Relocating- any neighborhoods we're overlooking?

[MrFancy]

Thanks, that's great advice. Will definitely check out College Hill next time we're in town.

[Curlygurl]

How urban do you want to be? Clifton certainly offers everything you've mentioned, but keep in mind that the University of Cincinnati is nearby. If you don't like the students in Oxford, you may not like them in Clifton, either. Many UC students choose to rent apartments in that area.

If you're looking a little further out, you may want to try the bedroom community of Blue Ash. This is an affordable, walkable community that still has a downtown, some great non-chain restaurants, and a nice city park that offers regular festivals throughout the year, especially in the summer.

Another bedroom community you might want to look at is Lebanon. Lebanon is in Warren County and is a small town, however does not shut down in the summer the way Oxford does. Lebanon still has a great historic neighborhood close to its downtown, where there are some fun places to check out. It's also a very walkable city and is big enough not to "know everyone"

Lebanon and Blue Ash both offer easy access to 71. Blue Ash offers access to the bus (not sure about Lebanon) and Lebanon is only about 45 min from Oxford.

Another option you might think about is looking at the city of Hamilton. This city has had some problems with crime and the schools are not good there, but it has great architecture and some really unique shops. Hamilton is not far from Oxford at all, but may be a little far to commute every day into Cincy.

One point, though, is that I agree with the poster who said that unless you're going to a REDS game, why go downtown. IMHO, most of the best shopping and dining is located away from the city, perhaps due to the fact that many people no longer feel comfortable going downtown. Except for the museums and zoo, I rarely find myself there.

If you weren't focused on Oxford, I might reccomend checking out Northern KY, maybe Newport, as it has seen tremendous growth, and there is a lot to do there.

Cincinnati has a lot of great neighborhoods, but it can be hard to weed them out from the ones that have been lost to urban decay.

Good luck!

[goyguy]

Quite true, there's a world of choices out there. The "weeding out" also has to happen within communities. Entire localities like Price Hill and Woodlawn get written off because one section gets a bad rap. That's what makes home hunting, particularly within a city, the challenge that it is.

Places like Lebanon, West Chester, etc work for folks who are after the suburban experience. What I like about Lebanon is, it's an old town that's kept a vibrant central retail district despite the malls and "lifestyle centers" which are proliferating in the vicinity. You can also choose a gingerbread Victorian bungalow over an oversized 4-BR subdivision house if that's what you're after. But the impression given by the TO was that they wanted city life with all that entails.

A separate, active thread concerning downtown Cincinnati ought to be consulted before all the talk of "discomfort" and "staying away" gets taken to heart.

[aquila]

A problem with the Cincinnati area involves road configurations. Aside from Colerain Avenue/US 27, there is no real direct high-traffic, wide thoroughfare that goes to Oxford from the core of the city. Because of the topography and the way the neighborhoods were plotted in the early years, you can't really have a continuously straight, wide road that doesn't break for a curve, hill, or traffic light every 200 feet. If you want to be within a reasonable commute to Oxford, while still living in a decent part of Cincinnati that offers what the OP is truly look for, it's really not a happening thing.

Bottom line: Deal with a commute of probably at least 35 minutes to Oxford (if not longer) and be near a lively, nice business district within Cincinnati....or live closer to Oxford and drive to a nice business district of your choosing. (Are you really going to be out every evening?) Heck, I live in West Chester and it takes me 35 minutes to get to Oxford, because I have to drive 7 miles to cut through Hamilton and then another 15-mile stretch through the country to get there. If you live in West Hamilton - the nicer section of the city - you'll still be close enough to an "urban" business district and some unique shops, but still within a 15-minute drive of Oxford. Ehhh on the restaurant/entertainment thing, but it's enough of a "business district" atmosphere that you wouldn't feel stuck in the country away from anything to do. Oxford does have Music in the Park every Thursday evening during the warmer months, and it's right in the heart of Uptown.