City West (Cincinnati, Dayton, Findlay: apartments, rent, lofts)

[IUrebekah3RT]

Hi! I am moving from Indianapolis to Cincinnati the first week of November.
(FYI: I am a single white female, age 25. Working at Cincinnati Childrens Hospital) Ive read a little online about a new part of town called City West? The apartment website says its on the corner of Linn and Clark. Does anyone know anything about this part of town? Is it nice? Crime? Safety? The pictures online look really great, and the rent is definately lower than downtown. Any information on this part of town would be appreciated.

Thank You.
~Rebekah~

[goyguy]

"City West" was constructed after a large-scale demolition of public housing in Cincinnati's West End. The intention is for it to be a "mixed income" community: some of the former "project" residents were given rent-subsidy vouchers so that they could move back into their onetime neighborhood. I recommend against moving in there, and here's why:

Not all of the public housing was removed from the vicinity, and a lot of nearby streets are still lined with decrepit buildings from 100 or so years ago. One of Cincinnati's "last resort" district high schools, Taft, remains on Ezzard Charles Dr. There's continual drug dealing going on along with frequent shootings. A "ghetto Kroger" on Vine St - a half-mile or so away - is the nearest supermarket, while the renowned and beloved Findlay Market (see separate recent thread) isn't a whole lot closer. Matter of fact, the only notable things within a short walking distance are Music Hall and a district police station. If you want to dress to the nines for a CSO concert and make that walk, good luck to you.

The city neighborhood bounded on the west and south by Central Parkway - Over-the-Rhine, aka OTR - had been the "first stop" for new arrivals starting a new life in America initially, then in Cincinnati farther down the line. When the first wave of German immigrants moved up financially and out physically, they were replaced first by Appalachian and rural Midwestern people drawn to the city by lucrative manufacturing jobs, and soon thereafter by AA Southerners who'd headed north for the same reasons. During most of the mid-20th Century, and on into the '70s and early '80s, the community was fairly "integrated," with poverty the uniting factor. Since then OTR has had a primarily Black population, supplemented by some "urban pioneer" Whites who set up shop during the dot-com boom and moved into apartments or lofts close by. This principally occurred on the eastern fringe of the neighborhood along Sycamore and Main St's, where an entertainment district gamely persists even as business operators and patrons are often robbed and occasionally murdered. The gentrification crowd is also attempting to sink roots immediately north of Central Parkway, "rebranding" that patch of OTR the Gateway District and opening up apartment/condo buildings in former factories, warehouses, etc as well as in the onetime Emory Auditorium. Some businesses such as a natural-foods grocer and the place-to-be-seen-wannabe Lavomatic restaurant have opened. The primary catalyst for all the activity is the relocation to OTR of the Cincinnati Art Academy, and the start of construction on a brand-new School for the Creative and Performing Arts (the Cincinnati public school which is one of the few "magnet schools" in the district to be an ongoing and unqualified success.)

Similarly, there are those who believe that the West End will take off as a new and happening place to live in and visit...eventually. North of City West, efforts have been ongoing to maintain and restore the neighborhood around York and Dayton St's - west of Central Parkway - as a historic district. Many of the 1880's brick row houses are still standing if in deplorable condition; occasionally, a movie which calls for an urban setting from that period will be filmed there. Some artistic types, always the first wave of community "discoverers" lol, are establishing their studios and galleries thereabouts and just up the street in what remains of Brighton (a small enclave largely destroyed by the construction of I-75.)

But again, my vote is against your setting up housekeeping in City West. OTR has been famously resistant to all attempts at reducing crime and poverty, and the West End is new to that game. If you like the idea of a new or almost-new living space, look no farther than the Stetson Square development at Eden Ave and MLK Dr. It's a gated apartment/townhome community within sight of the medical area, best not ventured far from on foot either but mere minutes from Children's Hospital.

[jlrosen]

"OTR has been famously resistant to all attempts at reducing crime and poverty,"

OTR has seen double digit drops in crime the past several years, and wasn't even in the top five higehst crime neighborhoods last year (or maybe the year before, can't remember)

[The Don]

I don't know what your housing budget is but... NO WAY! Look in the newspaper for roommate if you must -- but keep looking!

[ali00]

Are you still looking for places to live? I wouldn't necessarily move to City West. It is not a safe walk to downtown. If you want cheaper than downtown, look in the Gateway Quarter in Over the Rhine or even Ludlow Street in Clifton (a 5 minute drive away) and in a very walkable neighborhood. City West is a little depressing and if you want to be able to walk to the grocery, I would look elsewhere.

[citywestresident]

City West is a nice community if you take out the drugs, crime, resident drama, and horrible Management. They dont care about you or you issues, they care about collecting rent. There are a few people that are great in the office, The white lady that takes rent is always really nice. Rhett is really nice and always willing to help but the upper management just doesnt care. The receptionist is HORRIBLE and is always doing anything and everything except her job. Its just a mess. I do not reccommend this property until someone gets it cleaned up!!! -Unhappy City West Resident

[austiNati]

City West is a neighborhood I could just never understand.

1.) You tear down the public housing (leaving a vast lot of an asphalt ocean) and then simply construct TOWNHOMES in that empty space, with absolutley no filler, nothing to do, and no where to walk

2.) Why would you build townhouses downtown? (Townhouses don't belong downtown, thats for other neighborhoods). If they were smart they could have built high rise condo's with street level retail and fully connected it to Music hall, Elementz, The Dance hall and other venues iin the area. This would also save space and allow for more people to live in that area (Newports Ovation project would look awesome there)

3.) I don't know how sucessful they've been, but why would people all of the sudden flock to this oasis of new housing in the decrepid west end. You have to fix an entire area, not a half quare mile of it. It's like sprawl in the middle of an urban neighborhood

[goyguy]

Originally Posted by citywestresident

City West is a nice community if you take out the drugs, crime, resident drama, and horrible Management. They dont care about you or you issues, they care about collecting rent. There are a few people that are great in the office, The white lady that takes rent is always really nice. Rhett is really nice and always willing to help but the upper management just doesnt care. The receptionist is HORRIBLE and is always doing anything and everything except her job. Its just a mess. I do not reccommend this property until someone gets it cleaned up!!! -Unhappy City West Resident

WELCOME to City-Data, I'm hoping you'll stick around! Firsthand info is always best.
Speaking of sticking around, I wonder how many "pioneers" who moved into City West are doing that today. I noticed this year that it'd been taken out of the big Downtown/OTR home tour. Not a good sign. And it's rumored that the development has not yet achieved full occupancy - after how many years?
At least y'all have a Richie's, lol, but nobody can live on fried chicken and fish all the time.