Diversity in Cincinnati (Toledo, Dayton, Hamilton: lofts, crime, selling a home)

[Derrick_TheRiskTaker]

I would strongly suggest that you not come to Cincinnati as I think you will regret it. The culture here is not accepting to inter racial couples let alone marriages and if we are it is only in certain areas with a high gay population and since gays generally are more accepting you just might not feel comfortable being a heterosexual couple. Besides that there is never anything to do in this city unless you are part of the good old boys network and want to lick boots for the rest of your life. Being very educated I must admit that this is my last few months here as I know this is not a place I desire to be the rest of my life.

I here white people talk about diversity, but let's be honest! Diversity to whites is something like 20 individuals and hey if you see one black person then they automatically assume they are "being diverse." Kind of like on television the most blacks you ever see are two. Cincinati does not accept other views or cultures unless you are in bed with Republicans or the CEO's. Cincinnati company's do consider race as a factor in employment, trust me I have worked in human resources for major companies and we are trained to spot race!

Have you considered other places such as Atlanta, GA, Charlotte N.C., Savannah, GA?

[zorst]

I got to chime in here. If you don't think Cincinnati is diverse drive up Hamilton Avenue. Start in Northside and drive up Hamilton Avenue. I lived in North College Hill for years. College Hill and North College Hill are probably the most diverse neighborhoods in the country. I can't think of a bar in College Hill or North College Hill where I would feel out of place if it was filled with people of another color.

I was downtown a few years ago at the Coors Light Jazz festival and being white I was called a bunch names. Racism exists everywhere and in all colors of people.

True Story:
Right after (like a week after) the riots I was in my truck waiting on a traffic light in Mt Auburn. A black guy starts yelling that he needs help. I'm leery but crack my window and ask "What's up?"

He tells the situation he's in and I agree to give him a ride to his house. He starts laughing, saying he'd been there awhile, because the only people driving by are white and they are afraid to look at him because he is black. And then he tells this story...

During the riots the rioters on Dorchester Avenue would see a white guy driving along Dorchester and back a car out of a driveway to block his path. They'd then back a car in behind him trapping him. The rioters would pull the guy from his car and beat him up and trash his car. My passenger witnessed this as he was driving the other direction from a white guy who had been trapped. The white guy comes running towards my passenger. My passenger realizes what is going on opens the passenger door of his car and yells "Get In!".

Are you with me? A white guy jumps into a black guy's car to escape! The black guy then jams the transmission into reverse and backs all the way down
the street to escape the hoodlums who had set the trap.
That's just so... Cincinnati.

If you go to the Hamilton County web page you link to some statistics that show diversity of neighboorhoods. I think you might be surprisd at how diverse it really is.

[Derrick_TheRiskTaker]

I am not saying there is no diversity at all in this city. However I am saying that we have alot of work to do and we don't need to stop at just having one or two "other race" of people around us. In order for us to really improve our culture we have to come out of our comfort zones and just try and make the step. African Americans have to do this as well. If we are to really improve and better ourselves this is vital.

[kentucky joe]

I'm a white guy in his early 40's who was born in Cincinnati, grew up in Dayton, OH, moved to Chicago & back, and now live in NoKy. My company is planning to relocate my wife & I to Austin, TX in a few months and we feel like we've won the lottery.

I remember hearing a national radio show out of LA refer to Cincinnati as being in 'the rust belt'. To me, the rust belt was more northern cities like Detroit, Cleveland, Buffalo. The more I look around, the more I see that is accurate. The area is too conservative and moves too slow to market and social changes. The west coast and sun belt is eating its proverbial lunch.

Racial tensions aside - and for the most part, everything I've read in this thread seems to be accurate - there is a serious brain drain in the area and community leaders have mostly failed to do anything about it. Businesses are choosing not to relocate to Cincinnati and existing ones, like my own, are shipping out. My ex-, who was a UC grad with honors and held several good positions in Chicago, was told it'd help if she had some "local" work experience on her resume upon returning, and this advice was doled out by the woman who used to write the Jobs column for the Enquirer!

Folks of all colors are too ingrained in their circles. Drugs and poverty are huge problem with AA's within the city limits - the city has one of lowest home ownership percentages in the country. The city schools are, for the most part, terrible. The police department collectively pouts unless they're given the rights of stormtroopers, which an alarming percentage of the populace supports.

I *never* thought I'd live in Kentucky, it's pretty squeaky clean and white-bred as well but seems to have less drama than what goes on in Ohio. I've greatly missed the melting pot that Chicago was, and my wife & I are tickled to be moving to an infinitely more progressive environment.

What frustrates so many folks is that Cincinnati *could* be a really great city but is unable to get out of 2nd gear. We just returned from visiting family in Columbus and to say that city has rocketed past Cincinnati is a gross understatement. I've always felt Cincinnati has been saddled with a populace that has too much of a small town mindset in the guise of a larger city: too many people don't really want to live in a large city (Westside, I'm looking at you). Increasingly, comparative studies in the local paper put Cincy up against places like Louisville, Indianapolis, Columbus and Lexington instead of Cleevland, Chicago, St. Louis and Detroit. Indy & Columbus used to be considered hick towns in Cincy's wake but too many years in decline have leveled the playing field.

I truly think anyone would be better off elsewhere. For those of you that insist that change will come, know that if there's one thing Cincinnati does poorly is change and as I've said: life's too short to wait for change that may never happen.

Good luck to you.

[Derrick_TheRiskTaker]

^^^and All Of God Children Said...amen!!!

[Bigbluelandrover]

Kentucky Joe

I MUST,MUST,MUST give you a standing ovation for that post. It is so right on that I have tears in my eyes. Cincinnati is so behind it is sad and pathetic. There are a group of young people that are 'trying' to get social groups together downtown (mostly P&G'ers) beside them this town is stuck. Its rare that you hear of any large company coming here with HIGH paying jobs, we get call-centers and plenty of low-end service jobs.

When I was a child in the 70's and 80's it seems like the city was a much better place. Now we have a massive exodus of people and if we don't get new people moving in nothing is going to change because many people here are satisfied with the status quo. Sadly, there isn't much to draw a lot of new talented, educated people here and almost nothing to make young professional people of color stay.(any actually)

[Bigbluelandrover]

Zorst,
I grew up in College Hill and I know very well how that neighborhood is set up racially. Past Hamilton off Cedar it is mostly black. Across from Hamilton (behind Pleasant Hill and near Aiken) it is mostly white. I do like parts of that neighborhood and there are some really nice homes that rival Hyde Park.
I'm interested in what you think true diversity is? Sure we can live next to one another but are you talking about friendships? Neighbors looking out for one another? Children playing together (and going to school together peacefully?). You do know that the public schools in those areas are 90+ % black and that Catholic schools abound with the children of the white residents. Yes, I realize that the quality of CPS is a pressing reason but why didn't those parents stick around and fight for good schools (like they DO in suburbia)?
I am not challenging you but offering to engage in a conversation that I know we would not have in person!.

[Derrick_TheRiskTaker]

I really thing it is so sad when people who live and grow up in a city decide to leave or become frustrated to the point of leaving. City officials are not doing anything to keep young professionals in the city nor do they actually engage young professionals conersation about ways to make this city better. As far as P&G I guess I cannot tolerate the culture the company has especially when it comes to diversity and other races. Many executives assume that every black person just have to be "taught" or mentored.

Maybe when people stop living in a fantasy world and think critically will Cincinnati be back on track. I will not and cannot spend the rest of my life trying to change this place.

[mortgageguyKY]

I lived in Cincinnati for 9 years and myself was a member of "the exodus" in 2005. the 2 things is miss: Skyline Chili and LaRosa's pizza. I sold my house in Hamilton County for probably $10,000 more that I would get for it today. There is diversity but that's doesnt mean there is harmony. Just because Forest Park, Springdale, College Hill, North College Hill have a higher aftrican-american population does not mean Cincinnati has any true FUNCTIONAL diversity. the suburbs that make up Hamilton County are very divided---Hyde Park and Madisonville may be geographically close to one another but if anybody tries to tell you they have demographic similarities you must be kidding. I fit in well in on the west side....why? because I am caucasian and catholic. I still get FOX19 and Local12 news on cable, watching them makes me not miss Cincinnati

[Bigbluelandrover]

mortgage ...where did you move to?

When one truly moves away from here your eyes open to things that happen here. When I speak on diversity I ask where are the Italian families? Polish? Russian, French, Puerto Rican, Cubans? All I see mostly are black/white/hispanic/arab and a few asian families... True diversity is when all of these families live on one block and the community watches out for one another regardless of race.