Downtown Living (Cincinnati: crime, safe area, living in)

[Joe 4520832257]

Well, that's just a term I was trying to use to distinguish the Central Business District from OTR.

Basically, here are the very general boundaries. (You can open up maps.google.com and it will give you a good idea).

Downtown/CBD - South of Central Parkway. Very safe. Mostly offices, but a lot of good residential mixed in.

Over-the-Rhine - North of Central Parkway. Lots of redevelopment. Still gritty and rundown with some bad elements. It's a great neighborhood with amazing potential, but you have to be the right kind of person to tolerate the continuing transition. South of Liberty is generally much nicer than North of Liberty. Here's a map: File:Over-the-rhine-map.jpg - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. I love OTR, but to be perfectly honest, I think it would still scare most suburbanites to death.

West End - West of Central Ave. A mix of nasty public housing projects and a much nicer mixed-income townhome project. I'm not sure what to think of the West End.

Based on your first post, I would also strongly suggest Mt. Adams. If you're not familiar with Mt. Adams by now, you absolutely need to take a drive up the hill and see it. It's not downtown, but you're right in the heart of things.

[goyguy]

"Downtown proper" is generally defined by the rectangular area bounded on the west by Central Ave, on the north by Central Parkway, on the east by Broadway, and on the south by Fort Washington Way (I-71 where it branches from 75 headed north.) Here's the Cincinnati mnenomic for remembering the order of the north-south streets downtown:
Big (Broadway)
Strong (Sycamore St)
Men (Main St)
Will (Walnut St)
Very (Vine St)
Rarely (Race St)
Eat (Elm St)
Pork (Plum St)
Chops (Central Ave)
No one knows who originated that, but I use it all the time!
It's easy to remember the order of the streets which run west to east, 'cause they're numbered - LOL. There is no 1st St, there may be pieces left of 2nd St but that's where Ft Washington Way was built. Part of West 8th is known as Garfield Place. Then what would be 10th St is called Court St, and Central Parkway replaces 11th St in name. 12th, 13th, and 14th St's are in OTR. The numbered streets end after that - Liberty St is what'd be 15th.
All of Hamilton County's addresses are numbered according to this system:
North-south streets' numbers start at the river, with even numbers on the east side.
West-east streets' numbers begin at Vine St (known as Springfield Pike outside the city) and then at Congress Ave in Glendale and Princeton Pike in Springdale, with even numbers on the north side.
The blocks immediately north of Central Parkway have been dubbed the Gateway District. More accurately, it's the DMZ between downtown and you-know-where. I, hard-core city kid Goyguy, get an uneasy feeling in that area and don't like to linger. On the sidewalks you mainly see down-and-out people (AA for the most part, but not entirely) trudging along or loitering while White yuppies and artsy types sip wine and nibble "creative cuisine" at places like Lavomatic. For every refurbished building complete with flapping banners in front you have a raggedy one. Definitely a "transitional" area, and not only in the sense of lying between two distinct parts of town.
When I was last in Cincy in person, at the end of last year, there were "for rent" signs in front of the Shillito lofts. My dad and I agree that the Queen City doesn't have a major population of the kind of people who go for that sort of living arrangement (unlike on the coasts.) Also a factor is that the units tended to be overpriced when they were first built - and still are. So it may be worth considering that buildings such as that one could have social stratification in effect that no number of landlord-hosted soirees can undo. I think I'd naturally resent it if I'd bought into a development which ended up as partially tenant-occupied. That does a number on resale values. OTOH there are other similar buildings which were intended to be apartments from the beginning. Definitely inquire into that aspect when you're shopping around.
Being able to walk to work, or to easily catch a bus to many other parts of the city, is a huge selling point of living downtown. The principal down side is that there is NO place for major grocery shopping. I love Findlay Market (doesn't everybody? Well...) But it's a hike which isn't very smart to make on the return trip when you're loaded down with purchases and presenting an easy target. When and if the streetcar line is built that won't be an issue. At this rate the trolleys will probably be clattering along no sooner than about 2017, though.
If having to make "Krogering" a major expedition well thought out in advance isn't an obstacle, I'd say "Go for it."

[Cincy-Rise]

^ Go ahead ... try getting an apartment now. Guarantee in won't be in the Shillito. Last time I checked, then entire building was almost leased out.

[jstn]

Originally Posted by Cincy-Rise

^ Go ahead ... try getting an apartment now. Guarantee in won't be in the Shillito. Last time I checked, then entire building was almost leased out.

If it was almost all leased out...then wouldn't that mean that he could get an apartment?

[Cincy-Rise]

Originally Posted by jstn

If it was almost all leased out...then wouldn't that mean that he could get an apartment?

True. lol ...

Go ahead, call ... report back here what they've said.

[flash3780]

Originally Posted by Cincy-Rise

^ Go ahead ... try getting an apartment now. Guarantee in won't be in the Shillito. Last time I checked, then entire building was almost leased out.

I lived at the Shillito Lofts. It was a cool building - it's a converted department store (with a basketball court, a giant atrium, and a great staff), but unfortunately the walls between adjacent apartments are soooper doooper thin. It's like your neighbors are in the room with you. The staff is probably the best apartment management around, but there's not much they can do. I'd recommend trying to get into the Gramarcy or the Greenwich instead - since they're owned by the same company, you have access to all of the same amenities.

[new_to_town]

I posted a reply but don't see it here. So if this goes twice, my apologies.

I live in a renovated apartment building on 4th in between Central and Plum - but not 4th & Plum apartments.

As far as safety, this quadrant (the SW) is the safest in downtown to live. I used to have a dog and walked him all hours of the night and felt fine (I am also used to city living). I used to run along the riverfront in the early mornings before daylight and was always fine doing that as well.

If you live downtown though, make sure you have parking. My friends all know what I mean when I say I had to pay my latest "I live downtown tax" (parking tickets).

Also, the proximity to the interstate gives this place too much traffic noise.

I like living downtown a lot but am going to move... if it wasn't for lack of parking, traffic noise, and wanting more places to run/bike, I would continue living here. Everywhere else in town just feels too "suburb-y".

[Cincy-Rise]

Originally Posted by flash3780

I lived at the Shillito Lofts. It was a cool building - it's a converted department store (with a basketball court, a giant atrium, and a great staff), but unfortunately the walls between adjacent apartments are soooper doooper thin. It's like your neighbors are in the room with you. The staff is probably the best apartment management around, but there's not much they can do. I'd recommend trying to get into the Gramarcy or the Greenwich instead - since they're owned by the same company, you have access to all of the same amenities.

I lived there too... 2.5 years. The Gramercy and Greenwich are too suburban, no character at all... but I hear you on Towne Properties lease management, THE BEST I've ever worked with.

[new_to_town]

I've heard that about Towne Properties as well - that they are good. I had thought (and sometimes still do) about getting an apartment more in that area of downtown, to be farther from the interstate, alleviate my parking situation, and also be a bit closer to the Y and the main library. Also I like the live music they have in Piatt Park in the spring/summer, as well as the free wireless available there. Before I had a larger dog so couldn't really do it. Hmmmm...

[jlrosen]

bordered by Central Ave, Central Pkwy, Eggleston, River