As anyone who has a smartphone can tell you, the “app” is becoming the new Web site. Soon, if your business (or museum or band or nonprofit, etc.) doesn’t have an app available on iTunes or from other online application retailers, you might as well revert to communicating with the public via smoke signals.  

Learn about the best do-gooders, troublemakers and politicians in the Cincinnati area. The winners in this categories were chosen by you, our readers, using our online ballot. You've chosen champions in dozens categories giving us a portrait of most interesting people in our city.  

Learn about our picks for everything from the best political smackdown to the best clueless ass-kissing. These great Cincinnati policital picks were chosen by our staff of shrewd and unbiased reporters.  

Local attorney Tim Mara always seems ahead of the curve and isn’t afraid to take some guff because of it. It was Mara who, back in the mid-1990s, collected enough signatures to force a half-cent sales tax increase onto the ballot so voters would have the final decision. Mara then campaigned against the tax hike, bucking powerful interests like the business community, politicians and activists like Chris Finney.  

Learn about the best events, places and neighborhoods in the Cincinnati area. The winners in this categories were chosen by you, our readers, using our online ballot. You've chosen champions in dozens categories giving us a portrait of the best urban attractions in our city.  

Learn about our picks for everything from the best DIY transit to the best sandbox in town. These great Cincinnati urban living picks were chosen by our staff of street-savvy and bus-riding writers.  

One characteristic of a bar-based entertainment district is that such businesses must adapt in order to keep up with the latest trends. It’s just the nature of the bar industry, according to Over-the-Rhine Chamber of Commerce President Brian L. Tiffany, who says the Main Street bar district’s struggles during recent years are not uncommon. “A friend of mine always used to say, ‘Your bar has to be like Madonna — you have to reinvent yourself or you’ll be closed,’ ” Tiffany says. “I think if you look at the Central Business District, even the Lodge Bar’s closed ... you’re seeing the same thing.”  

Are you trying to rally support for yourself, your local business or other establishment? Grab the official 2011 "Vote For Me" Badges right here.  

Download or Embed Our Badges On Your Site: 180x60   

If you haven't been to Findlay Market lately, you're in for some surprises. Sure, if you're a home cook or even a professional chef, the market is a great place for fresh, local ingredients. Now more than ever, though, the market has become a place to eat, with ever expanding options for ready-to-eat meals, either at home or on the spot.  

Best overall restaurant (Montgomery Inn), best new restaurant (Five Guys Burgers and Fries), best appetizers (Nada), best non-chain pizza (Adriatico's), best wine selection (20 Brix) and more, more, more.  

Get out and about with CityBeat staff, who explain the city's best off-Broadway theater, best art project that's like a cult, best reason to dance to live music, best local band buzz, best arts promo and much more.  

Best overall bar (Northside Tavern), best new bar (The Righteous Room), best dance club (Adonis), best live theater (Playhouse in the Park), best local comedian (Josh Sneed) and much more.  

WNKU (89.7 FM) celebrates its 25th anniversary in April, evolving from a Kentucky-centric Folk and Bluegrass station to its current format, known in the radio trade as Triple A (adult/album/alternative). General Manager Chuck Miller, a 30-year public radio veteran of 10 news and music stations, simply defines it as "progressive radio."  

Immerse yourself in the urban experience as CityBeat staffers tip you to the best street art, best cause on the river, best new look for Metro, best incentive to get outside, best conversations about cheese and much more.