Landen

[Ohioan58]

To me, the more damning aspect of Landen is the same thing about Northeast Cincinnati suburbs in general: local snottiness, arrogance and impersonality. People in Landen are not very friendly, in fact, they seem to go out of their way to avoid socializing with someone that they consider "beneath" them. Around there, you need to have some common bond like high school (that stupid Cincinnati affectation of 45 year olds concerned about the high school you went to) or the workplace in order to be accepted. My neighbors in Landen generally sucked. I've gotten stories from my wife's friend who lived there who was snubbed outright by a next door neighbor when they were both getting their mail at the same time from the curb.

I think people in SW Ohio have social problems in general. Dayton people are scarred by a hard economy and are mean. Cincinnati tends to be cliquey and 'tudey and can also be mean. When I moved to Florida for a contract job I had people inviting me to parties and for drinks out after work from the start and I knew everyone in the small apt building I lived in quite easily. When I moved back to this spiritually blighted area it was like pulling teeth to have an open conversation with a co-worker, and I lived like a monk for several months until some local feebs "accepted" me (big whoop).

Landen is about the worst socially of a socially crappy region. If I am going to live in SW Ohio I prefer to be away from the cities and the people here. I do not recommend Landen unless you enjoy being surrounded by shallow social climbers.

[JefferyT]

Interesting sociological take.

I did visit Landen this past weekend.

Very wooded. The single family homes area seemed to be pretty generic. In some cases the houses looked like that Ryan Home garrison style from the 1970s. Others were larger and a bit more modern. Yet this part of Landen was suprisingly generic.

Saw the paths. Very nice concept. Especially as they seemed to connect to recreation areas. I also noticed the streets seemed a bit narrower than the usual subdivision?

The lake area. I drove out along Simpsons, south side of the lake. Very nice site development, and I preferred that woodsy-shedsy California style design of what looked like townhouses and cluster housing. My favorite part of the place.

That shopping center was a disappointment. With the effort that went into site development of the residential parts of Landen you'd think they would have given the same attention to detail with the shopping areas along Montgomery Road.

I guess as a bonus for this trip I noticed I was near "Chateau LaRoche" and made a trip to that little castle. Has anyone ever visited this place? I was expecting a let-down (a house made to look like a castle) but was pleasantly suprised.

[Sunnydee]

"I guess as a bonus for this trip I noticed I was near "Chateau LaRoche" and made a trip to that little castle. Has anyone ever visited this place? I was expecting a let-down (a house made to look like a castle) but was pleasantly suprised."

Yes, it's a nice place to visit. The locals call it the Loveland Castle. I've been there easily a half dozen times in the last thirty years. A nice old guy built it with stones, etc. he got out of the river. He gave us a tour and basically devoted his life to this project. He's gone now, but his masterpiece lives on. Here's the link if you want more info:

Historical Loveland Castle

[Ohioan58]

Notes:

I used to live in one of those Ryan bi-levels. The main heat source in the houses in the older areas is heat pumps, there's no natural gas in many areas. What happens when heating or cooling is that in those bi-levels the heat or cold air stratifies because of the large open areas. And heat pumps do quite poorly when outside temps are in the 20s or below. Those houses are relatively expensive to keep heated or cooled.

The Landen CSA is nationally renowned for control over appearances. I think I have seen stories making the national news about a family there being taken to court over a basketball hoop. Unless you take advantage of the swim club and the clubhouse, both of which are small scale things, the fees are an additional de facto tax of several hundred $ a year. Basically, you can't do anything outside, including a split rail fence or a shed, without committee approval. (I believe I have even read that they have something negative to say about vegetable gardens, but that is hearsay.)

The shopping center used to have a Kroger and had quite a bit of varied shopping in its day. What you are describing is usual suburban rot - last year's spankin' new is this year's obsolete old undesirable crap. If you need to shop it's now Deerfield Town Center or Rt 48, both a few miles out. There are very few walkable services near Landen.

Come to think of it, boring, isolated and sterile can be added to the punch list about Landen. Nearest grocery is 3-4 miles. Nearest library branch, the same. Roads around there outside of the plats are busy and quite dangerous for biking or walking.

Actually, there is one local short cut I figured out that wasn't too harrowing. I would ride my bike up Landen Drive (bike laned) to Socialville Foster Rd, then down the hill to the bike trail. This still doesn't seem to be too bad, considering all the other roads around there.

I recall that the *only* reason I moved there was to be equidistant from my job in Cincinnati and my parents in Dayton at the time, and whatever I am saying about Landen seemed to apply even more to West Chester and Mason.

Chateau LaRoche is pretty cool and it surprised me that something that interesting is around there. They do a great haunted house there in the fall.

[camelot05]

I'm not sure where you people want to go so bad on Landen's paths. They are mainly for walking to the pools, other neighborhoods, and kids use them to get places. It is not dangerous to cross Columbia RD, as there are multiple crosswalks with red lights. Same with Montgomery Rd.

The CSA is tough with rules, but they were put in place to prevent Landen from becoming a haven for metal fences in the front yards.

As far as Ohioan58 saying there is no grocery store within 3-4 miles, he is wrong. He must have forgot about that Kroger right in the middle of Landen.

Landen is a place to raise families. I think Ohioan58 is thinking it is trying to be some center of the universe with NYC type museums.

If I were you, I'd try to talk to someone that lives there now, or in the past few years rather than someone 19 years removed. Alot has changed since then.

[Ohioan58]

I moved out 15 years ago but I go through there all the time and anyone with eyes can make observations and comparisons to other areas.

Landen's trails are actually very nice, but are simply not utilitarian except for social visits. And they are a CSA thing - you likely won't get busted for walking on one but you're supposed to be a CSA member or guest.

As far as ped/bike access, just try *walking* or *riding a bike* along Columbia or Montgomery Rd. You're really stuck out there without a vehicle. Landen is the quintessentially isolated fossil fuel dependent plat. I just checked the SORTA system map, and the only bus route that passes close by the endangered (due to lack of funding) 71X express route that goes along Columbia. And THAT is a morning/evening/workday commuting thing.

Re: Krogers - I thought the Landen Sq. Kroger was closed. Perhaps I confused it with the Kings Mall Krogers.

I was observing that the Landen CSA is severe to an extreme degree. I recall showing my house when it was for sale to a guy that had a potato chip route. The deal killer was that he had no way to hide and garage his delivery truck at night.

Re: "place to raise families." I had friends whose kids went to school there. There was an incredible level of materialistic pressure. Classmates of one guy I knew would get spring break trips to Europe. It's a distorted homogeneous environment, IMO. You don't have a variety of age groups or family situations - everyone is mid 30s to mid 50s with kids.

I moved out because the level of pure arrogant social climber ego in that little area made me puke, and it's a social desert unless you conform to the norm of the area. And I personally believe that a child that is raised there has a huge hole in the reality of the world that they can observe directly for themselves.

I'm not saying that someone that likes and is comfortable with Landen sucks. For some it is perfect. For one portion of their lives and for one type of personal situation.

[wilson1010]

Originally Posted by wilson1010

Landen is the quintessential upscale, white, suburban bedroom community. Every family is 4.7 persons, with a mother, father and exactly 2.7 adorable children. Expect Stepford wives to bring baked goods to your door and offer you membership in MOMS. Husbands drive new, fuel efficient sedans in gold and silver. And, there is not a single tatoo in all of Landen, except when the landscapers are on the job. If you like barbeque grills and cornhole (not what you think, believe it or not, its actually a game played with beanbags), you'll love Landen.

I know its bad "forum etiquette" to repost what you said before, but I just can't help it. It was the first reply and I think it sums Landen up.

[camelot05]

[quote=Ohioan58;8889819]
Re: "place to raise families." I had friends whose kids went to school there. There was an incredible level of materialistic pressure. Classmates of one guy I knew would get spring break trips to Europe. It's a distorted homogeneous environment, IMO. You don't have a variety of age groups or family situations - everyone is mid 30s to mid 50s with kids.
quote]

I agree... it is mostly 30s-50s with kids... but those kids are 1-29 (I do know a few still living at home at late 20s)

And there are alot of older grandparents there in their 60s and 70s.

As for the schools.. I have no idea what you're talking about though. Unless you are talking about the kids who go to SMOY or Moeller, but Kings is not some rich school. You have a great amount of mixture, from richer families in Afton Falls (landen? but definately Kings) to Loveland Park and South Lebanon. The majority of my graduating class was not "rich"

[Misfit Toy]

I live a stone's throw from Landen and am in the Kings School District.

I agree with alot of the less than positive comments about Landen and the northeast 'burbs in general.

Too many people around here are standoffish to the point of being socially backward. This is especially true of the people who think they're hot stuff because they send their kids to SMOY, Moeller, Ursuline, or pretty much any other private school.

Alot of people here just also seem to be satisfied with their current circle of friends and family & have little interest in letting anyone else in.