relocating to cinci! (Mason, London, Somerset: transplants, apartments, health insurance)

[londontocinci]

hello all!!
will prob be moving to cinci (from uk) as job relocation
have 2 small children so wanted to know about what areas are good, safe, u know the usual that people ask about!!
i've researched on Mason as it seems rather nice!!!
just wanted to say that we are 'indian' (east Asian) and was wondering how 'race relations are'...please be honest!!! coming from London uk, it's cosmopolitan so we haven't been in the receiving end of any racism, weird looks etc etc!!

any other areas we should consider?
thanks for all your input in advance!!!!!!

[jlrosen]

I would recomend Gaslight Clifton, very nice houses, diverse safe and walkable. Mason has very very little diversity 95% white.

[Joe 4520832257]

On one hand, Mason (and the surrounding suburbs) could be great for you because it's wealthy, safe, and has reasonably good schools. There are more transplants from other parts of the country, so people will be more used to Indians. Indeed, I happen to see more Indians at the CostCo in Deerfield Township (near Mason) than anywhere else in the city.

However, Mason is NOT cosmopolitan. At all. The social culture is rather monolithic, everything is an endless suburb. Big houses and strip malls. You have to drive long distances to get anywhere. You'd have to drive 20 miles into town for most high-brow cultural activies.

Nothing in Cincy is going to be like London, obviously. But you'll have to live much closer to town if you want anything approximating cosmopolitan.

I guess it depends on your full criteria (i.e. what's more important, cosmopolitan or schools?) The more info you give, the more helpful advice people will be able to give back.

[londontocinci]

Thank you so much for your replies
Schools are definitely more important for sure! We don't mind a city not being cosmopolitan but we would wish to hope that cinci should be accepting to outsiders' so that our children (and us!) would not feel out of place!
Just wondering, what's the average health insurance costs for a family of 5? and monthly utility bills for a family of 5/5bedroom house?

Sorry for the questions! but i'm so glad that i've found this webpage!! again, thank you so much for your input in advance!!!!

[londontocinci]

what is the house tax like there in cinci?

[fluorescent]

I agree with jlrosen that you should check out gaslight Clifton. There is a fairly large Indian population in the neighborhood and there are Indian restaurants and an Indian grocery store. The neighborhood is also very safe, walkable. and there is a sense of community and people take real pride in the neighborhood. IF you have enough money, the neighborhood has some of the most beautiful old houses in the city.

There are a few negatives. You would have to pay to send your kids to a private school for a good education, but the private schools in the area are really great and would probably be more diverse than the schools your kids would go to in Mason. While the gaslight area is really safe, the surrounding area is not. Mason is made up almost entirely of families, which might be something you would like, whereas clifton gaslight has families, students, young professionals, etc.. Also, on average, houses have much bigger yards in Mason.

[jlrosen]

Gaslight Clifton has a bi-lingual magnet school that is very good and the kids can go to SCPA or Walnut Hills, the best public high school in the region

[Kelfly1]

We lived in temporary housing in Mason for three months recently (Somerset at Deerfield apartments across the street from Walmart). It is an extremely large complex and appeared to have a large Indian population living there (at least 1/3 of the tennants at that time, or so it appeared), adults and children. Therefore, I would think that the Mason schools would have an Indian population also...

[londontocinci]

Thank you Kelfly1, Jlrosen and Flourescent for your replies!
I am so glad this forum exists!

[Marissa Larma]

Greetings-

I am thinking about selling our beautiful historic gaslight district home and wanted to recommend the neighborhood. It is a nice, cosmopolitan area that has plenty of walking amenities -- grocery, movie theater, cultural arts through the university and a large park. This is the neighborhood for outsiders as it boasts the most transplants given proximity to universities and hospitals. The bilingual Fairview school is great, too.

If interested I can send pictures and price for home along.

I really wouldn't get stuck in the suburbs-- you'll spend your life in your car. I have lived in Europe, India and Latin America. The midwest is very, very different.

Hope this helps and best of luck!