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Downtown Dayton facts for kids

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Downtown Dayton
Downtown Dayton Skyline
Downtown Dayton in 2007
City Dayton
State Ohio
Country United States
Population
 (2,000)
 • Total 2,009

Downtown Dayton is the main business area of Dayton, Ohio. It's like the heart of the city! Since the mid-1990s, a lot of money has been invested here. This has led to many new homes, shops, and transportation projects.

Even though many people moved to the suburbs before, Downtown Dayton is now growing again. More people are choosing to live here. It's a busy place with many workers, residents, and millions of visitors each year. Downtown Dayton is also becoming a very modern and tech-friendly area.

Learning in Downtown Dayton

Downtown Dayton is home to two important schools. These are Sinclair Community College and the University of Dayton.

Sinclair Community College

Sinclair Community College is a very large community college. It is the biggest one in Ohio located in a single spot. It's also one of the largest community colleges in the whole country. Sinclair is known as one of the best community colleges in the United States. It first started way back in 1887 as the YMCA college.

University of Dayton

The University of Dayton is a private Catholic school. It is Ohio's largest private university. It is also one of the top 10 Catholic universities in the United States. The University of Dayton has a special research center. This center works on many projects, including how to grow human tissue.

Fun and Entertainment

Downtown Dayton has many fun things to do. You can find art, music, dance, and sports here!

Art and Culture

The Dayton Art Institute is a museum with amazing art. It has over 20,000 items from 5,000 years of history. This museum was even named one of the top 10 best art museums for kids in the U.S. The Dayton area is also ranked high for its arts and culture scene.

Performing Arts

The Benjamin and Marian Schuster Performing Arts Center is a world-class place for shows. It is where the Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra, Dayton Opera, and Dayton Ballet perform. You can also see concerts, lectures, and big Broadway shows here. The historic Victoria Theatre also hosts many shows. These include ballet and classic movies in the summer. The Loft Theatre is home to the Human Race Theatre Company.

Dance Companies

Downtown Dayton is home to the Dayton Ballet. This is one of the oldest professional dance companies in the United States. They also run the Dayton Ballet School. This is the oldest dance school in Dayton. It is the only ballet school in the Miami Valley linked to a professional dance company.

Unique Districts

The Oregon District is a historic area downtown. It has art galleries, unique shops, pubs, nightclubs, and coffee houses. Nearby is the PNC Second Street Market. This is a public market owned by Five Rivers MetroParks.

Nightlife Fun

Downtown Dayton is known for its exciting nightlife. It has many nightclubs and restaurants. Most of these are in the Oregon District and around the Ballpark area. You can find sports bars, lounges, and places with live music.

Sports Action

Downtown Dayton is home to two popular sports teams. These are the Dayton Dragons baseball team and the Dayton Flyers basketball team.

The Dayton Dragons are Dayton's only professional baseball team. They are linked to the Cincinnati Reds. The Dragons are famous for selling out every game before the season even starts! Sports Illustrated magazine called their tickets one of the hottest in all of professional sports.

The Dayton Flyers play basketball at The University of Dayton Arena. This arena has hosted many NCAA men's basketball tournament games. It has hosted more tournament games than almost any other place!

New Downtown Projects

Downtown Dayton has seen many new buildings and improvements.

New Buildings

In 2009, CareSource Management Group built a large new office building. It is 10 stories tall and was the first new office tower in downtown in over ten years. A big parking garage was also built next to it. The University of Dayton Research Institute also moved into the old NCR world headquarters building.

Homes and Roads

Many new homes have been built downtown. A big project called the Water Street District was announced in 2013. Roads and bridges are also being improved. The Ohio Department of Transportation is working on a huge project to make I-75 wider and better through downtown.

Future Plans

In 2010, the Greater Downtown Dayton Plan was announced. This plan aims to make downtown even better. It focuses on creating more housing and making the area attractive for businesses. The plan also wants to highlight what makes downtown Dayton special. This includes its arts, sports, and entertainment. Improvements like new sidewalks and building makeovers are also part of this exciting plan.

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