Kennedy Heights - Iris, Dante, Glen, Bantre Avenues? (Cincinnati, Avon: for sale, real estate)

[Emily Hall]

Hello!

Long-time lurker here, finally decided to get on board as I can't seem to find exactly what I'm looking for in other threads. I'm a few years out of college, looking to potentially buy my first home in Cincinnati. I'm looking specifically for information on Kennedy Heights - Iris, Dante, Glen, Bantre Avenues.

I grew up north of the city, and I know just enough about Cincinnati to get myself in trouble (I remember the OTR riots, but I'm relatively uneducated about the quieter neighborhoods) - I've heard very little about Kennedy Heights. Is it a sleepy neighborhood, or just overshadowed?

Thanks!

[motorman]

There's much to be said about this overlooked, benign residential neighborhood that flies below the radar--but then that's exactly why "KH" flies below many people's perceptions; it's so benign (at least where you're referring to, on the west side of Montgomery Rd). In fact, for all purposes, KH may be considered a decent extension of Pleasant Ridge, rather than merely the Ridge's poor cousin to the immediate north. Ideally, eons ago, these two communities really should have been grouped as one, but they weren't.

Right now (if you're willing to confide in such) it would be tremendously helpful if you would reveal more about yourself. (Mind you, nothing more than is routinely shared here by others seeking helpful guidance.) Are you single, married, in a relationship; do you already have family; what will you require as to KH and your job; what are your social/personal requirements in considering such a neighborhood as KH, etc. (very important, all)

As for myself--even though I haven't lived in KH for decades--I don't think it hurts to mention that I not only grew up on Iris Ave (circa 1955-66), but also lived in a house on Bantry Ave (circa 1975-85)--therefore I've acquired credentials to say things about KH that might be of interest to you, both good and bad.

[goyguy]

Out of the streets listed I'm a personal fan of Iris and Bantry the most. This is purely unscientific and based on the curb appeal of their houses. Bantry features many of the brick 1920's 1.5-story bungalows I'm fond of and are also easily found in other neighborhoods from the same era like Westwood and College Hill. These homes were built to last - it'd take tanks to knock 'em down. Their front porches invite sitting outside "in all kinds of weather" during three seasons of the year. Upstairs the master bedrooms with the multi-windowed gable can be massive. Iris is one of the more upscale streets on that side of Montgomery Rd, featuring a Tudor that "knocked my socks off" when it was on the market - briefly - a few years ago. There are also more large single-family dwellings along there than on the other streets in that enclave.

Much like North Avondale, Kennedy Heights has had a "mixed" demographic composition - and kept it - for longer than many sections of town. Other than a firebombed pony keg it stayed largely peaceful during the "excitement" in 2001. But these days most of the diversity is confined to the community's southeast corner that extends out from the Montgomery/Kennedy intersection. Many of the streets elsewhere have become exclusively AA or nearly so. Unless you're Caucasian or otherwise non-Black and, shall we say, "uncomfortable" with that it shouldn't matter. What matters more is, the "crime index" for Kennedy Heights' ZIP code is significantly higher than in abutting Pleasant Ridge and Silverton. There have been shootings, at least one fatal, at or near the park on Kennedy Ave this summer. Not long ago a "crew" of ne'er-do-well kids based on Coleridge Ave went on a spree of burglaries through the neighborhood before getting caught. More likely than not they've long since done their "detention" time. Similar to all too many parts of the city, Kennedy Heights' commercial district is in a sorry state. Little is there except for national-chain retailers that tend to be impervious to their surroundings, such as Auto Zone and Family Dollar. However, the mall sprawl of Kenwood is close at hand. And the Kennedy Heights Arts Center - well-liked among those of artistic inclination and certain political leanings - is poised to expand, perchance to generate an "arts district."

From what I can tell I'm somewhat of a maverick in this forum with my one-person cheerleading squad for Roselawn, another struggling Cincinnati neighborhood with cool houses but also with high-crime pockets and abysmal local retail. I'd place Kennedy Heights in much the same category. There's "potential," with the jury out on whether it'll be realized. The main impediments to progress are poorly-ranked local schools, and a media-fed perception of dangerousness that's only borne out in part. My "city person" take on Kennedy Heights is that it's worthy of a closer look as long as you know what you're getting into. Urban communities have peculiar dynamics. On one street you can have a close-knit bunch of neighbors who do a great job maintaining their homes and keep things safe with their vigilance. Yet on the very next block there could be drug houses and loitering "undesirables." And the twain doth rarely meet.

Do the Saturday/Sunday test, which right now is the ideal time of year for. Take a walk or slow drive through your neighborhood of interest. Allow at least half an hour. Go at nightfall or later on Saturday and in the mid-afternoon on Sunday. Is music blasting from many windows? Are people outside mowing the grass or washing their cars, walking the dog, etc? Do you get a friendly hello, a suspicious or dirty look, or impassive reaction from persons you pass on foot? Are residents interacting, or are they going about their business in silence perhaps with the help of an iPod? The difference between a sociable and welcoming environment and one that's cold and impassive is enough that it'd decisively sway me in terms of whether or not I'd want to buy a home there. And seeing for oneself goes much farther than what any real-estate ad and City-Data contributors can.

[Chemistry_Guy]

I lived in Kennedy Heights for a long time as a kid, and I still am very fond of the neighborhood. There are some wonderful houses and some great streets. My sister just got married at the Kennedy Heights Arts center, and I very nearly bought a house on Rogers Park instead of my current house. I probably would have if my ex-wife hadn't had a problem living in the same neighborhood as my parents. However, I think the biggest downside of the neighborhood is the sketchy commercial development. Compared to Pleasant Ridge, which has restaurants and shops that are actual destinations, Kennedy Heights has Pony Kegs, Pawn Shops, Payday Loan, cell phone, and window tinting shops. This could change in a hurry, but I am not holding my breath.

There is a fair amount of crime in the neighborhood as a whole, but almost all of it happens in a small radius around one street, Northdale Place. When I was in high school I worked at the Kenwood Graeters ice cream shop and I had three co-workers that lived on Northdale. One of them is a great guy who runs a catering business and I still keep in touch with him. One was murdered in Florida, and the third is serving life in prison for aggravated murder. The concentration of poverty, drugs, and violence on that one block is extreme. Fortunately, it is fairly well contained, but it definitely stains the reputation of the neighborhood as a whole.

The northwest side of Montgomery is mostly quiet and safe, however. Iris and Bantry both have some beautiful houses, and the streets are safe and full of joggers, dog walkers, and moms pushing strollers. If you can get past the aggregate crime and make it to Pleasant Ridge for restaurants and shops, Kennedy Heights is a great plae.

[progmac]

i think kennedy heights is one of the great value propositions in the city. the streets are mostly quiet and has some of the most friendly residents in town. there is some poverty in the neighborhood, but for the most part it is middle/working class at its core and somewhat upscale on the fringes, with many hidden houses you'd never find unless you were searching for them.

[kg97]

Those are generally nice, quiet streets. You would be close enough to walk to the library and other shops in P Ridge, if you would want to. Also, HD Beans on Montgomery is a cute little place in Kennedy Heights that you could get to. I love the park/tree/dog run area on Bantry.

There has been an uptick of crime this summer. Not sure why, and it might be we just hear about it more. I would point out that the two murders near KH Park were not random, and while upsetting, the community has rallied to try and stop future incidents. Both KH and P Ridge have fairly active community councils, they are holding "family nights" in KH park, and in general I think residents care enough about their neighborhoods that they will fight tooth and nail to not let things degrade. Both neighborhoods have their issues, but I don't see them going into a downward spiral anytime soon.

[SWOH]

Most of the surrounding area (Pleasant Ridge, Amberley Village, Oakley, Madisonville, etc.) are very nice. I have family in Madisonville and they love it there! Silverton is the only somewhat questionable area that Kennedy Heights is near, and its close proximity probably makes Kennedy Heights' commercial district look more blighted than the neighborhood overall.

Also, an interesting FYI - a Frank Lloyd Wright house across the street from Kennedy Heights in Amberley Village is for sale for $1.79 mil:

Cincinnati Ohio Homes for Sale & Cincinnati Real Estate - Zillow


Good luck!

[progmac]

Originally Posted by OHKID

Most of the surrounding area (Pleasant Ridge, Amberley Village, Oakley, Madisonville, etc.) are very nice. I have family in Madisonville and they love it there! Silverton is the only somewhat questionable area that Kennedy Heights is near, and its close proximity probably makes Kennedy Heights' commercial district look more blighted than the neighborhood overall.

Also, an interesting FYI - a Frank Lloyd Wright house across the street from Kennedy Heights in Amberley Village is for sale for $1.79 mil:

Cincinnati Ohio Homes for Sale & Cincinnati Real Estate - Zillow


Good luck!

Silverton has a bunch of quiet streets and not a terrible business district, including a nice little hardware, 3 or 4 good bars, an ice cream shop, a great pizza place, guitar shop, a piano store, a post office, donut shop (the former pleasant ridge donuts --tear--), and CVS. I know quite a few of 30s singles who own little bungalows there and in deer park. I would say that overall it is at least of good as a neighborhood as K Heights, if not even a little better. But, what is 'better?' Certainly that is anything but objective.

[Chemistry_Guy]

Originally Posted by progmac

Silverton has a bunch of quiet streets and not a terrible business district, including a nice little hardware, 3 or 4 good bars, an ice cream shop, a great pizza place, guitar shop, a piano store, a post office, donut shop (the former pleasant ridge donuts --tear--), and CVS. I know quite a few of 30s singles who own little bungalows there and in deer park. I would say that overall it is at least of good as a neighborhood as K Heights, if not even a little better. But, what is 'better?' Certainly that is anything but objective.

I agree with this. The only "sketchy" part of Silverton is the apartment complex on Stewart just up the hill from the I-71 entrance ramp. Deer park and Silverton are both great places to buy a house in the 90-140K price range IMO.

Kennedy Heights has some wonderful houses, but really lacks a business district compared to P. Ridge, Silverton, Deer Park, or Dillonvale. Kennedy Heights and Madisonville have a lot in common, besides the fact that those are the two places where I grew up.

[motorman]

Hate to mention it, but let's give credit where credit's due. Most certainly, the OP isn't really interested in the communities' business districts, per se, but in the residential aspects of the avenues in question. (IE, what are one's impressions of Iris, Bantry, and Dante in particular?)