crazy, what's better than a 1/2 off admission to the Cincinnati ... 01/05/2013

Harlem Globetrotters Visit Cincinnati's US Bank Arena December 29 2012 It's another Cincinnati holiday tradition, the return of the Harlem Globetrotters to US Bank Arena!  The names have changed since we were kids, but the pure basketball entertainment is still there!  And these players have serious hoops skills!  And they're adding a new twist this year, where the fans get to vote on a rule change prior to the event!  Want them to play with TWO basketballs?  They can do that!   Did you know they're now in their 86th year after starting as the Savoy Big Five in 1926?  Hearing Sweet Georgia Brown can only bring one thing to mind, and that's The Harlem Globetrotters!   So when can you see them? December 29th there will be two performances:  2 p.m. & 7 p.m. in downtown Cincinnati at the U.... 12/26/2012

Findlay Market, A Real Cincinnati Gem! You can't live in the Cincinnati area without hearing about Findlay Market.  But have you actually BEEN to Findlay Market?  Because if you have, you already know what a gem it is, and if you haven't, well it's time to pay them a visit!  So what is Findlay Market?  Well it's been around since 1852 and is on the National Register of Historic Places!  Part farmers' market, part shopping area, part restaurant, ALL fun!  The pictures are from a rainy Saturday in December, so perhaps the crowds were a bit less than normal, and perhaps fewer outside vendors too, but it was still easily worth the trip! Findlay Market is easily accessible (for instance on I71 South, take the Reading Rd exit, T/R on Liberty, T/R Elm, T/R on Findlay and T/R into the parking l... 12/16/2012

Cincinnati's First Party of 2013 At Fountain Square! So you can't make it to Times Square for New Year's Eve?  Tired of falling asleep on the couch watching the tube?  Well Cincinnati is offering you a chance to ring in the New Year Cincy style!Come on down to Fountain Square December 31st from 8 p.m. to 1 a.m. to party in the New Year!  You'll have local TV & radio celebrities hosting the party, and plenty of live music to entertain!  Want to get your groove on?  There's going to be a HUGE block party dance floor?  Want to get your twirl on?  Well there's free ice skating all night long too on the US Bank Ice Rink!  Add in Rozzi's Famous Fireworks and even a holographic light display to up the ante for the night's entertainment!So what is all this fun going to cost you?  The event itse... 12/13/2012

Children's Theatre of Cincinnati Presents Santa's Toy Factory You've done the lights, you've seen the trains, you've seen Scrooge & Tiny Tim, you've done all the usual Christmas events and you still want MORE!  Well how about a BRAND NEW HOLIDAY MUSICAL??  That's right, The Children's Theatre of Cincinnati is rolling out the red carpet for you with performances of Santa's Toy Factory at Taft Theatre December 7-9 & 15, 2012!Eben Franckewitz of local American Idol fame (youngest ever to make the top 24) stars as Wendell, an elf in Santa's Toy Factory.  Apparently the Holiday Spirit Meter is running low and it's got to hit the top for Santa's sleigh to take off!  You KNOW we can't let that happen, so we're betting with enough song and dance that meter is going to peg out despite the best a... 12/07/2012

Sorry I've been gone so long. Active Rain was where I got my feet wet in social media and blogging. I just got caught up in the day to day thrill of helping sellers sell and buyers buy houses in Cincinnati. But now I am back better than ever. In fact the past couple of years I have been using very unique techniques in getting my Cincinnati Real Estate homes for Sale $OLD! I am the proud host of my own Real Estate talk show on a local radio station WDJO. Beginning January 5th my show will be celebrating the start of it's 3rd year and will be moving from Sunday mornings at 10:00 am to Saturday mornings at 9:00 am. If you are looking for Cincinnati Real Estate you can tune me in on 1480 on the AM dial. I can also be found on the internet at www.Oldies1480.net. We don't just talk about Cinc... 12/05/2012

Treat Children to a Theater Experience this Season               Christmas Carol at Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park - Charles Dickens' most famous book comes to life for the 22nd year in the Playhouse's production.  Ebenezer Scooge undergoes a miraculous transformation after the appearance of four persuasive ghosts. If you want to see some pictures of how the special effects are produced, take a look at my backstage tour.  Purchase tickets at Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park.   Santa's Toy Factory at Children's Theater of Cincinnati - This brand new holiday musical showing at Taft Theatre, follows the elves as they prepare for Santa's toy deliveries,...however, the "spirit meter" is running low!  How will Santa's sleigh be able to take off, if the meter doesn't reach its top level?  Re... 12/04/2012

Ohio Alleycat Resource Continues To Rock The Record Book!! It was just early October when we told you about Cincinnati's Ohio Alleycat Resource and Spay/Neuter Clinic adopting out their 250th cat for 2012!  That was their goal for ALL of 2012 so what did they do?  They upped the goal to 300!!  And now they've got a dilemma because they've ALREADY adopted out their 300th cat for the year!!  What to do, what to do??  350 anyone??  And if anyone can hit the goal of adopting out 350 kittens and cats for 2012, it's the dedicated team of volunteers of O.A.R.!   And that's not the only milestones reached in the last couple of weeks, as Ohio Alleycat Resource and Spay/Neuter Clinic put the clinic to great use!  They "fixed" the 8,000th cat of the year and also the 20,000th cat of the clinic's l... 11/28/2012

Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park presents A Christmas Carol Nov. 29-Dec. 30 2012Are you ready for another holiday tradition?  Tiny Tim, Ebeneezer Scrooge, three ghosts and an opportunity to reform?  Then you don't want to miss this year's edition of A Christmas Carol at Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park!  Performances are held at the Robert S. Marx Theater, just around the corner from the Cincinnati Art Museum in beautiful Eden Park.  And considering how many great restaurants that are just around the corner in Mt. Adams, you can really have a great day or evening! Performances start November 29th and finish December 30th, 2012.  They do not perform daily, so click Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park A Christmas Carol performance schedule to see the full schedule and purchase tickets.  Tick... 11/23/2012

Cincinnati Ballet Performs The NEW Nutcracker December 14-23 2012 You can't say Christmas without The Nutcracker coming to mind!  And this year the Cincinnati Ballet is taking last year's TOTALLY new version of The Nutcracker and making it even better!  We went last year and it was just amazing, so hard to imagine it being better, but if Victoria Morgan is promising improved, you KNOW she'll deliver!  Below she talks about this year's edition and you'll get to see portions of last years performance.  The stagecraft and skill of the dancers was phenomenal! Now your opportunities to attend are limited, with just 11 performances scheduled at downtown Cincinnati's Aronoff Center for the Arts, with lots of local participation with over a HUNDRED local kids (and sometimes their parents) invol... 11/23/2012

Cincinnati Zoo's 2012 PNC Festival of Lights Starts November 23rdTonight's the night!  Thanksgiving is over and it's time to get the Christmas season underway!  For the 30th year, the Cincinnati Zoo's PNC Festival of Lights is ready to go!  TWO MILLION brightly colored LED lights and special activities too through January 1st!  For a taste of the event, check out this promotional video: Open 5-9 p.m. each night Sundays-Thursdays and until 10 p.m. on Fridays & Saturdays with the exception of Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.  And you can expect plenty of company, with 200,000 visitors expected during the PNC Festival of Lights! And of course it's more than just walking around a looking at lights!  Enjoy the Madcap puppets black light shows.   And there's some new activities, like the Wild... 11/22/2012

Scuba Santa Returns To Newport Aquarium November 23 to January 1, 2013Another perk of Warren County Ohio living is convenient access to the best of the Cincinnati AND Dayton areas!  Most attractions can be reached with not much more than a 1/2 hour drive!  And now it's time for another annual tradition, the return of Scuba Santa to the Newport Aquarium!  Scuba Santa swims alongside sharks, sea turtles and the other inhabitants of the 385,000 gallon tank and the show is sure to entertain the young and old alike! The show has been previously featured on "Good Morning America" and "The Today Show", so you know they're doing something right! Scuba Santa includes an underwater version of "Twas the Night Before Christmas", and the Newport Aquarium will have other holiday related activities th... 11/19/2012

Ohio Alleycat Resource Hosts Black Cat Bash October 21 2012 If you've been reading our blog you know one of our "side jobs" is working with rescue animals, primarily cats.  We've got our own pride that found us and our cars never see the inside of the garage because that's kitty home!And our favorite local organization for cat work is Ohio Alleycat Resource and Spay/Neuter Clinic.  Located in Madisonville, this group is dedicated to addressing the feral/stray cat overpopulation problem.  They and the many volunteers supporting the group offer a low cost spay/neuter program that makes sure thousands of cats won't add to the overpopulation problem. And they also have a no-kill shelter and work to adopt out as cats to good homes.  They passed 250 adopted cats for 2012 and are working hard ... 10/20/2012

Secret ArtWorks Is Back And So Are The Big Pigs!  November 16 2012 The Pigs Invade! It's time to mark your calendars for the 7th Annual Secret ArtWorks event!  Reserve 5-9 p.m. November 16th and set your GPS to MCA Event Center (120 E. Fourth Street Cincinnati)!. The ArtWorks group is back throwing an awesome fundraising party to support their numerous projects that support the Cincinnati area.  And just in case you haven't heard of ArtWorks specifically, you've seen their work and just didn't know it!  They're the creative force behind The Big Pig Gig and other neat projects that put art in the forefront of the community!  Have you seen some of their mural work downtown?  We're betting you have! And they involve the community with opportunities for both teen and professional artists!  ... 10/11/2012

Cincinnati Hosts Oktoberfest Zinzinnati September 22-23 2012 Hoist a stein, flap your arms for the Chicken Dance and enjoy Cincinnati's version of the German Oktorberfests, Oktoberfest Zinzinnati USA.  Centered on Cincinnati's Fountain Square, the location is perfect for the 100's of thousands of people that come to party every year!  Now in it's 37th year, this is the 2nd largest Oktoberfest in the WORLD!  You'll have to go to Munich if you want bigger!Featuring Beer, Brats, Beer, Metts, Beer, Creampuffs, Beer, Black Forest Cake, Beer, Potato Pancakes, Beer, Sauerkraut and Beer!Okay, so really there's a LOT more to Oktoberfest than just the BEER! (although there is typically  more than 800 BARRELS of beer consumed at this Oktoberfest!).  There's actually quite a bit of entertainment!  ... 09/03/2012

2012 Rubber Duck Regatta To Benefit Freestore Foodbank When we posted this morning about the P&G Riverfest and WEBN Fireworks September 2nd, 2012, there's another MAJOR event going on during the day besides the entertainment and The Big Bang!  It's the annual Rubber Duck Regatta held every Labor Day Weekend!  At 3 p.m. up to 150,000 rubber ducks will be dropped into the Ohio River, each with it's own serial number and a sponsor. Starting at the Purple People Bridge, they'll race down to the Ohio River to the finish line!  Now this isn't being done for the 18th year just for sheer entertainment value, but to benefit one of our area's most worthy charities, the Freestore Foodbank!  The Freestore Foodbank is Cincinnati's primary foodbank, serving 20 counties across Ohio, Kentucky & Indiana... 08/26/2012

P&G Riverfest & WEBN Fireworks September 2nd 2012 3...2...1....KABOOM!!!  It's time to countdown to the unofficial end of summer blast, the biggest fireworks show in Cincinnati.  The P&G Riverfest is a day long event and the WEBN Fireworks show are the highlight of this end of summer bash!  Fireworks start at 9:05 p.m. and are like the Energizer Bunny, they just keep going and going!  Here's a taste of them with last year's finale: And after decades of running this Big Boom Party, Rozzi's Fireworks & WEBN know how to throw a party that will bring hundreds of thousands of people down to the riverbanks of the Ohio River!  Now of course there's much more to this Ohio River Fireworks Show than JUST the fireworks!  There will be live music and other entertainment starting at noon on Septembe... 08/26/2012

Search All Cincinnati Foreclosures & Short Sales?  It's Not That Easy! Mr. Buyer on the prowl for a Cincinnati home bargain, Cincinnati foreclosures are your ticket to a real steal, right?  All you need to know is where they are!  If only we provided you a website to search for them without charging you for the service! But here's the catch, we can't provide you a complete, up to the second public MLS search for Cincinnati foreclosures or short sales!  Don't get us wrong, we've got access to them, but we don't have the ability to give the public a click this button solution because the Property Ownership field is protected from public searches.  The distinction between regularly owned homes, government owned, bank owned, relocation, etc., all of that is contained within the Property Own... 08/13/2012

25th Great Inland Seafood Festival August 9-12 2012 in Newport Kentucky The Great Inland Seafood Festival is already underway for it's 25th year on the banks of the Ohio River!  Just across from Cincinnati on the Newport side of the Ohio River, you're going to have plenty of opportunity to get your fill of seafood despite being so far from the coasts.  Crabs, shrimp, oysters and..... Maine Lobsters aka "bugs" will be trucked in, so that $10.95 each price will beat anyplace else in town!  But with ONLY 10,000 lobsters, you might want to not wait to make your visit.  When they're gone, they're gone!  And in additional to all those Maine lobsters, 15 local restaurants will be doing their best dishes to get you to buy from them instead of their competitors!   And in addition to the food, th... 08/10/2012

One way to track the pulse of Cincinnati’s real estate market is to look for new construction. Lots of new homes going up is a sure sign of confidence in the local economy. It’s when builders know if they build a “spec home” (a home that is not sold before construction) it will sell in a relatively short time frame. Maronda Homes in Greater Cincinnati and N.KY has 26 market homes available, and we feel that confidence is coming back to the Cincinnati homebuyer. Builders began work on 26% more single-family homes in May 2012 than the depressed levels of May 2011. The stock of unsold newly built homes is back to 2005 levels. In each of the past four quarters, housing construction has added to economic growth. In the first quarter, it accounted for 0.4 percentage points of the meager 1.9% ... 08/01/2012