Possibly Moving To Cincinnati ... Need Suggestions (Fairfield, Washington: foreclosure, for rent, houses)

[PinkHorse]

My fiance and I are planning on moving and we have always wanted to go north (We currently live in Florida) ... I've found some nice affordable homes in different neighborhoods that I like and we are proposing a trip to go check them out.

We are both in out 20's. We have pets (1 dog and 2 cats), so a pet friendly, walk-able place would be great ... He is a movie/music lover, and I love art and enjoy going to art walks/shows. We are also planning on having children in the future so a kid-friendly place would be great. Also parks and outdoor spaces are a plus but not needed.

What neighborhoods should we check out and which ones should we stay away from? What about the employment rate in Cincinnati? He might possibly be able to transfer his job from his current place to another store there. (He works full-time). Once there, I would be looking for a job also.

Thank you and have a great day!

[deg1114]

What type of neighborhood do you imagine yourself living in? We have two very strong art districts near Over The Rhine called the Urban Quarter and Pendleton Art District. This is if you like city/downtown living. Here is a map showing the layout. The city center is directly South of this:

Over-the-Rhine, Cincinnati, OH - iRhine.com - Final Friday Gallery Walk

There are some communities surrounding downtown that have active art scenes like Northside. Other neighborhoods like Hyde Park and Oakley have a few art galleries and art shows from time to time. Hyde Park just had their annual Art on the Square a few weeks ago. Living in Hyde Park, I would say that it is also very pet friendly. My wife and I are probably one of the few who take walks without a dog!

[progmac]

in the city proper, short list northside, clifton gaslights, and fairview / university heights (these last three will all be listed as "clifton" on realtor sites) are walkable more artsy areas

also check out downtown, over the rhine and mt auburn east of sycamore street ("city" on the realtor sites). these three areas are also arty but have good and bad parts, so a knowledgeable realtor or local is helpful. anything that seems "to good to be true" will almost certainly be on a bad street.

come out to pleasant ridge and kennedy heights as well. a little further from the city, but a good place for singles, couples, and families. you can have fun just the two of you but be in good company if you decide to have a family.

please give us a price range for renting / buying

[PinkHorse]

We deifintaly don't want to live in the hustle and bustle of a downtown area.

The house I really love is a Victorian Style Two-Story home. It is located in the North Fairmount area. But, from what I have read, it dosen't sound like the ideal neighborhood. Input would be good.

As for price range, under $40,000. My fiance is currently the only one working, so that is the only reasonable range he could afford at this time. As for renting, around $300-$500 a month.

[progmac]

fairmount was originally a weekend getaway for Cincinnati's wealthy. you still feel that when you go through there. It is sort of in the woods and among hills. It's not the best area of town but it isn't nearly as bad as people might make it out to be. It would certainly be on my short list in your price range. The architecture there is fantastic and it really is right by downtown yet feels far away. one of our regular members lives in the fairmount area and hopefully he will chime in. in that price range you'll also find good bang-for-your-buck in price hill and maybe westwood if you could find a duplex to rent in that price range.

you might even be able to find something in camp washington, an up-and-coming area. another area to check out is spring grove village.

anyone else want to chime in here? my original suggestions probably weren't the best given the OP price range.

[Cincy Rider]

Originally Posted by PinkHorse

The house I really love is a Victorian Style Two-Story home. It is located in the North Fairmount area. But, from what I have read, it dosen't sound like the ideal neighborhood. Input would be good.

As for price range, under $40,000. My fiance is currently the only one working, so that is the only reasonable range he could afford at this time. As for renting, around $300-$500 a month.

You must PM Paul, 'restorationconsultant'

He will probably know the house you are thinking of, and possibly even been inside. That area is flush with Victorian houses. When it comes to Fairmount, I recommend the Knox Hills section, nice houses (most need some work) but priced in your range with room to breathe/ space between houses. As far as the ideal neighborhood, it depends on what you consider ideal. IMO, the area is "safe" and also IMO the area is improving weekly.

[progmac]

Yes, Paul and the neighborhood association are like hawks in the knox hill section. They kicked out a motorcycle gang and are completely intolerant of crime. Good for the neighborhood, that's for sure.

[fluorescent]

Why hasn't anyone mentioned Bellvue, Ky? There's nice restaurants and art galleries on Fairfield Ave, within walking distance of most of the residential properties. The architecture is really nice and most of the places have amazing views of downtown Cincinnati. Plus, you are really close to Newport on the levee were you can catch all the newest movies. You are also a short drive of most points of interest in greater Cincinnati. I don't know much about the area, but I've walked through it before and it seems very safe.

I also don't know much about the rent prices, but you are going to be very limited if the most you are willing to pay is $500 and you have pets.

Here's (http://cincinnati.craigslist.org/apa/2001379837.html - broken link) a place I found with a quick search on craigslist that would make a good starter place (check out the streetview on googlemaps).


However, I find that it's easier to get good deals by driving around and looking for "for rent" signs.

[restorationconsultant]

Im guessing its light grey/wht with blue trim? If it is, Excellent house, has had good foundation work done, Needs some front porch repair( not that iga deal). Its a foreclosure was on the market orig in 60's. Is near St Leo's and I know of 3 people restoring over there right now. Nice small pocket neighborhood. Still Urban pioneering a bit but that house was high end when it was built and architecturally one of the best stick victorians in the city. Same house in Columbia Tusculum would be over 300K and there is one that looks like it was done by the same builder architect over there.

[kelent]

Here is a helpful site, describing all the different neighborhoods:Neighborhoods - cincy.com