Moving -- neighborhood question (Cincinnati, Washington: fit in, apartment, rental)

[jolene407]

Hi,

I'm a 30-year-old single female professional moving to Cincinnati for a job. I'm trying to determine where to live. I've looked through parts of this forum and gotten some ideas, but not specific answers to my question, which is . . . (two explanatory paragraphs and then I get to it

In the past I've been happiest in neighborhoods like Columbia Heights, DC (before most of the current gentrification) and South Philly. That is, neighborhoods with a mix of young professionals and families, a mix of different ethnic groups and socioeconomic classes, and a good number of new immigrants. (I volunteer teach ESL and I like to live in the community with the people I help.)

Folks have recommended (and these forums have confirmed) that Over the Rhine and Downtown are good places for a young single professional to find what few other young single professionals actually exist in the city and might have some of the things I'm looking for in a neighborhood. But when I look up information on OTR, for example, it doesn't seem to be the up-and-coming neighborhood melting pot that I'd hope. It seems to be a bunch of abandoned buildings and condos and not much in between. Is that assessment accurate? And, the real question . . .

And is there any place I can go in Cinci to find the kind of neighborhood I'm looking for?

Someone posted a huge list of questions that a newcomer to these forums should answer, so here are mine (in case they help answer the above question).



. Have you searched this forum for answers to your questions before posting a new inquiry?

Yes.

. What specific topic have you not found answers to?

See above.

. Where is you current location and environment?

Small town in Indiana (but I used to live in Philly and DC and obviously preferred them).

. Are you looking for similar in Cincinnati or a change?

I'm coming to Cincinnati for a job, so the question is not highly relevant, but I want a change. I want a live more like the one I had on the east coast.

. Where will your work location be?

Downtown/UC.

. Maximum commute time desired?

I'd love to be able to walk to work (3 miles or so). In a car -- 20 minutes.

. What is you budget for housing?

Up to $1200 per month, though ideally less.

. Rent or buy?

Rent for now.

. Type (Apt., Condo, Single Family)

Apartment or single family (small) house.

. Size (Approx. Sq. Ft., # Bedrooms & Baths)

One bedroom or two, size not very important.

. Other specifics?

Proximity to a dog park would be ideal.

. Neighborhood environment?

See above, and in an ideal world it would not be overrun by UC students.

. Urban, young professional, nightlife

Um, yes?

. Mid-urban, close in neighborhood or suburb, stable investment

No.

. Suburban, low maintenance, quiet streets, soccer mom atmosphere

No.

. Family oriented

No.

. Lots of same age kids, activities

N/A

. Great schools

N/A

. Older, distinctive architecture, individual character

Yes.

. Modern, 15 yrs old or less, move-in ready

Meh.

. Diversity of income, race, housing?

Yes (see above).

. Yard - none, small, large (1/2 acre or more)

Ideally a small one.

. Very safe, low crime area?

Not that important, honestly, as long as it's not a war zone.

. Can tolerate some degree of crime potential? How Much?

Yes. Car break-ins and the occasional mugging and gunfight are OK. Besides burglary, the truly bad stuff doesn't usually involve you (in my experience) unless you've already made yourself involved.

. Private neighborhood association, swimming & fitness facilities

Proximity to fitness facilities would be nice but not a must.

. Schools?

N/A

. Not applicable

??

. High Ranked Public schools

N/A

. Small or large district?

N/A

. Diverse student body?

N/A

. Strong athletics?

N/A

. Consider Private schools?

N/A

. Special considerations?

. Community amenities?

See above. Does anyone really get to the end of this list?!?!

. Daily needs within walking distance, shopping, restaurants, parks, etc.

Yes, in a perfect world I'd live near a dog park, near shopping and restaurants, near other young professionals, and in a ethnically and socioeconomically diverse neighborhood that is walkable and has great historic architecture. But I don't think you can get all those things at once.

. Town/city community center for adults & kids

N/A

. Swimming, fitness center, running track, adult activities

Dude, seriously. I answered this question already!

. Nearby fitness centers & clubs

Ditto above.

. Close promity to public transportation?

Yes, but how much of that does the city really have?

. Lots of parks & youth athletic leagues

N/A

. Jogging & biking trails

Sure, but not a deal breaker.

. Other?

. Specific wants/desires?

Please. see. ABOVE.

. Please identify any specific wants/desires not mentioned above.

[TomJones123]

OTR is a work in progress but not as you describe. Along Vine and Main, south of Liberty is hopping. Race and Elm are about to come alive with the renovation of Washington Park. I am not sure anywhere in Cincinnati is a melting pot. I'll leave others to make suggestions on where to live. Although, I am sure the usual suspects will be recommended. Gaslight Clifton, CUF, Mount Adams, etc.

Oh: http://www.urbanohio.com/forum2/index.php#c5

Never hurts to have another site to kick around when pondering things like where to live in Cincy's urban core.

[John Blatchford]

Hey Jolene. In my opinion, OTR is ideal for you in a lot of ways. You are right in some senses that there is just poverty or posh and nothing in between. The problem is that it is desirable for young professionals and some UC students so those mid-level properties go quite fast. But another perk is that for even $1000 you can live like a king, property is still relatively cheap because it is up-and-coming and was largely miserable even 10 years ago. Exactly for you in terms of cultural mix, commute, young professional and nightlife. You could easily walk to downtown and could walk to UC as it is only about a mile but there is a huge hill in the way and can take you through some rough areas.

Still very much a work in progress but it seems like that is exactly what you are looking for. Craigslist is a good resource among others for finding these properties. I live in Clifton and it is VERY UC, so that may not be for you in terms of living. Gaslight and Mt. Adams are very nice but not very diverse. You should also definitely consider Northside as it is cultural and alive, but this would be a 10 minute commute to work probably and not quite as dense as you seem to be looking for.

You might even consider fixing a place up. I work for a home repair company, I don't want to spam this forum, but you can read my profile if you want to find out more in that regard. Hope that's helpful, happy to answer any other questions.

[TomJones123]

Originally Posted by John Blatchford

You could easily walk to downtown and could walk to UC as it is only about a mile but there is a huge hill in the way and can take you through some rough areas.

I walk to and from downtown frequently from W. Clifton Ave. and agree wholeheartedly with you, my friend. Walking north of Liberty during the day is generally alright. However, at night I take a bus or cab as a rule of thumb. Though, I have been known to use Mulberry street to avoid the craziness along McMicken and other streets where the freaks come out at night.

[Chemistry_Guy]

I think you would be happiest in Gaslight Clifton, if I interpreted your downtown/UC to mean at the university. I agree that OTR could be a good fit as well, but you will probably be traveling to UC more often than the downtown nightlife, so the convenience of walking to UC and avoiding driving/busrides is a big plus.

There are a number of great old apartment buildings in the area in addition to rental houses, and they are priced so that they are not overrun with students. Also, Gaslight has a grocery that is easy to walk to any time of day (or will have very soon, it was closed for a few months) which makes a big difference.

If you do live in OTR, you will probably want to live right near a bus route unless you ride a 2-wheeled vehicle, as the hassle of parking at UC is something to be avoided.

Yes, in a perfect world I'd live near a dog park, near shopping and restaurants, near other young professionals, and in a ethnically and socioeconomically diverse neighborhood that is walkable and has great historic architecture. But I don't think you can get all those things at once.

Honestly, I think both Clifton gaslight and OTR meet these criteria. OTR is a little higher on the diversity index, lower on the safety scale, more architecturally significant, and further from the university than gaslight. Also, while OTR is more economically diverse, it is mostly AA and white, while Clifton gaslight has a higher international presence.

Edit: The nearest dogpark is probably 15-20 minutes away from both.

[Joeytraveler]

I'd recommend you check out prospect hill. We have a small unofficial dog park of sorts and I think you'd fit in well in the 'hood. Great architecture, great people and a 5 min walk from most of OtR.

Also there is a large dog park on eggelston (downtown), though I haven't been there personally I see people there when Im running to sawyer point. If you have any more questions just let us know!

[TomJones123]

Originally Posted by Joeytraveler

I'd recommend you check out prospect hill. We have a small unofficial dog park of sorts and I think you'd fit in well in the 'hood. Great architecture, great people and a 5 min walk from most of OtR.

Also there is a large dog park on eggelston (downtown), though I haven't been there personally I see people there when Im running to sawyer point. If you have any more questions just let us know!

Yep! cool hood for sure and uptown bus is a short walk on Main.

[jolene407]

Thanks, all -- this is really helpful information!! I appreciate it.

[progmac]

good suggestions. the CUF area south of campus (clifton heights, university heights, fairview) is the first area that popped into my mind. if you are street-wise and into the urban thing, i'm not sure if the extra cost of rent in the gaslight area is worth it. definitely a personal decision though.

also, northside. although to be fair to OTR, you can find places that are between an abandoned building and a newly condominium historic building. See Pendleton in particular.

[flashes1]

Agree with the Gaslight District in Clifton.