Two years ago I was renting a shitty, overpriced, one-bedroom apartment with a hole in the ceiling in the Clifton Heights area. Ever since I had moved out of the dorms, I had been weary of the neighborhood. I heard about my friends getting in fights for no reason while walking home and people getting their cars broken into. I never thought people could be so cruel to one another. I was naive.  

Uptown Cincinnati is home to some of the city's largest employers, best known attractions and entertainment spots. In the right spots you'll see vibrancy, potential and even a little charm. But like in so many areas of the urban core, other parts are run down, prone to violence. The nonprofit Uptown Consortium has promoted the revitalization of these urban neighborhoods since 2004.  

Don't miss the Clifton Heights Music Festival, taking place Friday at four venues, all kicking off at 9 p.m. The lineup is stacked with quality entertainments from all genres, including The Frankl Project, Eagle to Squirrel, Eclipse, Ill Poetic, Chick Pimp Coke Dealer at a Bar and Wonky Tonk.  

Seventeen months after a major fire nearly claimed Old St. George Church in Clifton Heights, its iconic spires are still missing from the city's skyline. The church lies dormant, virtually moth-balled with temporary roofing while its owner, the Clifton Heights Community Urban Redevelopment Corp., decides its fate.   

The old Jerusalem Cafe was a bit of a hole in the wall, but it has some mythical qualities. The new owner, Kaly Avwy, has spiffed the place up a bit and changed from a buffet-style venue to a sit-down dining experience. It even has free WiFi now. Best of all, the food is really good.  

With its window display of brightly colored plastic entrées, a la Japan, iZen puts the play back into food. That's not to say they don't offer up serious cuisine. They do; they just deliver it playfully. Like the Cheese Burger Omurice ($8.95), an all-American burger paired with a Japanese fried-rice omelet, or Cheese Fried Rice.