Urban guy moving to Cincy

[CincinnatiKid]

I wanted to post to see if I could throw in my 2 cents. I have moved to Cincinnati from DC (Ballston, Arlington) about 9 months ago now and i have to say that I love it. I lived in DC for about 3 years (originally from Philly) and was not planning on moving, however a job opportunity presented itself. First off, you cannot come here and expect to recreate your life in DC, there is not the volume of things to do. However, I am living downtown and it is one of the funner areas that I have ever been in. The community is really small, so you see a lot of the same people at different events etc, I would equate it almost to like college (not in a bad way), and it has made it very easy to meet people.

Let me list what I really like, and if you have any questions about them you can post it and I will try to respond:

1) Parks - the city has some of the most beautiful urban parks i have ever seen, Eden Park is amazing. Great for bike riding and hiking and there is a group that does yoga in the park during the summer on Wednesday night.

2) Festivals - Tall Stacks (this might not be every year) but for $20 there was five nights of concerts, everyone from Al Green to Wilco, a really great time. Oktoberfest, nothing like it, they take five blocks of the downtown and have beer gardens etc, for a weekend a lot of fun. Taste of Cincinnati, and a couple others - it seemed that during the summer there was always something going on.

3) Museums - the Contemporary Art Center is really interesting, I would definitely suggest getting a membership because they rotate the exhibits.

Well, got to get out of here, but I would wholeheartedly recomend the city, I did not even get in to the traffic (lack there of) cost of living, and the friendliness of the people.

One last thing, the chili is not that good, but the ice cream is. So there goes......

[lydunn]

Originally Posted by BoredInMyTown

Don't move here. I took a job here about a year ago after living downtown in a very large city. I never should have left. Cincinnati is not a large city. Downtown is essentially dead after 5 PM. No real useful mass transit.

Luckily, I just got a new job offer and I'm out of here. Just 12 months of my life down the drain.

I strongly agree with what he states....very boring here in Cinti...no diversity. RUN AWAY...my fault I got stuck here 7 years longer than I should've......take the WARNING AND RUNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN

[Bigbluelandrover]

Cincinnati Kid
While I agree that there are many different activities to participate in and things to see, that isn't enough reason for my family to stay. As an African American professional couple I feel stagnated here. The job opportunites seem limited to service and call-center work and sorry but I'm not busting my azz on a MBA to work in another call center. I've seen many once vibrant communities go down the tubes when projects were torn down and the former residents have spread out to different (once nice) suburbs. You could not PAY me to put my kids in CPS as the schools are terrible and the behavior issues are out of control. (Yes, there are magnet schools but the lists are long and its a struggle to get in them).
I really hate to sound divisive but my husband and I have gone to Taste of Cincinnati and enjoyed outselves (as long as certain drunk people stay out of the way). However, there isn't enough here that attracts AA's -whenever the Jazz festival is held the police force is in overkill, hotels mark up rooms, restaurants close up that weekend and so do some stores. Now, my husband and I go to the Expo in Indy and we never have any headaches. While you can name some great lil bars to hang out in. I can think of only one place where I would even consider going. Yet, if I visit family in DC/MD when we go out on the town there is so much to do that meets my sensibilities!.
I think Cincinnati has appeal to some, but for someone with a more "upscale" mindset, this isn't the best town to be in. Going to Octoberfest and doing the chickendance with a bunch of drunks is NOT my idea of a good time.

[RobertChas]

You might want to conside Pleasant Ridge - conveniently located close to I-71, i-75 and the Cross County (Ronald Regan) Highway. It is a economically and ethnically diverse community. There are not as many shops to walk to as some other communities, but it is more diverse.

[JefferyT]

The thread parent lived in NYC and Washington DC. He or she will be disappointed with Cincinnati, sorry to say. No comparison whatsover with those places.

That being said, as others have stated, Clifton, and the Mnt Lookout/Tusculum/Hyde Park areas would be best, and maybe Mount Adams.

I'd say these would be closest for what the thread parent would be looking for, probably the most liveable places.

Avoid the suburbs.

[surfohio]

here's my answer
but then again - i am pretty urban
i live in Over the Rhine
and you can't get much more urban than that
i've been here 15 years
had many parties, and many of my good friends live with-in, say 1 block of me - which i like
its good for spontanious get-to-gethers
we're all pretty scrappy urban funster's
hanging out on fireescapes, drinking wine (from a glass) on our front stoops, walking out and finding a festival/art walk surrounding us
we all know eachother pretty well and get motivated to improve our neighborhood
this is our existance - sure its different than you'd find most anywhere in cincinnati (like the places suggested above)
most people have dogs they walk alot or take to the scpa park
there's a couple of coffee shop opitions and Findlay Market is a walk away.
plus the best bread in the city Shadeau
i feel like i'm part of a really special place - not an average place
it changes, fluxuates, i like the pace & i'm optimistic
see for yourself
ps: i'm rehabbing a building for a couple with a todler & baby down the street; they've already been here 5 years & are committed
no, its not hyde park, nor is it manhattan