Cincinnati has many hills, with the nickname "The City of Seven Hills", a metaphorical reference to the
seven hills of Rome. Before the advent of the automobile, this system of stairways provided pedestrians important and convenient access to and from their hilltop homes. At the height of their use in the 19th century, over of hillside steps once connected the
neighborhoods of Cincinnati to each other. The first steps were installed by residents of
Mount Auburn in the 1830s in order to gain easier access to
Findlay Market in
Over-the-Rhine. Over the years, some of the steps have fallen into disuse and disrepair, leading to calls from preservationists to restore the historic steps. Conversely, some area residents want nearby steps closed because they fear the often poorly lit steps offer refuge to criminals. In response, the City has formed the City Hillside Step Information System and made it responsible for evaluating the condition of the steps and making needed repairs. Commemorative markers were placed in the neighborhood of
Mount Adams at the Oregon Street Steps and Park Street Steps. Despite these efforts, some of the steps remain at risk of closure. ==Religious significance==