Need a SFH near Univ of Cincinnati

[veetzvino]

Ohioscholar - I'm telling you, check out Madeira, it won't be a waste of time. A downtown feel with coffee shops, wine shops, restaurants, all that. Great mix of people, so don't really think there is much of a snob factor. You just really seem to be describing Madeira with what you want. Check out the commute and see if it works for you, but I bet you'll enjoy Madeira.

[ohioscholar]

Originally Posted by roll2home

I don't know much about Mariemont, so I'll just chime in about Wyoming coffee places.

The closest that would be open on Sunday are a Dunkin Donuts on Winton Rd. (8611 Winton Rd, Cincinnati, OH 45231) and the Starbucks inside the Brentwood Kroger (8421 Winton Rd.). There's also a Waffle House at the corner of Springfield Pike and Glendale Milford Rd., Frisch's in Hartwell, Bob Evans' in Finneytown on Winton Rd. (though they don't sound quite like the kind of breakfast you are looking for)

There is also La Terza https://www.laterzacoffee.com/directions.php Which has a roasting facility in an industrial park in Lockland (across from the brewing/tasting/pub facility of Rivertown Brewing). They very recently opened a coffee bar there; I visited once and the coffee was absolutely amazing, one of the best lattes I've ever had, but there was no "coffee shop" ambiance yet, maybe they'll improve that over time. I don't know what their weekend hours are, website doesn't seem to say anything about it yet. They sell at a number of area farmer's markets.

If you visit again, don't overlook the business district of Hartwell; many business look dated on the outside but are great community resources. There is a relocated Mexican restaurant called LaCasita at 7 Woodsdale Ave (was Margarita's in Reading) it is small, family-run, they are still in process of renovating the building, but the food is the best! (though I think they are closed on Sundays too)

Thanks, this is great info! La Casita sounds delish! Too bad they are not open on Sundays. Why is everything closed around there on Sunday? On the east side of town around Hyde Park/Mariemont - most everything is open even on Sunday.

The main reason I've avoided Madeira is I cannot find a home under $500k that is decent with a decent yard. Some homes are nice but the yards are really small and they are close to older homes that are small. If you know of a good one, send it my way and I'll check it out.

[veetzvino]

That is part of the deal with Madeira. They are going through a phase where the land is worth more than some of the old houses, and so they are being taken down, and new houses are going up. I wouldn't worry too much about what the next door neighbor's house value is, and more about the general block's value and Madeira overall. Madeira is small and there is a teardown on almost every block now (in the last few years). If your worry is not liking how the old little houses look, then I can't really help you there, because there aren't many blocks that are all similar bigger houses (under 500k). That's part of why a lot of people enjoy it here too, there is are so many styles.

Housing supply is small here and there also seems to be a gap in the price range.The small houses are in the 200's and the teardown are 500+. The houses that are between 300-450 go really quickly.

Best of luck on your search! Like I said before, Mariemont is great too, we really enjoy going over there.

[ohioscholar]

Originally Posted by labarbmb

Ohioscholar - I'm telling you, check out Madeira, it won't be a waste of time. A downtown feel with coffee shops, wine shops, restaurants, all that. Great mix of people, so don't really think there is much of a snob factor. You just really seem to be describing Madeira with what you want. Check out the commute and see if it works for you, but I bet you'll enjoy Madeira.

I'm not crossing it off my list but I have not found a nice house with a nice yard there next to a couple nicer homes. I will keep it on my list. Mariemont has small homes and yards but I like the feel of it's neighborhoods a bit better. But even that is too small for me. That's what has me leaning to Wyoming.

[Sarah Perry]

Originally Posted by ohioscholar

Ok, I spent some time in both Wyoming and Mariemont and noticed some interesting things about both. Maybe I'm off base but this is what I observed.

Sundays - why is every restaurant in Wyoming and most in Glendale closed on Sunday? Wouldn't a breakfast place like Half Day Cafe or Bluebird bakery do well on a Sunday? That baffles me. Seems like you have to drive into town on Sundays to grab breakfast/lunch/dinner if you live in Wyoming. Mariemont places seem open on Sundays.

Coffee - Mariemont has a ton of coffee places. Wyoming has none except the Wyoming Bakery and it is closed on Sundays. Has a Dunkin Donuts or another coffee shop ever opened shot in or around Wyoming? Seems to me, that would be a big opportunity. Mariemont has Starbucks, and a Dunkin Donuts & Coffee on Wooster right outside in Fairfax.

Snob factor - Mariemont seems to trump Wyoming in this regard. Maybe I'm off but that's what I observed. Not saying that's a good thing.

Schools - I researched a lot on schools and Wyoming schools seem to be better than Mariemont schools. Mariemont schools are pretty good, too, but Wyoming seems to be always in the top 3 (in the greater Cincy area and state) and usually leading the pack year after year.

Taxes - both seem high. Wyoming seems to charge less (lower millage rate) on property tax but charges upto 2% on income tax. Mariemont has a higher property tax and does not charge you twice if you pay taxes in another jurisdiction like city of Cincinnati. Wyoming charges you income tax either way.

OK - feel free to chime in and correct me.

Half Day is not open Sundays due to the religious beliefs of its owner. He tried renting it out a while back to another business for Sundays only, but that didn't pan out. Grand Finale in nearby Glendale is a traditional and very popular spot for brunch. Gabby's in Wyoming probably opens at lunchtime, and specializes in tasty fried chicken on Sundays in addition to their regular menu. I think someone else has already addressed the coffee house options.


People in both Wyoming and Mariemont can be snobby about the status of their addresses. Personally, I think that's a lot more justified in the former than the latter. I believe Wyoming schools are the higher rated of the two.


I don't know about comparing taxes, but I do know that the people I know who live in Wyoming are extremely happy with the level of city services they receive.

[veetzvino]

Originally Posted by ohioscholar

I'm not crossing it off my list but I have not found a nice house with a nice yard there next to a couple nicer homes. I will keep it on my list. Mariemont has small homes and yards but I like the feel of it's neighborhoods a bit better. But even that is too small for me. That's what has me leaning to Wyoming.

Yep, I totally get that. We actually crossed Madeira off our list after looking at a house here because we didn't like the initial feel of the area. There are a lot of old small houses here that need work. My guess is, those houses will be gone in the future and replaced by new homes. Pretty crazy to see so many teardowns. You could check out Juler Ave, they have a string of new homes and a remodeled one. A great area is the neighborhood back on Mingo and Timberlane drive. Bigger yards and some cool homes. I'd imagine if one of those homes went up for sale it would fall in your budget, but I assume it would go quickly.

[ohioscholar]

Originally Posted by Sarah Perry

Half Day is not open Sundays due to the religious beliefs of its owner. He tried renting it out a while back to another business for Sundays only, but that didn't pan out. Grand Finale in nearby Glendale is a traditional and very popular spot for brunch. Gabby's in Wyoming probably opens at lunchtime, and specializes in tasty fried chicken on Sundays in addition to their regular menu. I think someone else has already addressed the coffee house options.


People in both Wyoming and Mariemont can be snobby about the status of their addresses. Personally, I think that's a lot more justified in the former than the latter. I believe Wyoming schools are the higher rated of the two.


I don't know about comparing taxes, but I do know that the people I know who live in Wyoming are extremely happy with the level of city services they receive.

Half Day has a good reason not to be open. I was wondering but then when so many Wyoming places like Tela were also closed on Sunday, I wondered if it was a Wyoming rule.

The coffee situation didn't impress me. Love that the Wyoming Bakery has coffee but wish there were more options like Mariemont has. I must have missed Grand Finale on Sunday. It looks like it is open on Sunday - yay!

Are Wyoming Schools higher rated? I think so when I checked a few different sources but you never know. I've always heard Indian Hills has the best schools but the ratings show Wyoming Schools are sometimes ranked higher.

[ohioscholar]

Originally Posted by labarbmb

Yep, I totally get that. We actually crossed Madeira off our list after looking at a house here because we didn't like the initial feel of the area. There are a lot of old small houses here that need work. My guess is, those houses will be gone in the future and replaced by new homes. Pretty crazy to see so many teardowns. You could check out Juler Ave, they have a string of new homes and a remodeled one. A great area is the neighborhood back on Mingo and Timberlane drive. Bigger yards and some cool homes. I'd imagine if one of those homes went up for sale it would fall in your budget, but I assume it would go quickly.

Great, I'll check those areas. I've seen listings come up on those streets. I do like the Madiera downtown. Has some nice places.

[roll2home]

Yes, I forgot about Gabby's - they are open on Sundays. They used to do a Sunday brunch, but I'm not sure if they still do. I also remembered there is Brueggers' Bagels on Winton Rd. at Compton.

When it comes to schools, the minor differences in ranking among Wyoming, Indian Hill, Mariemont, is probably too small to really matter; they are all good schools. If schools are that important to you, maybe prioritize what it is you want your child(ren)'s school experience to include, and see if that is what these schools offer - look hard at their websites and call the school board or principal's offices, see how they match up. Do you want certain language program? Music/art program? Special ed? Gifted services? They can't have identical curriculums. And none of these districts are very large - so they may not offer the complete spectrum of programs a large district like Mason might.