Why does Hamilton have such a bad rep with locals?

[dp74]

Originally Posted by LifeLongNorthCincy

Oof, just reread this - sorry for the long post.

I stumbled across this board googling something related. I've read a lot of truths and a lot of silly stereotypes in this thread, so I thought I'd chip in.

I'm a life-long resident of Hamilton/Fairfield; I'm currently writing this from an upscale golf course neighborhood in the township in between the two - directly adjacent to the knob that someone said we should avoid at all costs. I guess if hard-working blue-collar Americans bother you that much...

Hamilton was, as others said, primarily a paper/safe town at one point. There's still some paper here, as well as one of the largest bank vault makers in the world (Hamilton Safe - actually in FF now).

Also, there was also a huge bootlegging community here - thus the 'Little Chicago' designation. Dillinger was known to have visited one of the many resident gangsters here.

Between the fairly big business and the illegal operations, at one point Hamilton had one of the highest per-capita of millionaires in the US. Go check out the fading beauty of D-street on the East Side, and many of the homes on the West Side to confirm this.

There's still a vestige of money here - I know at least five eight-figure millionaires that live on the West Side, and one nine-figure comes to mind. There's still some old P&G money here. Gordon Rentschler of Citibank fame owned the farmland my neighborhood is on and used the farmhouse that still stands here as a summer home.

The Fisher Body plant was on Fairfield soil, because Hamilton refused it, purportedly out of embarrassment. There was an exodus of blue collar workers out of Hamilton/Fairfield in the late-eighties when it closed.

My grandparents moved to Hamilton in the early 50s, for my Grandfather to run the machine shop at FB, and it did indeed already have an unsavory reputation. People snickered at their moving there, mostly an artifact of the 'Little Chicago' moniker. They lived in Lindenwald on the East Side, where many smart, honest, and hardworking people lived and still live.

We have many friends that live on the West Side, and I can assure you that many there are cultured, relatively affluent people just like any other north-side city. The professionals I know there, that have multi-generational roots, don't have a hint of Appalachian accent. Not that there's even anything wrong with that - amazing that even hundreds of years later, the Irish and their hard working descendents are still disparaged.

As an aside - I would dare some of the people in Mason, Deerfield, West Chester and Liberty Township, those that wouldn't deign to sully their shoes here, to show me their city/twp's equivalent to Pyramid Hill and the other sculptural highlights in Hamilton (they've marketed themselves as "The City of Sculpture", and backed it up very well). Nothing in SW Ohio comes close outside of the downtown Cincy museums.

The primary reason for the decline of Hamilton is quite simply its location relative to I-75. The popular rumor is that when the DOT was planning the exits for I-75 at a meeting in Cincinnati decades ago, the Hamilton city leaders were more interested in the Friday-night high school basketball game. For certain the city leaders did not do due diligence to get a slice of the interstate.

Even now, just in the past decade a connector was built to I-75 - SR129, but it still gives you a 10 mile (albeit 65mph) drive to the interstate. Businesses want nothing to do with its relative remoteness, and many commuters don't want the burden of the drive to any of the other CBDs in the city.

Much of the ignorant "Hamiltucky" talk in Greater Cincinnati can be attributed to this too - so many people haven't been there! Someone at my work (in Milford) referred to Hamilton in this way, always snorting and smirking at its mention. Just last month he took his boy there for a wrestling match - his first trip out - and he was pleasantly surprised by the charm of Main/High Street and the riverfront. His previous impression was that it was just a bunch of tenement buildings, not a proper city with history and pride.

But, all in all, Hamilton is a decent place with decent people. If it wouldn't have affected my work commute by another 15+ minutes to live on the West Side, we might have bought a house there and saved several tens of thousands of dollars. Don't let the negative hype prevail.

i dont no why you got this fairy tale story of the east side you bring back old stuff that happen in the 50 and 60's you must not no what really be happening in the east side of Hamilton have been there lately it a bad place

[jstn]

Originally Posted by dp74

i dont no why you got this fairy tale story of the east side you bring back old stuff that happen in the 50 and 60's you must not no what really be happening in the east side of Hamilton have been there lately it a bad place

You are making a pretty good argument that Hamilton Schools may need some help

[dp74]

the east side of hamilton is a real bad place there noting to do just crime n many other bad things

[jstn]

Originally Posted by dp74

the east side of hamilton is a real bad place there noting to do just crime n many other bad things

Yes...we get that...you are correct..we all know that...and I'm saying go back to SCHOOL!

It's the only way you'll ever get the hell out of there.

[hillside]

Originally Posted by jstn

Yes...we get that...you are correct..we all know that...and I'm saying go back to SCHOOL!

It's the only way you'll ever get the hell out of there.

If it was that easy to obtain higher education and subsequently, employment, this country nor Hamilton would be in the position they are in.

[jstn]

Originally Posted by hillside

If it was that easy to obtain higher education and subsequently, employment, this country nor Hamilton would be in the position they are in.

It was really more of a sarcastic joke based on the the post itself....

[Crew Chief]

Originally Posted by hillside

If it was that easy to obtain higher education and subsequently, employment, this country nor Hamilton would be in the position they are in.

It's EASY to obtain a higher education once you finally get tired of those who have already obtained THEIRS taking advantage of you...

[skyview_inhab]

okay... so i live on southside... downtown hamilton is nice... west side is beautiful and there is a brilliant sculpture park about 2 miles north from me. however, east side i sure wouldnt be caught by a red light with out my doors locked.

[tigersmom]

Originally Posted by hamiltonfan

Hanover Twp isn't in Ross schools, so that is interesting. (Hanover is Talawanda and Hamilton)

A new Ross High School was recently built and the old building became the Jr. High.

Sorry, but you are wrong about Hanover twp. not being included in the Ross Local School District. I live in Hanover Twp. My children went to all Ross Schools. Part of Hanover Twp. is in Ross School district. Wish it wasn't though. The taxes are ridiculous! My taxes are now more per month, than my entire house payment with taxes included were when we moved here.

[tigersmom]

Originally Posted by dp74

i dont no why you got this fairy tale story of the east side you bring back old stuff that happen in the 50 and 60's you must not no what really be happening in the east side of Hamilton have been there lately it a bad place

D street is on the west side of hamilton....not the east side