Might be relocated to Cincinnati. What part of town would I like? (Findlay: apartments, rentals)

[JayhawkCO]

Thanks in advance for any responses I get. I'm a 31 year old guy and currently live in Kansas City. I'm very likely to get promoted and then promptly transferred here in the next couple of months with Cincinnati being a possibility. I will have some say of which location I get transferred to, so I'm trying to do my due diligence in researching cities to know which might be a good fit both personality-wise and budget-wise. I've only driven through Cincinnati a few times so I know it's a relatively pretty area, but I know very little of its livability.

. Have you searched this forum for answers to your questions before posting a new inquiry? Yes
. What specific topic have you not found answers to? See the rest of the post and comments afterward

. Where is you current location and environment? I live in Overland Park, KS, which is a suburb of Kansas City. The area of Overland Park I live in is somewhat walkable being near the "downtown" of OP. I work in a very fashionable part of Kansas City, MO and it's about a 15 minute drive to get there. Within a 10 minute walk, I have probably 6 or 7 restaurants and 3 bars.
. Are you looking for similar in Cincinnati or a change? Similar, but perhaps more walkable. If I moved to Cincinnati, I'd be working downtown and if I could walk to work that'd be fantastic. I'd also like to have more bars and restaurants within a ten minute walk than I currently have. I used to live in Seattle right near downtown and loved having a ton of entertainment options that didn't require a car.

. Where will your work location be? Downtown, around 5th and Vine.
. Maximum commute time desired? Driving? 15-20 minutes tops. Like I said, I wouldn't mind it being walkable.

. What is you budget for housing? $900-$1000 a month. I'm not sure to the dollar what my salary will be, but that range seems feasible.
. Rent or buy? Rent for now
. Type (Apt., Condo, Single Family) Whatever is rentable
. Size (Approx. Sq. Ft., # Bedrooms & Baths) Ideally 2 BR as my girlfriend would be moving with me eventually, space is nice but not a huge priority (I'm kind of a minimalist)
. Other specifics? Well, the girlfriend has a cat, but since I'm not looking for necessarily specific apartment recommendations, that's probably moot.

. Neighborhood environment? Active. People walking around doing things. Bars, restaurants (specifically good, ethnic restaurants), parks. Shopping more irrelevant with the exception of groceries. The one problem I had with Seattle is that all the downtown grocery stores were prohibitively expensive so I had to drive to do any real grocery shopping. I'd like it to be safe, but I don't need "rich suburb" experience. For those familiar with any of the other towns I know well, I would like an area like Brookside in Kansas City, Uptown in Minneapolis, Andersonville in Chicago, or the like. I'm a huge sports fan, so being able to walk to games would be pretty nice too.

. Schools? No kids for me yet, but my girlfriend is finishing up student teaching in Kansas City before she'd move out with me. I have read that the teaching job prospects aren't great in the area, and she wouldn't be opposed to doing other things while she looks for a job, but I'd like to be in a place where she might be able to drive to high schools. She's not opposed to teaching in a more "urban" setting either (again, rich suburb lifestyle isn't what I'm/we're looking for).


I've begun to hit up craigslist to check out some of the neighborhoods within Cincinnati itself as well as Covington and Newport on the other side of the river, and seem like all could be good possibilities. I certainly wouldn't mind living downtown, but I don't know if it fits within my budget. Craigslist only helps so much actually figuring out how expensive different parts of town are. Also, are there any other real differences between being on the Kentucky side vs. the Ohio side? Living right on a state line right now means I know how different the sides can be (bar closing times, property taxes, gas prices, etc.). Again, thanks so much for reading and providing any input.

Chris

[TomJones123]

OTR, Prospect Hill, CUF, Clifton Gaslight, perhaps even Northside. I think OTR is your best bet.

[SWOH]

You seem to be looking in all the right places, OP.

TomJones123 also has a lot of good suggestions as well. Any of these locations would seem to fit your criteria well, although being able to walk to the games seems to point to Covington as being most ideal.

[JayhawkCO]

I guess my question about Covington is, does it feel like a city? Or does it feel like the burbs?

Thanks for the responses so far.

I've started investigating OTR, but it looks like there aren't a whole lot of rentals on the internet for less than $1200 a month south of Liberty, unless they're priced at $400 or something which has to be a scam. Is Cincinnati one of those places kinda like Chicago where it's best to walk around and then call? Or is it just well picked over at the moment?

Chris

[Sarah Perry]

Originally Posted by JayhawkCO

I guess my question about Covington is, does it feel like a city? Or does it feel like the burbs?

Thanks for the responses so far.

I've started investigating OTR, but it looks like there aren't a whole lot of rentals on the internet for less than $1200 a month south of Liberty, unless they're priced at $400 or something which has to be a scam. Is Cincinnati one of those places kinda like Chicago where it's best to walk around and then call? Or is it just well picked over at the moment?

Chris

Others here are better qualified to address most of your questions, but I've spent a lot of time in Covington and used to own rental property there.

Covington is distinctly urban, at least in the parts that are anywhere near the Ohio River. Based on a quick reading of your wish list, I'd say the area of Covington that would best meet your needs is Mainstrasse. The riverfront area is slightly more upscale and very attractive in a lot of respects, but doesnt really have the walkable concentration of restaurants that Mainstrasse does. All in all, you should find rents cheaper in Covington than in the recently rehabbed areas of Over the Rhine.

Covington also has plenty of relatively undesirable areas, just so you'll know.

Best wishes on your move,

[natininja]

Over-the-Rhine has a Kroger and Findlay Market. You said proximity to a grocery store is important, so that's something to consider.

If looking at Covington, don't just look at the area near Main Street. Also look near Madison Ave. Main Street has a bunch of bars and restaurants, but Madison Ave. has some of that plus other businesses (banks, a concert venue, and more). It's more centrally located, with respect to Downtown Cincy.

Newport is also worth a look. East of Washington is your best bet there. Some of the best-looking, most-intact urban streets are in NKY, due to much less redlining (a consequence of the areas south of the river being white during the relevant time period). Unfortunately, highway construction and auto-oriented development destroyed Covington and Newport's central riverfronts, but that was the majority of damage inflicted. Just a couple blocks from the central riverfronts, in any direction, you get awesome tree-lined streets of historic row houses (mostly detached, unlike in OTR), with few "missing teeth".

NKY also has the advantage that it has a much larger flat area, which is good if you're a cyclist. But the hills are very charming, too, and good for leg strength (walking or cycling), so you can't really go wrong. Frankly, with your budget, you have a lot of great options on both sides of the river. But you might run into some annoyances, like the grocery situation.

[restorationconsultant]

1000 a month will not get you into OTR at a level you'd get in KC and pendleton is iffy at your pricepoint, clifton gaslight is more expensive. unless you want a roomate. Check out Price Hill/Incline. Covington is definitely an option, maybe Newport. Your pricepoint ( if you have a decent credit rating ) equates to 150-200K house which means you could buy assuming you have a downpayment (just something to think about, especially if your employer offers any relo assistance)

Cincinnati downtown is overpriced right now for the sq ft and price point you are at unless you wnat to live in a tenement.

[natininja]

Originally Posted by restorationconsultant

1000 a month will not get you into OTR at a level you'd get in KC and pendleton is iffy at your pricepoint, clifton gaslight is more expensive.

I have no idea about KC, but this is craziness. You can get quite a lot for $1k in OTR, and more in Clifton. I don't know about Pendleton prices, but the only thing making Pendleton potentially difficult would be a lack of market rate housing, not the market price.

Price Hill is just a bad idea for someone who doesn't want to drive much. The area is just not there yet.

[WILWRadio]

Another vote for Covington or Newport. I just bought a home in Covington and based upon what I've seen and experienced there (have not moved in yet and in fact I do live in the KC area as well right now) you will easily be able to walk or take a bus to nearby shopping, restaurants, entertainment facilities and culture. I will be able to walk to the downtown ball parks in probably 20 minutes from my house. Mainstrasse is a good idea that someone already mentioned. Granted there are some bad areas in Covington but after having done some research on where the crime is, most of it seems to be concentrated in a couple of pockets on the far east, central side of Covington. And you don't see nearly as much violent crime in NKY as you do in the city proper of Cincinnati.

[WILWRadio]

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