Relocating to Cincinnati Area Fall 2012 (Findlay, University Heights: middle-class, appointed, house)

[Nomad2012]

I am relocating to the Cincinnati area in Fall 2012. Can anyone provide information on areas that have diversity AND good schools? Public is my preference, but a good private school that is diverse is not out of the question. A neighborhood that is walkable with parks and shops would be nice. Areas of the country that have similar neighborhoods would be Germantown (Memphis,TN) Broad Ripple (Indianapolis, IN), Oak Park and Hyde Park (Chicago, IL). Any information can provide would be greatly appreciated. Please don't say all the burbs are great, as all burbs are not created equal and diversity is an issue.

[kjbrill]

What is the specific diversity you are looking for? Economic, racial, gay/straight, religion, what?

Cincinnati's geography is not conducive to walkable neighborhoods, so you may be sorely disappointed in that area. You will receive some responses such as Hyde Park, an older neighborhood up on the hills near downtown touting walkability. But in my estimation it is more accurate to describe it as an absolute hike.

Give some more information on your specific desires.

And in Cincinnati, good schools is almost automatically equated with suburbs, as CPS has been lacking for years. Off the top of my head, good schools plus walkability yields either Mariemont or Wyoming, both separately incorporated suburbs of Cincinnati. I would not consider either one of them especially diverse, due primarily to the price of the property. You will pay a price to live there.

[progmac]

i think what you're looking for is wyoming. for something more urban, the gaslight area of clifton near the university would also work. diversity is one of the biggest draws of pleasant ridge (my 'hood) and kennedy heights, but based on your sample neighborhoods i think you're looking for something a bit more polished.

cincinnati's hyde park is plenty nice, although the demographics are more like chicago's lincoln park

[Sarah Perry]

Originally Posted by Nomad2012

I am relocating to the Cincinnati area in Fall 2012. Can anyone provide information on areas that have diversity AND good schools? Public is my preference, but a good private school that is diverse is not out of the question. A neighborhood that is walkable with parks and shops would be nice. Areas of the country that have similar neighborhoods would be Germantown (Memphis,TN) Broad Ripple (Indianapolis, IN), Oak Park and Hyde Park (Chicago, IL). Any information can provide would be greatly appreciated. Please don't say all the burbs are great, as all burbs are not created equal and diversity is an issue.

I'm familiar wth Oak Park. There's no middle-class/upper-middle-class enclave with that type of racial balance or makeup in Cincinnati. African-American and other "diverse" type people are more scattered among mostly white neighborhoods.

It is a simple fact of life here that most of our African-American citizens are MUCH less affluent that the folks in Oak Park. I believe you will find, though, that in Cincinnati's more affluent neighborhoods, people of all ethnicities are basically welcomed. In other words, acceptance is a lot more about economics than color here.

It sounds like Hyde Park meets some of your criteria. You might need to investigate private school, though.

[unusualfire]

^Kilgore may be to his liking.

[SonnyDaze]

Wyoming and Sycamore are two of the areas top school districts that also boast some degree of racial diversity (both are only 75-80% white). Wyoming is somewhat walkable- Sycamore is not, for the most part.

[TomJones123]

OTR - CUF -- Prospect Hill. I recemmend these since you seem to want dense urban.

OTR is on the rise and many parts are off hot. Also, consider CBD.

CUF - Three neighborhoods in one grouping, all have a lot of UC students in addition to a lot of residents so these are packed neighborhoods, with lot's of amenities in close walking distance to Findlay Market and the Uptown McMillia - Calhoun business district.
- Clifton Heights -
- University Heights
- Fairview

Prospect Hill is covered in a recent thread.

Public schools are not really an issue because you will probably want a magnet school anyway. Check CPS website. Fairview German Language, North Avondale, Montessori, and SCPA are examples of magnet schools. Private schools are plentiful as well. 2 Examples.

Cincinnati Hills Christian Academy :: Academics :: Armleder School

Welcome to Annunciation School


Kjbrill. I have to disagree with you on Cincinnati not being walkable. My wife and I walk nearly everywhere or take the bus and walk. We let the car sit most days. Cincinnati is very walkable.

Cincinnati one of the most walkable cities in U.S. - Business Courier

[kjbrill]

TomJones123...

This whole concept of walkable I find to be a simile. When I was a boy and my parents moved to Madeira it was definitely walkable. At that time our house was on the edge of town and a whopping 6 blocks from the business district. The post office, bank, grocery store, gas station, and every other business in town were less than 1/2 mile away. The school was about 3/4 mile. Now that was walkable. But as the village expanded, annexed, and sprawled out to what it is today I certainly would not classify it as walkable for about 80% of the residents.

The resurgence of OTR in Cincinnati may be called a walkable neighborhood, providing there is something to walk to.

Your own comment about taking the bus somewhere and then walking is not to me walkable. The convenience of the bus is fine, but the fact is you needed transportation due to what you desired was not just within walking distance. I still say there are very few areas in Cincinnati where most of the needs of everyday life are within reasonable walking distance. It is just not Mayberry.

[TomJones123]

Originally Posted by kjbrill

TomJones123...
Your own comment about taking the bus somewhere and then walking is not to me walkable.

A five minute bus ride to work is what I am referring to. I don't need a car where I live. I have everything I need within walking distance, grocery store included. My car is a convenience I choose to keep. And there is plenty to walk to in OTR.

My friend, I live in Cincinnati, in the heart of uptown and walk most everywhere. I am not saying that walkable means a person will never need mass transit or desire a car. Heck, NYC is about as walkable as you can get and I still needed the subway and other train systems to work.

As always, I enjoy the debate. Cheers!

[kjbrill]

Originally Posted by TomJones123

A five minute bus ride to work is what I am referring to. I don't need a car where I live. I have everything I need within walking distance, grocery store included. My car is a convenience I choose to keep. And there is plenty to walk to in OTR.

My friend, I live in Cincinnati, in the heart of uptown and walk most everywhere. I am not saying that walkable means a person will never need mass transit or desire a car. Heck, NYC is about as walkable as you can get and I still needed the subway and other train systems to work.

As always, I enjoy the debate. Cheers!

Living downtown I would expect most things to be walkable, except when you get my age. But once you get out of the immediate downtown area the walkability rapidly disappears. So to even state that Cincinnati as a whole is walkable I feel is a stretch.