When I graduated from Boone County High School in the late 1990s, the things we had to do were maybe go bowling or roller skating, maybe hang out at the Florence Mall. Eventually, what we probably ended up doing was hanging out at one of my friend’s house and just making fun of each other all night as much as we possibly could. And then this thing called Newport on the Levee came on the scene, which was like kind of blew our minds in the early 2000s. And it was like gonna be this giant movie theater, dining, entertainment experience on the banks of the Ohio River in Northern Kentucky. And it honestly was a game changer. Now, a lot has happened in, what, 22, 23 plus years and Over the Rhine wasn’t a thing yet. I mean, when we came downtown, there just really wasn’t much-happening downtown. The only times any of us Northern Kentucky suburb kids really came downtown was to go to like a Bengals or a Reds game, which we did frequently, but we would still park in Covington or Newport, walk across the bridge, go to the game, and then come back. So having a place that was new, that was cool, that was exciting, that we could actually invite a date to. This was a big, big deal.
Where to Go in Cincinnati For Date Nights and Entertainement
Open in 2001. Newport on the Levee is a multi-level retail entertainment destination located across from downtown Cincinnati on the South Bank of the Ohio River in Newport, Kentucky. Hosting nearly four and a half million guests each year upon 380,000 square feet of unique retail and restaurant space. Newport on the Levee features a variety of office space, retail, dining, lodging, and entertainment options, such as the Renovated 20 screen AMC theaters, the award-winning Newport Aquarium, Rotolo Bowling, and Bocci Eatery, several national restaurants and retailers including Brio Tuscan Grill and Coldstone Creamery, and the Bridgeview Box Park in open air shipping Container Park with eight local concepts.
Now open in the Reimagined Gallery Building is Trade, a revolving artisan market curated with local vendors, as well as seven new retail storefronts. North American Properties purchased Newport on the Levee in December of 2018 and culminated major redevelopment efforts in May, 2021. Bridgeview Box Park opened in June, 2020 as part of the redeveloped Levee , the open air shipping container Park. Fronting the Ohio River features eight dining and retail spaces, along with a collection of communal seating options in outdoor games.
Bridgeview Box Park offers stunning views of the Cincinnati skyline and is currently home to Black Market Saloon, the Buzz, Crepe guys, cone Tiki, and West Sixth Brewing. Velocity Esports is also another fun destination on the Levee . This cutting-edge Esports and arcade destination offers state-of-the-art technology, professional gaming equipment, prizes, a social gaming lounge, craft beverages, and elevated casual dining.
Coming soon, is Kentucky ready to drink lots, 16 lots brewing Company will be opening their Southern outposts at Newport on the Levee . Dedicated to beer, exploration, romance, and knowledge. You’ll soon be able to enjoy a wide selection of flagship and seasonal beers, guest cider and wines in an amazing menu at their riverfront location.
So it was a fun place to come down, watch a movie, go get some Cold Stone creamery ice cream. It was an amazing place. I would say over the years it kind of took a dip and in the last, I don’t know, five plus years, it’s been kind of vacant in terms of tenants. It hasn’t been as cool anymore. The newness kind of wore off, but right now there’s a revitalization happening in Newport. There’s a lot of energy happening down here on the river. It’s got a prime location in terms of views of the city. And Newport on the Levee has seen new ownership taking over. And so you’ve got all these brand new tenants coming in, new restaurants, new bars, new stores. That’s making it a great place to come again.
And just outside the doors of the Levee , you have behind me what’s known as the Purple People Bridge in Cincinnati here, which is a pedestrian bridge. So if you want to come out and take a stroll across the river, go across to the Cincinnati side, come back, you can do that. It’s a really fun bridge. Get some great views of the river. You can ride bikes here. They have a red bike station here, so you can run a bike here, take it downtown, drop it off somewhere else. Very easy to get around. Make for a really fun night.
All right guys, so there’s a look at Newport on the Levee . If you’re looking for a fun night out, a date idea, a place to take the kids where you want to get a bite to eat, maybe a drink, take in a movie, you could go to the aquarium or just take a stroll and check out the amazing views of the city. From the Kentucky side of the River Newport on the Levee. You can’t go wrong. You know, it’s easy to get in and out. You don’t have to deal with downtown parking and over the Rhine or anything like that. And you’ve got a lot of great restaurants. It’s fun to see even more and more new restaurants coming in, new tenants coming in, and the whole place get revitalized. Fun day night. Extremely great place to enjoy in Northern Kentucky.
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