Cincinnati after a year... House buying time? (Columbus, Hamilton: real estate, apartment)

[HuskerDu]

I am a 38 year old professional that moved from Columbus (short north) to Cincinnati with my wife almost exactly one year ago. We've been renting a loft apartment on the western edge of downtown on 4th street and we love living in that area. We can walk to around 30+ different pubs or restaurants in less than 5 minutes and have had the chance to experience all of the downtown festivities over the past year. Fireworks, Ice Skating, Live concerts at Sawyer Point, Taste of Cincinnati, Riverboats, various game days and on and on... We've also utilized the TANK shuttle service to take us back and forth from Mainstrasse and Newport for many-o-happy hour.

It's plenty of fun but now we are getting serious about buying a house and probably cannot afford to buy a loft downtown. Most of them are $250k or higher and we are probably looking at $170k as a budget. To be honest, after living here for a year there are only a few other areas I would consider and those either seem too expensive or crime riddled. Maybe some of you can shed some light on what I am failing to see or haven't yet discovered about Cincinnati away from the downtown area? This is what we've checked out so far.

Hyde Park is an amazing area but is also too expensive. I saw a few tiny cape cod type houses on the Sibcy Cline website but they looked kinda crappy. Is there a bad area around HP that gets lumped in with it when advertised? I also think that mid 40's to 50's age might better appreciate this area. It's a little quiet.

Oakley/Mt. Lookout/ Columbia Tusculum all seem similar to me. I know that CT is down the hill from the other two on RT50 but thats about all I know as far as location. That whole area kind of confuses me and I have found no map online that can straighten it out. Oakley seems like it has a busy little square type area and Mt. Lookout is much more quiet. Are there any major differences between these three areas that I should take into account?

Norwood seems kind of run down and dirty although people keep telling me it is up and coming since Oakley has become overpriced. The houses on Sibcy were not impressive at all. Do they have some sort of Square area with shops and stuff?

Covington scared the sh*t out me when I first went there. Pawn shops, droves of homeless looking folks and liquor stores. Nice. I finally found Mainstrasse which is fun at night but upon closer daylight inspection is rather beat up. There are some great houses in that area but in between each one of them is a broken down shack with dirty kids and pieces of plastic toys all over the front yard. Is there an area that is safe and nice in Covington? I've heard Wallace Woods mentioned.

Newport seems nicer but the downtown area up from the levee is very similar to Covington. Again, the houses either seem enormous and expensive or completely trashed but at least the good and bad are separated a bit. The houses in Bellevue are nice and seem cheaper but if the Kroger store I've been to there is any indication of the quality of life in that area.... yikes. Are there any other areas of NKY to look at?

OTR... not a chance. I've walked towards OTR from the CBD and any street with a higher number than 9th is where I start getting uneasy. I'm no wimp but damn that area gets bad. My wife walked up to Findlay Market one day and will not do so again.

Northside seems like it will be a really unique area that would suit me once it has been cleaned up for another 10 or so years. I am not familiar enough with the area to know what is good or bad and the house prices are so low it just seems best not to investigate further right now. Am I wrong?

Clifton/ Gas Light. Is this a nice neighborhood or are the houses that I've looked at online that were not in the best shape abused by thousands of past college renters? Is there anything to do around there for a 30something or is it mostly college kids?

We really aren't interested in the suburbs and would like to stay away from anything that is close to the northern arch of I-275. It just seems like everything up there is strip malls, chain places and newly built, prefab housing communities you could find in Anytown USA. We do not have kids so we are trying to find a unique or at least charming area with even a small amount of nightlife and entertainment within walking distance to reasonably priced housing. A little village type setting if you will.

Can anyone suggest a few other areas?

[HuskerDu]

Oh, I almost forgot Wyoming. The houses there are huge and beautiful, but driving over one set of railroad tracks found me at the gates of hell. Lockland. I could not believe how close (and we are talking feet) the slum was to this area. Wyoming really reminds me of an area in Columbus called Bexley. It's a very wealthy community that is right next to one of the most dilapidated parts of town.

[jlrosen]

514 Milton street in Prospect hill for $169,990

2 bedroom 1.5 bath.

[SonnyDaze]

When you were in Wyoming you should've went west into Finneytown instead of east into Lockland. Many houses in Finneytown will fit your budget and it's as centrally located as anywhere else in Hamilton County. Practically 15 minutes or less from everything you need.

[Cincy-Rise]

HuskerDu, WELCOME!!! ... Another downtowner!

My wife and I also love living downtown (Shillito on 7th)!

We also want to buy a condo in downtown (we're holding out for the 35 story highrise at 5th & Race! ) ...

We live where jlrosen recommended and LOVE IT! It's obvious DT, Uptown, Prospect Hill, OTR, Mt. Auburn, all are making a fast turn around.

[yayoi]

Norwood has Rookwood Commons (most people think it's in Hyde Park) and Surrey Square (dead and run down). North Norwood tends to have nicer homes while the southern part looks more shabby. I personally wouldn't live there. I would definitely look into Pleasant Ridge. It's just north of Norwood on Montgomery road. The further north you go the nicer it gets. I personally think it's one of Cincinnati best kept secrets.

[HuskerDu]

Thanks for the replies so far! Are Mt. Auburn and Prospect Hill the same neighborhood? I really like some of the houses listed online in the Mt. Auburn area. Some of those renovated Italianate houses seem way too inexpensive. Is there a lot of crime in that area?

I can't seem to find any MLS search results for Prospect Hill on any real estate sites.

[CincyJim]

IMO, Columbus, OH might be an area you like. Ever consider moving there?

Obviously Cincinnati does not measure up.

[Ohiogirl81]

Originally Posted by HuskerDu

but driving over one set of railroad tracks found me at the gates of hell. Lockland. I could not believe how close (and we are talking feet) the slum was to this area.

Lockland is hardly the gates of hell, but I digress. Welcome to Cincinnati. It's full of neighborhoods within neighborhoods, and pockets within neighborhoods. Walk five minutes in any direction and you'll be in a different place than where you started. In Cincinnati, you can't judge one neighborhood based upon the looks, say, of its main drag or its busiest intersection. One block away and things may be completely different.

About areas being "crime-riddled," remember that criminals are mobile. No area in Cincinnati is safe from crime. The safest areas, in my opinion, are the neighborhoods where people make the effort to get to know one another, spend time outdoors, walking the streets, sitting on their porches. If you find a neighborhood you're interested in, get out of your car and walk around. Talk to the neighbors.

If you're looking for inner-city homes on the MLS, in Prospect Hill for instance, look under "city." Clifton is full of all ages of people, not just students, especially the farther away form the main drag you travel, and there's plenty to do there for everyone. Might be a tad over your price range, though. The section of Westwood around Town Hall is tree-lined well-kept, although there's not much in the way of walkable destinations unless you're just out for exercise. The western section of Madisonville (Arnsby Place area) is very nice and within your price range. Pleasant Ridge and Mt. Lookout both are great, with a variety of home styles. Columbia Tusculum is gorgeous, but prices may be out of your range, the lots are small, and the neighborhood seems cramped to me. O'Bryonville -- between Hyde Park and East Walnut Hills -- is another great little neighborhood. You might be able to find something in Hyde Park at that price; it wouldn't be a block off the square, but would still be in a good area.

Have you looked at any of the townhouses in the West End? Very nice, but I don't know how much they cost these days.

[wastina]

Congratulations on doing your research! I must say that this is one of the most insightful (not speaking to accuracy for the flamers out there: so don't dis me! You've got to admire the comprehension of his research!), experienced, assessments I've seen on this site in a year!

It sounds to me like you're looking for Hyde Park, although with your price range, that will be difficult. THe comparables in Cincinnati are Hypde Park, Indian Hill, Terrace Park, Mariemont (have you found that yet?), Wyoming and Glendale.

Glendale i(The Village of Glendale, Ohio) is like Wyoming, and accessible to (although not IN the [paraphrased] "northern arch of I-275 strip malls"), with a village center and no income tax (unlike Wyoming).

YES, it's the time to buy in Cincinnati. While you're on the MLS, check out Glendale. There's a nice little house near Summit field which is a respectable location. There are also likely properties on Sharon, Chester or Congress (the more trafficked areas) in your price range. Glendale tends to hold it's value and it's a good place to live.

Thanks for your assessment, and for your critical look at Cincinnati. For what it's worth, I lived on Water Street in Wyoming for a year (the "right" side of the Wyoming tracks, but right ON the tracks), and I loved it. Get over the urban-suburban thing: if you make friends with your neighbors, they treat you right (but lock your doors, wherever you are).