Constructed at the height of Cincinnati's prominence, this is still the city's most identifiable structure, and also its tallest building. The stock market crash that triggered The Great Depression happened just a month after groundbreaking, but construction continued anyway in a slightly modified form. Its original grand details were left off above the third floor. From there up to the top the building is clad in simple brick rather than the architectural motifs, friezes, and decorative metal that so typifies an art deco building. The Carew Tower follows the style of the time with a strong base, followed by a rising shaft and a tapered top. Built next door, and attached to the Carew Tower, is the Tower Place mall. While it is designed to appear as one continuous building, the mall was built many years later and is owned by a different company. There is a public observation deck at the top. To get there, take the elevator to the 46th floor, then go left and around the corner to a tiny secondary elevator which will bring you to the 48th floor. It's up to you to walk up the stairs to the 50th floor. A $3.00 admission fee is charged at this level, and you will be given a photocopied sheet of paper detailing the building's history. Please note that there is no cage or fence separating you from the sky. This is great, as it affords an unobstructed view in all directions. But if you suffer from a touch of vertigo, it can be disturbing. With no security and no fence, there is the occasional suicide. In 1998 someone jumped to his death with a video camera rolling. On a clear day you can see the states of Indiana, Kentucky, and Ohio.

• Most people don't know it, but there is a parking garage underneath the Carew Tower. Rather than access it with ramps, it carries cars on an elevator and has a turntable to spin delivery trucks around.
• Carew Tower's resemblance to the Empire State Building has not gone unnoticed. In the 1980's a giant inflatable gorilla was attached to the upper floors.