Mt. Washington vs. Pleasant Ridge vs. Norwood

[goyguy]

WHOA...OP resurfaces after nearly a year! This deserves its own thread headline.
It so happens that one of my pet peeves is the way people rely on news stories and maybe, just maybe, a quick passing through of a neighborhood along its main street to jump to all sorts of wild conclusions. And in "who knows how many" threads I've bemoaned how so many otherwise nice parts of town have commercial zones that are a disaster area.
Sometimes (well...pretty often ) material in a post is far enough removed from reality that "ya gotta say something." The homes in the subdivision which replaced the infamous Swifton Village apartments - a recent enough development that some construction is still in progress - aren't all that special. But "projects near Langdon Farm Rd" - WHAT??? No property in "The Villages of Daybreak" is publicly owned, and houses are selling for as much as a quarter-mil. It's almost equally hysterical and off-base to imagine Pleasant Ridge as a neighborhood with resounding gunfire. The scary thing is that readers and lurkers who don't know better are misled.
Good luck with sprucing up Beechmont. To my way of thinking it looks more "faded" than sketchy, but then again the environment I "got the hell out of" was suburbia. If Mt Washington doesn't have a community council or something similar it needs to. Groups like that in North Avondale, Oakley, and Westwood have a good track record of making improvements happen.

[SassySally]

Do not move to Pleasant Ridge school district...not a good school. If you do, seek out private education. Norwood is a joke-kids and adults on same level. Mt. Washington best option. My suggestion is you come North!

[unusualfire]

Since when does Pleasant ridge has it's own school district? It would be the same as Mt Washington.

[kjbrill]

Originally Posted by unusualfire

Since when does Pleasant ridge has it's own school district? It would be the same as Mt Washington.

Yes, some people come totally out of left field. You wonder if they even know how to read. Pleasant Ridge and Mt Washington are both simply neighborhoods of Cincinnati and both are part of CPS, the only school district in the City.

Now we read good things about the Pleasant Ridge Montessouri school. But we also read it is lagging behind the other Montessouri schools in the CPS system. I assume this is because it is designated as a neighborhood school, rather than a magnet school. I also enterpret if you live in the neighborhood you are entitled to go there. To me that is a good circumstance. Why should you have to stand on your head to attend a new school? OK I get it, some of you still believe in discrimination.

I don't disparage Norwood. They are a separate city and a separate school district. Since I have no first hand knowledge, I will not comment on the quality of the schools. But I also believe others with no first hand knowledge also refrain from doing the same. This much I do know, since Norwood is paying their own tab, they have the right to determine their destiny. Other people butt out of their business.

[esya]

The best way to check crime reports is to look at crime reports by county or town. Don't rely on verbal reports as many are based on news or urban legend. Crime reports also vary widely from year to year and can skew perceptions.

The best way to check walkability is on the website walkability reports. Most Cincinnati neighborhoods (depending on what you compare them to) don't get the highest ratings. I have been looking at real estate in 3 states for 5 years, including Oregon and Cincinnati, for retirement planning. If you really want to check use the address and put it in mapquest or google maps (I prefer the later now) and check for nearby groceries, or whatever else you want. It varies a lot from one property to the next.

[esya]

Norwood also for the most part has very small lots...so the yards are not that hot.

[kjbrill]

Originally Posted by esya

Norwood also for the most part has very small lots...so the yards are not that hot.

If you are looking for a place you can play tag football that is probably correct. Norwood was laid out quite a long time ago when large lots were not a common desire. But there is some well built property there available at prices well below the average of other neighborhoods. That, and its very convenient location are enough to give it a look. I like the fact it is an independent city and therefore only has to look internally as to suggestions for change. Doesn't have to share resources with a much broader area. And that goes for the schools also, they are their own district. As a resident there you might feel attending a city council or a school board meeting might actually yield some positive results.

[home4frog]

I saw this thread and thought I might jump in and give my two cents worth, since I wasn't seeing any positive chatter about Mt. Washington. It is one of the neighborhoods that we seriously considered. And, I do think that depending on where the house is, it can be highly walkable. I like the area near Sands Montessori (which gets pretty good reviews from all I've heard), and the post office library, Kroger and Walgreens are all in walking distance from there. There are lots of restaurants and classes for the kids, such as music, dance and karate, Farmer's Market, great park all in walking distance. I am happy with where we finally bought, but I still think it's a great, walkable area. So, my two cents worth for whomever is reading this thread in the future.