This special report is sponsored by Procter & Gamble. It was designed specifically for young black professionals new to the city, and is not meant to be a comprehensive overview of the region.
Any number of things can instantly make a new city feel more like a community. For Jennifer Williams, an assistant brand manager at
Procter & Gamble, that thing was a beauty salon. "I couldn't find a place to get my hair done," she says. "It was hard to find a good beautician."
Williams—a native of Austin, Texas, who became a full-time Greater Cincinnati resident in 2010—had connected with a church and was settling into her job and neighborhood, but she was still missing her weekly hair appointment. It took a while to find the right person, and after many recommendations from co-workers and church members, she struck gold.
It's little moments like these that help transplants build new lives in Greater Cincinnati, one step at a time.
Damany Abernathy's "Cincinnati story" began like a lot of African-Americans who are new to the city—with college.
"I absolutely had no intentions of moving to Cincinnati, but since I had received some funding to attend
Xavier University and it was only a short drive to get home, I thought 'Why not?'" says Abernathy, a senior client relationship manager at
Vantiv, LLC, which handles payment solutions for financial institutions like Fifth Third Bank and Bank of America. "It proved to be a great investment in my future for multiple reasons."
After graduating in 2003, the Detroit native never left. The city offered just about everything he was searching for, including a future wife.
"I'm sure there are other big cities that have something that would be better than what Cincinnati has to offer for some, but the culture, the school systems, the industry, and its desire to continue to make progress are all positive signs of a good place to establish yourself," Abernathy says. "Seeing that I found my wife and landed an enjoyable career in the city, I'm biased."
He isn't alone.
In an area that nine Fortune 500 companies call home—including heavy hitters like P&G and Macy's—career moves are bound to drive growth. Greater Cincinnati also boasts 15 Fortune 1000 companies.
"Cincinnati has a lot of career opportunities with such a wide variety of businesses in the area," says Jaime Love, a health educator/communication coordinator for the
Hamilton County Public Health department. She moved here from Flint, Mich., 12 years ago to attend graduate school at the
University of Cincinnati. "Having a large employer base is important to attract and keep young professionals.
It makes the city attractive for everyone from entry-level employees to executives. People can build lifelong careers or move about for other opportunities."
No matter what brings transplants to the Queen City, there are many reasons to stay. What's yours?
Your Guide to Life in Greater Cincinnati
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