Back to the drawing board (translated as "I need help") (Cincinnati: best neighborhood, neighborhood)

[Wilson513]

Here's a nice one in Amberely on a great street, although it will need every bit of the $65000 (you can probably negotiate that to more like $100,000) left over in your budget to make it perfect.

Detailed Property Information

[avondale]

Gee, Wilson, Sarah and Jen...such a polite pissing contest! In any event, I live in Gaslight Clifton...it's just great! I walk to the library, theatre, florist, post office, hardware store, wine shop, Skyline chili, Indian,Italian, Thai, Chinese restaurants, the pharmacy and coffee house...among other amenities....Geographically, you'll get discussion on the borders. I would (very loosely) define it as Lafayette and Ludlow, Clifton Ave and Whitfield, recognizing that these streets do not form a parallelogram, and that contiguous streets outside this zone may be included also... The Fairview German elementary school has parents lined up for days to gain a chance for admission for their children, and there are private elementary schools in the neighboorhood as well... And I almost forgot, Keller's, the local supermarket will reopen in a couple of months.

[Sarah Perry]

Originally Posted by avondale

Gee, Wilson, Sarah and Jen...such a polite pissing contest! In any event, I live in Gaslight Clifton...it's just great! I walk to the library, theatre, florist, post office, hardware store, wine shop, Skyline chili, Indian,Italian, Thai, Chinese restaurants, the pharmacy and coffee house...among other amenities....Geographically, you'll get discussion on the borders. I would (very loosely) define it as Lafayette and Ludlow, Clifton Ave and Whitfield, recognizing that these streets do not form a parallelogram, and that contiguous streets outside this zone may be included also... The Fairview German elementary school has parents lined up for days to gain a chance for admission for their children, and there are private elementary schools in the neighboorhood as well... And I almost forgot, Keller's, the local supermarket will reopen in a couple of months.

It's indeed a wonderful area. My husband and I looked very seriously there when we were househunting, but in retrospect we were past the point in our lives where we actually wanted to take on the responsibility of an older home. We just hadn't admitted it to ourselves yet. You make a good point about Fairview, although if he buys in the City the OP will have to have a good long-term plan for dealing with the CPS issues.

I hope they can hold out for Wyoming, which has no discernable down side that I know of. I favor the notion of having kids in an outstanding public school system all the way from K through 12, without hassles about getting into magnet schools, etc. Yeah, you can buy a cheaper house and spend the money on tuition, but at the end of the school years the money's gone, whereas if you invest it in the house you stand at least a chance of getting it back.

[Bopfletch]

How's Montgomery? and where are the old houses located?

Someone reccomend that I look in Montgomery, as I may be able to find an older home there, and that they have good schools.

Thoughts??

[Wilson513]

Originally Posted by Bopfletch

How's Montgomery? and where are the old houses located?

Someone reccomend that I look in Montgomery, as I may be able to find an older home there, and that they have good schools.

Thoughts??

Too long of a drive to Center Hill Ave. Don't believe Google Maps. 22 minutes could only be done at 3AM. At rush hour, that trip could be 45 minutes, easily. It has the worst of every leg. South 71, westbound RRegan, westbound 562, southbound 75. Yuck! Try it on Friday before 4th weekend. That will convince you not to fall in love with anything in Montgomery.

[deg1114]

Here's my 2 cents worth - I lived in Forest Park and it took maybe 15 minutes to get to Winton Hills straight down Winton Road. How about Greenhills? It is closer to Winton Hills and I hear a little bit nicer than Forest Park (depending on the area of course). Pleasant Ridge wouldn't be too bad of a commute and the houses have the same type of charm as those in Mt. Lookout and Hyde Park. I like Amberley and another thought is North College Hill.

[Sarah Perry]

Originally Posted by Bopfletch

How's Montgomery? and where are the old houses located?

Someone reccomend that I look in Montgomery, as I may be able to find an older home there, and that they have good schools.

Thoughts??

Montgomery is a lovely area--sort of bucolic suburbia--but I don't think it has any housing more than about 50 years old.

I regularly drive the stretch of the Reagan Hwy. that would be your main artery between home and work at several different times of the day and week, and assuming no unusual tie-ups, that part of your commute at rush hour would be about 10 to 15 minutes. The traffic gets fairly heavy, but not to the point that it slows more than a few mph.

There are no homes in your price range that I'm aware of in either Greenhills or North College Hill. They're a lot smaller. Those are not the worst public school systems in the area, but they're not ones I'd choose, either.

[kjbrill]

Anything over 50 years old in Montgomery must be located within a couple blocks of Montgomery and Cooper Rds intersection, as prior to that there was nothing in Montgomery.

I agree with Sarah that shooting over the RR Highway to Winton Rd and down to Center Hill and Winton Hills is a reasonable commute. But why push it if you can find something in Wyoming even close to equivalent? You can get the good schools and a shorter commute.

I also agree with Sarah that paying tuition for private schools is like throwing money away. After the tuition is paid it is gone. Investing in a home with good public schools at least there is something left in the form of equity.

[Wilson513]

Originally Posted by kjbrill

I agree with Sarah that shooting over the RR Highway to Winton Rd and down to Center Hill and Winton Hills is a reasonable commute.

Only thing the OP will need is a lobbyist to convince the ODOT to put an exit ramp in for him to get from RR to Winton Road.

Seriously, I'll put up some screen captures of that commute. Its a mess. 30 minutes on a good day, 45 minutes on a poor day, and God only knows how long on a snowy Friday night.

[Sarah Perry]

Originally Posted by Wilson513

Only thing the OP will need is a lobbyist to convince the ODOT to put an exit ramp in for him to get from RR to Winton Road.

Seriously, I'll put up some screen captures of that commute. Its a mess. 30 minutes on a good day, 45 minutes on a poor day, and God only knows how long on a snowy Friday night.

Whatever. You're right, out of the four options for north, south, east and west at the Winton interchange, one is nonexistent. Personally I've managed to cope with it, but I've never had to as a daily work commute. As far as travel times, I guess OP could try it for himself. I don't drive the Reagan when it snows. Scared of accidents. However, one weekday when there was a pretty heavy snowfall starting in early afternoon, it took me 2.5 hours to get from Kenwood to the Colerain Avenue area on Galbraith during rush hour. No exactly a great option, either.