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Hey there, I just joined the forums to ask about Golf Manor. I'm looking at buying a house on Mayflower Ave and was driving around some. I noticed that turning right off Mayflower toward Reading Rd, the neighborhood was not so great. Yet, turning left toward Montgomery Rd, it was fine.
Basically, I'm wondering what the area is like and what crime is like currently. I saw another thread from people who lived there a long time ago, but I was hoping to get some response from people who know what it's like currently. I looked up some city stats and some say crime is lower than average, some say it's about average, and some say it's slightly higher than average, so it's difficult to tell whether the less desirable part of town often bleeds over into where my place would be or not. Any help would be appreciated!
I feel like the real estate market is valuing golf manor about right to even a little low right now. The parts right up next to the golf course are more or less nice and the closer you are to pleasant ridge, the better and the closer to reading road, things seem to go downhill. If you find a decent feeling street that isn't all apartment complexes, you should be okay.
I would feel okay buying in if I was looking for a decent-enough and low-cost place to live.
I suspect Goygoy can speak at length about golf manor if he pops in.
...that's only 'cause I tend to "speak" at length no matter what the subject.
Golf Manor, likely named for its proximity to three (now two) country clubs, has always been one of those "starter home" communities where some people ended up stopping where they started. Much like some other areas of similar vintage such as Covedale and Deer Park, the majority of its streets are lined with modest Cape Cod houses on small lots. The main drag, Losantiville Ave, and some nearby blocks are largely comprised of "brick box" apartment houses. During my most recent "windshield tour" of that vicinity I was pleased to see that the buildings appeared relatively unchanged by and large - fully occupied and with original details (such as wooden front doors with circular windows) intact. The real shift in the community hasn't been in the housing stock or its quality, rather the occupants.
Even into the '90s there were still some Jewish households that were drawn to Golf Manor for its affordability relative to other enclaves like Wyoming and Montgomery. Once one or both heads of household advanced economically, off they went. Today there remains an active Orthodox contingent with their own Golf Manor Synagogue and even a yeruv (boundary marker resembling a series of utility poles) along some streets. But perceived and actual declines in the quality of life in the neighborhood, along with somewhat greater assimilation, have made it much less of a draw for Jews than was once true. The most recent statistics to hit the mainstream media pegged the AA proportion of Golf Manor's population at 76%. A goodly number of the well-weathered brick box apartment houses are Section 8-friendly although nearly all the single-family homes continue to be owner occupied. Crime does continue to be on the low side there, although no one would say it's the tranquil haven it may have been 20 or more years ago. Most of the businesses have departed, from a once renowned "hobby shop" to delis to the Gibson Greeting Card Co.
I often (and also, ahem, at length) extol sections of neighboring Roselawn as "hidden gems," and there's no lack of love from anyone for Amberley Village to the north or Pleasant Ridge to the east. But I'm more ambivalent about Golf Manor for lack of even secondhand knowledge of how it is today. The key would be to take the Saturday/Sunday test, visiting the "target" area around 10 PM on a Saturday and again around 3 PM on Sunday when the weather's good. Are there noisy parties going on? During the day, are people outside raking leaves and washing their cars, walking their dog, etc or is it deserted? Are neighbors chatting with each other, or glued to cellphones? Does the appearance of a pale-complected person draw funny or dirty looks?
The main "negatives" of Golf Manor are, number one, its tie-in to CPS (the district elementary and high schools are terrible, while Pleasant Ridge Montessori - a "magnet" to some extent - gets abysmal ratings but much cheerleading.) Number two is the presence of Roselawn Park on Losantiville Ave near the village's southwest corner. It's a sprawling expanse with sought-after baseball fields - and a magnet for nighttime drug dealers, as well as large groups of young people who may or may not be out looking for trouble during the day.
Owing more to the "blah" quality and smallness of the typical houses there more than anything, I'm not all that favorably inclined toward Golf Manor. But the prices are definitely right. And someone without kids and with a preference for a diversely-populated community could be very happy. Take the Saturday/Sunday test without fail, though, two or more times even better.
That's quite a thorough reply! Thanks! I've actually decided against getting the house in Golf Manor, but your reply makes me feel even better about that decision. I currently live in Forest Park and my reason for wanting to buy a house is to not have to be concerned about going outside at night or whether I might witness a crime simply by looking out of my window and risk being seen. I've lived in Forest Park for a few years now and it has quickly begun to deteriorate. So, my whole reason for moving was to go to an area where I had to worry very little about crime or safety and I didn't need to worry about the staring you mentioned, which happens to me quite frequently here in Forest Park. Even though the house right right on the edge of Golf Manor, without know how often the not-so-good parts bled into where the house was, I didn't feel comfortable.
That's quite a thorough reply! Thanks! I've actually decided against getting the house in Golf Manor, but your reply makes me feel even better about that decision. I currently live in Forest Park and my reason for wanting to buy a house is to not have to be concerned about going outside at night or whether I might witness a crime simply by looking out of my window and risk being seen. I've lived in Forest Park for a few years now and it has quickly begun to deteriorate. So, my whole reason for moving was to go to an area where I had to worry very little about crime or safety and I didn't need to worry about the staring you mentioned, which happens to me quite frequently here in Forest Park. Even though the house right right on the edge of Golf Manor, without know how often the not-so-good parts bled into where the house was, I didn't feel comfortable.
What're your budget and wants? We might be able to recommend some other areas if you decided against Golf manor.
What about the edges of Hartwell next to Wyoming? I know someone on here used to be a big advocate of Hartwell. Seems very reasonable and a lot of the houses seem to be getting renovated. You could walk to some of the shopping/restaurants in Hartwell or for a bit longer walk, venture to downtown Wyoming.
That someone will likely return soon, after her baby - due this month - has joined the population!
Hartwell's been abuzz with house makeovers for several years, with the beauty of the neighborhood being that the dwellings aren't "cookie cutter" like in...I dunno...Forest Park? Golf Manor? lol Bungalow-style homes are plentiful along the streets (many of them ending with "dale") north of Galbraith Rd, while a larger number of the community's famed Victorians are on the other side. Better still, the local CPS elementary school got beautifully redone last year and has achieved an "excellent" ranking - a boon for property values whether or not kids are under your roof.
To the west of Vine is a pleasant unincorporated community known by all as Valleydale but in realtors' listings as "Springfield Township East." Aside from some duplexes, the majority of houses fall under the "Cape" category with a few ranches and Colonials here and there.
Although I kiddingly call it "Woes Lawn" due to its collapsed commercial corridors and the loss of a Kroger's (since replaced) as well as the neighborhood's Catholic church, and its proximity to Golf Manor as well as obviously to the park bearing its name...I wouldn't completely rule out Roselawn. The key is to stay south of Summit Rd. The "garden" (west of Reading Rd) and "gaslight" (east of Reading) districts have withstood demographic changeover well. Once the joke went that Roselawn was "97% Jewish and 3% assimilated," now the debatable official stats put the AA population at 56%. There again, though, the public schools are atrocious and "low crime" is a relative term for the 21st Century. Nearly everything negative that occurs there can be traced to certain sketchy bars/clubs along Reading Rd and Seymour Ave, and to the rotting apartment-heavy area along and north of Summit. Two favorite "ethnic" restaurants of Cincinnatians (Song Long for Vietnamese, and Amma's Kitchen for spicy South Indian + vegetarian) are well established in Woes Lawn, but of course nothing says you have to live within walking distance.
For affordability and an "integrated" feel the best bet yet is probably Silverton. It's just out of reach of the Kenwood mall sprawl, bisected by Montgomery Rd and with easy access to I-71. Far too often the cynical expression "'mixed' means the period of time between the first Blacks' moving in and the last Whites' leaving" has applied in Cincy. But not in Silverton, where the race ratio has held steady at roughly 50/50 for eons. Similar can be said for Madisonville and its "unincorporated" eastern neighbor Madison Place, with the caveat being "the farther from Whetsel Ave the better."
I know well of the "stink eye" for being in the right place with the wrong skin tone, and have never had to put up with it in any of the areas mentioned. (And if a certain self-appointed adversary chimes in - yes, I do visit these communities and I do walk around and conduct business there.)
I'll happily pick up the torch for Madison Place, which lies both in Cincinnati and in Columbia Township (if you get lucky, you can get a place on the border and have two garbage pickup days at your disposal! But don't ask me how I know that ... ) and is generally considered the area east of Plainville Road, between Indian Hill Road and Murray Avenue. I lived on Hurd Avenue for 13 years.
The percentage of home ownership is relatively high, and most people take good care of their homes. Most of the houses are small -- 1000 square feet in a 1 1/2 story Cape Cod -- but most have spacious front porches and manageable sized yards. There's a real mix of ages, countries of origin, and living situations.
I got lucky and bought a house from the original owner -- it hadn't been DIY'd to death. Most of those owners are gone now. But it seems to be the kind of neighborhood where people stay for awhile.
I'll happily pick up the torch for Madison Place, which lies both in Cincinnati and in Columbia Township (if you get lucky, you can get a place on the border and have two garbage pickup days at your disposal! But don't ask me how I know that ... ) and is generally considered the area east of Plainville Road, between Indian Hill Road and Murray Avenue. I lived on Hurd Avenue for 13 years.
The percentage of home ownership is relatively high, and most people take good care of their homes. Most of the houses are small -- 1000 square feet in a 1 1/2 story Cape Cod -- but most have spacious front porches and manageable sized yards. There's a real mix of ages, countries of origin, and living situations.
I got lucky and bought a house from the original owner -- it hadn't been DIY'd to death. Most of those owners are gone now. But it seems to be the kind of neighborhood where people stay for awhile.
Oh my gosh. I know a bit about Madison Place and I always forget to recommend it. Possibly the worst problem is that it's a relatively tiny neighborhood and there might not be many houses for sale at a time.
Otherwish, I'll once again just say yes, that's my impression too.
I'll happily pick up the torch for Madison Place, which lies both in Cincinnati and in Columbia Township (if you get lucky, you can get a place on the border and have two garbage pickup days at your disposal! But don't ask me how I know that ... ) and is generally considered the area east of Plainville Road, between Indian Hill Road and Murray Avenue. I lived on Hurd Avenue for 13 years.
I grew up on Britton until second grade and went to school at St. John Vianney until fifth grade. My mother's family has quite a presence in Madisonville and Madison Place, as I have had aunts and uncles living,on both sides of Plainville on Bramble, Britton, Windward, Roe, Buckingham, and Hurd. The next generation (my cousins) seem to be colonizing the opposite end of Madisonville near St. Margaret of Cortona on streets like Homer, Simpson, Islington, and Arnsby. My grandmother has a small swimming pool in her back yard on Buckingham, and my family still parties there every Sunday of the summer. I love the neighborhood, but its big downside is that the public schools are terrible. The local catholic school, Prince of Peace, is pretty good though.
Deer Park and Silverton are neighborhoods that have a lot in common with Madison place, and the southern and eastern sides of pleasant ridge is similar as well.
As to Golf Manor, there are some nice houses, but when my sister was looking at houses her realtor told her to avoid the area due to the fact that the municipality was facing insolvency and that the taxes would likely increase. I do not know if there was any truth to that, but that is what she was told.
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) and is generally considered the area east of Plainville Road, between Indian Hill Road and Murray Avenue. I lived on Hurd Avenue for 13 years.
