UPS AND DOWNS

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A-to-Z Guide to Greater Cincinnati:
"Best Place to Live in North America"

The hills are alive, but don't try counting

Cincinnatians have their ups and downs every day riding, walking and running through the hills and dales of their community. Cincinnati is known as the ''City of Seven Hills'' - just don't ask anyone to name them.

OK, since you asked, here they are:

Bond Hill, College Hill, Liberty Hill, Paddock Hills, Price Hill, Vine Street Hill, Walnut Hills, Western Hills, Winton Hills ...

Mount Adams, Mount Airy, Mount Auburn, Mount Echo, Mount Hope, Mount Lookout, Mount Washington ...

Fairview Heights, Clifton Heights ...

And that's not to mention the hilltops outside the city: Arlington Heights, Lincoln Heights, Monfort Heights, Mount Healthy, Indian Hill. Or the ones in Northern Kentucky.

That's more than seven, right? So who started this ''seven hills'' thing?

Tristate historian Dan Hurley said it's a misunderstanding rooted in the origin of the city's name.

''Through direct linkage with the Roman general Cincinnatus (Cincinnati was named for the Society of Cincinnatus, a group of Revolutionary War officers who honored Cincinnatus), it is natural to compare Cincinnati and Rome. Because both Rome and Cincinnati are hilly, the idea of seven hills became a part of local legend,'' Mr. Hurley said.

''Trying to pick out the 'official' seven hills from dozens of possibilities is a dead end.''

That may be just as well, since we really don't have hills at all, said local author Dick Perry, who offered a scientific analysis.

''When the glaciers came through, they pushed a lot of dirt and stone in front of them, making hills. When the glaciers returned, they skimmed the top off the hills. So what we have here are plateaus, not hills,'' Perry wrote in his book, Fascinating, Spirited Cincinnati.

Fascinating.

Still, the hills/plateaus give a charming look to the city and its neighborhoods. You just don't want to be driving when it snows.

Knowing that, the settlers lived on the flat ground near the river, not appreciating how much the land at the top of the hills would be worth 200 years later. Once cable cars, inclines and street cars facilitated travel, the people moved out of the basin and found great views for the Riverfest fireworks.