SIS: Cincinnati Neighborhoods

there will be an East Side and West Side divide.

I grew up in Anderson/Mt. Washington but went to high school with plenty of West Siders. Frankly, I’m not too fond of Anderson since there isn’t a heckuva lot of culture for young people. It might be great if you’re already planning on raising a family, but it lacks on quality food, entertainment, and shopping.

I’m a fan of East Walnut Hills and Eden Park when it comes to scoping out neighborhoods to buy property in. It’s not as expensive as Hyde Park, but you’re close enough to get to everything there and there’s relatively little crime. There’s been a bit of development there on DeSales Plaza, but the place still has some of Cincinnati’s most unique architecture and you’re a short walk to the best view in town without dealing with driving up Mt. Adams.

OTR will likely be a good investment when you consider all the capital that’s going into the neighborhood, but parking is a big issue and unless midwestern urban living is your thing, it could take some getting used to even if you’re from a big east coast city.

Mariemont, Indian Hill, and Madeira aren’t going anywhere so if you can afford it and enjoy quiet living with nearby shopping, have at it. However, if you’re setting up shop there, it’s a bit of a trek to get to everywhere else.

The West Side is nice, but I wouldn’t buy anything in Westwood or Price Hill. It’s still a close knit community and you don’t want to be the couple that bought Aunt Mevla’s house. If you’re not from there, you’ll be considered an outsider for a while.

A solution though, if you want to be near that side of town, is Northside. It has a hip little main drag and a lot of old beautiful homes. Not only is it relatively close to the West Side, but also is nearby Clifton’s Ludlow Ave, home of the Esquire Theatre.

If historic preservation is your thing, Columbia Tusculum is nice. If you want to practically rebuild the house yourself, there’s North Avondale.

What areas of Cincinnati are on the rise? What areas are on the decline? Madisonville: on the rise. The West side: on the decline

Where are good opportunities for bargains (i.e. homes with character, relatively safe neighborhoods, etc.) Madisonville has great starter houses (2 – 4 Bedrooms) From $70K – $120 – right nest to Mariemont.

Where in Cincinnati have you lived? How has it changed since first moving there? Clifton ( 1yr), East Walnut Hills (2 yrs), Pleasant Ridge (5yrs.), Mt. Lookout (6yrs) Hyde Park (12yrs) Downtown(2yrs), Madisonville (6 yrs).

What areas do you recommend to friends moving to Cincinnati? Depends on their tastes, their budget and their esteem needs. For young families it is hard to beat Mt. Lookout or North Avondale if you can afford it. Great schools and neighbors who support family activities.

Because my wife and I value diversity over esteem we moved to Madisonville after two of our grown kids bought greats houses there…So many interesting and cool people of so many ages, professions and backgrounds.
Plus it is a place where if you’re older you can flat out buy just about any house you like.

Are the stereotypes of East Side/West Side true? Will they continue to be true 10, 20 years from now?
Any thoughts/advice on house-hunting for my wife and I? More details after the jump…

The correct recommendation is move where it’s warm!!!

If you’re hell bent in staying local, I’d say Columbia Tusculum. Turkey Bottoms. Oakley. Ft Wright. North Bend. Southgate/Ft Thomas near.

Or rent The Nasty Hook!!!

These three areas have seen some increase over the past 8 -10 yrs.
Columbia Tusculum. Turkey Bottoms. Oakley.
I have friends in Tusculum who love living there but have had kids bikes stolen.
Same with Oakley.
Turkey Bottoms is not a place that an RR would seek residence.

Very nice place to raise your children, My house is very nice and will be on the market soon for about 170,000. The new school is gigantic, like Oak Hills huge. The police department is expanding, so is the retail market as of recently. There is a good mix of races and creeds, which leads to a general indifference I find.

If you want a cheap home, You might want to search Clifton or Northside. Just keep away from the older homes without insulation and bad windows.

Who forwarded them on to her folks.

It sounds like it will be a very tough sell, because they say it is one of the most dangerous neighborhoods in Cincinnati. I get the impression that was true 10-20 years ago, but is less true now.

I also get the feeling that probably means I’ll be at odds with their preferences (and thus my wife’s) on any of the more interesting neighborhoods that we could afford a house. My assumption is, in terms of safety, Northside >= Covington, Newport, most of the West Side, Walnut Hills, etc.

1. What areas of Cincinnati are on the rise? What areas are on the decline? No idea, haven’t lived there since 2004

2. Where are good opportunities for bargains (i.e. homes with character, relatively safe neighborhoods, etc.)? I’ve heard West Side neighborhoods have houses with character, but I also know that I wouldn’t wanna live there if I had to, but honestly what neighborhoods don’t have some crime problems? I mean the neighborhoods I’m going to recommend down below I’m sure all have their warts, but they are in my opinion good options, and safe options.

3. Where in Cincinnati have you lived? How has it changed since first moving there? I’ve lived in Camp Dennison and Kenwood. Camp Dennison still seems like it’s the red-headed step child of the Indian Hill school district, and no one “On the Hill” wants to acknowledge it’s actually part of the same school district.. I lived in Kenwood from 1989 through 2004, and it didn’t really seem to change all that much, except for some of the retail developments that went in, and some restaurants that moved out (but nothing of note, really).

4. What areas do you recommend to friends moving to Cincinnati? I would recommend Montgomery, Blue Ash, Sycamore Township, Kenwood, Mariemont, and Madeira as neighborhoods, but that’s just me.

5. Are the stereotypes of East Side/West Side true? Will they continue to be true 10, 20 years from now? I know there are stereotypes, but I admittedly don’t go to the West Side all that much probably b/c of the stereotypes and the fact I just really have no reason. So yeah, I’m part of the East Side stereotype, and I’m definitely ok with that. As for continuing, I’d say yeah, it probably will..

6. Any thoughts/advice on house-hunting for my wife and I? Pick a great school district.