Not to racially offend anyone but (Columbus, Cincinnati: middle-class, houses, job market)

[tjcutie]

Does Cincinnati have a strong base of Black professionals? I'm thinking no, but I could be wrong. I do know that Charlotte NC does. I visited Cincy last weekend and I was just wondering, if anyone would know how I can assess that information, please help......

[hillside]

there are a large number of black professionals, but unified? more like secular.

[tjcutie]

Well that's why I asked and if you are going to be disgruntle about my post, just keep it moving. I don't need your two cents worth.

[Crew Chief]

Originally Posted by tjcutie

Does Cincinnati have a strong base of Black professionals? I'm thinking no, but I could be wrong. I do know that Charlotte NC does. I visited Cincy last weekend and I was just wondering, if anyone would know how I can assess that information, please help......

I'd imagine that you wouldn't be able to assess that information until you have obtained access to said information...

[Ohiogirl81]

Cincinnati is like any other city: Professionals come in all sizes, colors and shapes, as do working-class folks and the idle rich.

[lydunn]

No there is not a large base of black professionals...Columbus has more than we do...Y do some get offended when he asked the question..

[YoMikey617]

Originally Posted by tjcutie

Does Cincinnati have a strong base of Black professionals? I'm thinking no, but I could be wrong. I do know that Charlotte NC does. I visited Cincy last weekend and I was just wondering, if anyone would know how I can assess that information, please help......

My input is borrowed / paraphrased from a program director at UC:

Cincinnati is nothing like D.C. or Atlanta, HOWEVER... Everyone who's anyone tends to flock to cities like Atlanta and DC, making the talent pool extremely competitive, and many African American professionals find themselves underpaid or underemployed just for the sake of living in cities like DC or Atlanta (underpaid with a higher cost of living).

With this in mind, there are potentially more job opportunities for black professionals in cities like Cincinnati. I say "potentially" because I'm not really sure what the current situation is in your line of work or with the current job market. I also can't speak for certain professions here that might be more or less friendly to African Americans. ...or whether or not there is a glass ceiling in your profession for African Americans (in your industry or even just in this town).

My own input:

* I think Cincinnati has a large enough population of black professionals (not huge, but they are definitely here), but I would bet that many live invisibly in suburbia and social networks are going to be based on fraternal organizations or alumni networks. Once you get into the post WW2 suburbs (close to and outside of 275) where everyone is in suburban homes, driving cars and shopping in malls / strip-malls, its not easy to know what anyone's ethic background is.

* Cincinnati does not have affluent, predominantly African American suburbs like Olympia Fields, Bowie, or Ladera Heights. In this town the affluence is going to be diluted / spread-out in integrated or predominantly white neighborhoods or maybe even certain subdivisions.

I'm always interested in demographics so if anyone knows of affluent black neighborhoods in Cincinnati do speak up!!!

[goyguy]

The moneyed AA folks in Cincy can be found dwelling in North Avondale/Paddock Hills and within the more upscale sectors of Kennedy Heights, Roselawn, College Hill, Pleasant Ridge, Bond Hill, and Mt Airy. All of these neighborhoods save for Bond Hill are racially "integrated" to some degree, and - to name but two examples, Elizabeth Place in Bond Hill and Iris Ave in Kennedy Hts - contain some awesome houses that sell for a fraction of what they'd command in suburbia. A few wealthy Blacks also reside "under the radar" in Columbia/Tusculum, Mt Adams, et al.

Outside the city limits, the traditional boundaries between the de facto segregated parts of Wyoming and Glendale and the larger communities have eased considerably. It's unusual but far from unheard of now for people of color to have homes pretty much anywhere in those well-to-do towns today. Woodlawn's popular image as a "lower-class" village is belied by the fine residences of the Mayview Forest area, all within a decidedly majority AA setting. Overwhelmingly working- and middle-class Forest Park has its more affluent pockets that're inhabited at least in part by Black professionals, as do West Chester and Fairfield farther north and Montgomery, Loveland and Blue Ash to the east. Lincoln Heights, the largest intentionally all-AA incorporated area in the US, is trying to shake its po-folks image with the Lindy's Repose subdivision where no house is without a Jacuzzi.

Where networking is concerned, there's probably a lot that this palefaced as well as "goy" guy is totally unaware of. But appearances suggest that there's not much which is locally based. There are, however, active chapters of NCNW, the Links, etc as well as the aforementioned Greek-letter and college groups. (I can speak some to the latter since my now-retired 3rd-grade teacher chairs FAMU's national alumni association.) In the absence of any formal network, people do what they've always done to form ties with those similar to them: join a church and regularly visit the neighborhood beauty parlor or barber shop. Those community institutions persist in being where all the knowledge can be found, lol.

Apologies on behalf of the poster who got all smart-ass re "access" versus "assess." We all knew what you meant. Let s/he who never makes typos online cast the first virtual stone.

[unusualfire]

Originally Posted by lydunn

No there is not a large base of black professionals...Columbus has more than we do...Y do some get offended when he asked the question..

There was another thread comparing Charlotte to Cincinnati just before this was made. That why i think people are up in arms. Why all the comparisions with Charlotte??? Cincinnati is not even in the same region as Charlotte.

[Bigbluelandrover]

Cincinnati has a "hidden" base of black professionals. It is a small close-knit group of people that grew uo together, hang in the same social circles and have relatives that have managed to pull up the younger generation.

I know first hand because as a black professional couple my husband and I had a VERY difficult time progressing past the low-level, low-pay jobs that are often toted as "opportunities".. So many of our friends from UC left in the mid 90's and went to cities that have a more progressive, welcoming approach. They are doing great!... We left last year and while I do miss Cincy and the simplicity we HAD to leave to progress.

GoGuy listed all the areas where you will find the professionals. As far as things to do for the black professional crowd you will need to travel.... Cincy is sorely lacking in NICE clubs, concerts, jazz events etc..that are geared towards the upper class black professional.