Moving from Iran to Cincinnati (Kent, Clifton: apartments, crime rate, home)

[newmember1900]

Hello everyone,I'm new in this forum and I don't know if my question has been asked before but I truely need your help.I recently applied for University of Cincinnati and based on my educational background I think I have a good chance of being accepted there,but the problem is I don't know anything about cincinnati or even US.I'm from Iran and as you know the life condition is REALLY different here.I have never been to US and I need your help to find a good place to stay,hopefully if I got accepted in UC.I visited so many websites that said the crime rate is realy high there,but the comments of current residents of cincinnati were in contrast with those rates.I lived my whole life in Iran and nothing bad has ever happened to me,but I know that the whole world thinks my country is unsafe and that's why I want to know how true is these crime rates about cincinnati and can a single girl live there alone by herself or not and if yes,which neighbourhood is the best for me considering that I have never visited United States.
Sorry for my bad English and thank you for your help

[cincydave8]

Most UC students live around Campus in Clifton Hieghts and Coryville. Some also live in Clifton, which is just to the north of campus. Safe area with lots of diversity. Not sure on Iranians foods but it does have a few small international grocery stores. I'm going to make an assumption and say you're muslim, which would also make Clifton appealing to you as it's home to Cincinnati's Mosque. Plus easy walk/bike/bus ride to campus. Just search "Clifton Gaslight" for apartments in this area.

[Wilson513]

Thousands of foreign grad students, many with much less English language skill than you demonstrate, have done exactly what you are doing. Welcome to Cincinnati, USA. Bring a warm coat. Crime is very high here among drug users and sellers.

[h Steve]

Originally Posted by Wilson513

Thousands of foreign grad students, many with much less English language skill than you demonstrate, have done exactly what you are doing. Welcome to Cincinnati, USA. Bring a warm coat. Crime is very high here among drug users and sellers.

" Crime is very high here among drug users and sellers".....Really

[kjbrill]

OP ... I think the advice so far is sound.
UC is definitely in the middle of Cincinnati. Also in the same area are several of our hospitals with UC running one of the largest. This makes a mix of university and hospital employees fairly close together along with students.
I highly recommend looking for living accommodations in the immediate vicinity of UC.
I am a UC grad, but that is 53 years ago. My brother and my wife are UC grads as well as my son and one daughter. I have a granddaughter who has applied and been accepted to UC and will start next fall.

Just last night I was contacted by a student obviously working for an organization trying to get contributions from alumni. As I told him my wife and I are at an age and status where we have decided to stop all contributions due to trying to keep up with our medical expenses.

Some interesting observations he brought up. When I went to UC it was thought of as a Cincinnati commuter university. All of the family members I pointed out above lived at home and commuted to UC, including my children. Most of my classmates were commuters and the majority still live in the Cincinnati area. My correspondent pointed out this is a major change at UC, as they are building dormitories everywhere. He stated current total enrollment is about 43,000 a fair sized institution. The current UC President, Santa J Ono is pushing to expand the university. As his name implies, he is of Asian-American descent, actually born in Canada.

Being from Iran and a single female student, I strongly recommend contacting the university about possibly being in a dormitory. From everything I am hearing UC is expanding its campus police force to insure all of these new dormitories are safe places to be a resident. Now their jurisdiction is confined to the campus, they are not a general Cincinnati police component. But they are organizing to insure the safety of the on campus residents.

[newmember1900]

Originally Posted by Wilson513

Thousands of foreign grad students, many with much less English language skill than you demonstrate, have done exactly what you are doing. Welcome to Cincinnati, USA. Bring a warm coat. Crime is very high here among drug users and sellers.

Well I'm not a drug user or seller or in any way related to drugs that means there won't be any problem for me?Cause I'm really worried about the crime rate (but it seems these rates are not as high as they are shown in statistics)

[UKWildcat1981]

Cincinnati area around UC is not as bad as the locals make it out to be but you still have to have some street smarts. UC has a lot of international students and they seem to like UC. I used to live in Ohio and its more diverse than Kentucky, Cincinnati is not a bad place to live even for an international, its conservative but more accepting than it used to be. Good luck to you.

[newmember1900]

Originally Posted by cincydave8

Most UC students live around Campus in Clifton Hieghts and Coryville. Some also live in Clifton, which is just to the north of campus. Safe area with lots of diversity. Not sure on Iranians foods but it does have a few small international grocery stores. I'm going to make an assumption and say you're muslim, which would also make Clifton appealing to you as it's home to Cincinnati's Mosque. Plus easy walk/bike/bus ride to campus. Just search "Clifton Gaslight" for apartments in this area.

Thank you so much for your help.I searched the Gaslight apartments but as I'm starting a life from scratch in US I'm looking for a furnished apartment.I found many apartments but because i don't know the neighbourhoods and don't know which ones are safe or close to UC I can't limit my search to a specific place.I searched for furnished apartments in Clifton but I found nearly nothing can you please suggest the neighbourhoods close (or with easy access) to UC? again thank you so much

[newmember1900]

Originally Posted by kjbrill

Being from Iran and a single female student, I strongly recommend contacting the university about possibly being in a dormitory. From everything I am hearing UC is expanding its campus police force to insure all of these new dormitories are safe places to be a resident. Now their jurisdiction is confined to the campus, they are not a general Cincinnati police component. But they are organizing to insure the safety of the on campus residents.

I'm seriously considering dormitoris but actually there is a chance for me to live with one of my friends (who also applied for UC) off campus,and that' why I'm searching for apartments.
Thank you so much for your help and sharing experiences.

[SWOH]

Welcome to Cincinnati! Btw your English is excellent.

Unfortunately I can't help you out really, I know nothing about UC. But I am impressed by this question and glad that UC has a student population which includes Iranians!