Mid Career, middle-income considering Cincinnati-Hyde Park/Northside (Columbus, Dayton: fit in, best neighborhood)

[stepheninohio]

Hello,

I'm from Dayton and have been back in Dayton since 2005. I am considering relocating to Columbus or Cincinnati in the next year or two. I lived in St. Louis for some time, and while I do like Dayton, I prefer a city a little bigger and more exciting with a bit more amenities and social life. St Louis was a good size for me, and Cinci and Col are both comparable.

I have spent time in Cinci and Columbus quite a bit over the past few years. I work in finance, and relocating to either city will be easy with my current company and job. I like the history of Cincinnati, and the culture and geography as well. I feel Cinci has the edge over Columbus in this regard. I like the Hyde Park, Northside, and OTR areas of Cinci. I am 41, so I feel Mt Adams is a bit young for me. Northside is a bit rough, as is OTR, so I have a stronger inclination towards Hyde Park for that reason. I like an area that is urban, dense, with restaurants and character. I lived and worked in several areas of St Louis like that. I do not like living in suburbs, so those are out. I am gay, so living in an area that is diverse and open is important, and that has other middle aged gay men for social opportunities. I tend towards the progressive, so living in an area that is progressive is also important.

I always hear I should go to Columbus. While I feel it may be a bit more progressive, it just does not have the same feel as a "city" as Cinci does to me. Columbus feels more like a big college city to me. The neighborhoods I have mentioned in Cinci all seem to be just as progressive as any part of the city in Columbus. Wondering if I can get some insights here as to what type of quality of life Cinci might provide for someone in my circumstances and demographic, from those either from Cinci or who have lived there for sometime on a daily basis. Seems rather nice when I visit. Things I like to do is eat out, go to art galleries, go to the symphony, theatre and ballet, and shop a bit. Nature hikes are good as well. I like different cultures, so exploring that is great as well.

Thanks in advance.

[SWOH]

I'm not sure what the best answer will be, but I am definitely interested in hearing what others have to say.

Offhand, I would instinctively think someplace like right downtown or Covington would be best, but I don't really know.

[cincydave8]

Hyde Park is probably the best neighborhood in the city. Walkable, nice restaurants, farmers market and great location.

But, I think you should look at Clifton Gaslight. Safe, walkable and easily one of the most liberal parts of the city. Ludlow Ave is a great little square with a movie theatre and nice restaurants and bars.

[mimi in cinci]

Hyde Park is a good option and although it is a bit more conservative I have several gay friends living there raising their families. I would also say give Prospect Hill or Pendelton areas in OTR a chance. It's more progressive but with fewer amenities than Hyde Park.
East Walnut Hills is more openly diverse than Hyde Park with a bit lower price point. There are quite a few high rise condos in the area. I know quite a few gay 40+ people who own or rent in the Eden Park area.

[Nomomo07]

All the neighborhoods mentioned thus far would be just fine. Northside has been the center of the lgbt community in Cincinnati for some time, though as you will note from previous posts, that is certainly changing. I personally think your best bet would be OTR, Pendleton, or Clifton Gaslight area. I currently live in East Walnut Hills, and while certainly nice, it is still developing as an area and needs a bit more time before it is packed at all hours like some of the other, larger neighborhoods. Hyde Park is certainly lovely, but has an air of snobbishness about it that I never cared for.

[stepheninohio]

Thank you all for your comments and insights. I do like the Clifton Gaslight area, and Eden Park area. In terms of census data, the highest levels of same sex couples reside in OTR and Northside, with a smaller, however still sizable population also in and around Hyde Park, specifically around the Erie Ave business and entertainment district. That is why, although I do think the fit of the Clifton Gaslight is a good fit in terms of Progressiveness, it doesn't seem many gay people or at least couples populate that neighborhood as much as the others mentioned. I do like ethnic diversity as well, and so the Clifton area seems to have an edge in terms of that. Hyde Park seems to be mostly white.

OTR would be ideal if they could get a handle on the crime. I do not necessarily feel safe there walking around yet, but I absolutely love the symphony and ballet and theatre scene in that neighborhood. The upcoming streetcars sound promising as well.

Thanks

[goyguy]

It's somewhat off the gaydar, if you will, but North Avondale is actually not only one of the most and best racially mixed parts of town. There's also a fair-sized (relative to, ahem, Cincinnati) contingent of the same-sex-oriented dwelling along the gaslit streets as well as in the landmark Belvedere. (An Art Deco gem, Cincy's first high-rise with mind-shattering northward views.) For close to half a century, however, the principal drawbacks of this enclave have remained unchanged. The business district along Reading Rd hardly has any businesses at all; last year, it looked as though a glaring vacant lot at a focal intersection was finally being built on but more recently it's back to grass again. You'd have to drive to Clifton, St Bernard, Norwood, etc for EVERYTHING. And crime is never off the minds of the locals even though their streets are improbably tranquil, for the quality of housing and life drop precipitously as soon as you cross Dana Ave going south.

Pleasant Ridge is probably your best bet for an unassuming community with a welcoming vibe. Northside is best left to the hipsters, and OTR to the yuppie start-up types. Hyde Park and Mt Lookout scream "social-climbing WASP" and tend to house people who are more "tolerant" - through sometimes clenched teeth - then genuinely warm. You'll find urban-pioneer types, not necessarily young, quietly thrown in among like-minded "str8's" in the struggling but scrappy west-side neighborhoods of Price Hill and Westwood. Oakley...maybe. Ditto for the "maverick" possibility of Roselawn (specific pockets.)