Suggestions for Black Family Relocating from Chicago (Cincinnati, Springfield: new home, neighborhoods)

[Symphony08]

Hello everyone...my family and I will be relocating to Cincinnati from Chicago, and I'd like your opinion on several neighborhoods. We are African-American with 2 children (8 months and 9 years) and are moving for my job, which is located about 20 minutes north of downtown. Here are some things I'm looking for in a community:

- Ethnic diversity
- Friendly, welcoming neighbors (including other families with young children)
- Community center with pool and programs nearby
- Active community: events, organizations, etc.
- Amenities nearby: restaurants, shopping, grocery stores
- Easily accessible by major highways/streets/possibly public transportation
- Clean and safe
- Short commute, but willing to travel if necessary

The school system is important, but I would put my kids in private school for an area that is good otherwise. We're not looking to spend more than $250K on a 4-bedroom house. Of the things I mentioned, diversity is one of the most important. I don't need to live in a predominantly Black area, but I also don't want my daughter to be the only Black child in her class/school or want to deal with getting strange looks walking up and down our street.

Here is a list of places suggested by my realtor and from what I've gathered through online descriptions - Landen/Deerfield Township, Mason, Liberty Township, West Chester, Sharonville, Maineville, Finneytown, Glendale, Mt. Healthy and Wyoming. Do any of these places sound like what I described above?

Thanks for your help!

[lydunn]

West Chester and Mason. Liberty Township have good schools....I have family that go to both and I am a person of color. NO to Mt Healthy school system not good I believe Sharonville has Princeton but thats high school. Wyoming is not a bad school system and nice neighborhood...Glendale more pricey and older and bigger homes...Landen don't believe theres alot of people of color...hope that helps

[Linda Pratt]

Originally Posted by Symphony08

Landen/Deerfield Township, Mason, Liberty Township (part of Lakota Schools), West Chester (Lakota Schools)

Would be my choices. They have everything you described!

[TheCookieSnatcher]

Forest Park, Springfield Township, and West Chester are nice areas. I would stay away from Mason and Landon if you are interested in diversity; otherwise they are a nice areas.

[movingsoon2007]

Landen is a nice area to live, but it does not have ethnic diversity.

[joyeaux]

If you're looking for "street lights & sidewalks" as we were, then Wyoming fits with your other requirements. We wanted to avoid just plowed under farms and treeless blocks. Wyoming is a very active small town with the best schools possible. Kids rule. Family is first for most and safety follows. My long-term foster children (7 boys in 15 years) of many colors have been nutured in this community and that speaks volumes about acceptance. Perhaps the only prejudices are in class, not race. There's some big money families here but a solid middle class world, too. Know that at your price point for a home, there are many listings, though Wyoming is identified as "rich" to many. Do your own research & good luck.

[wastina]

Hi,

I think you might like Glendale. It is small, well-off, and has a long tradition of being ethnically mixed. WHile there are still some older people around who remember the segregated roots of Glendale, Glendale elementary was the first school in what became Princeton City Schools (of which Sharonville is a part) to be integrated. THe school is a community school, and is integrated. It has small class sizes and draws from some other areas as well (which frankly has the elite slightly nervous). But the school system is quite strong for performing students, offering lots of opportunities.

Glendale is convenient to 75 and 275, although traffic downtown can bottleneck at the GLendale-Milford exit. In Glendale, you are around 10 minutes from groceries, banks, shops, Kinkos and whatever else you want. In the village itself, there are good restaurants, a bakery, and lots going on for a small place. If you haven't already checked out the web site, give it a try.

Glendale is economically superior to Sharonville. While there are some nice homes in Sharonville, especially in the newer areas, homes tend to be small, tract-type housing. Glendale, by comparison, has a range of homes at a variety of prices. I think there are even some new homes in your price range in some of the newer pocket developments.

You might want to note that Wyoming, while comparable in style and better in education, also has a considerable income tax to pay for its education.

Glendale is a bit weak on the "community center" side of things. There is a private club called the Lyceum, which is available to all, although not hugely ethnically mixed. Glendale has a discount for membership, alternatively, at Queen City Racket Club.

You mention a range of places, but with Glendale I think you'll find a long-term resident population with a tremendous sense of community and history. Glendale is not a "planned community" of recent, and is really a lovely place to raise kids.

Good luck with your hunt!

[Derrick_TheRiskTaker]

Good luck with finding "ethnic diversity" in a segregated and racist city like Cincinnati. Once you've found it let us in on the secret.

[yayoi]

Pleasant Ridge would be a good fit. The only problem is that it's in the Cincinnati public school district.

[ScranBarre]

Originally Posted by Derrick_TheRiskTaker

Good luck with finding "ethnic diversity" in a segregated and racist city like Cincinnati. Once you've found it let us in on the secret.

I noticed this as well during my brief visit to your city. While I was very impressed with Cincinnati, I was turned-off by the lack of ethnic diversity and the traffic congestion. I was staying with a friend's family in Anderson Township, and it seemed as if no matter where we went along the I-275 corridor, finding an African-American was like trying to find a needle-in-a-haystack! We shopped at the Kenwood Mall and saw a movie at the Springdale IMAX Theater, and neither of these areas was at all diverse either.

For what it's worth, I found the people of Cincinnati to be quite friendly, but I think it's a bit sad that all of your minorities are "trapped" in a few pockets of the city proper while that I-275 loop is predominantly white. I'd love to see more whites gentrifying places like Over-the-Rhine, as well as more African-Americans flooding into places like Anderson Township and Mason. Segregating oneself based upon race or socioeconomic class always results in long-term problems for the sustainability of a city. Just look at Camden, NJ; if you're not careful, the entire city proper of Cincinnati could degenerate into a place like that!