Moving to Cincinnati from Detroit - Questions (Kent, Bellevue: real estate, renting)

[hegemonwiggins]

My wife and I are moving to Cincinnati from Detroit (Royal Oak to be specific) in September. She will be working at Children's Hospital, and I will be at a professional firm downtown. We are looking at various neighborhoods and would like some local input. The neighborhoods we are considering are Clifton Gaslight, CBD, Hyde Park, Mt. Adams, Mt. Lookout, and possibly OTR and Northside. We are a mixed race 30ish couple (black/white), so we're not really looking for a homogenous environment. We don't have kids so schools are not an issue. Our priorities are a walkable neighborhood with things to walk to that are open at night (restaurants, arts primarily), safe parking, a sense of community, old housing stock, trees, walkable grocery shopping (we live next to a TJs right now), and value. We'll be renting at least for a year and want a decent amount of space (1000+ sf). If anyone has thoughts on these neighborhoods vs our priorities or other things we should consider, we'd appreciate it. Thanks.

[Mike Dunn]

All the neighborhoods that you have mentioned are great communites. You may want to add Pleasant Ridge to your search. Also, don't rule out Northern Kentucky. Communites like Covington, Newport, Bellevue and Park Hills may interest you.

[jlrosen]

Originally Posted by hegemonwiggins

My wife and I are moving to Cincinnati from Detroit (Royal Oak to be specific) in September. She will be working at Children's Hospital, and I will be at a professional firm downtown. We are looking at various neighborhoods and would like some local input. The neighborhoods we are considering are Clifton Gaslight, CBD, Hyde Park, Mt. Adams, Mt. Lookout, and possibly OTR and Northside. We are a mixed race 30ish couple (black/white), so we're not really looking for a homogenous environment. We don't have kids so schools are not an issue. Our priorities are a walkable neighborhood with things to walk to that are open at night (restaurants, arts primarily), safe parking, a sense of community, old housing stock, trees, walkable grocery shopping (we live next to a TJs right now), and value. We'll be renting at least for a year and want a decent amount of space (1000+ sf). If anyone has thoughts on these neighborhoods vs our priorities or other things we should consider, we'd appreciate it. Thanks.

every single one is a good choice

[hegemonwiggins]

Thanks for your replies. I haven't ruled out Northern Kentucky, but my wife has, so I think that means it's ruled out.

[Cincy-Rise]

Originally Posted by hegemonwiggins

I haven't ruled out Northern Kentucky, but my wife has, so I think that means it's ruled out.

If you don't mind me asking, why?

I work with a lot of out-of-towners that immediately rule it out and I'm looking for a pattern?

[Briolat21]

Welcome to Cinci!! I'm a transplant from SE Mich as well. Raised in the East Side suburbs, most recently living in Ypsilanti. Transferred down here last year for a job change. The neighborhoods you mentioned should be most comparable to what you were used to in Royal Oak. Northside is kinda similar to what Royal Oak was in the early to mid '80's -- before it became "trendy". Hyde Park would be Birminham-esque, and Oakley is Hyde-Park Light. OTR is kinda like the new "mid town" developments back home, Mt Adams is super trendy/ritzy (downtown Birminham, not the neighborhoods), Mt. Lookout a little less so, and Clifton Gaslight is kinda similar to Indian Village or Boston Edison back home, but with a college and college population.

I am in the 'burbs, but it is what made since for us and our jobs.

Good luck for the move!!! Welcome to Cincinnati!!

[YoMikey617]

Originally Posted by Mike Dunn

All the neighborhoods that you have mentioned are great communites. You may want to add Pleasant Ridge to your search. Also, don't rule out Northern Kentucky. Communites like Covington, Newport, Bellevue and Park Hills may interest you.

Good points, but I'm not sure I would live in Bellevue being mixed race. I go over to Bellevue to run errands because it's just across the river and it's very safe at night. But it seems very "small town/ blue collar / white and proud" and I never see non-white people anywhere in Bellevue.

[YoMikey617]

Originally Posted by Cincy-Rise

If you don't mind me asking, why?

I work with a lot of out-of-towners that immediately rule it out and I'm looking for a pattern?

If I were non-white or mixed race (white & black) I would totally rule out NKY.

Public schools are also an issue if you do have kids.

[HuskerDu]

At first, when we arrived in Cincinnati over a year ago, I wanted to move over to either Covington or Newport. Everyone we met from that side would continually tell us how much less expensive and safer than Cincinnati either Newport or Covington was. Our first trip over to Covington found us turning down all of the wrong streets, going past pawn shops (guns diamonds & gold), liquor stores and run down fast food places. We immediately turned around and came back over the bridge scratching our heads. After meeting more people and finding out about Mainstrasse, we returned and spent a few nights in a row having a blast walking around that neighborhood while stopping into bars to toast the fact that we had finally found this cute little place to live. Once we sobered up and got serious about looking for a place, our next series of visits revealed a clearer picture that would change our minds again. During the day time, Mainstrasse and the area surrounding it seem much more beat up than we originally thought. The more time we spent there, the more it felt like if even one or two of those businesses closed, the surrounding slum would swallow the entire area. I am sure it could never happen, but we got that feeling regardless. We then saw a house, a couple of months later, that was beautiful in an area called Wallace Woods and decided to forget our previous thoughts and return to check it out. Wallace Woods and the house we looked at were absolutely lovely, but (big BUT) you cannot get in or out of that few blocks of neighborhood without traveling through some extreme third-world level poverty.

I hate to say it, but if you are from anywhere north or east of Cincinnati, are used to any type of urban or even slightly progressive enviroment and are thinking about Covington for relocation, you might find yourself let down after spending some time there. Just sit in your car for around a half hour outside of the Speedway gas station just over the bridge from Cincinnati and you will get a better picture than you would while being carefully guided around by a real estate agent.

[hillside]

Originally Posted by HuskerDu

At first, when we arrived in Cincinnati over a year ago, I wanted to move over to either Covington or Newport. Everyone we met from that side would continually tell us how much less expensive and safer than Cincinnati either Newport or Covington was. Our first trip over to Covington found us turning down all of the wrong streets, going past pawn shops (guns diamonds & gold), liquor stores and run down fast food places. We immediately turned around and came back over the bridge scratching our heads. After meeting more people and finding out about Mainstrasse, we returned and spent a few nights in a row having a blast walking around that neighborhood while stopping into bars to toast the fact that we had finally found this cute little place to live. Once we sobered up and got serious about looking for a place, our next series of visits revealed a clearer picture that would change our minds again. During the day time, Mainstrasse and the area surrounding it seem much more beat up than we originally thought. The more time we spent there, the more it felt like if even one or two of those businesses closed, the surrounding slum would swallow the entire area. I am sure it could never happen, but we got that feeling regardless. We then saw a house, a couple of months later, that was beautiful in an area called Wallace Woods and decided to forget our previous thoughts and return to check it out. Wallace Woods and the house we looked at were absolutely lovely, but (big BUT) you cannot get in or out of that few blocks of neighborhood without traveling through some extreme third-world level poverty.

I hate to say it, but if you are from anywhere north or east of Cincinnati, are used to any type of urban or even slightly progressive enviroment and are thinking about Covington for relocation, you might find yourself let down after spending some time there. Just sit in your car for around a half hour outside of the Speedway gas station just over the bridge from Cincinnati and you will get a better picture than you would while being carefully guided around by a real estate agent.

you're right, and it sounds like a similar situation to those living in the gentrified areas of downtown. covington and newport are south cincinnati to me. it's just a river i guess .