Looking for good public preschools in Cincinnati area, also good neighborhoods..Please help (Springfield: apartments, to rent)

[MTGirl82]

HI,

I am a single mom that will be moving from Montana to Cincinnati this fall. I have searched many websites trying to find the best public preschool for my 3 year old daughter. I have come up with Winton Montessori, Hartwell, Pleasant Ridge Montessori, John Parker, Mount Washington and Silverton Paideia. Can anyone give me feed back on these schools? Or suggestions for others? She would only be there until I could get her into a good kindergarden.

Also we would have to rent in the school distric of the school I chose, can any one give me pointers on the best places to rent and good neighborhoods? Ones to aviod?

Thanks so much,
MTGirl82

[Hartwell Girl]

MTGirl82--Hartwell does have a good school and many areas around us to rent at. There is Williamsburg Apartments/Townhomes which is under new management and is looking as good as it was about 10 years ago. It is a gated community. There are also several multi-family homes and other homes in the area for Hartwell school district. Parts of Springfield Twp (around Drake hospital) and carthage all attend Hartwell school. The Hartwell area is up for a lot of construction beginning this year since the groundbreaking of the school will be this fall (students will temp be located at the Carthage school) and the remodel of the Hartwell recreation center which is right across the street from the school. The students are supposed to be back into the new Hartwell school for the 2010 school year or possibly the end of the 2009 school year. The school will have all the latest tools available. I volunteer at the school and love the staff and the great things they do with/for the children.

[ta1970]

Hello, This message is probably reaching you too late. If you have already found a preschool for your daughter, congratulations! If you have not, or plan on moving when she is ready for kindergarden, I would highly recommend Mariemont. We moved here 3 yrs ago and couldnt be happier. We have 4 children, two of which have been to the preschool(which is actually under construction at this time). The schools are some of the best in the state and Mariemont itself is very safe....and beautiful. There are also plenty of places to rent...mostly within walking distance to the schools. Places or schools to avoid?....Let's just say I'm very partial to the "east side" of cincy, and not of the "west side". I can also say that we moved to avoid being in the Cincinnati Public Schools. That school district is not one that we wanted our children to be in. I hope some of this has helped. Welcome to Cincinnati!

[Hartwell Girl]

Not ALL CPS is bad and even though we have a beautiful home in Hartwell, I know for a fact that our family could not afford Mariemont. I know the area and think it is beautiful but a little too pricey. Hartwell and many other CPS schools have been undergoing major construction and therefore providing a better learning enviroment for the children of CPS. And I am a strong believer that once these children go to school each day in a nice new school, which they deserve, their confidence in learning will grow. Give CPS a little credit, please. And give these CPS students a chance to get past all the CPS preception. If people keep saying their schools are bad, they will never live up to their full potential.
I would also suggest Colerain which has good schools.

[n8jencam]

anyone have any suggestions for day care. my wife and i are optimistically preparing for a move back to cincy (she was born there and has family there). We have a 2 month old right now and when we arrive should be by october/november. we are looking at the anderson area, i maybe working in Blue ash so we may look in that area for living as well.

[GinnyCF]

Try the Deer Park Preschool program. A lot of Blue Ash and Montgomery children attend this preschool. 3 of my 4 children went there. It's more finically practical. They tested very well when they entered Kindergarten. Deer Park Schools won an excellence award. Apartments are reasonable, and it's a nice community. You can walk to most stores and the schools, also it is not far from the Jewish Hospital Kenwood, and the Kenwood Mall which is accross the street from the hospital.

There is a small area in Deer Park known as Dillonvale. They have some 4 family apartments also reasonable on tree line streets. There is usually a waiting list for these. That's what I have been told. Dillonvale is next to Blue Ash. Blue Ash and Montgomery are part of the Sycamore School system They also have excellent schools. I am not sure of Sycamore's Preschool programs. The apartments are more expensive. Hope this helps. Good Luck and Welcome to Cincinnati.

[Sunnydee]

Originally Posted by n8jencam

anyone have any suggestions for day care. my wife and i are optimistically preparing for a move back to cincy (she was born there and has family there). We have a 2 month old right now and when we arrive should be by october/november. we are looking at the anderson area, i maybe working in Blue ash so we may look in that area for living as well.

If you're going to be working in Blue Ash, I'd recommend living in or near Blue Ash. The price of gas isn't going to be cheap ever again and why waste your time commuting from Anderson?

[tntnb]

Another preschool possibility in the Deer Park/Blue Ash area Trinity Child Development Center on Galbraith Road in Dillonvale. My kids all went there, and my wife and I were very pleased with the program. The web site for Trinity is here:

Trinity Child Development Center

I highly recommend this program. Hope this info helps.

[Hartwell Girl]

I agree with Deer Park comments...my sister lived in Dillionvale & loved it. There were so many kids on her street-her boys were always playing. I can't remember the name but it was by the High School.

[Cincy-Rise]

Originally Posted by Sunnydee

If you're going to be working in Blue Ash, I'd recommend living in or near Blue Ash. The price of gas isn't going to be cheap ever again and why waste your time commuting from Anderson?

True, also check out Reading. There are nice areas at a fraction of Blue Ash's cost.