Need guidance (Cincinnati, Finneytown, Cheviot: crime, house, neighborhood)

[sashbala]

We (my husband and I) are looking for a house not more than 150K and not more than 15 minutes drive from UC as both of us work there. We have a kid who will be attending school in 2 years so we have to keep the school district also in mind. Any suggestions where to look for? We looked at Finney town, Mt. airy, cheviot, and Bridgetown, but have no idea about any of these areas. We r basically first-time homebuyers and looking for a nice and safe eighbourhood for our kid. Any suggestions will be of great help.

[SonnyDaze]

I live in Finneytown and think it's a great to place to live. It's 10-15 minutes from UC and you won't have to use the highway. The schools are solid at every level and are among the most diverse in the area. It's a tight-knit community, the people are very friendly and there's little crime in most areas (a few streets I'd avoid but no place is perfect). But what makes Finneytown great is its central location. It's 15 minutes or less from 4 malls/major shopping areas and downtown.

Cheviot and Mt. Airy are both in the Cincinnati Public School District so I wouldn't take the chance and I'd avoid those areas, especially Mt. Airy since it is Cincinnati's fastest deteriorating neighborhood since 1970.

From what I've heard Bridgetown is nice and it's in one of the county's best school districts, Oak Hills, but I don't think the area has the sense of community that Finneytown does.

Good luck with your search!