Re-locating from Chicago - Fort Thomas? (Covington, Newport: lawyers, house, neighborhoods)

[Allen40]

Hi - I am exploring relocation, for a job near the airport. I have 2 kids, elementary school age, and would like to find an area with great public schools. Commute time is not a huge issue for me but I prefer not much over 30 minutes. Price range for a house is up to $500K-ish. I would like an area with well kept older and historic homes, with a downtown area or other places to walk to. Not too rural, but I do like a smaller town "feel" - a place where neighbors interact, children play, with a few restaurants and a coffee shop nearby. I prefer cake over pie...

I have read through other posts and I really like the sound of Fort Thomas. From my limited info above, does anyone have any thoughts on that, alternative cities to consider, etc.? Any particular neighborhoods there anyone recommends? Are folks there open to getting to know "outsiders" from bigger northern cities? Suggestions on where to take my family (attractions, sites, neighborhoods) for their first visit to give them the best impression of the area?

Thanks for whatever info you can provide!

[EclecticEars]

Just ignore the parts of these posts that don't particularly pertain to you, but these are pages with some of my (IMO) best posts on Northern Kentucky:
http://www.city-data.com/forum/kentu...-kentucky.html
http://www.city-data.com/forum/kentu...ng-report.html
http://www.city-data.com/forum/kentu...-2-months.html
http://www.city-data.com/forum/kentu...eir-20s-2.html
http://www.city-data.com/forum/kentu...-northern.html
http://www.city-data.com/forum/kentu...entucky-2.html

Just some food for thought! You'll quickly deduce that I like N.Ky. ...and I think you will also. It's the most Midwestern portion of Kentucky, by far.

[rnc76]

Originally Posted by Allen40

Hi - I am exploring relocation, for a job near the airport. I have 2 kids, elementary school age, and would like to find an area with great public schools. Commute time is not a huge issue for me but I prefer not much over 30 minutes. Price range for a house is up to $500K-ish. I would like an area with well kept older and historic homes, with a downtown area or other places to walk to. Not too rural, but I do like a smaller town "feel" - a place where neighbors interact, children play, with a few restaurants and a coffee shop nearby. I prefer cake over pie...

I have read through other posts and I really like the sound of Fort Thomas. From my limited info above, does anyone have any thoughts on that, alternative cities to consider, etc.? Any particular neighborhoods there anyone recommends? Are folks there open to getting to know "outsiders" from bigger northern cities? Suggestions on where to take my family (attractions, sites, neighborhoods) for their first visit to give them the best impression of the area?

Thanks for whatever info you can provide!

Fort Thomas is a nice, safe little town. It is probably 20 minutes from the airport, 5 minutes to DT Cinci. It has really good schools. However, it is not diverse at all, basically all white. It can be a pretty provincial type place.

Look into Fort Mitchell as well, it is also a nice, older, "inner ring" suburb, a little closer to the airport.

[Allen40]

Eclectic Ears -- thanks for posting those links. I see there is a lot of good info already posted on the area. I appreciate your help!

[Allen40]

rnc76 - Thanks for your comment and suggestions. I'll look at Fort Mitchell as well. Can you elaborate at all on the "provincial" reference? Are there other areas, either on the N Ky side or the Ohio side of the river, with great schools and more diversity? Thanks again for taking the time to share your opinions and guidance!

[rnc76]

Originally Posted by Allen40

rnc76 - Thanks for your comment and suggestions. I'll look at Fort Mitchell as well. Can you elaborate at all on the "provincial" reference? Are there other areas, either on the N Ky side or the Ohio side of the river, with great schools and more diversity? Thanks again for taking the time to share your opinions and guidance!

It has a "snooty" reputation. The folks in Ft Thomas seem to look down upon Newport and Covington. A lot of the kids in the public schools are very spoiled. There is even a significant divide between North Fort Thomas and South Fort Thomas. North Fort Thomas is the money side, whereas South Fort Thomas is the blue collar side.

I'll DM you more info.

[EclecticEars]

Originally Posted by rnc76

It has a "snooty" reputation. The folks in Ft Thomas seem to look down upon Newport and Covington. A lot of the kids in the public schools are very spoiled. There is even a significant divide between North Fort Thomas and South Fort Thomas. North Fort Thomas is the money side, whereas South Fort Thomas is the blue collar side.

I'll DM you more info.

rnc76 is right.

[sandman1]

Fort Mitchell or Park Hills are just what you are looking for. Take a look at both if you have some time.

[mthurnauer]

Allen,
I don't know if you are still looking or not, but I too am from Chicago. When I moved down here I had no preconceived ideas about whether to live in Ohio or northern Kentucky. I wanted to find a community that reminded me of the walkable neighborhoods of Chicago. I was looking for many of the same qualities that you are seeking and chose Fort Thomas. As others have mentioned, Fort Mitchel is also very nice. Park Hills is a beautiful area, but I don't think that they have their own school system; I suspect that many in Park hills may send their children to private catholic school. In Ohio, the Cincinnati school system covers a large area and which poses many challenges. It is possible to be in the CPS system and go to good schools, but it is a lot of work to ensure that your children get enrolled in the right place. As a result, many people with kids move outside of the CPS district. This means being further from the airport than you would probably want. The closest non-CPS neighborhood with the qualities you are looking for is Wyoming. Coming from Chicago, you might not be surprised by the property taxes in Wyoming, but they are at the higher end in Cincinnati. If you are to consider something inside the CPS area, you might like Hyde Park/ Mount Lookout. It is beautiful with good parks and Killgour Elementary (Spelling?) is a nice school. You would want to have your kids go to Walnut Hills for 6-12 grade which requires an entry exam.

We have lived in Fort Thomas for six years and love it. There are some great little places to eat. The parks and schools are excellent and the community is very active. I have heard the 'snooty' comment by others about Fort Thomas before, but I don't see it. Not originally being from this area gives me a different perspective. It is not racially diverse, but it is economically. There are people of every occupation: doctors, lawyers, teachers, musicians, contractors of every trade, nurses, etc. I hope your search is going well and I would be glad to help. Oh, if you are looking still, we are considering selling!