Chicago to Cincinnati relocation, with kids (Kent, Mason: appointed, houses, neighborhood)

[Hartwell Girl]

Wyoming was my first thought when I read the OP but then saw the commute time I didnt post, but, it does have great schools, old victorian homes, and a walkable neighborhood. Good luck on your hunt!

[The Don]

Can't believe you would contemplate such a move. Finding a house will be the least of your concerns.

[Allen40]

Originally Posted by The Don

Can't believe you would contemplate such a move. Finding a house will be the least of your concerns.

Would you mind elaborating? Are you a fan of Chicago, anti-Cincinnati, or is it something else? What do you think would be the biggest challenges with such a move? Thanks.

[The Don]

Chicago is such a vibrant town - so much to see and do with a very effective transportation system, museums, great restaurants, fascinating ethnic neighborhoods, a selection of (winning) sports teams.

I can only see a big culture shock moving to a second rate city.

On the other side, we (Cincinnati) DO have somewhat better climate.

[jlawrence01]

Originally Posted by The Don

Chicago is such a vibrant town - so much to see and do with a very effective transportation system, museums, great restaurants, fascinating ethnic neighborhoods, a selection of (winning) sports teams.

Also, an extremely high cost of living, ridiculous amount of traffic, and unfriendly people.

[lakefront]

Wyoming or Mariemont, without question, if you want smaller schools. Have your realtor show you around both these areas. Otherwise check out the Blue Ash/Montgomery areas. For the sake of your kids, living in any of these neighborhoods/school districts would make your commute to the airport worthwhile. I know for a fact that a number of P&G upper level management / scientists / attorneys live in Wyoming and go in and out of CVG weekly, so it can be done.

Tip top of the line in greater Cinci is Indian Hill, but that's usually only if you've got the $$$ for an estate. Still, you might check if it was your lucky day and something in your price range happened to be on the market.

Wyoming does have a very organized and vocal Jewish population... The other areas I mentioned have some stronger Christians. Though all are mixed bags, and if you're not particularly religious it won't matter. Lovely is Wyoming is, it's surrounded by some awful areas, and residents sometimes call it "the island." Mariemont or Blue Ash will put you closer to more upscale restaurants, shopping, etc.

Some brief school profiles from the local news:

Wyoming HS:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jt0P1LV4bZU

Mariemont:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Mi4wLt-DPs

Indian Hill:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BxYOz5KkbQc

Couldn't find Sycamore HS...

[CincyExpert]

Originally Posted by lakefront

Lovely is Wyoming is, it's surrounded by some awful areas, and residents sometimes call it "the island." Some brief school profiles from the local news:

I think many people would consider Finneytown, Hartwell, Lockland and Woodlawn far from "awful" areas (Lincoln Heights can be a bit rough, but the crime rarely spills into Wyoming).

[Gerri Ann]

Originally Posted by Allen40

We have 2 kids in elementary school and are looking for a house in an area with great public schools, ideally walkable with nearby restaurants / coffee shop(s). Price range is $400K - $550K. Older homes preferred. I will work in N Ky, near the airport, and am ok with a 30 minute-ish commute. I am considering looking in N Ky as well, but would like to check out a couple nice areas on the Ohio side. Any thoughts or suggestions? Thanks!

I would also highly recommend Montgomery. While I love the link to Cincy magazine that was sent to you, Montgomery's website is awesome - it received an award for being the best website in cities with a population of less than 60K - and Montgomery's population is right at 10K!

www.montgomeryohio.org

Welcome to Cincinnati!

[Hartwell Girl]

[quote=lakefront;8715907]
Lovely is Wyoming is, it's surrounded by some awful areas, and residents sometimes call it "the island."
quote]

As a Hartwell resident--I find this post upsetting. People can down play the areas around Wyoming as much as they want, and I will agree that Hartwell and other neighborhoods may not be as "well to do" as Wyoming but we still have a nice homes and families in Hartwell. We have beautiful old victorians and great variety of other homes built in the 30's. As a matter of fact I would like to point out that I can take you to about 8 problem homes in Hartwell which are owned by Wyoming residents as rentals. THOSE rental properties are what affect neighborhoods perceptions in a negative manner. Our neighborhood is safe, and has just as many business, school, and recreation development going on as Wyoming does. I apologize but I really dont like to hear about Wyoming and what they think about the areas around them, when they affect OUR neighborhood negatively.

[dmerkow]

Don't necessary dismiss NKY out of hand. Villa Hills, parts of Lakeside Park, Crestview Hills, Fort Mitchell are all quite nice, and very close to CVG. Beechwood Schools are basically competitive with any Ohio district. The Catholic schools in NKY are every bit the equal of Cincinnati as well.