Might move to Cincy from Tri-Cities TN if I get teaching job (Cincinnati: cul-de-sac, appointed)

[Sarah Perry]

Threads like this always call to mind the immortal words attributed to the late Marge Schott--for out-of-towners' reference, the down-to-earth (and very wealthy) former owner of the Cincinnati Reds and an Indian Hill resident--"Honey, the money's on the west side and the bills are on the east side."

I do get the fact now that the OP is not concerned about length of commute, though. Loveland, Milford, West Chester...it's all good. Definitely go for an address you can feel good about telling other people is where you live. Just don't expect the folks you're working for out on the west side to be impressed. Because a lot of them are going to know where the money is, and where the bills are, too. :-)

[SAL1115]

I think there was one poster on the board who didn't like West Chester for some reason. WC is nowhere near a sinking ship. Very affordable, family friendly, and there is the new mall... not declining at all. Ridiculous.

[Briolat21]

Originally Posted by SAL1115

I think there was one poster on the board who didn't like West Chester for some reason. WC is nowhere near a sinking ship. Very affordable, family friendly, and there is the new mall... not declining at all. Ridiculous.

There are more than a few posters on this forum who don't like WC, but then again, most of them don't like the suburbs at all.

Agreed - WC may have to confront some issues going forward (is it a sleepy agricultural town, or a satellite city center?) ... but I don't see any major crash in its immediate future.

Then again, I also don't think that in 10 years Cincinnati's population will boom to 2 million and the suburbs will become vacant ghost towns....

But that's what makes the world so much fun, a plurality of ideas...

[flashes1]

Originally Posted by SAL1115

I think there was one poster on the board who didn't like West Chester for some reason. WC is nowhere near a sinking ship. Very affordable, family friendly, and there is the new mall... not declining at all. Ridiculous.

Agreed. Declining two levies a few years ago took the wind out of WC's sails, but I think they're back now. There's a lot of value in WC housing right now because of the misconception...but it's temporary in nature.

[Sarah Perry]

I'm no fan of sprawl, and I consistently urge newcomers to try to limit the length of their job commutes. That said, I totally understand the attraction of suburban living especially for people who are raising families. One of the problems with residential sprawl is that there's always a newer and "better" development area, just on the outer fringes of the existing one. Developers can market not only brand-new shiny houses, but also the most fashionable amenities du jour. So that can lead to an attitude that even the older sprawl areas are in decline--when measured against the brand new stuff. I don't know much at all in the way of specifics, but it occurs to me to wonder if that's part of the picture involving West Chester.

[TeacherinTN]

I bought a home in Loveland! We checked out the west side but there were not a lot of great options for us. Our realtor, who grew up and still lives on the west side said she thought we would like the east side more. She also mentioned that there are more "outsiders" on the east side and that it might be more welcoming and open. I'm not saying this is the case, this is just what she said.

I've driven the commute most of the way and had no problem doing it in 40 minutes. However, coming back from the west side on 275 got really bad this evening right before the Mason area and leading up to 71. However, this was at 5:30. Hopefully my school schedule will avoid this rush hour back up as I'll be coming home at least an hour earlier.

With that said, I'm not down playing the frustrations of a commute like this. I've grown used to a 15 min commute on 45 mph roads. I'm not a fan of being in the car for a long time but like other posts, I agree that it has some benefits. I was barely awake when I would arrive at school with my short commutes as I stay in bed as long as possible. The few mornings when I took my time in the morning was usually my best teaching A long commute will give me ample time to evaluate and assess the imminent lesson for the day. Without a commute, I would not do this very often.

Thanks to everyone for the advice. I can't wait to start living in your great city!

[Sarah Perry]

Originally Posted by TeacherinTN

I bought a home in Loveland! We checked out the west side but there were not a lot of great options for us. Our realtor, who grew up and still lives on the west side said she thought we would like the east side more. She also mentioned that there are more "outsiders" on the east side and that it might be more welcoming and open. I'm not saying this is the case, this is just what she said.

I've driven the commute most of the way and had no problem doing it in 40 minutes. However, coming back from the west side on 275 got really bad this evening right before the Mason area and leading up to 71. However, this was at 5:30. Hopefully my school schedule will avoid this rush hour back up as I'll be coming home at least an hour earlier.

With that said, I'm not down playing the frustrations of a commute like this. I've grown used to a 15 min commute on 45 mph roads. I'm not a fan of being in the car for a long time but like other posts, I agree that it has some benefits. I was barely awake when I would arrive at school with my short commutes as I stay in bed as long as possible. The few mornings when I took my time in the morning was usually my best teaching A long commute will give me ample time to evaluate and assess the imminent lesson for the day. Without a commute, I would not do this very often.

Thanks to everyone for the advice. I can't wait to start living in your great city!

Thanks so much for letting us know the outcome of your search, and delighted you were able to purchase a house so quickly! Best wishes on your move.

[Briolat21]

Originally Posted by TeacherinTN

I bought a home in Loveland! We checked out the west side but there were not a lot of great options for us. Our realtor, who grew up and still lives on the west side said she thought we would like the east side more. She also mentioned that there are more "outsiders" on the east side and that it might be more welcoming and open. I'm not saying this is the case, this is just what she said.

I've driven the commute most of the way and had no problem doing it in 40 minutes. However, coming back from the west side on 275 got really bad this evening right before the Mason area and leading up to 71. However, this was at 5:30. Hopefully my school schedule will avoid this rush hour back up as I'll be coming home at least an hour earlier.

With that said, I'm not down playing the frustrations of a commute like this. I've grown used to a 15 min commute on 45 mph roads. I'm not a fan of being in the car for a long time but like other posts, I agree that it has some benefits. I was barely awake when I would arrive at school with my short commutes as I stay in bed as long as possible. The few mornings when I took my time in the morning was usually my best teaching A long commute will give me ample time to evaluate and assess the imminent lesson for the day. Without a commute, I would not do this very often.

Thanks to everyone for the advice. I can't wait to start living in your great city!

Commutes can be a good time to start to think about your upcoming work day. Not saying you'll necessarily ever come to love them, but I think it can be tolerable for people who are open minded about it.


If you're hitting 275/I-71 at 4:30, there will be some slowdowns, but it should usually be navigable. It does start to back up considerably after 5pm - with the occasional "stop dead" on 275 - especially seeming to be related to the next exit (montgomery, etc.).

So glad you were able to get a place so quickly!! Welcome and good luck!!

[SWOH]

Originally Posted by SAL1115

I think there was one poster on the board who didn't like West Chester for some reason. WC is nowhere near a sinking ship. Very affordable, family friendly, and there is the new mall... not declining at all. Ridiculous.

I wasn't the only poster making this argument, but I was (and AM) the most vocal.
To put it simply, unless Liberty Twp. / WC gets its act together it will become the next Forest Park, Colerain, or Fairfield.

Here's why:
- Poor community aesthetics. Lack of a city code is keeping the area from looking nice and cohesive like Mason, Blue Ash, or any other city. Drive down Tylersville towards Hamilton and observe all the gangly honeysuckle and garbage along the roadway. Then take Tylersville to the east and observe the fact that this kind of area would not exist in Mason.
- Understaffed schools with underskilled teachers. The best teachers get squeezed and jump ship for better districts, like Mason or Wyoming. And worse students make their way to Lakota, all while Lakota pretends they don't exist.
- Dismal community services. Crime is rising, and the police force is ill equipped to handle it. If it rises more it will be near impossible to get a levy passed to increase the force to an adequate level
- Outdated/poor quality housing product. The best builders built in Mason, not West Chester. The pre-2000 houses there are having lots of problems. I've heard a lot of bizarre structural issues in particular.

... and I could keep going. Even the mall you mention and its lackluster retail portfolio is a testament to the lack of confidence people have in West Chester as a whole (although I would agree that east of Cin-Day Rd. is probably a safe bet unless you're talking Old West Chester near the Pisgah area).

It's a good town for industry, but not the best place to live. Take that from someone with experience. You're better off living in Mason if possible.

[SWOH]

Originally Posted by TeacherinTN

I bought a home in Loveland! We checked out the west side but there were not a lot of great options for us. Our realtor, who grew up and still lives on the west side said she thought we would like the east side more. She also mentioned that there are more "outsiders" on the east side and that it might be more welcoming and open. I'm not saying this is the case, this is just what she said.

I've driven the commute most of the way and had no problem doing it in 40 minutes. However, coming back from the west side on 275 got really bad this evening right before the Mason area and leading up to 71. However, this was at 5:30. Hopefully my school schedule will avoid this rush hour back up as I'll be coming home at least an hour earlier.

With that said, I'm not down playing the frustrations of a commute like this. I've grown used to a 15 min commute on 45 mph roads. I'm not a fan of being in the car for a long time but like other posts, I agree that it has some benefits. I was barely awake when I would arrive at school with my short commutes as I stay in bed as long as possible. The few mornings when I took my time in the morning was usually my best teaching A long commute will give me ample time to evaluate and assess the imminent lesson for the day. Without a commute, I would not do this very often.

Thanks to everyone for the advice. I can't wait to start living in your great city!

Congratulations!
Best of luck in Loveland, it's a great place to be.
Very sorry to take this off track earlier but that was a point I needed to address.