Is College Hill a good place to live?

[lukyjoe]

I am just here to have a look

[Bigbluelandrover]

Hartwell girl ---Bravo!

I grew up there but moved away in 93'. College Hill has some very nice streets and a very active community group--without that activism NO neighborhood will stay nice!. : )

[Hartwell Girl]

Originally Posted by Bigbluelandrover

Hartwell girl ---Bravo!

I grew up there but moved away in 93'. College Hill has some very nice streets and a very active community group--without that activism NO neighborhood will stay nice!. : )

Have you been back lately to see the changes since 93?
I LOVE my Hartwell but if I had to choose a new neighborhood, College Hill would be it. Hopefully some of those volunteers will show up on this forum to share some better insight.

[Bigbluelandrover]

Hartwell,
Well my mom lives in College Hill. I was last there in May 08'. I will admit I have not been through a lot of the streets since 03'. I think they were fixing the streets up around Hamilton Ave. When I was a teen we used to go see movies at the Hollywood on Hamilton and then walk home. There was a penny candy store on Northbend and a UDF was on Northbend right before you enter Finneytown. I used to walk around that area quite a bit as a kid/teen.

I only left b.c I got married and I don't like Cin Pub schools but I liked College Hill. Especially the homes behind Pleasant Hill elementary. Those homes are all brick, tudor style and charming.

ps. My dad (rip) loves Lees Chicken and we used to drive down to Hartwell every week to get some darn chicken...lol Hartwell has an interresting mix of homes too.

[goyguy]

Visit the neighborhood yourself on a Saturday night around 11, and again on a Sunday around 3 PM. My Saturday/Sunday test works better in warm weather but can still be taken during the winter, particularly the Sunday part. I always suggest to people looking to move to a specific location that they do this first. The activity/noise level at those times is a good indicator of how life is on any given street. You won't see any kids hanging out on corners, if any do around there, in January - naturally - but if noisy house parties are happening on a Saturday night you'll still be able to hear them. And if your Sunday visit is after a snowstorm, you can observe how people are interacting as they shovel out their cars, front sidewalks, etc.
Unless it's too cold on the Sunday, don't hesitate to approach folks going about their business and introduce yourself or selves. People tend to be friendly and honest, in my experience, even if their honesty means they won't wind up being your neighbors.
I echo the sentiments about the bad things concerning College Hill's being said by people who don't live there or visit. The Cedar Ave section brought up by BBLL has had "corner kid" problems going way back. Most adolescents who hang on street corners are simply bored and socializing, but they're perceived as threats by women (who may get unwanted attention from the boys) and "older" people because of their energy and noise level. And, to be sure, there are times when the kids are up to no good. College Hill did undergo a "White flight" phase some 35-40 years ago, but weathered the storm better than many communities. There continues to be race-neutral investment in the neighborhood and a high interest in its quality of life; longtime businesses such as Bacall's restaurant and Angert's Appliances would not have remained on Hamilton Ave had the area "gone downhill." Nor would newer businesses such as College Hill Coffee be there. An excellent indicator of how desirable a community is would be the presence of a bed-and-breakfast, and College Hill has one so there you go.

[badguykc]

Originally Posted by goyguy

Visit the neighborhood yourself on a Saturday night around 11, and again on a Sunday around 3 PM. My Saturday/Sunday test works better in warm weather but can still be taken during the winter, particularly the Sunday part. I always suggest to people looking to move to a specific location that they do this first. The activity/noise level at those times is a good indicator of how life is on any given street. You won't see any kids hanging out on corners, if any do around there, in January - naturally - but if noisy house parties are happening on a Saturday night you'll still be able to hear them. And if your Sunday visit is after a snowstorm, you can observe how people are interacting as they shovel out their cars, front sidewalks, etc.
Unless it's too cold on the Sunday, don't hesitate to approach folks going about their business and introduce yourself or selves. People tend to be friendly and honest, in my experience, even if their honesty means they won't wind up being your neighbors.
I echo the sentiments about the bad things concerning College Hill's being said by people who don't live there or visit. The Cedar Ave section brought up by BBLL has had "corner kid" problems going way back. Most adolescents who hang on street corners are simply bored and socializing, but they're perceived as threats by women (who may get unwanted attention from the boys) and "older" people because of their energy and noise level. And, to be sure, there are times when the kids are up to no good. College Hill did undergo a "White flight" phase some 35-40 years ago, but weathered the storm better than many communities. There continues to be race-neutral investment in the neighborhood and a high interest in its quality of life; longtime businesses such as Bacall's restaurant and Angert's Appliances would not have remained on Hamilton Ave had the area "gone downhill." Nor would newer businesses such as College Hill Coffee be there. An excellent indicator of how desirable a community is would be the presence of a bed-and-breakfast, and College Hill has one so there you go.

Well, goyguy, you pretty much described the town in Northwest Pennsylvania I currently live in with the Cedar Avenue commentary . I'm coming to town here in about 3 weeks, so I'm going to take a look at the house itself, and we'll go from there.

Hartwell Girl, thank you for your insight as well. It's a good thing to see people who care about their city and their neighborhood enough to support it 110% no matter what. I hope my new neighbors, wherever we decide to put down roots in Cincinnati, are like you

[Hartwell Girl]

Originally Posted by badguykc

Hartwell Girl, thank you for your insight as well. It's a good thing to see people who care about their city and their neighborhood enough to support it 110% no matter what. I hope my new neighbors, wherever we decide to put down roots in Cincinnati, are like you

You're welcome, and thank you!
You know you could just move to Hartwell instead
Good luck with your search!