Question re hotel location (Cincinnati, Norwood: apartment, crime, house)

[Gillie78]

Am thinking about visiting Cincinnati and am considering staying at a hotel located at 4747 Montgomery Road in Cincy, zip code 45212. Is this an okay neighborhood? Would appreciate any info.

[wilson1010]

Well, that's Quality Norwood. This motel got renovated recently and I haven't been in there for about two years. So the hotel is probably ok. The Norwood police station is about 500 feet from the hotel's front door, so crime is not really a problem, but it is really not a very nice neighborhood. While the City of Norwood is pretty good, this hotel sits on the main drag between two bad neighborhoods so you will probably not walk very far in wither direction. But it is extremely central to most of Cincinnati. You didn't ask, but there is actually pretty good bus transportation right outside the hotel, but bus travel in Cincinnati is a big PITA. So rely on car travel. I would stay in this hotel if it was the most convenient place, and I'm pretty picky about these things.

[Gillie78]

Thanks, Wilson, for the very helpful info.

[mike1003]

It really depends on where you need to be. There really isn't much near that hotel. I haven't been there in ages, but probably wouldn't recommend walking around the neighborhood at night.

Years ago, the restaurant and bar were pretty good. Don't know about today

[soozycue520]

Today the restaurant is a Buffalo Wings & Rings.

[mike1003]

Originally Posted by soozycue520

Today the restaurant is a Buffalo Wings & Rings.

Oopsie!!!

Definitelynot what it used to be

[goyguy]

Yeah, it used to be Dockside VI; then again, that was probably seven incarnations ago...LOL!!!
The immediate area doesn't have much to recommend, but you'd be just over a mile northwest of the "Rookwood" shopping center and - important if you're a night owl - a 24-hour Busken Bakery. About a mile south of there lies the first of two "chi-chi" Squares, that of Hyde Park, and beyond Hyde Park Square by roughly another southeastward mile is Mt Lookout Square. Various streets are taken between Point A (Quality Inn) and Point D (Mt Lookout), but they're all part of Ohio Route 561. So just keep following the highway signs and you won't go astray.
The southern fringe of Norwood along Montgomery Rd is where the Xavier University campus begins. This is part of the best route to take to the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden, well worth spending a large chunk of a day at: Go south on Montgomery to its intersection with Dana Ave, then take a right onto Dana and follow it across XU and past Victory Parkway. Several blocks beyond Victory Pkwy, look for the extension of Clinton Springs Ave which curves in from the right and bear right onto that. Stay on Clinton Springs as it crosses Reading Rd at the big Art Deco high-rise apartment house ("The Belvedere") and passes the merge with Mitchell Ave. Bear left on Washington Ave a few blocks ahead; stay on that until Forest Ave crosses, at which time you'd make a right onto Forest. Next, go left onto Dury Ave and follow it to its other end - you're now traveling along the eastern boundary of the zoo grounds. A right turn onto Erkenbrecher Ave will carry you to Vine St, where you can't miss the huge parking lot. These are the kind of directions that make people happy GPS's were invented - hahaha. Some other ways to go are more direct, but you'll notice at some stages of your journey that you're in a decidedly sketchy part of the city. This route is a diversion from most of the bad areas; in fact, if you were to detour onto any given street north of Clinton Springs or Dana you'd be getting an eyeful of upscale if not palatial residences. Cincinnati's Avondale community is the most jarring study in contradictions to be found in the area. Crime and urban decay rule south of Dana/Clinton Springs and centered around Reading Rd, yet winding gaslit streets bordered by mansions are all you'll encounter on the other side. But I digress; set aside a sizable chunk o' time to enjoy "our" zoo because the new tiger cubs alone will probably keep you entertained for longer than you might expect and the place has much to offer.
Downtown Cincinnati is a hop skip and jump from Norwood. Just head east on the Norwood Lateral, then take I-71 south. Suburban malls and "lifestyle centers" have pulled all the major department stores (if they didn't close down entirely) from downtown, except for Macy's. But if you're a fan of Tiffany's or Saks, their local locations are there. Downtown's focal point is Fountain Square, where the city's beloved "Genius of the Waters" presides over a large open plaza. Beneath Fountain Square, where a subway terminal would've been had the Depression not permanently halted construction, lies a vast parking garage which is probably your best bet for stashing the wheels while you stroll around. Check out Carew Tower - Cincy's answer to the Empire State Building, complete with observation deck - and the Contemporary Arts Center while you're there.
Still another jaunt to take would be to Eden Park and Mt Adams. Start by following the same route I outlined to get to the zoo, but take a left onto Victory Pkwy from Dana Ave. "You can't miss" the park on your left, which starts with a river overlook just beyond a human-made pond. On the far side of an arched stone overpass, you'll see a giant greenhouse which is yet another 'nati treasure: the Krohn Conservatory. The place is crammed full of plant life from around the world, some of it in a perpetually heated section for desert flora, some in a perpetually damp area flanking a high waterfall, and still more in various nooks and crannies. Goyim and non-goy alike flock there every year after Thanksgiving, not so much to see the live Nativity scene outside or to wonder how many pine needles died to make the giant wreath on the front wall possible but to ooh and aah over the 1000's of poinsettias on display inside along with scads of other "seasonal" plants. You'll have to come back in December for it, lol...onward through Eden Park, follow the winding road around a gazebo and then follow the signs uphill past the amphitheatre to reach the Cincinnati Art Museum - "now free all the time." That's another gotta-see place if you're so inclined.
Well...advice on "what to see and do" wasn't solicited, but there you have it anyway! There's lots more where that came from.

[Hartwell Girl]

I love a great Goyguy post!!!!!!

[Gillie78]

Thanks so much, goyguy, Mike, soozycue and Hartwell Girl. Really do appreciate your taking the time to answer and will keep all this info in mind.

[joyeaux]

Good luck finding a sign that says "Norwood Lateral"!