African American moving to Miamisburg (Cleveland, Dayton: home, transferring to, neighborhoods)

[meregirl]

I am relocating to the Dayton area and am a professional single african american female in my 30s. I am interested in housing in Miamisburg, Springboro, Centerville and possibly West Carrollton. I have read some of the other postings about intolerance of other races in these surburbs and I want to know if people really feel I will have issues. I attended Wright State University for a year back in 1993 before transferring to a college closer to home which is Cleveland, OH. While there was not a lot of diversity at WSU during that time I don't ever recall feeling discrimination, so I was surprised to read about the segregation preferences.

What I am looking for is a quiet neighborhood where I can feel safe and people who care about their property. While I don't necessarily care if my neighbors are extremely friendly where we have weekend parties, I don't want the other extreme of them being hostile. Can anyone shed any light on this subject?

[AliceT]

Wow, I spent a whole lot of years in Dayton and am very familiar with the areas you mentioned. It would be news to me if there are racial tensions going on there. I would certainly hope it hasn't changed for the worse since I was last there. I still have friends there and have never heard of anything like that going on.

[wrightflyer]

As someone who lives in a large Dayton suburb, I'd say you would be hard pressed to find any racial tensions whatsoever. I actually think it is worse in parts of the city proper where you have a "white working-class" East Dayton and a "predominetly African American West Dayton". That's the vibe I get from Dayton anyway. But again, that seems to apply to the city, NOT the suburbs.

Of the three you listed, West Carrollton would be the cheapest, while Centerville is by far the most expensive. Care of property and keeping up with the Jones is also probably bigger in Centerville and Springboro (as it sometimes is here in my suburb), but all four will have nice neighborhoods. If you are working in downtown, I'd recommend the suburbs in this order based on commute, quality of life, and affordability: 1. Centerville 2. Springboro 3. Miamisburg 4. West Carrolton. Again, that's what I'd recommend and is only my opinion. Also, Spingboro and Centerville may flip-flop when the Austin Road interchange is completed, making commutting from parts of Springboro easier.

[JefferyT]

The area roughly around the Dayton Mall and Lexis- Nexis, heading east into Centerville, is one of the more culturally and racially diverse in the Dayton area.

[Traveler87]

I always thought highly of Miamisburg, and I have noticed in a lot of Dayton's suburbs that it has great diversity all about.

[Juniper.]

Miamisburg is pretty diverse; I think you'd be happy there. But I'm in Springboro, and while there aren't so many minority type folks here, I've never heard of anybody feeling unwelcome because of their race or heritage.

[meregirl]

Thank you for all of your input. It never occurred to me to ask the question until I was looking at some of the threads concerning Springboro and Miamisburg and several people brought up segregation and that I might have trouble with my neighbors. I am glad to hear that is not the case.

[Traveler87]

I hope we could help you in some way or another.

[revrmax]

I am writing a Doctoral Project paper on the issues of diversity in my context. I am a pastor of Miamisburg First Church of God. Did you move into the area and could you give me some feedback on what you have experienced so far?

[meregirl]

Originally Posted by revrmax

I am writing a Doctoral Project paper on the issues of diversity in my context. I am a pastor of Miamisburg First Church of God. Did you move into the area and could you give me some feedback on what you have experienced so far?

Sorry but I did not chose that position so I am still in the Cleveland Area, unfortunately I won't be able to answer anything about that.