Newlywed College Grads from Indy looking for diversity (Cincinnati, Cheviot: transplants, rent)

[strikemike32]

My wife and I are recently married and about to graduate college. We will be looking for a small urban/midurban house in a diverse and safe area, ideally. Thanks for any help!

. Where is you current location and environment? We live in Noblesville, Indiana, a suburb of Indianapolis
. Are you looking for similar in Cincinnati or a change? Looking for a change, my wife has always lived in the country, and I've always lived in suburbs. We're looking for a nice city neighborhood that is safe enough for my wife to walk around and feel safe doing so

. Where will your work location be? We both work from home
. Maximum commute time desired? N/A

. What is your budget for housing? 150k-275k
. Rent or buy? Buy
. Type (Apt., Condo, Single Family) Single Family
. Size (Approx. Sq. Ft., # Bedrooms & Baths) At least 1,000 sq.ft, 2+ beds and 1.5+ baths
. Other specifics?

. Neighborhood environment?
. Urban, young professional, nightlife We aren't must into nightlife, but being around people relatively close to our age would be nice (we are 21 years old)
. Mid-urban, close in neighborhood or suburb, stable investment
. Family oriented
. Decent schools is a plus (just for resale value)
. Older, distinctive architecture, individual character This! Ideally, that is well kept or has some updated areas
. Modern, 15 yrs old or less, move-in ready is OKAY
. Diversity of income, race, housing? Diversity is a big must, particularly with race. My wife and I have lived in mostly white areas our entire lives, and we want to change that
. Yard - At least a little bit of yard for our dog
. Very safe, low crime area? Definitely hoping for lower crime
. Can tolerate some degree of crime potential? How Much? Not sure, maybe some nonviolent crimes?


. Schools?
. Not applicable


. Community amenities?
. Parks relatively close, lots of trees are ideal

. Specific wants/desires?
. Please identify any specific wants/desires not mentioned above.

Some potential areas that I've seen/heard of:
Madisonville
Amberly
Silverton
Pleasant Ridge
Deer Park
Oakley
St. Bernard
Westwood/Cheviot?

[goyguy]

Pleasant Ridge, Northside, and Clifton came to mind immediately until I saw your desire for a "modern" house. How important is that to you as opposed to, say, a diverse neighborhood?

[strikemike32]

Originally Posted by goyguy

Pleasant Ridge, Northside, and Clifton came to mind immediately until I saw your desire for a "modern" house. How important is that to you as opposed to, say, a diverse neighborhood?

Thanks for the response. I haven’t looked into Clifton or north side yet, but I should. The part about it being modern was only left from the copy and paste, I should have just deleted it.

[SonnyDaze]

Here's my input on your list, but I also second goyguy's suggestions of Northside and Clifton.

Originally Posted by strikemike32

Some potential areas that I've seen/heard of:
Madisonville

I know it's a neighborhood in transition but otherwise I don't know too much about its current state. I would consider it in the 2nd tier of neighborhoods you should look into

Amberly

Out of your price range

Silverton

You should definitely check out Silverton. Checks almost all of your boxes and it's very close to a major shopping area in Kenwood.

Pleasant Ridge

Similar to Silverton but maybe a little more "established" and expensive. Definitely worth looking into

Deer Park

Doesn't boast the same degree of racial diversity as some of your other options but there will be a lot of inventory in your price range here and it's still a decent community

Oakley

Certainly is the most "exciting" and "20s friendly" neighborhood on your list and in turn you will pay a bit more to live here. There will be some options in your price range though. Offers less diversity than other neighborhoods as well.

St. Bernard

Similar to Deer Park demographically but with older housing stock and more of an urban feel. Close to Clifton which would be a fun place to hang out. I'd put this in your 2nd tier of hoods to check out as well.

Westwood/Cheviot?

Nah. Not a fan of the westside under any circumstances for transplants.

[strikemike32]

Thanks CincyExpert! That’s really helpful

[Cincygrad2015]

Welcome. I live in Madisonville and love it. Quickly changing area with lots of new developments happening, close to Oakley, Hyde Park. You would be able to find a renovated house within your budget but will be more towards the 225-275 range depending on how large of a house you want.

[cincydave8]

All the cool kids live in Pleasant Ridge. We are very diverse and safe. 2/2 bed/bath falls pretty much in the middle of your range depending on the street. 3 bedroom houses running around 250 to 350 at this point in PR. The market in PR and nearly everywhere else desirable is incredibly hot. Most houses here are selling within a weekend, often with multiple bids and over asking. I'd recommend getting a good realtor.

Not sure if it matters but some of the neighborhoods you mentioned are not in the city. Amberly, Silverton, Deer Park, St Bernard and Cheviot are not part of Cincinnati and are their own cities.

[Lewis123]

Agree with most everything here. A lot of new grads that work for me are doing the Pleasant Ridge and Northside thing.

Amberly is a pretty rolling hills suburb with large Jewish population. Would not recommend based on what your specs are.

[WRnative]

Meetup.com should offer you an opportunity to meet new friends and explore your interests in any larger metropolitan area.



https://www.meetup.com/