The East End (Kent, Washington, Avon: houses, neighborhood, buy)

[Vintrest]

Thanks Wilson for the "commute" videos. Lots of interesting scenery along your route although probably due to the cold weather there were few people about. Just my (outsider) opinion, but the views and location do make this area ripe for further development. As for the demographics, if development continues to grow in this area, then some poorer folks will get priced out, displaced, and have to move somewhere else. I've seen it happen in my own neighborhood and know it can happen anywhere developers see potential. Lots of historic architecture appearing as well so there seems to be room for the rehabbers and restorers to do their thing. Cincinnati will present great opportunities in real estate development for decades to come if everything in the next few years comes together right.

The lack of traffic to access downtown is a big plus for the area regardless of who currently lives there. I suspect many of these so-called "hillbillies" are actually hard-working, honest folks, who, if they befriended you, would take the shirts off their backs to help if you were in need. My wife has family in western TN near Dyersburg and I have a very good friend in LaFollette, TN near Knoxville. All are honest and hard working people who more than make up in character what they may lack in formal education. As you may have surmised, I object to people being categorized into negative stereotypes based solely on their appearances or their accents. That casual "profiling" practice seems to be far too common in Cincinnati but encouragingly, also appears to be slowly changing for the better.

Nice video and it would be interesting to have others to look at additional City neighborhoods. It might be a good way to sell outsiders and newcomers on the unique qualities of the city. The street view maps limit what can be seen and they "move" at a snail's pace. (at least on my screen) Some street view areas were filmed later in the day under dark, cloudy conditions and are barely usable. "Neighborhood" driving videos of this kind are a good add-on and quite useful.

[progmac]

wilson - can you explain the technical details of how you shot that video? i'm in all the neighborhoods somewhat frequently for work so i could maybe post some too.

[Wilson513]

Originally Posted by progmac

wilson - can you explain the technical details of how you shot that video? i'm in all the neighborhoods somewhat frequently for work so i could maybe post some too.

Its a $59 Flip video held in my left hand while I am driving with my right. I wish there was more to it, but that's the whole story.

[Ohiogirl81]

Originally Posted by wilson1010

Its a $59 Flip video held in my left hand while I am driving with my right.

[progmac]

Originally Posted by wilson1010

Its a $59 Flip video held in my left hand while I am driving with my right. I wish there was more to it, but that's the whole story.

Haha. That's awesome! We'll see what I can manage with my ipod.

[deg1114]

I agree with most of the comments, but not to make fun. To tell you the truth, I feel more comfortable driving up Vine in OTR than down Eastern Avenue.

As far as the Yuppies, I wouldn't say creepy - more like ignorant self-important arses. The best thing I saw was one of them on the cell phone in Hyde Park Square standing on the corner when an ambulance came through sirens and all. The dude actually threw up his arms at the ambulance driver as if to say, "the heck with your emergency can't you see I'm on a call?"

[jjakucyk]

It's important to note that the East End is not really just one neighborhood. There's several different sub-neighborhoods that used to be more distinct in the past. On the west was Fulton, which stretched from Bains Street near the Friendship Park to St. Andrews Street. This was historically the City's main riverboat manufacturing center. Next is Pendleton, which went from St. Andrews Street to Delta Avenue. It was dominated by the Little Miami Railroad's yards and engine house, now all completely gone (and on a very flat site that would be perfect for new development, possible brownfield issues aside). East of Delta is Columbia (originally Columbia was a separate incorporated village, the earliest settlement of Cincinnati, and Mt. Tusculum was a separate development of larger estate sites up the hill towards Mt. Lookout and Alms Park). The area around Lunken Airport was called Turkey Bottoms (Wilmer Avenue used to be Turkey Bottom Road) and the area down there near Pioneer Cemetery is actually the original Columbia site, but because it's even lower in the Little Miami River floodplain it was quickly abandoned. Linwood tends to get lumped in with the rest of the East End or even Mt. Lookout, but technically it is separate. The presence of Columbia Parkway, Beechmont Avenue, and the railroad tracks don't help its cohesiveness.

Anyway, the issue with flooding cannot be understated. Development on the uphill side of Riverside Drive is a bit easier, but even if the buildings can be protected from flooding, access to them will be blocked. The first floor of many of the derelict buildings are now used more as basements due to the frequent water logging. Another issue, as has already been mentioned, is the rampant speculation on property in the area. The number of "investors" waiting to cash in on increased property values has stalled most of the development, much like what happened in Over-the-Rhine. There's a large site that was cleared between the Waterworks pumping station and the Duke Energy gas facility for a large development that has since fallen apart. In fact, other than one or two new houses, there hasn't been any new development along there for a few years since the big first burst. While there are some nice restorations and some buildings with good potential for rehabbing, many of them are pretty cruddy and water-ravaged at worst, and unremarkable architecturally at best. There's some nicer buildings in Columbia between Delta and Carrell/Airport along the stretch of Eastern Avenue that's still Eastern Avenue. Those being a bit higher up aren't as prone to flooding, and there's a more intact feel to the neighborhood.

Overall I've never felt the least bit unsafe down there. It is mostly white trash, and yes some areas are a creepier than others (especially the isolated back roads between the railroad tracks and Columbia Parkway). Still, there's enough traffic along Eastern/Riverside that it doesn't feel dangerous. It's also a very important and popular cycling route. Lots of people ride along there to get from Hyde Park, Mt. Lookout, and Mt. Washington to downtown and back. Even in the dark of winter it's pretty heavily used for that, and no other cyclists I know have ever expressed any concern about it.

[progmac]

bam. jjakucyk joined and added as much content in one post as i probably have in my last hundred! thanks for the commentary, that is some critical insight about what the "east end" really is.

[nightrider127]

Why is it always assumed that when someone sees an "overlaoded" porch, they believe that it just has to be a "hillbilly" living in the house? Are people from other areas not capable of being slobs? From some of the replies to this thread, I guess not.

I am from Southeastern Ky, of course most folks that post here know that. On my porch right now is a swing, a rocking chair, an outside table with a book on it and a throw rug. The rug is out there because concrete bothers my feet and the rug offers a little protection.

There seems to be quite a few people that think junked up porch equals a hillbilly lives here and that is just not true.

Please don't make me pull out my "ignorant speech"

[Wilson513]

Originally Posted by nightrider127

Why is it always assumed that when someone sees an "overlaoded" porch, they believe that it just has to be a "hillbilly" living in the house? Are people from other areas not capable of being slobs? From some of the replies to this thread, I guess not.

I am from Southeastern Ky, of course most folks that post here know that. On my porch right now is a swing, a rocking chair, an outside table with a book on it and a throw rug. The rug is out there because concrete bothers my feet and the rug offers a little protection.

There seems to be quite a few people that think junked up porch equals a hillbilly lives here and that is just not true.

Please don't make me pull out my "ignorant speech"

Well if you add last years Xmas decorations, a collection of wet stuffed animals, several appliances, a transmission and a garbage can to your front porch, and you live in a neighborhood that most people refer to as "white trash" (their words not mine), I'm gonna take the risky leap of faith that you just might be a hillbilly. Or, you might be a Native American that has just moved to a neighborhood populated by hillbillies for the last 100 years and have a lot of stuff on your porch. One or the other.