East walnut hills? (Cincinnati, Fairfield, Loveland: sales, apartment, crime)

[nomad2950]

Is this a good negiboorhood to live in for young professional. Free of major crime isues?

[goyguy]

That's one of those fairly typical urban neighborhoods where you're on a street where nothing happens one minute, then in hard-core inner city the next. The approximate boundary between the "good" (east) section of Walnut Hills and the "bad" is along Victory Pkwy and then Madison Rd. East is where you'll find bona fide mansions in the area towards Hyde Park, high-rises vying for the best views of Eden Park and the river, and quiet blocks with Victorian houses + duplexes + small "brick box" apartment buildings. De Sales Corner, named for St Francis de Sales Church (Madison Rd and Woodburn Ave) is one of Cincinnati's prime gentrifying pockets. There's where you can find the boutiques, coffee shops, and of-the-moment bars + restaurants typical of such places.
As far as safety is concerned, I wouldn't walk Victory Pkwy at night on a bet, or along any of the streets west of the unofficial boundary line. Madison Rd has never been all that dangerous and has only gotten better. But no wise person would stray far off Madison to the north until Fairfield Ave or so. In the blink of an eye, Walnut Hills transitions into Evanston in that direction - never quite as well-off and now far less so. The makeup of the population also shifts from "diverse" to essentially all AA, which shouldn't be a problem but for some of all shades could present one. The small portion of Evanston where Gilbert Ave's name changes to Montgomery Rd has seen far more than its share of shootings and drug busts, OTOH most of the other streets are pretty calm and more or less well-kept.
The main inconvenience of East Walnut Hills is the lack of nearby major necessity shopping. You'd have the choice of a Kroger's along East McMillan St in the heart of "ghetto" Walnut Hills, or Meijer and Target in the big-box collection along I-71 in Oakley called "Center of Cincinnati," or the Rookwood and Hyde Park Plaza shopping centers. None of these are viable options without a car.
The major selling point of the neighborhood, besides the awesome river views and beautiful Eden Park, is its nearness to many things: Downtown, UC and Xavier, the medical area, and I-71. Whether you'd want to live there really boils down to how much of a "city person" you perceive yourself as being.

[jlawrence01]

That is a really good analysis, LIKE USUAL.

I have to admit that I was surprised at the extent to which the western portion of Walnut Hills has deteriorated in the past 20-30 years ago. Stay east of DeSales Corner and you should not have many problems.

[wilson1010]

Originally Posted by nomad2950

Is this a good negiboorhood to live in for young professional. Free of major crime isues?

I lived in East Walnut Hills for several years a couple of decades ago and moved after the third break-in in my place. Things have improved somewhat since then, but it is still the boundary between disorderly and the very wealthy. No street is safe in East Walnut Hills except for Keys Crescent, Baker Pl. and Beech Crest. Everything else has wandering thieves.

Beautiful houses though. Stuff you can't find anywhere in the world. 10 foot double hung windows that open down to teh floor, stained glass, spiral staircases, towers, wine cellers with cobblestone floors, etc. Really impressive architecture.

you have to see the web site:

Welcome to East Walnut Hills

Oh, you're in luck. The house tour is this Saturday. Called Upstairs Downstairs, I wouldn't miss it if you are interested in EWH finest.

[UrbanScope]

Some good observations by all, but under the radar much is changing in west Walnut Hills that could help stablize and improve both east and west communities. Check out the Upstairs Downstairs Historic House Tour, Saturday, May 9, 1pm-5pm. Cincinnati Preservation Association’s annual historic homes tour, six renovated homes in E Walnut Hills will be open for viewing. Info at 513-721-4506 or info@cincinnatipreservation.org. Tour sponsor, The Verona on Park Ave., is hosting a free party from noon to 6 p.m. with food, drinks, live music. The Verona (2356 Park Ave.) is an incredible building designed by noted Cincinnati architect Joseph Steinkamp...worth the visit to see the restoration there. Info at www.theverona.net. Should be a beautiful afternoon for the party. Best wishes in your searching, Nomad.

[dmerkow]

A good rule of thumb is that the closer you are to the river, the better the neighborhood is.

[unusualfire]

^Not true Saylor Park has problems.

[goyguy]

Lower Price Hill? East End? I don't think so.
I hope lotsa people did get the chance to go on the EWH tour. I've been lucky enough to visit homes on Keys Crescent and Annwood - they're insaaaane. But the inevitable sentiment afterwards is the same as in North Avondale: beautiful place way too close to a *****h0le neighborhood.
Walnut Hills "proper" will hopefully improve in some years' time. Right now it can't sink much lower. The razing of the old Presbyterian church on Gilbert (though the bell tower was saved) was the latest hit that area's taken. One thing the completion of MLK Drive did was to make its wounds more visible. There are sections around Lincoln Ave that look like they were walked away from after the troubles of forty years ago: vacant and/or burned-out buildings, overgrown vacant lots, trash galore. But it's precisely that which can bring a gleam to a (re)developer's eye.
Part of being a "city person" is knowing that you're practically destined to have to take a few knocks. I've withstood two B & E's and an attempted third one, getting jumped at my front door, and being robbed at gunpoint on the street mere blocks from home. But I wouldn't trade urban life for anything. My sis and BIL, who live in a McMansion section of Loveland, had vehicles broken into and looted last month while the family slept. Suburbia isn't necessarily a crime-free haven any more than the core city is a crime-infested pit. All the same, if one sets up housekeeping "in town" one has to acquire street sense and a good set o' deadbolts.

[dmerkow]

I was referring only to East Walnut Hills.

[sjohnson76]

I worked at Thomas & Thomas Attorneys on Park Ave and I wouldn't exactly go walking around there at night. The McDonalds on E. McMillan Street doesn't have the friendliest of people hanging around there either. My co-workers told me that Park Ave was one of the areas the riots began back ealier this decade. I'm not sure if that's true or not, but I'd have to assume it was true (I'm not from that area of town) seeing how so many told me about it.