North Avondale - nice on the prime streets or still too dangerous? (Cincinnati: apartment, home)

[Investor001]

Ok, so I made some rounds around the city and checked out different areas. Here are my quick thoughts-

Clifton- The Gaslight area is very nice. It feels fairly safe. I like the size of homes but the ones on the market now are not much to write home about. The new market on Ludlow is very nice and nice to have nearby. I think I could find something here.

Wyoming- Beautiful. Lovely homes. Heard it has amazing schools. Not sure I want to do that commute and it's surrounded by some not so nice areas so my commute to work is either on I-75 with lots of trucks and construction or through some not so nice areas so I don't see how my commute would be much safer than the commute from North Avondale.

East Walnut Hills- Not much there but some nice homes and close proximity to both the hospitals and Hyde Park/Rookwood area.

Hyde Park- Nice in most areas. I checked out a home that recently came on the market on Holly Ave. Nice area, more urban feeling but backed up to the highway and the highway noise was too much for me. I checked out the area closer to Hyde Park Square and really like it. However, I doubt I'll find anything I like in my price range.

Mount Lookout - not sure where the boundaries are but I'm assuming the area is close to Mt. Lookout square. I really like this area and will keep my eye out for homes here but I have only seen smallish ones in my price range. Looks a bit more suburban than Hyde Park even though they are close to each other. Love Ault Park area.

Oakley - Nice area. Some homes in my price range. On the smaller size but I might be able to find something here.

Columbia Tusculum - newer construction homes, not very big and on top of each other. Not sure I'll like it there.

Mariemont - Beautiful area. Very nice town center. feels very safe. However, homes in my price range are on the smaller side. Commute didn't seem to bad on the Columbia Parkway but it was also not during rush hour. The drive from there to the hospitals seems much nicer than from Wyoming. However, both are not as close as I wanted to be. Commute wise Clifton and North Avondale seem much better.

[mimi in cinci]

You pretty much hit the nail on the head with your synopsis.

OP, I don't recall what your timeline is for moving to Cincinnati. Unfortunately you're choices of housing stock is going to be pretty limited in January. The majority of homes seem to hit the market in April.

There are several homes for rent near Hyde Park Square if you wanted to wait to see what comes on the market in the spring.

[kpl1228]

Paddock Hills area I guess would be the far northern edge of North Avondale maybe? Pretty terrific around there.

[motorman]

Originally Posted by kpl1228

Paddock Hills area I guess would be the far northern edge of North Avondale maybe? Pretty terrific around there.

As "terrific" as some of the homes in Paddock Hills may be, I don't think that applies to the whole neighborhood, namely because it shares many of the problems of North Avondale - and they are not easy problems likely to be solved in the foreseeable future.

[cincydave8]

Paddock Hills does border NA. It's one of the many forgotten neighborhoods due to it's tiny size. If you really want to live in a Tudor it's the place to be, but if you're worried about NA crime, I think you'd be worried about Paddock Hills crime.

I think OP has a good idea of the neighborhoods they like. My guess is Clifton will win. My wife and I originally rented there and wanted to buy a house there but it was out of our price range.

Edit: Motorman and I had the exact same thoughts on Paddock Hills at the same time.

[Sarah Perry]

Originally Posted by cincydave8

Paddock Hills does border NA. It's one of the many forgotten neighborhoods due to it's tiny size. If you really want to live in a Tudor it's the place to be, but if you're worried about NA crime, I think you'd be worried about Paddock Hills crime.

I think OP has a good idea of the neighborhoods they like. My guess is Clifton will win. My wife and I originally rented there and wanted to buy a house there but it was out of our price range.

Edit: Motorman and I had the exact same thoughts on Paddock Hills at the same time.

Paddock Hills came to my mind earlier in the thread, also. I didn't mention it for a couple of reasons, mainly that I don't think there would likely be much available there large enough to meet the OP's goals for square footage. Personally I suspect crime is less of an issue there than in NA due to the secluded, pocket nature of the neighborhood. But I have no stats to back that up.

[motorman]

Investor001, your "mansion" could possibly be sitting on Floral or Forest Avenues, or some nearby streets in Norwood.

First, grab a Cincinnati map and draw a triangle to encompass all the streets enclosed inside Montgomery Rd., Smith Rd., and I-71/Dana Ave. Next, by replacing I-71/Dana Ave. with Williams Avenue, draw a smaller triangle within the larger one. Then check things out for yourself.

This area of the two triangles is nearer the hospital district than anywhere mentioned thus far, with the exception of North Avondale and Paddock Hills. However, unlike those neighborhoods, this large neighborhood is flat and walkable, safe and close to much of the best shopping available in Cincinnati proper, especially food stores. (location, location, LOCATION!)

Even though you will be in close proximity to Norwood's "three Rookwoods," plus near to Oakley Square, Oakley Station, Hyde Park Plaza and Hyde Park Square, you'll undoubtedly drive to shop. However, should you wish to walk to the nearest big food store, there's the Kroger@Surrey Square. It's always busy and it will meet most food needs w/o you ever having to leave the neighborhood.

The reason I asked you to draw the two triangles is this: although the overall area within them is similar, they're not the same...

The larger area serves as a buffer zone for everything within it. No traffic can enter or speed through here, directly from either I-71 or Dana Ave. Therefore, the three longest streets (Floral, Forest and Ashland) remain serene and quiet. Unlike the larger area, the smaller area is a more refined area where you may just discover suitably priced houses of interest.

Within this, the epicenter of Norwood's finest area (where Floral and Forest intersect five avenues named after presidents) there are many very large, lovely homes with large yards well setback from traffic. The most familiar sights encountered along here are walkers, joggers, bicyclists, dogs on leashes and babies in strollers, as residents work in their yards. This peaceful place, protected as it is, near the hospital district and located near numerous amenities might just be the right place for you to continue your search.

[Investor001]

Originally Posted by motorman

Investor001, your "mansion" could possibly be sitting on Floral or Forest Avenues, or some nearby streets in Norwood.

First, grab a Cincinnati map and draw a triangle to encompass all the streets enclosed inside Montgomery Rd., Smith Rd., and I-71/Dana Ave. Next, by replacing I-71/Dana Ave. with Williams Avenue, draw a smaller triangle within the larger one. Then check things out for yourself.

This area of the two triangles is nearer the hospital district than anywhere mentioned thus far, with the exception of North Avondale and Paddock Hills. However, unlike those neighborhoods, this large neighborhood is flat and walkable, safe and close to much of the best shopping available in Cincinnati proper, especially food stores. (location, location, LOCATION!)

Even though you will be in close proximity to Norwood's "three Rookwoods," plus near to Oakley Square, Oakley Station, Hyde Park Plaza and Hyde Park Square, you'll undoubtedly drive to shop. However, should you wish to walk to the nearest big food store, there's the Kroger@Surrey Square. It's always busy and it will meet most food needs w/o you ever having to leave the neighborhood.

The reason I asked you to draw the two triangles is this: although the overall area within them is similar, they're not the same...

The larger area serves as a buffer zone for everything within it. No traffic can enter or speed through here, directly from either I-71 or Dana Ave. Therefore, the three longest streets (Floral, Forest and Ashland) remain serene and quiet. Unlike the larger area, the smaller area is a more refined area where you may just discover suitably priced houses of interest.

Within this, the epicenter of Norwood's finest area (where Floral and Forest intersect five avenues named after presidents) there are many very large, lovely homes with large yards well setback from traffic. The most familiar sights encountered along here are walkers, joggers, bicyclists, dogs on leashes and babies in strollers, as residents work in their yards. This peaceful place, protected as it is, near the hospital district and located near numerous amenities might just be the right place for you to continue your search.

Wow, this is amazing analysis. This is the kind of info I wasn't sure I'd get. Knowing good neighborhoods is one thing but really honing down on the best streets within a neighborhood that I can afford (I'd bet most area in Hyde Park would be great but I can't really afford the house I want there) is really excellent. I will definitely check out this area.

Would this area be safer than the prime streets I mentioned in North Avondale? The homes I've seen on realtor.com in Norwood look to be more four squares and queen anne style. Is that the style more often found there?

[Wilson513]

Norwood has not been mentioned for reasons. First, there are only 100 nice houses in Norwood, if that. And every nice street has unattractive in fill, cement block structures, rooming houses and God knows what else. For decades it was a dying blue collar neighborhood. A place where a motor home on cement blocks in the front yard on most streets would not have earned a second look. The closure of the Chevrolet assembly plant where everyone in Norwood worked took its toll.

Admittedly, Norwood made a comeback, of sorts. But it did not emerge unscathed. Don't waste any time on it. Same for Paddock Hills but for different reasons.

[Sarah Perry]

Originally Posted by Wilson513

Norwood has not been mentioned for reasons. First, there are only 100 nice houses in Norwood, if that. And every nice street has unattractive in fill, cement block structures, rooming houses and God knows what else. For decades it was a dying blue collar neighborhood. A place where a motor home on cement blocks in the front yard on most streets would not have earned a second look. The closure of the Chevrolet assembly plant where everyone in Norwood worked took its toll.

Admittedly, Norwood made a comeback, of sorts. But it did not emerge unscathed. Don't waste any time on it. Same for Paddock Hills but for different reasons.

I mostly agree with this, but I think it's worth noting that Norwood is not just a neighborhood but an independent CITY, and one with a history of very limited tax revenue and less than good quality of government. Yes, the location within the Cincinnati area is convenient to a lot of stuff. Yes, the recent commercial developments have been a big boost, and yes, I agree Norwood is on the upswing as a place to live--but there is still a very real stigma associated with its historical status related to its image of a community of poor, ill-educated migrants from Appalachia and notions like "it's not a safe place for black people to walk the streets." I would personally recommend buying in Norwood only for a young person or couple starting out on a limited budget in the housing market. Given the right choice and some diligent rehab work, it's very possible you could see a decent upswing in your property value and be able to move out and up in a few years. I don't feel it's the kind of area the OP is interested in.

Last thing worth mentioning, even if not a consideration for the OP: from what I read, Norwood's school system is quite a bit better quality than one would expect.