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I am relocating to Cincinnati for a job at Miami U. I am a single female academic from the south in my mid/late 20s, and I would really value input on neighborhoods (or even apartments, if anyone willing to respond recommends specific places) to check out. I'm looking for young, eclectic urban areas close to the action, but there is a catch: I will commute to Oxford, OH 3 to 5 days a week. I checked out Oxford, and while it's charming and perfect for a prof with a family or a college student attending Miami, I will be relocating not knowing anyone and I want to go out and be social (without seeing my students), meet young professionals around my age, make new friends and experience the excitement of a more urban area. Anyway, thanks in advance for your guidance, and I apologize for asking the popular question all over again (albeit, with a small variation)!
. Have you searched this forum for answers to your questions before posting a new inquiry? Yes, I found one similar request from a commuter to Oxford, but it seemed to be from a poster with very different living desires.
. What specific topic have you not found answers to?
. Where is you current location and environment? Athens, GA.
. Are you looking for similar in Cincinnati or a change? I love Athens dearly and would love to find a place with a similar hip, eclectic and young vibe but I greatly look forward to moving to a bigger, more urban environment with more young (non college student) professionals.
. Where will your work location be? Oxford, OH.
. Maximum commute time desired? Around an hour, give or take. Of course, less is best, but I realize the commute is unavoidable and have accepted that fact. I think that rules out anything really deep in the heart of downtown or on the river or across the river in KY, which makes me sad, but I'm trying to find a balance between minimizing commute time/frustration and maximizing my desire to live in a young/hip area close to all the action. Luckily with my job, I can pretty easily avoid typical rush hours and may not go to Oxford every single day of the week.
. What is your budget for housing? Up to 2000. I'd prefer nicer/upscale and am willing to pay for that, but I don't want to hemorrhage money on a rental.
. Rent or buy? Rent, at least for the first year.
. Type (Apt., Condo, Single Family) Apt or condo.
. Size (Approx. Sq. Ft., # Bedrooms & Baths) At least 2 BR, 1 or 2 BA.
. Other specifics? Parking for my car is a must.
. Neighborhood environment? Looking for young/eclectic/urban/exciting/hip.
. Urban, young professional, nightlife YES. This exactly.
. Mid-urban, close in neighborhood or suburb, stable investment I'd prefer urban, but mid-urban might work.
. Suburban, low maintenance, quiet streets, soccer mom atmosphere Noooo.
. Family oriented Nope.
. Lots of same age kids, activities Nah.
. Great schools No.
. Older, distinctive architecture, individual character I would love and enjoy this, but it isn't completely necessary.
. Modern, 15 yrs old or less, move-in ready I could love and enjoy modern as well, but it isn't completely necessary.
. Diversity of income, race, housing? Diversity is always nice and would be lovely, but it's not necessarily needed.
. Yard - none, small, large (1/2 acre or more) Not needed.
. Very safe, low crime area? I am a single female, so I'd probably be an easy target for criminals but I am pretty independent and used to being careful. I guess I would prefer low crime, but could tolerate areas with small amounts of non-severe or non-threatening crime.
. Can tolerate some degree of crime potential? How Much? See above.
. Private neighborhood association, swimming & fitness facilities Not needed.
. Schools?
. Not applicable Yep, not applicable. No kids. Not for a looooooooong time.
. High Ranked Public schools NA
. Small or large district? NA
. Diverse student body? NA
. Strong athletics? NA
. Consider Private schools? NA
. Special considerations? NA
. Community amenities?
. Daily needs within walking distance, shopping, restaurants, parks, etc. Shopping, restaurants, bars, social atmospheres within walking distance would be nice. But it's not a deal-breaker since I have a car.
. Town/city community center for adults & kids Not needed.
. Swimming, fitness center, running track, adult activities Adult activities would be nice. Unless that means strip clubs. No strip clubs needed.
. Nearby fitness centers & clubs Nope. I usually run outside.
. Close promity to public transportation? Not exactly necessary.
. Lots of parks & youth athletic leagues Not necessary.
. Jogging & biking trails I run almost every day but I can run in Oxford after work or go to a park, so nearby trails would be lovely but isn't absolutely necessary.
. Other? I'd prefer nice or upscale, but this isn't a must. Views would be nice, too. Maybe a balcony or deck?
. Specific wants/desires?
. Please identify any specific wants/desires not mentioned above. I am completely new to the state of Ohio and Cincinnati, so I am an utter outsider. That being said, I tried to do a little research prior to posting. I am attracted to the Hyde Park, Mt. Lookout, Newport, Downtown neighborhoods, but I've been told that commuting from these areas would be hellish, so I guess those areas wouldn't work (unless I'm wrong). Maybe Northside would be a bit better while still being close to the action? Or CUF? I've been told living in the Blue Ash and Deerfield twp areas would make the commute much easier, but would living in these areas sacrifice the young/urban/hip/close-to-the-action vibe I want? Even with the research, I am probably completely missing or overlooking areas that would be perfect, so I can't wait to hear recommendations. To give you an idea of my taste, I'll give some examples: I've checked out the American Can Lofts in Northside and the Charleston in Blue Ash. A lot of the Towne properties seem right up my alley, though sadly my favorites seem to be located downtown, of course. The Banks seems awesome too, but, again, there's the commute to think about.
WHOA!!!!
You are right that you will have to commute for 45+ minutes to be away from students, not living in suburbia, & be in civilization that you can enjoy. Let us think a bit on this Realize that once you consider CUF, Northside ... you are almost talking downtown Cinti ... the rest is just strategic planning of the commute.
Wow, umm, I don't envy your situation. Oxford is not Cincinnati. It's pretty far out there. And if you want hip and urban, you definitely need to get into the city. Colerain Ave. goes through Northside, which is a straight shot to Oxford. But with that distance it is barely closer than any of the other areas you mentioned.
After reading your questionnaire, I'd say Mt. Adams or Downtown for you. With Northside in third place.
Mt. Adams has a yuppie feel. Northside has a hipster/gay/alternative feel. Both have a number of nightlife options. Downtown doesn't have a certain feel like that, of course, but it has a large variety of amenities. In terms of safety, I would rank them 1) Mt. Adams (most safe), 2) Downtown, 3) Northside. Commute convenience is in the reverse order.
Hyde Park and Mt. Lookout are not very exciting neighborhoods. Their nightlife options are limited. They are also probably the worst in terms of commute. They are safe and stable, have nice business districts, but they are not "where the action is," which sounds important to you. I don't see any reason to recommend Newport, but you could look at the Main Strasse area of Covington in KY. It is vibrant with nightlife and is better positioned for getting out to Oxford.
To start, welcome to Oxford and welcome to Miami University! I'm a current Miami student, so please feel free to message me with any questions you may have and I will do my best to answer them. Miami is a very welcoming community, so I am sure you will love it here once you arrive - the isolation may take some getting used to though (it did for me at least).
According to my professors, Miami expects all of its professors to be on campus five days a week, every week. This helps maintain the "traditional college" atmosphere for which it is known. That being said, I would highly advise against living outside of Oxford when you first start because the community of Miami U is in Oxford. The professors go to the bars and restaurants together, hang out on the weekends, and sometimes even invite students along. So you would miss all of that if you are an hour away.
There are a fair amount of rentals in town for professors - nothing exciting, but all of it is passable. It would be a good place to start out while you make friends, adjust to Miami, and further explore Cincinnati (and I would also recommend looking into Kettering, Oakwood, Dayton, and Hamilton - each of those cities have some good areas for young professionals and are the same distance or closer than Cincinnati).
Good luck and congrats on becoming a Miamian! It's a great place to be.
I have to agree commuting to Oxford from downtown is a horrible thought. When we drive from Mason to the golf course in the Hueston Woods park immediately adjacent to Oxford to close to an hour. And that is with going directly west through Hamilton and taking mainly lower traffic roads.
I also agree Oxford is the Miami U experience and what makes Miami U. Even if you are just working there you are part of creating that experience. Start out in Oxford until you are convinced it is not your cup of tea. If it turns out that way then start soliciting a job at UC, Xavier, or NKU where it makes sense to live downtown.
I also would try living in Oxford first. Then if you decide to move to Cincinnati you will have had time to really familiarize yourself with what you'd be getting into commute-wise. If you're dead-set on Cincinnatiimmediately, I agree Northside would be the best option of areas discussed heretofore. Some areas of Northside are safer than others for residential; the commercial district should be fine from a safety standpoint and is getting stronger and better all the time.
Where I differ from the other posters is the suggestion that if you live in Northside you might just as well be downtown or in Hyde Park, etc. I would estimate that your travel time from Northside, while seeming excessive to me, would be SIGNIFICANTLY less than from anywhere else that would approach your criteria.
To start, welcome to Oxford and welcome to Miami University! I'm a current Miami student, so please feel free to message me with any questions you may have and I will do my best to answer them. Miami is a very welcoming community, so I am sure you will love it here once you arrive - the isolation may take some getting used to though (it did for me at least).
According to my professors, Miami expects all of its professors to be on campus five days a week, every week. This helps maintain the "traditional college" atmosphere for which it is known. That being said, I would highly advise against living outside of Oxford when you first start because the community of Miami U is in Oxford. The professors go to the bars and restaurants together, hang out on the weekends, and sometimes even invite students along. So you would miss all of that if you are an hour away.
There are a fair amount of rentals in town for professors - nothing exciting, but all of it is passable. It would be a good place to start out while you make friends, adjust to Miami, and further explore Cincinnati (and I would also recommend looking into Kettering, Oakwood, Dayton, and Hamilton - each of those cities have some good areas for young professionals and are the same distance or closer than Cincinnati).
Good luck and congrats on becoming a Miamian! It's a great place to be.
I didn't see that the OP stated she would be becoming a Professor.
I'm sure there are many other jobs at Miami - administrative, etc.. that the OP could be taking. Granted, Professor is the obvious choice, but still -- no guarantee that is what the OP is talking about.
OP - I'd probably rent in Oxford just to get fully acquainted with the area. You can easily commute into Cinci on your days off (if you are only working 3-ish days a week on campus) or weekends, and get a feel for which neighborhoods would be worth the challenges of the commute you are contemplating.
I also think that (EXCEPT FOR IN WEATHER OF ANY KIND) the hour-ish commute from Cinci to Oxford wouldn't be awful, especially if you can make it against rush hour (so it is really only an hour-ish, and not 3 hours).
But I like to drive. And listen to NPR.
But in weather (rain, snow, sun glare, excessive wind) the commute would be brutal. Driving in weather is not fun in this area. Hills, drivers who don't expect hills, drivers who slam on the brakes during weather events where slamming on brakes is ill-advised.... Make sure ultimately, if you do choose to live 50+ miles away, that you can work from home on those days that weather turns the local roads to chaotic pin-ball machines.
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Realize that once you consider CUF, Northside ... you are almost talking downtown Cinti ... the rest is just strategic planning of the commute.
