Convince me to move to Westwood (Cincinnati, Hamilton: apartment complex, rental, buyers)
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Actually, the pattern of a group of youths (sometimes not as young as they seem) standing on a corner, chillin, smokin and spitting, is as good a warning sign as there is for where not to live. This pattern exists only in the worst neighborhoods. It is a better indicator of crime, drugs, and violence than gym shoes dangling from the electric wires, graffiti on the buildings or a great big mural of Martin Luther King. When you see those boys and men on the corner, move on. The neighborhood is already shot.
For a small supply (read . . . very expensive place) the go to spot is Bona Decorative Hardware in Oakley. They have every authentic hardware fixture for the 1860-1929 house.
Bona Decorative Hardware - Cabinet & Door Hardware (http://www.bonahardware.com/pictures/view.nhtml?profile=pictures&UID=10181 - broken link)
I'll have to check them out but for the upstairs I'll need nine sets, knobs, striker plates, and bolts (skeleton keys would be too cool--I had all of them for my 1875 house) I don't want to spend over a few hundred. Wooden Nickel wants $40 a set but they only have a few. I like the proprietor over there, he spent 15 minutes showing me door knobs and how to spot reproductions.
I called the place in Northside that re-uses old hardware, etc--$200-400 per set of period glass knobs, no joke.
I took pics but my cable's at the office so I'll have to wait til Monday to post em up.
I had three young adults walk up my street today..talking loud with the occaisional f-bomb. It doesn't bother me here as much as did in the Groves because I know it's uncommon here.
I know a well-to-do woman selling a huge beautiful home in East Price Hill near Elberon. She's selling it in the 50's when anywhere else it would be 200K+ ...I was incredulous! She said you aren't here on summer nights when thre's actually a crowd partying on the corner all night (hers is corner house) and leaving bags w/bottles etc. Damn shame. It didn't occur to me until too late but if I were her, I'd hook up an exterior speaker system and play classical music all night! I heard that worked well in OTR.
Westwood has a "good guy loitering" program that I hear is pretty effective. Every week in the summer they hang out on a different corner. I will join them.
I think Rookwood Commons is absolutely awful. The traffic is a nightmare in that area as is the parking. Horrible design in a horrible location. I much prefer Crestview Hills.
I think Rookwood Commons is absolutely awful. The traffic is a nightmare in that area as is the parking. Horrible design in a horrible location. I much prefer Crestview Hills.
The neighborhood over in Westwood has a program called "Good Guys Loitering". Home owners get together and just "hang out" in problem areas. Seems to work.
A good sign that times are changing, CPA (Cincinnati Preservation Association) is hosting a West Side Preservation Summit in June bringing together people currently restoring in Westwood, Fairmount, Price Hill , Sedamsville and River road areas to develop startegies for neighborhood turnaround and bringing in more Preservation minded people into the West side and promoting a more positive image. I think its going to be a great meeting.
There Really is alot of restoration going on all over the Westside
A good sign that times are changing, CPA (Cincinnati Preservation Association) is hosting a West Side Preservation Summit in June bringing together people currently restoring in Westwood, Fairmount, Price Hill , Sedamsville and River road areas to develop startegies for neighborhood turnaround and bringing in more Preservation minded people into the West side and promoting a more positive image. I think its going to be a great meeting.
There Really is alot of restoration going on all over the Westside
Don't be naive... the powers that be in City Hall will NEVER let the Westside revive. They are too much involved in gentrifying OTR and in making sure their buds in the Avondale-Roselawn corridor prosper.
City leaders consider Westwood, Farmount, Price Hill to be dumping grounds for the folks displaced by their attempts to renovate OTR and other neighborhoods.
As for the original question, unfortunately I cannot, in good conscience, convince anyone to move to Westwood. As was already stated, there is a reason why property is so "affordable" in Westwood.
Don't be naive... the powers that be in City Hall will NEVER let the Westside revive. They are too much involved in gentrifying OTR and in making sure their buds in the Avondale-Roselawn corridor prosper.
City leaders consider Westwood, Farmount, Price Hill to be dumping grounds for the folks displaced by their attempts to renovate OTR and other neighborhoods.
As for the original question, unfortunately I cannot, in good conscience, convince anyone to move to Westwood. As was already stated, there is a reason why property is so "affordable" in Westwood.
I had to laugh at that. My neighborhood of Knox Hill, smack in the middle of Fairmount has almost 2 million in private money restoration going on this summer. Our neighborhood is in the process of preparing our state and national historic district registry nominations. We recently hosted a local state rep for a tour of our neighborhood, and we are lobbying at the state level for a variety of changes that we beleive will encourage reinvestment.
AND our neighborhood association filed a formal citizens complaint with HUD regarding the lack of section 106 review (historic review) required when federal funds are used for demolition. The city is wanting to come to the table with KHNA to work out a workable process, perhaps they are afraid we will get their Federal funding yanked? You may have guessed I'm NOT a native Cincinnatian, could really care less about local politics, because I really do not political approval to turn my neighbiorhood around.
Frankly I'm not worried about the city leaders but they seem to be worried about us.
You might want to drive around "Don". The Westside is turning around "with or without" the city's help and as for section 8 , you apparently havent heard, is rapidly moving to the burbs. You might find it interesting to learn that some of the same people that restored and rebuilt over in Columbia Tusculum and Mt Adams are buying over in my neighborhood. There are a lot of new people restoring who moved here from out of state AND do not have the antiquated notions about the westside you seem to have.
I had to laugh at that. My neighborhood of Knox Hill, smack in the middle of Fairmount has almost 2 million in private money restoration going on this summer. Our neighborhood is in the process of preparing our state and national historic district registry nominations. We recently hosted a local state rep for a tour of our neighborhood, and we are lobbying at the state level for a variety of changes that we beleive will encourage reinvestment.
AND our neighborhood association filed a formal citizens complaint with HUD regarding the lack of section 106 review (historic review) required when federal funds are used for demolition. The city is wanting to come to the table with KHNA to work out a workable process, perhaps they are afraid we will get their Federal funding yanked? You may have guessed I'm NOT a native Cincinnatian, could really care less about local politics, because I really do not political approval to turn my neighbiorhood around.
Frankly I'm not worried about the city leaders but they seem to be worried about us.
You might want to drive around "Don". The Westside is turning around "with or without" the city's help and as for section 8 , you apparently havent heard, is rapidly moving to the burbs. You might find it interesting to learn that some of the same people that restored and rebuilt over in Columbia Tusculum and Mt Adams are buying over in my neighborhood. There are a lot of new people restoring who moved here from out of state AND do not have the antiquated notions about the westside you seem to have.
I have to admit that while I want to buy in to your optimism, I'm just not sure I can yet for a number of reasons.
1. I don't know where all of these rehabbers are coming from. In a city the size of Cincinnati, there aren't enough like minded people to get into all the neighborhoods that claim they are experiencing a renaissance...Knox Hill, Westwood, Northside, Walnut Hills, OTR, Pendleton, The Incline District, Mt. Auburn, Madisonville, even Norwood all have bandwagons that claim they are on the upswing, and very few of them have the momentum necessary to really turn a neighborhood, and certainly not all at once. The two you cite, CT and Mt Adams are a little long in the tooth...two examples in 40 years.
2. It takes jobs and people with money to do these things. I don't see Cincinnati's jobs market bringing in in substantial numbers the people to make a significant impact on all of these areas.
3. There is some shred of truth to the comment about what the city government thinks about these west side neighborhoods. I asked the same question that I started this thread with to some city staff members and was unanimously warned away from making the move. It doesn't mean that I will necessarily listen to this advice, but I have to think these people have a sense of what direction the wind is blowing.
4. Historically speaking, what I have observed in neighborhoods is that for many of them to make a "comeback" they have to be near something else that is desirable. For example, 15 years ago, Oakley was only known as "Hyde Park Near" in the MLS. Not true anymore, people want to be in Oakley now, but years ago to sell it, it took the fact that it was close to Hyde Park. Norwood is now benefitting from the fact that it is next to Oakley. I would argue that Columbia Tusculum has benefitted from the same proximity.
On the other hand, what is Westwood near that would allow it to benefit from similar forces? It is surrounded by Price Hill, which is getting worse, Fay Apartments, Fairmount, etc etc. And meaning no disrespect, Covedale and Cheviot are not Hyde Park (and I'm sure there are people who are glad of that). So if Westwood is to make a comeback, it has to be on its own merits. I'm not saying that it can't happen, but it will be more difficult. I look at Northside as an example of a neighborhood that has been promoted to death as the new "hip" place to live and find historic architecture, but it's relative isolation and the fact that it's hemmed in by rough areas and industrial blight has caused Northside to ebb and flow over the years.
5. I happen to know people who have abandoned Westwood to become part of the recolonization of OTR. So while you point to examples of people coming into Westwood, please understand the door swings both ways.
Don't be naive... the powers that be in City Hall will NEVER let the Westside revive. They are too much involved in gentrifying OTR and in making sure their buds in the Avondale-Roselawn corridor prosper.
City leaders consider Westwood, Farmount, Price Hill to be dumping grounds for the folks displaced by their attempts to renovate OTR and other neighborhoods.
As for the original question, unfortunately I cannot, in good conscience, convince anyone to move to Westwood. As was already stated, there is a reason why property is so "affordable" in Westwood.
When have "city leaders" made their contempt for the west-side public or are you privvy to backroom meetings?
The reason housing is so affordable in Westwood is because of perception. Perception is not reality in this case. You haven't posted one positive thing about the west-side that I've seen, it's the same old broken record.
You live in Bridgetown which blends into Cheviot which blends into my part of Westwood. I can ride my bicycle to Bridgetown in less than 10 minutes, my car in 4. The only thing going for it is Oak Hills schools, the housing stock certainly isn't much outside of entry-level buyers or retirees. The largest section of Bridgetown has tiny yards and hardly any trees and is backed up along a nasty stretch of Glenway with lots of "baggy jeans and bandanas" walking around.
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