Diversity in Cincinnati (Hamilton, Kent, Springdale: new house, buy, high school)

[lydunn]

I have been here for 11 years. received my BS in IT and still to this day can't get a foot in the door. I "sound" like one way but in person of course I am another way. Unfortunately I am leavine for Calif for a more diverse area I have already received jobs offers and they laugh when I tell them just to let you know I am black, the recruiter was like ok well I am Mexican American...come ON CINTI RISE UP RISE UP RISE UP...stop with the closemindness it's time for a REAL CHANGE

[mortgageguyKY]

Bigblue.....I left for an opportunity in the Lexington area. Lexington isnt the most progressive place on earth but you dont see the kind of racial issues here that I'd seen in Cincinnati. It's really a shame because I like Cincinnati...I grew up in Toledo and came to Cincinnati 1 month after graduating from college. After a few years, it seemed like everybody was moving out to Mason, Clermont Co, Lebanon, West Chester, and letting the city deteriorate.
I know what you mean as far as true diversity- Cincinnati isnt attracting that kind of "melting pot" right now to make it happen.

[klosk]

I was born and raised in Cincy!!!! Left when I was 19 and only come to visit when necessary. There are other cities in other states that are a much better place to live. Explore before you move!!!

[Ally1010]

And those that are from outside of Cincinnati are snubbed because they are the outsider. I'm a college student and the first question I'm asked from others my age is "Where did you go to high school? Where in Cincinnati are you from?" I've found that the answers to these questions are their way of sizing you up because there are so many sterotypes about the people from different areas of Cincinnati. I've never had such a hard time adjusting to an area. ANd I have NEVER seen so much prejudism in one place, not only between different races but within the same race....its completely juvenile and backwards.

[JefferyT]

I'm a college student and the first question I'm asked from others my age is "Where did you go to high school?

You get the same thing in Louisville, or used to. "Where did you go to school" means high school, not college, and its used the same way, to sort of pigeonhole you.

This is probably pretty common in slow growing places that dont get much in-migration. Attitude get a little provincial and insular.

[wastina]

Hi,

We are actually selling a home in the village of Glendale, which is north of Cincinnati (and right next to the areas recommended in the other response). That advice you got is accurate: this area is known for being "diverse," which in public school language is thought to be cause for concern, but which we love (I am a graduate of Princeton, which is the district in this area).

Northern CIncinnati has Ford, GE, P&G, Ethicon... a lot of employers. You don't need to worry about any overt racism: Cincinnati isn't into that, despite the race riot reputation. If you want to lable CIncinnati at all, I think you'd go for "conservative" first.... racist.... not really. There's inner city crime of a certain element, which everyone clucks over, but that's downtown.

Hope this helps!

[zorst]

Originally Posted by Bigbluelandrover

I am not challenging you but offering to engage in a conversation that I know we would not have in person!.

Then you don't know me very well. Shoot me a pm and we can meet, drink coffee and discuss this. Or not, I just realized this may be your preferred format of conversation.

I think of diversity as folks of differrent cultures and apperances living in the same neighboorhood. Not as blended as a smoothie, more like a fruit cup. I've watched my neighbor's property who is black. We don't do anything together socially. He likes video games, I ride motorcycles. There is a guy up the street who rides motorcycles he is white. I don't ride with him because he rides a Harley, I ride sport bikes. I'm not against any of these folks, we are just different and living in the same neighborhood. I don't have children so I won't address children's issues.

As for folks leaving the city at one time it was cheaper to move out to the country. Since no new homes were being built in Cincinnati, if you wanted a new home you had to move to the country. The logic goes; "Why would I buy a used home for almost the same price as a new home?"

When someone asks me where I'm from they are trying to pidgeon hole me it's true. However I believe they are also searching for commonality. They may have a cousin that went to school where I did. That gives a starting place for conversation. In response to the question "Where did you go to school?" I'll offer where I went to school in the city (not Cincinnati) I'm from. Then I'll ask where they went to school. I'll ask about the school. If the response is a Catholic School I'll usually make a joke about how long after high school before they started dating. LOL! I take the school question as merely a polite way to engage in conversation.

I work for a firm that has a Hindu, a Jew, at least one Catholic, and a smattering of other Christians. Only two of these folks were born in Hamilton County. It's about as a diverse a workplace as you can get. Two of the last four firms I worked for were minority owned. I'm so tired of hearing about how conservative Cincinnati is. If you want conservative go to Butler County.

[Renee/Seattle]

This thread makes me very sad. I currently live in Seattle and have for 10years. I l love everything about seattle including the rain. Customer service, culture diversity, whole foods---organic stores, friendly smiling people. The mountains, the ocean the rain forest...you name it I love it. Oh yeah let me not forget sushi!

One big problem all my family...live on the outskirts of Cincy-in small town Mt.Orab. I miss them terribly..I am single. They are all married with kids and I want to be a part of their life.

I am also a christian not a bible thumping, conservative, staunchy christian just someone who loves the Lord and wants a faith filled church that Loves people.

I am successful in my career as a nurse working in manamgent. I am happy, fun, easy going. I dress buisness casual everyday...I say this because when I visit the family in Mt. Orab...boy do I stand out.

Can we form an outsiders community? Were we can have at least some kind of intelligent, loving, supportive, casual forms of entertainment? I don't know I am really grasping at straws for the quality of life I will have returning to Ohio.

Part of me wants to resign to the slow pace of life out in clermont county and just get over it but another part of me feels like I will die without something more....a life.

Be gentle....I want to come be with my family...I am just trying to figure out how I will survive?

I am white, grew up in over the rhine, spent years on those dirty streets. All those lofts on 13th and Maine that's were we lived....funny I can look at them and remember what it looked like when my grandma lived there. (Roach infested filthy places). I did not realize how racist Cincy was until I left for a couple years and came back....truly I found it to be a nightmare. I was so depressed. I mean racist white to black- black to white....whatever just mean, nasty, rude, discriminating people.

Not sure how I will survive but by the grace of God and maybe some friendships with people who share my values to be kind and loving to people know matter their race.

[JefferyT]

Dayton isn't Cincinnatti. The racial situation here is somewhat less intense

[Hatless Wonder]

My father grew up in Cincinnati (Over the Rhine), and some of his relatives still live there. My grandfather is buried there. Cincinnati is right next to Kentucky (the airport is in Kentucky), and it feels very "Old South", though not in a good way.