Cincinnati

[Buck Armstrong]

I might be relocating to Cincinnati. I have no idea where to begin looking for a house, but I'm married with a 6 year old daughter, so I'm primarily interested in nice, quiet, safe middle-class suburbs with good schools, but within driving distance of downtown. I've been there a few times, and one of the things I recall liking about it is that, unlike many other Midwestern cities (Indianapolis, Louisville, Chicago, etc.), there are some hilly areas to the north and northwest (like nw of town along I-74).

I'm very interested in hearing opinions of the city in general, as well as recommendations on a good place to live, and/or places to avoid. Also, what's the job market like for a guy with degrees in Information Systems and History, and years of experience in both? Thanks in advance.

 

[RKS]

I live in Mason. It has great schools and nice 'hoods. It is a great place to raise a family but it may be lame for a single person. It has some shopping but it can be kinda boring. It is about 20-25 miles from downtown but bus service is available. It takes me about 25 minutes to drive in but with traffic it can up to 40 minutes.

Mason is NE of Cincy and it's where Kings Island it located as well as a major tennis tournament every year.

edit: My undergrad was MIS and I had multiple offers but that was years ago. I think the economy has hurt a little but I think there are still jobs to be had. I am no longer in the IT field but if you fall in a Walmart please give me a call; I want to place a down-payment on a GTR asap.

 

[WingZero94]

I've been to Mason a few times for business (training at MedPlus - great company btw) and I loved it. I think it is a great choice IMHO.

 

[Buck Armstrong]

What's the terrain like around Mason? Where would I look if I wanted trees and hills?

 

[RKS]

Originally posted by: Buck Armstrong
What's the terrain like around Mason? Where would I look if I wanted trees and hills?

You have to stay close to downtown/northern KY to have significant hills with great city views. There are many great places to live arond downtown but they are relatively expensive and may not give you a large yard but you have great access to nightlife, public parks and theatre offerings. (Mt. Adams)

The further you get away from the city, the more flat the terrain. Mason is relatively flat. Mason

 

[Anubis]

im sorry OH10 sucks

 

[Buck Armstrong]

Whats the area like between Cincinnati and the Indiana border? Looking at a map, that would places like Cleves, North Bend, Addyston, Miami Heights, etc.. Too far from the city? Too small?

Thanks guys.

 

[AdamK47]

Originally posted by: WingZero94
I've been to Mason a few times for business (training at MedPlus - great company btw) and I loved it. I think it is a great choice IMHO.

The software company MedPlus? It seems like I get a call from a recruiter every day of the week trying to talk me into taking a job there as an automation tester.

I live south of Colerain township. It has nice houses at very good prices. Where I live it's only 10 to 15 minutes from downtown.

 

[RKS]

Originally posted by: Buck Armstrong
Whats the area like between Cincinnati and the Indiana border? Looking at a map, that would places like Cleves, North Bend, Addyston, Miami Heights, etc.. Too far from the city? Too small?

Thanks guys.

Cincinnati is often divided by I-75. The westsiders think the eastsiders are stuck up yuppies, the eastsiders think the westsiders are ignorant hillbillies. Cleves, etc are west-west-west-westside. We prefer to stay on the eastside of town but I'm sure there are great pockets in the westside to raise a family.

I have somewhat agree with Anubis, Ohio like any other midwest state is boring but it is a great place to raise families.

 

[Buck Armstrong]

Is the east side generally nicer than the west?

The Wiki article makes Mason sound great for a family...whats Hamilton like?

 

[AdamK47]

Hamilton is good... on the west side of the river.

 

[Gibson486]

Ever think of North Carolina? That state seems to be doing very well and it seems to have a good mix of city and suburb.

 

[Buck Armstrong]

That's exactly where my wife wants to go...

 

[RKS]

Originally posted by: Buck Armstrong
Is the east side generally nicer than the west?

The Wiki article makes Mason sound great for a family...whats Hamilton like?

There is a reason people call it Hamiltucky / Hamilbama. It still has some nice areas but it also has a power hungry sheriff who hates latinos. Text

 

[Buck Armstrong]

Originally posted by: RKS

Originally posted by: Buck Armstrong
Is the east side generally nicer than the west?

The Wiki article makes Mason sound great for a family...whats Hamilton like?

There is a reason people call it Hamiltucky / Hamilbama. It still has some nice areas but it also has a power hungry sheriff who hates latinos. Text

Wow...the part about sending the Mexican government an invoice was kind of funny...

OK, so what about the places between you and the river, like Loveland, Terrace Park, Milford, Sycamore, Montgomery, etc.? Is there any real difference to living inside or outside 275?

 

[Injury]

Oakley is where it's at. I can walk to anything I need on a daily basis and it's only a 15 minute drive to my job just inside the West Side.

I can get downtown in about 10 minutes from the moment I walk out my door.

Housing prices are a little higher over here, though. We don't seem to have been hit much by the "crisis" (Which kinda sucks because I'm hoping to buy next year )

Originally posted by: Buck Armstrong
The Wiki article makes Mason sound great for a family...whats Hamilton like?

Hamilton is kind of hick-ville. There are some nice neighborhoods there if you're that interested but it's not THAT close the city.

I guess we should ask this:

- What's your price range for housing
- How far in driving time do you want to be from the city
- Do you want a place with a nice big back yard? Tight-knit community? New houses or older houses?

 

[buck]

Originally posted by: Buck Armstrong

Originally posted by: RKS

Originally posted by: Buck Armstrong
Is the east side generally nicer than the west?

The Wiki article makes Mason sound great for a family...whats Hamilton like?

There is a reason people call it Hamiltucky / Hamilbama. It still has some nice areas but it also has a power hungry sheriff who hates latinos. Text

Wow...the part about sending the Mexican government an invoice was kind of funny...

OK, so what about the places between you and the river, like Loveland, Terrace Park, Milford, Sycamore, Montgomery, etc.? Is there any real difference to living inside or outside 275?

Milford, Terrace Park, Loveland, and Indian Hill are nice areas. I lived in Milford for about 4 years. I got bored to all hell after the first 6 months, I hate being landlocked though. What I liked about Cincinnati:
Fishing
Hunting
Camping in Kentucky
Bengals were fun to watch

Things I didnt like about Cinci:
(How much time do you have? My list is pretty damn long.)


Cliffs: Cinci isnt the worst place in the world, but it still sucks.

 

[Buck Armstrong]

Is Oakley a suburb? Mason must be farther out than I thought from looking at a map.

Is it good if I'm looking for trees and some sort of unique charm, or is it your typical Midwestern strip mall suburb?

 

[Buck Armstrong]

Originally posted by: buck
Things I didnt like about Cinci:
(How much time do you have? My list is pretty damn long.)

Cliffs: Cinci isnt the worst place in the world, but it still sucks.

I have some time...maybe top ten?

 

[buck]

Originally posted by: Buck Armstrong
Is Oakley a suburb? Mason must be farther out than I thought from looking at a map.

Is it good if I'm looking for trees and some sort of unique charm, or is it your typical Midwestern strip mall suburb?

Where is your job located?

 

[RKS]

Originally posted by: Buck Armstrong

Originally posted by: RKS

Originally posted by: Buck Armstrong
Is the east side generally nicer than the west?

The Wiki article makes Mason sound great for a family...whats Hamilton like?

There is a reason people call it Hamiltucky / Hamilbama. It still has some nice areas but it also has a power hungry sheriff who hates latinos. Text

Wow...the part about sending the Mexican government an invoice was kind of funny...

OK, so what about the places between you and the river, like Loveland, Terrace Park, Milford, Sycamore, Montgomery, etc.? Is there any real difference to living inside or outside 275?

Those are pretty nice area with good schools. Generally areas along I-71 are nicer than those close to I-75 within the I-275 loop. Oakley, Hyde Park, East Walnut Hills are close to downtown, have good shopping, have some great schools available, but will cost a lot more for housing.

 

[Injury]

Originally posted by: Buck Armstrong
OK, so what about the places between you and the river, like Loveland, Terrace Park, Milford, Sycamore, Montgomery, etc.? Is there any real difference to living inside or outside 275?

Dunno much about Terrace Park but you can probably expect a 15 minute drive to either I71 or 275. The other ones are excellent. You'll have a few bad streets here and there (Every town has it's low end, really) but for the most part they're nice, safe places. My SIL grew up around Sycamore and always boasts about the schools there, so can't be too bad.


The only real advantage to being inside or outside of the loop is drive time to the city. That may or may not affect you depending on where you get a job. The great thing about cincy is there a plenty of jobs in the suburbs, too.

 

[RKS]

Originally posted by: Buck Armstrong
Is Oakley a suburb? Mason must be farther out than I thought from looking at a map.

Is it good if I'm looking for trees and some sort of unique charm, or is it your typical Midwestern strip mall suburb?

I'd say Mason is closer to the latter but you will find $2 Million homes that are a stones throw from a Super-Walmart (seperated by a 2-lane road). If you want charm you have to live near Hyde Park, Oakley, East Walnut. There you'll find older homes but pay a premium. You are also about 10-15 minutes from downtown.

 

[Buck Armstrong]

Originally posted by: buck

Originally posted by: Buck Armstrong
Is Oakley a suburb? Mason must be farther out than I thought from looking at a map.

Is it good if I'm looking for trees and some sort of unique charm, or is it your typical Midwestern strip mall suburb?

Where is your job located?

I need to stay where I am for another 8 months, so I haven't started looking yet...

 

[buck]

Originally posted by: Injury

Originally posted by: Buck Armstrong
OK, so what about the places between you and the river, like Loveland, Terrace Park, Milford, Sycamore, Montgomery, etc.? Is there any real difference to living inside or outside 275?

Dunno much about Terrace Park but you can probably expect a 15 minute drive to either I71 or 275. The other ones are excellent. You'll have a few bad streets here and there (Every town has it's low end, really) but for the most part they're nice, safe places. My SIL grew up around Sycamore and always boasts about the schools there, so can't be too bad.


The only real advantage to being inside or outside of the loop is drive time to the city. That may or may not affect you depending on where you get a job. The great thing about cincy is there a plenty of jobs in the suburbs, too.

If you take route 50, you can get to downtown very fast from Terrace Park.