Considering a move to Cincinnati (Dayton, Kent: crime, job market, schools)

[Kereczr]

Originally Posted by paintballer1708

Wow are you way off. Cincinnati has gone through so much change since 2001. There are so many plans in Cincinnati like the Banks Project and many new skyscrappers getting built. I assume that you are talking about Over-The-Rhine which is a historical district with great looking buildings. Yes it is mostly african american but OTR is a very nice historical place. People are trying to save it because people have plans to put new buildings there. Right now many of them are for sale and many people are buying them. OTR population is growing. Cincinnati has changed so much. There is not need to have a negative outlook on it.

Ha, "historical" is one way to describe them, personally I like to just call them what they are; "dilapidated".

[paintballer1708]

Dilapidated? Wow you havent been to Cincinnati in a long time. OTR is a great neighborhood and obviously you dont know to much about architecture. Many people across the country are trying to buy places in OTR for some of the historical buildings and great shape they are in.

[Kereczr]

Originally Posted by paintballer1708

Dilapidated? Wow you havent been to Cincinnati in a long time. OTR is a great neighborhood and obviously you dont know to much about architecture. Many people across the country are trying to buy places in OTR for some of the historical buildings and great shape they are in.

Really now? because the part I went through the windows were busted out, stripped cars in the street, every inch covered in trash, etc..if you enjoy all that then good for you.

[paintballer1708]

Really now? because the part I went through the windows were busted out, stripped cars in the street, every inch covered in trash, etc..if you enjoy all that then good for you.

Ya when was this? Like i said you dont know OTR that much. It is a changing neighborhood and the possiblities with it grow each day. Its got a great collection of architecture and the buildings are in great shape. Trust me i know this stuff. People are moving there from all across the country with its possibilities and its distance from the city. Great neighborhood. First off Cincinnati is not Detroit. Billions are being invested into that city. Im going to be an Urban Planner down there soon. I know everything in development there is to know about that city. They wouldnt leave busted cars in the street. Stop making it sound like Detroit. With all this new development the last thing they would do is make a historically neighborhood like OTR like that. Esp cars abandoned in the street.

[CrimsonGry]

paintballer, please describe some demographics for me.
When I read the city-data profile for Cincy, indicates a 2000-2005 pop growth of -6.8%, yet in a thread above you say the metro area enjoys a 8.9%. I am not trying to call you out, but could you go into some more details on this? Is this the outlying suburbs or the city proper?

Thanks

[paintballer1708]

^Ya, no problem. Cincinnati's city population is decreasing but the metro area (its surrounding suburbs) are growing very rapidly. Warren County is one of the fastest growing counties in the nation. Some of its suburbs have more than doubled in population since the 90s. People moving there from all across the nation. Just not moving to the city itself, but still working in the downtown. I dont know if i mentioned this in previous posts, but Cincinnati's downtown population is on the rise. The city's population is expected to growing within the next few census. Im talking about the city's metro in general. Cincinnati has one of the fastest growing metro populations in the midwest and northeast.

[Kereczr]

Originally Posted by paintballer1708

Ya when was this? Like i said you dont know OTR that much. It is a changing neighborhood and the possiblities with it grow each day. Its got a great collection of architecture and the buildings are in great shape. Trust me i know this stuff. People are moving there from all across the country with its possibilities and its distance from the city. Great neighborhood. First off Cincinnati is not Detroit. Billions are being invested into that city. Im going to be an Urban Planner down there soon. I know everything in development there is to know about that city. They wouldnt leave busted cars in the street. Stop making it sound like Detroit. With all this new development the last thing they would do is make a historically neighborhood like OTR like that. Esp cars abandoned in the street.

If you say so...all i can say is that I am not the only one with this opinion. My friends and I go through that area a lot traveling too and from the university and concert halls and we all share the same opinion on what we have seen there.

[pauton]

I don't think Cincinnati is the best city ever, believe me. I would say though, that the Cincinnati area is the best one I've lived in. It's suburbs, particularly the Anderson/Withamsville areas are the best places I've ever lived, and the people there are so friendly. Keep in mind, if you live too far out in the suburbs, you'll find everyone grew up in that area and knows each other, and few are too open to outsiders. I think Cincinnati is a survivable city, with much being done to improve it. I would strongly recommend Columbus, though. It matches the criteria you mentioned, and it's a large growing city that doesn't face anywhere near the problems an older city of its size would. Check out the Westerville and Gahana areas for nice suburbs. I even felt safe living in most parts of the city there

[paintballer1708]

Kereczr, and im not the only one to think that OTR is a great neighborhood with great architecture. That area has so much potential and is getting restored better than ever. Like pauton said, there are a lot of things going on in Cincinnati. Fountain Square has gone under a 42 million dollar renovation. Adding new department stores and changing the whole face of the square. The Banks project is getting underway that will fill in the rest of Cincinnati's riverfront. Like i said Cincinnati spends more on its riverfront than any other city in the nation. People from New York, Chicago and Detroit are buying converted lofts in OTR for the lower prices and escaping those high prices in other cities. I will be moving to the suburbs of Cincinnati soon and i have met some clients from Detroit that are looking into lofts in OTR. You want to talk about a bad city, just type in Detroit and you will find nothing but crime and abandonment. OTR has a lot of potential and lots of construction is going on. Everyone has different opinions on different places.

[JCI345]

I just signed up to state my opinion on Cincinnati. A little background on Me first.. I have lived in Cincinnati for 23 yrs. I went to the public schools..in the suburbs of Anderson, which are "suppose" to be the better schools. Im now an adult, and im about ready to pack EVERYTHING and get out of Cincinnati as quickly as possible.

You want to feel safe? You dont want to have to look over your back every 10 secs? Stay out of downtown! Im an athletic male, around 6'0, and I avoid ever going into downtown, because I dont want to get mugged or shot. Especially Over the rhine. You could tell me they were giving Money away in OTR, and I wouldnt go. Im all about culture, and seeing shows, and having fun, but when it comes to that, I go across the river, cause cincy has nothing to offer. Paintballer1708, you either havent been here long enough, or your some spokesperson for the city of cincinnati. You have young children that will be going to school? I went to the suburb school district in Anderson.. Where lots of kids parents owned 500,000 dollar houses, and you know what.. kids got the crap beat out of them everyday for no reason. Drugs were going around the school all the time. Infact, 2 of my old buddies I used to run around with are all screwed up on drugs, and have been since HS. Downtown is a joke. You talk about city growth? Oh wow.. lets spend 42 million dollars on tearing up fountain square, and then rebuilding it differently. WHO CARES.
Clifton, Norwood, hyde park, and pretty much all surrounding areas, ya know what, I just dont go there anymore, cause its not worth it. Thats my opinion.

You want nice weather? Go somewhere else. In the winter, its as cold as antartica, and people drive 15 mph in a 55mph zone when it snows, and thats in less then a 1/2 of snow. In the Fall, one day it will be a nice 65 degrees outside, and the next day, you'll be wearing a scarf, hat, and a complete snowsuite cause it will be 10 degrees for the high the next day. In the summer and spring, if you have allergies, you might as well just stay inside, because every known allergy you can have is here, and you better believe it will be triggered. In the summer you'll feel like your in a sauna, because its always nice and humid. Oh, and in the winter, theres tons of days where its not snow, its just nice slushy ice mix that gets your car looking like its been on a 10,000 mile roadtrip just from all the muck and grease and oil that gets splatter on your car from the slosh.

The people here are either arrogant, or they'll beat you up. SOME suburbs arent as bad, but anderson, mason, blueash, downtown etc.. might as well not talk to anyone. Everyone here has the "ME" complex, where they think they are better than everyone.

Paintballer, you can say whatever you want about the "amazing" city growth, but your facts are mis-skewed. The city growth is at a standstill.. they arent building anything to improve the cities problems.. like traffic, or crime, or unemployment, they are just building 42 million dollar fountains.. The job growth is on the negative... the Population growth is on the negative.. the city is turning into a junkpile.

NOW, lets look at the Facts from the US census bureau
Cincinnati

Population in 2000: 331,285
Population in 2005: 287,540
Almost 40,000 people left.

In the labor force (16 yrs or older) 2000: 162,546
In the labor force 2005: 147,913
around 15,000 people less working

Families below poverty level 2000: 18.2 compared to 9.2 average for US
Families below poverty level 2005: 19.7
Individuals below poverty level 2000: 21.9
Individuals below poverty level 2005: 25.0
Looks like poverty level went up.

OCCUPIED HOUSING UNIT CHARACTERISTICS: In 2005, Cincinnati city had 137,000 occupied housing units - 58,000 (42 percent) owner occupied and 79,000 (58 percent) renter occupied. Seven percent of the households did not have telephone service and 22 percent of the households did not have access to a car, truck, or van for private use. Twenty-five percent had two vehicles and another 11 percent had three or more.

Looks like more than half of cincinnati's population Rents, and doesnt own property and almost 1/4th didnt have access to a vehicle.

There is the facts! Cincinnati is NOT booming like paintballer lied about. Population has dropped dramatically, the labor force has dropped dramatically, and poverty level has went up.