Moving to Cincy, Need Apartment/Neighborhood Advice (Cincinnati, Dayton: hardwood floors, apartments)

[LewisM]

I will start a new job at Miami University in Oxford this coming August and need some advice about housing and neighborhoods. I'm hoping to find a 1 or 2 bedroom apartment in Oxford, but I realize that the kind of apartment and neighborhood I prefer may not be available in plentiful supply there, so I'm also looking in Cincinnati.

I'm 45, in the performing arts, and moving from DC. I prefer neighborhoods with 30- and 40-something professionals, either urban or suburban, with good grocery shopping, and parking that's not too difficult. A nearby park would be great, too. I'm hoping to find something with high ceilings and hardwood floors.

I've heard about Hyde Park and might just end up there. But, I'm hoping there's something closer to Oxford.

Any ideas? Thanks. Lewis.

[wilson1010]

You can't commute from Hyde PArk to Miami U. Much as we'd like to have you here, it can't be done. Stick with Oxford.

[unusualfire]

Of course he could commute, but it will take about 40 mins.

[wilson1010]

It would take about 40 minutes on a nice Sunday afternoon. In the rain on a Monday or a Friday it will take an hour and a half.

[rrtechno]

If you want to get away from the college kids, you might check out some areas in Hamilton.

[aquila]

Originally Posted by wilson1010

You can't commute from Hyde PArk to Miami U. Much as we'd like to have you here, it can't be done. Stick with Oxford.

Correction. It can't be done easily. I do agree it would take about 40+ minutes on a good day, no traffic. I lived in Oakley and it took 55 minutes most of the time when I went up there. Heck, even now from where I live in West Chester, it takes 35+ minutes.

[LewisM]

That does sound like a long commute, probably too long for me. Any rental or neighborhood advice about Hamilton? Or, maybe there are places other than Hamilton that might cut the commute down to 30 minutes? North College Hill or Northside?

[aquila]

Originally Posted by LewisM

I will start a new job at Miami University in Oxford this coming August and need some advice about housing and neighborhoods. I'm hoping to find a 1 or 2 bedroom apartment in Oxford, but I realize that the kind of apartment and neighborhood I prefer may not be available in plentiful supply there, so I'm also looking in Cincinnati.

I'm 45, in the performing arts, and moving from DC. I prefer neighborhoods with 30- and 40-something professionals, either urban or suburban, with good grocery shopping, and parking that's not too difficult. A nearby park would be great, too. I'm hoping to find something with high ceilings and hardwood floors.

I've heard about Hyde Park and might just end up there. But, I'm hoping there's something closer to Oxford.

Any ideas? Thanks. Lewis.

I really doubt if you'll find something around the Oxford area that has high ceilings and hardwood floors. Most apartments in Oxford cater to the college crowds, so they are primarily in complexes in which you have to pay by the semester, not monthly. If you were looking to buy a house, I'd say it would be easier because there are some great older homes up there. The town has a great ambiance...somewhat liberal, and pretty active for a small town. Hueston Woods State Park is closeby, so you'd not have anything to worry about there. Plus, it's not all college-aged kids up there. My brother lives there, and he's almost 47 - as well as my sister-in-law's family, all in their 40s.

As I said, the down side is trying to find the kind of apartment you're looking for. The unfortunate truth is that the most likely place you'll find that is indeed in the Cincinnati core itself, which would mean a major commute to Oxford on a daily basis. My brother used to work in Blue Ash, and he left because he was sick of the drive everyday. He now works at Miami U.

It's remotely possible you could find something in Hamilton, or Fairfield in a fourplex. You'd really have to dig around, as well as make sure it's in a good neighborhood. (I could help you with that.) Parks aren't really the strong focus of Hamilton, though. I live in West Chester, and you'd have better access to parks around here. I'd recommend coming here, except you're still going to run into the issue of not finding many apartments with hardwood floors and high ceilings. Apartments in WC are mostly in complexes. Fairfield provides a better chance, and Harbin Park is there...nice park, too.

If you really need to be in the Cincinnati core, maybe consider Wyoming. Still a bit of a commute, but not nearly as long as it would be from Hyde Park.

[aquila]

Originally Posted by LewisM

That does sound like a long commute, probably too long for me. Any rental or neighborhood advice about Hamilton? Or, maybe there are, other than Hamilton, that might cut the commute down to 30 minutes? North College Hill or Northside?

Need to be careful of North College Hill to be sure you'd be in a good neighborhood. Not sure how many professionals are there, though. Still a 40 minute drive. Northside's a consideration where you'd have a better shot at finding the kind of apartment you want, but again you'll be facing a long daily commute as it's even farther south than NCH....about 45-50 minutes to Oxford.

I really think your best bet would be to look at Fairfield. It's possible Hamilton might have something, as I said...try the West Side, particularly in the Rossville Historic District, or perhaps Dayton Street on the northeast side of downtown. Sanders is a possibility, too, but there really aren't many older buildings over there that would have high ceilings and hardwood floors. With Hamilton, it's hit or miss, and depends on how far you want to go to access a park. Joyce Park is close, and Harbin isn't that far from Hamilton, either. Not exactly walking distance, but still. Plus, you can walk along the Great Miami River. Anything much more than that and you'll be driving to Hueston Woods or elsewhere.

[wilson1010]

Originally Posted by LewisM

That does sound like a long commute, probably too long for me. Any rental or neighborhood advice about Hamilton? Or, maybe there are places other than Hamilton that might cut the commute down to 30 minutes? North College Hill or Northside?

Good choice. Its almost exactly 40 miles so no one is going to do it at rush hour in less than an hour. Who needs that. In fact, how can you sign on for 30 minutes of commute. That is intolerable. It will drive you nuts. 15 minutes is too long.

And, why do you need plentiful apartments in Oxford. You only need one, right? And, Oxford is a nice little town with charm all over the place. I would live in Oxford in a heartbeat. Why look in someplace where you might have a 30 minute commute. The cost of commuting will offset any financial savings and unless you live in Hyde Park or Clifton or the City, you will be in no-man's land anyway. Go to Oxford and come and visit on the weekends. I guess you could commute from Clifton on a good day in about 45 minutes though.

In the interest of full disclosure, I do have a friend who is a faculty member and commutes from the Betts Longworth houses to Miami. I think he's nuts.