Any 'urban' "hip' towns on the outskirts of Cincinnati? Great schools, walkable downtowns? (Columbus: good schools, living in)

[Scott SW Ohio]

Originally Posted by Ohioan58

I agree with that, too and thank you for deepening the critique. Lebanon's downtown IS walkable but the range of different types of things that you can walk to readily is very limited. A couple of banks, a realtor or two, a couple of ice cream shops, a few sandwich shops, a few bars. There isn't even a downtown general retail store in Lebanon. The pressure from the antiques businesses for retail space really hammered downtown Lebanon into conformity - tons of antique shops all selling the same overpriced dusty crap - and did so well before WalMart moved in. And most of the foot traffic is touristic. No class of professionals makes the downtown "theirs."

What you get from Lebanon is the facade, the movie set version of downtown small town USA. Not a fleshed out reality with depth. I just added what I said above in case for someone that version is good enough for them.

Well, from my house I can walk to: The library, my pharmacy, my bank, the post office, my church, the city offices, an excellent full-service hardware (Brant's), Harmon Golf Course, the tennis courts at Harmon Park, my insurance broker, the County Courthouse, the bike trail, the florist, the utility offices, the furniture store, the Farmer's Market, the barbershop, the Lebanon Theater Company (live theater), my lawyer's office, the farm store (Trupointe), my Chrysler dealership, and all those specialty shops, antique stores and bars/restaurants. I walk to most of these places pretty regularly - some of these are a few minutes, and others are 10-15 minutes.

I also can walk to: the bookstore, the movie theaters, the Sav-A-Lot, the laundromat, the guy that services my lawnmower, the AAA office, the place where I buy shoes and belts, the tire store, the YMCA, the auto parts store - 15 to 20 minutes. That's a fairly easy walk for me, but usually I drive to these places. I will pick up a few things at the Ameristop, a few minutes away on West Main, but they have basic groceries only. Usually my wife does the grocery shopping and she drives to Kroger or Aldi's.

I have walked to Kroger Plaza - that's over 30 minutes, so not practical even for me.

I always drive for lumber (Lowe's, Home Depot), clothing (Kohl's), general merchandise (Target, WalMart), Goodwill, and Arrow Springs Hospital, which are a short drive.

I don't know the etiquette for posting here yet, but apparently I hit a nerve or two in my previous posts. Sorry if I got off on the wrong foot. Lebanon is not utopia. Like most places, it is what you make of it. We tend to be positive people and have been very happy here.

[Ohioan58]

Originally Posted by Scott SW Ohio

I don't know the etiquette for posting here yet, but apparently I hit a nerve or two in my previous posts. Sorry if I got off on the wrong foot. Lebanon is not utopia. Like most places, it is what you make of it. We tend to be positive people and have been very happy here.

No, you're fine. We're a bunch of cranks and i-net trolls without lives here. Me included.

Your posts were disturbingly emotionally healthy and we're just not used to that kind of thing.

I grant every single thing you listed as true. In Lebanon, it's true, you could *almost* do without a car here, physically speaking. Almost. But that's not the whole picture. What I am saying is that the social core of a "town" experience isn't available in Lebanon. Most professionals that live here work and socialize someplace else and stay to themselves.

As a once single and now married person, Lebanon has had very little for me, and I wouldn't miss the place if we had to move. But it is quite a pleasant town.

[coleman427]

I grew up in wyoming in the nineties and think that it meets all your requirements. It has a very walkable downtown excellent schools beautiful homes and scenery. The only thing missing is a hip cultural presence. It does have an upscale restaraunt french bakery and two coffee shops. The main road through wyoming is vine street which feeds all the way into downtown cincinnati. I think that all in all wyoming
is ideal for your family

[kjbrill]

Originally Posted by coleman427

I grew up in wyoming in the nineties and think that it meets all your requirements. It has a very walkable downtown excellent schools beautiful homes and scenery. The only thing missing is a hip cultural presence. It does have an upscale restaraunt french bakery and two coffee shops. The main road through wyoming is vine street which feeds all the way into downtown cincinnati. I think that all in all wyoming
is ideal for your family

Hey people, go back and read (and hopefully understand) what the OP originally posted. They asked for a living environment which in my estimation virtually nowhere in Cincinnati provides. A couple of others have interjected what they are looking for, piggybacking on the original inquiry. That is OK as we frequently run posts off their original track. But again, do we react to the poster's request, or do we try and spoonfeed them what we believe life in Cincinnati is all about?

[Scott SW Ohio]

Originally Posted by Ohioan58

No, you're fine. We're a bunch of cranks and i-net trolls without lives here. Me included.

Your posts were disturbingly emotionally healthy and we're just not used to that kind of thing.

I grant every single thing you listed as true. In Lebanon, it's true, you could *almost* do without a car here, physically speaking. Almost. But that's not the whole picture. What I am saying is that the social core of a "town" experience isn't available in Lebanon. Most professionals that live here work and socialize someplace else and stay to themselves.

As a once single and now married person, Lebanon has had very little for me, and I wouldn't miss the place if we had to move. But it is quite a pleasant town.

Understood, Ohioan. If you don't feel a sense of community, you're in the wrong place and other factors are secondary.

My wife and daughter both work at The Tack Trunk and board and ride at Win Row Stables, so we have social ties among the horsey crowd, which is very strong here. Also, since we bought a fairly well-known old house and our neighbor heads the Lebanon Conservancy Foundation, we have a toe in that pool as well and have been on the fall house tour, attended preservation functions and are included in that circle socially. But I realize we have been lucky and can see how in slightly different circumstances we just as easily could have had your experience. Best of luck.

[Ohioan58]

Scott, you obliquely hit on one important point.

Lebanon has quite an "old money", horse farm, southern plantation, "you need to know who your social betters are and defer to them" vibe to it.

The most popular politician around here was Mike Kilburn who would break down with Tourette's syndrome when ANYTHING involving US government money was discussed (he wanted to send grants back to Washington while he was in office, basically.) It's a very thick headed conservative area.

I'd actually call Lebanon the polar opposite of hip, if hip means inclusive and welcoming to new ideas, which is the way hip is usually intended. Lebanon almost prides itself on NOT being inclusive.

If it sounds like I'm trashing the town... I live around here - I know what the reality on the ground is.

[Scott SW Ohio]

On that note I will just bow out.

[kjbrill]

Originally Posted by Scott SW Ohio

On that note I will just bow out.

No need to bow out at all. You have found a nice livable existence in Lebanon with roots in several things. That is what life is all about. Some of us, myself included are simply saying Lebanon is not particularly hip. Of course the last thing I want is hip.

When they build the new racino out near I-75 I expect Lebanon raceway to be shut down. I just hope the county comissioners make a wise decision on how to not only keep the county fair going but enhance it.

[kjbrill]

It just amazes me how many people are still looking for the utopia downtown small town USA which may have existed pre-1940 (WWII).

How many of those towns in Cincinnati, I will name a few, Madeira, Milford, Loveland, Montgomery, Blue Ash, Sharonville, out to Mason and Lebanon, over to Fairfield, Mt Healthy, and a few which did not even exist back then like Forest Park and Landen, ever had a master development plan?

I will acknowledge Landen had a master development plan, it was called maximize ROI. An actual civil infrastructure - what is that?

I grew up in Madeira, walked to school all 12 years, thoroughly enjoyed the smalltown atmosphere. But then what happened? The end of WWII and the military competition between the US and Russia. Madeira became the bedroom community for the rapid expansion of GE Evendale, simply because there was not another place prepared for the shovel ready? The city exploded overnight. Walkable became nope - driveable. No more walkable, no more even consideration of walkable.

Other small towns like Milford and Loveland experienced the same. Master Plan? - HaHaHa. It was called build as fast as you can. Montgomery and Blue Ash experienced much of the same.

So for those looking for the small town atmosphere of the US from years past, there are very few you can chose from and virtually none close to a major city.

[natininja]

Originally Posted by coleman427

I grew up in wyoming in the nineties and think that it meets all your requirements. It has a very walkable downtown excellent schools beautiful homes and scenery. The only thing missing is a hip cultural presence. It does have an upscale restaraunt french bakery and two coffee shops. The main road through wyoming is vine street which feeds all the way into downtown cincinnati. I think that all in all wyoming
is ideal for your family

I agree with this. Wyoming is your best bet. However, it doesn't check all your boxes. It is not hip, though it is more liberal than many of the burbs. It has very good schools. It borders the city. It has a walkable downtown (which might lack some amenities you want).

Mariemont is the other option. It is not as central or close to the city. It has a walkable downtown. Has good schools. I don't know about the politics, but it isn't exactly hip.

I recommend Wyoming only because of the proximity to the city. Though it's at the far northern end of the city, and downtown is at the far southern end.

Bellevue, KY is worth a look, as nielworms said. I also can't vouch for their schools.

You should also consider Clifton, a neighborhood in the city. It has a good grade school, and is in reasonable proximity to Walnut Hills, the city's premier middle and high school. It's ranked as the best public high school in the state for the past few years. It is in very close proximity (scooter-wise) to all of the urban core of the city. It has a nice walkable business district.

Some East Side neighborhoods in the city might work as well: Hyde Park, Mt. Lookout. Don't think safety or schools are problems for all city neighborhoods. The schools situation can be complicated, but doable. And for someone moving to the city it is relatively easy, from what I hear.

If Lakewood (outside Cleveland) has good schools, it might be the best Ohio option for you.