Young Professional - apartment suggestions in Greater Cincinnati? (Blue Ash, Montgomery: apartment complexes, for rent)

[drwbry]

I am 22 years old and just landed a great job in Blue Ash. I am currently living at my sister's house in West Chester, but would like to have my own place within a few months. There are so many neighborhoods that I am overwhelmed. Right now it seems like Oakley and Hyde Park are the places for me, but then again, I have only been through there once and reviews online are not always accurate. Any apartment suggestions, neighborhoods, tips, or anything would be appreciated. I will be traveling a lot (airport) too.

Thanks!

[kjbrill]

Originally Posted by drwbry

I am 22 years old and just landed a great job in Blue Ash. I am currently living at my sister's house in West Chester, but would like to have my own place within a few months. There are so many neighborhoods that I am overwhelmed. Right now it seems like Oakley and Hyde Park are the places for me, but then again, I have only been through there once and reviews online are not always accurate. Any apartment suggestions, neighborhoods, tips, or anything would be appreciated. I will be traveling a lot (airport) too.

Thanks!

Congradulations on your new job. A little time at your sister's in West Chester should give you an idea of where you do not want to be. Unless you are Hell-bent on the party scene, I would suggest there are some nice apartment complexes around Blue Ash. Between Blue Ash and Montgomery you should be able to find more than enough to keep you amused. Both have some elevated clientele bar scenes. I would stay closeby and make the daily commute a roll out of bed proposition. The distance to the airport is not significantly different than from Hyde Park or Oakley.

But definitely inquire among the people you are working with as to where they live and why or where they would change to.

[progmac]

what kind of environment do you want to live in? start with urban / suburban / rural / small town and what kind of things you like to do and what's important to you and maybe we can go from there.

[ArtVandalay84]

I'd suggest something like Hyde Park / Mt. Lookout / Clifton gaslight /OTR. I would go with your gut. You're only young once, and I certainly wouldn't want to spend those years in Blue Ash if I didn't have to. If you want to live around people your own age, with restaurants and night life within walking distance, then I think you're on the right track with the Hyde Park area. I'm not sure why Mr. Brill is suggesting you find an apartment in Blue Ash after you specifically said that you were attracted to neighborhoods like Hyde Park. Blue Ash and Hyde Park could not be any more different.
I moved to this area in my mid-to-late twenties, and I wish I would have done it sooner. Blue Ash isn't too terrible a commute from here, I don't think. When I need to go up to that area, I just take Red Bank to 71N. Then again I don't go that way during rush hour too often. I think the commute would be worth not having to live in one of our bland Northern suburbs, however. It's a tradeoff.

[drwbry]

I would like to be near the action, but it seems like there is "action" pretty much everywhere down here. I like to mountain bike, a lot, so being in a safer neighborhood where i can go out and ride and not worry would be nice. Obviously I would like to be near the younger crowd but not necessarily the college kids because I need normal sleeping hours. Safe is probably the most important thing for me. Usually with safe comes a cleaner area. I would like the area to be aesthetically appealing where it is not just the main street that looks decent, but that the side streets are kept up well too. Hyde Park and Oakley seem to fit that bill from what I can tell. If anyone has more specific locations or complexes, that would probably be the best help. I think I am starting to get the feel for the different areas, but just don't know where to look within. Thanks for the quick responses!

[t45209]

You won't find much in the way of "complexes" in Hyde Park or Oakley. Brookstone, maybe. 15 or 20 years ago it's where P&G used to send all of its young relos, but I think it's a little long in tooth. As soon as a complex puts the blinking digital sign outside, you know it's jumped the shark.

The nicest complex in Oakley is the Drexel, and it's not cheap, but it is where the action is.

Beyond that, apartments are mostly going to be found in older buildings, quads, duplexes and such. Drive through Oakley and Hyde Park...there are "for rent" signs everywhere.

[progmac]

i think you've done a nice job narrowing it down. oakley, hyde park, mt lookout, and columbia tusculum are all good bets (these neighborhood are all very similar, with oakley still having a few run-down areas). you would likely also be happy in the section of norwood that is between montgomery road and i-71.

you mentioned that you don't want a place where the main street looks nice but everything else sucks. in cincinnati we have the opposite problem, often the main street looks like crap but the rest of the neighborhood is nice.

i'd recommend cruising the neighborhoods and finding a nice looking apartment in a brick box or a duplex/triplex situation.

in a totally different direction, if you're into mountain biking, some of the outer west-side areas may be a better bet. but then you lose the young professional aspect.

my final note - a nice bike, anywhere in greater cincinnati, will get stolen. i always consider any time i have with my bike to be borrowed time. so be very careful about keeping it secure. although perhaps i should note that my bike has been unsecured in my side yard for two years without incident. but it is a piece of junk, certainly not the apple of any thief's eye. when it finally gets stolen, the joke will be on the thief.

[Serpens]

I can't believe no one has suggested Mt. Adams yet. I'm the same age and just moved here- this area is full of people in our age group.

[progmac]

Originally Posted by Serpens

I can't believe no one has suggested Mt. Adams yet. I'm the same age and just moved here- this area is full of people in our age group.

yes, mt adams is another very good bet and very similar to the other neighborhoods mentioned, but more compact and closer to downtown

[TomJones123]

Originally Posted by progmac

yes, mt adams is another very good bet and very similar to the other neighborhoods mentioned, but more compact and closer to downtown

Mount Adams, as much as I love it, may not be the best place for an avid bicycler. Just a thought.