Blue Ash and neighboring areas perspective (Cincinnati, Loveland: real estate, house, neighborhoods)

[rcalamita]

Blue Ash seems to be great community that has many features. Thoughts on the area? Traffic from/to downtown? Real estate Taxes? The recreation center looks great....can I join if I live in Montgomery even if pay higher rate?

Thoughts on neighboring communities of kenwood (Indian hill schools), Madeira, Montgomery ? Any of them have similar rec center?

Other thoughts or feedback?

House range anywhere from 600-700

[rcalamita]

Also any perspective on great gyms and health clubs? Love lifetime fitness type gyms, but Deerfield is too far away of commute, so would love perspective on great gyms, health clubs, etc near BlueAsh, Montgomery, kenwood, Madeira?

What is sycamore/summed township? Is that north of Montgomery?

[rcalamita]

Also any perspective on great gyms and health clubs? Love lifetime fitness type gyms, but Deerfield is too far away of commute, so would love perspective on great gyms, health clubs, etc near BlueAsh, Montgomery, kenwood, Madeira?

What is sycamore/summed township? Is that north of Montgomery?

[Chemistry_Guy]

Originally Posted by rcalamita

Also any perspective on great gyms and health clubs? Love lifetime fitness type gyms, but Deerfield is too far away of commute, so would love perspective on great gyms, health clubs, etc near BlueAsh, Montgomery, kenwood, Madeira?

What is sycamore/summed township? Is that north of Montgomery?

The JCC is 5 minutes from Blue Ash and it has a wonderful fitness club. I am not Jewish and love the place.
JCC: The Mayerson JCC of Cincinnati

[SalamanderSmile]

You have to live in the city of Blue Ash to join the rec center. Living in the city of Montgomery you can join the Montgomery swim club but I don't know if they have a gym. There is also the Blue Ash YMCA which I have not been to in years and cannot comment on.

[goyguy]

Originally Posted by Chemistry_Guy

The JCC is 5 minutes from Blue Ash and it has a wonderful fitness club. I am not Jewish and love the place.
JCC: The Mayerson JCC of Cincinnati

Speaking of which, the pejorative nickname for that suburb is "Jew Ash" but in reality it contains an ecumenical - if decidedly White-majority - population. There is a small pocket on the northern fringe which is "historically Black," and a fair number of Asian professionals have established their households there "for the schools." (The Sycamore public district encompassing Montgomery and Blue Ash is perennially at the highest end of the state quality rankings.) Aside from a handful of compact neighborhoods containing small older homes, the town largely consists of a scattered yet surprisingly cohesive collection of subdivisions built between the 1960's and very recently. Long ago, the tiny community airport was eyed for possible expansion into an aviation hub for Cincinnati. Those plans were only scuttled once and for all early in the current century. So growth took place in the wake of that, with home and office-park developers now confident that they wouldn't be building close by a noisy runway.

In response to the township question: the Northwest Territory was sectioned into townships long before many suburbs were anything more than a toll station for horse-drawn wagons (provided there was any human habitation at all.) If only in a geographical sense, Blue Ash makes up part of Sycamore Township's northeast sector. Symmes - the area I suspect the OP typo'd - adjoins Sycamore to the east and includes Loveland within its boundaries. Kids in the large, mostly McMansion, neighborhood lying between Loveland and Montgomery are considered to be in the Loveland school district for the most part if not 100% of the time. (My sister and BIL were pleased that they could keep their kids in the same schools after they relocated into that area after 15 years in a subdivision within the Loveland city limits.)

Montgomery's story is much that of Blue Ash's, though it's had a "village" area for much longer which today is a popular local dining and shopping district. Another distinction is that it was "built out" earlier so that there are no newer subdivisions. (In lieu of that, Montgomery has the dubious recognition of being one of the suburban areas with the largest number of tear-downs. Why make do with a sixty-year-old, three-bedroom, ranch house with a large yard and two-car garage when you can have a brand-new FIVE-bedroom multi-level one with space for four vehicles and NO yard? ) It's also situated along I-71 as well as amidst the "mall sprawl" from Kenwood to the south that extends on out Montgomery Rd to Fields-Ertel. Parents inclined to send their children to sectarian schools appreciate Montgomery for its having a Jewish school and selective Catholic secondary facilities (Ursuline Academy for girls, Archbishop Moeller for boys) right in town.

I've expounded on Symmes Twp and Loveland in "a few" other threads so won't repeat myself here.

Blue Ash is mainly on my personal (and long since not local) radar for the impressive public events the community puts on from time to time. They've even had Cheap Trick appear on the fourth of July.

[kjbrill]

Blue Ash enjoys a couple of distinctions, the rec center being one of the best. The other major distinction is its tax base which permits the sponsoring of all sorts of public activities.

The JCC mentioned is a class facility and I believe it's Ridge Rd address places it in Amberley Village.

Both Blue Ash and the adjacent Montgomery share the majority of the original Sycamore Township which is where the Sycamore School District gets its name. Montgomery is a nice place but does not have a facility like the Blue Ash Rec Center. Other surrounding suburbs such as Madeira are also notable for not having rec centers.

IMHO Blue Ash clears the board when it comes to what is offered its residents.

As was commented earlier Lifetime Fitness in Deerfield Township is a fine facility but too far away.

[cgs2000]

I agree with Ken, but that new fluorescent sign in front of the Blue Ash Rec Center belongs on some garish shopping strip, not on Cooper Rd. Blue Ash = class, otherwise.

[kjbrill]

Originally Posted by cgs2000

I agree with Ken, but that new fluorescent sign in front of the Blue Ash Rec Center belongs on some garish shopping strip, not on Cooper Rd. Blue Ash = class, otherwise.

I haven't had the pleasure of seeing the fluorescent sign in front of the Rec Center, but it sounds like some good minded citizens should throw a fit.

Some of the suburbs often mentioned along with Blue Ash, such as Montgomery, Madeira, Kenwood still in Sycamore Twp., portions of Symmes Twp., etc. all offer some very nice housing, but they don't come close to the overall amenities Blue Ash has such as the Rec Center, the public events offered, the golf course and its remodeled meeting and dining facility.There are fine privately owned restaurant facilities there, but nothing like Blue Ash's public facilities for recreation and events. And Blue Ash is still expanding its repertoire with the new park being constructed out of the old airport.

[rcalamita]

Thanks for all the comments and perspectives. Any great neighborhoods recommended within blue ash? Or Madeira? Or Montgomery? Blue ash seems to be where we would like to be, but housing inventory in that market seems tight. We ideally want to be in development. Also now looking at in-fills considering their popularity? We have only lived in developments and have had a great development and neighborhood with kids and tons of activities and we also had the flip side of terrible development? Also any specific perspective on maple dale vs. blue ash elementary vs Madeira elementary? Any pre-k or early recommendations? Last question....for now at least. :-)

Is their a big traffic distance during rush hour from Madeira to downtown and vice versa vs. to blue ash? I know it is only a couple of miles or exits, but was wondering if for some reason that incremental mile or couple of exits makes a big difference?

Appreciate everyone's time and input/perspective. You guys rock. Happy new year to all!