How Do We Put Some Civility In The City Versus Suburb? (Cincinnati: neighborhood, to live in)

[jlawrence01]

I think that people should be allowed to live as they want where they want.

More people would choose to live in Ohio's large city if their was a reasonable opportunity that their children could receive a first rate education at ANY schools in the district.

Most of my friends who were raised in Golf Manor, Hyde Park, Fairfax and the eastern part of Cincinnati now reside in Anderson, western Clermont Co., or across the river.

[kjbrill]

Originally Posted by jlawrence01

Most of my friends who were raised in Golf Manor, Hyde Park, Fairfax and the eastern part of Cincinnati now reside in Anderson, western Clermont Co., or across the river.

I understand what you are saying. In my own family, most were originally either in the City or close by, St. Bernard, Evanston, Western Hills, Groesbeck, College Hill, Silverton, Deer Park, etc. In my parents generation everyone seemed to start moving, and in my generation we moved even further.

Like it or not, I remember my parents attitude. The first thing in life is your immediate family. Do everything you can to protect them. When my brother an I moved to Mason they were more than happy, as they felt the grandkiddies had a good environment.

You can talk sprawl, reduction of farm land, concrete and asphalt paving of the countryside, anything you want. But the reality is until your urban environment becomes something the majority of people will support it is still pissing in the wind.

[Wilson513]

Cincinnati had great public schools until a federal judge decided to conduct his own experiment in forced busing to acheive racial balance and avoid de facto segregation by neighborhood population patterns. The rest is history. Everyone who could afford to move but not to send the kids to private schools moved. They live out in the suburbs now. Nothing else mattered. End of story.

[Ohiogirl81]

Originally Posted by kjbrill

But the reality is until your urban environment becomes something the majority of people will support it is still pissing in the wind.

For starters, lighten up on the bold and italic type.

[Nomomo11]

Originally Posted by Ohiogirl81

For starters, lighten up on the bold and italic type.

It is just a little angsty isn't it? Someone doesn't agree and apparently it's pissing in the wind. Haha, talk about civility.

[Bhiggins]

Originally Posted by kjbrill

I understand what you are saying. In my own family, most were originally either in the City or close by, St. Bernard, Evanston, Western Hills, Groesbeck, College Hill, Silverton, Deer Park, etc. In my parents generation everyone seemed to start moving, and in my generation we moved even further.

Like it or not, I remember my parents attitude. The first thing in life is your immediate family. Do everything you can to protect them. When my brother an I moved to Mason they were more than happy, as they felt the grandkiddies had a good environment.

You can talk sprawl, reduction of farm land, concrete and asphalt paving of the countryside, anything you want. But the reality is until your urban environment becomes something the majority of people will support it is still pissing in the wind.

Great post, couldn't agree more.

[Joeytraveler]

Different strokes for different folks. There are urban neighborhoods doing just fine and have a healthy demand. Same can be said for 1st ring suburbs, exurbs, etc. You also have plenty of all of the above that aren't doing so good. There is often more to the picture than being urban or suburban.

[kjbrill]

I want to apologize for my pissing in the wind comment, it was kind of gross. But I will admit to getting rankled about the attacks on the suburban lifestyle. I keep hearing about how the plowing up of the farmland and paving over of parking lots in the so-called sprawl is terrible, and a waste of space. But I have yet to see a confirmed alternative.

High density housing requires everyone in the neighborhood to be of a like mind. If we have no appreciable lawn, space for a garden, etc. then we must be in agreement as to the use of common areas - from the sidewalks in front of the residences to the local neighborhood parks, to the feeling of safety while walking, etc. to give us some both some commune with nature and solace in our lives.

This is where I see the current downfall. If I just want to live in a townhouse, apartment, condo, whatever it is named with a concrete sidewalk outside, I want to feel comfortable with the fact I can walk to the grocery, the pharmacy, and virtually everything I need, because my single car garage is costing me a fortune and I certainly could do without it. It would be most pleasant if I could say how-to-do to people I meet on the route.

But when I keep hearing these 4 square blocks are great and safe, but 2 blocks to the north you must avoid, it exceeds my tolerance level.

There is a reason the Cincinnati MSA is so much larger than the City itself. Like it or not it is because the majority of people have elected to not live within the City.

The current and forseeable costs of fuel, whether for cars or for heating, should indicate a return to a more urban lifestyle. But I just don't see throngs of people rushing to embrace it. Dribbles of people coming back to the City do not offset the droves who have left it.

From my comments you may be the idea I am totally against urban living. That is not true. There are many reasons to live in the City, including the family time spent I have commented on before.

From what I have seen on this forum there is one major issue - CPS! I just do not understand why the good citizens of Cincinnati have not demanded CPS change. From what I can tell there is movement with a few Charter Schools, etc. But frankly, I feel this could be brought down in the courts as discrimination.

For those of you who advocate living in the City, and there are many, what is your position for fixing CPS? Frankly I am kind of tired of hearing about the good private schools in the area, true, but why should any discriminating parent considering moving into the area have to contend with this? If Cincinnati is a desirable place to live the schools should be a major part of it, not a detriment.

[CarpathianPeasant]

Just a couple of points:


1. A lot of suburbanites know no other way to live. If they do decide to move into a city, it's for reasons like it's "quaint" (i.e., suburbia is the real people).

I have never considered myself "quaint," but I have essentially been called "quaint," to my utter astonishment.


2. Cities developed out of necessity. Those necessities remain, which many surburbanites eventually discover, and then they become defensive and anti-city (bad mouth the place), which is what creates the friction.


There's more, but I don't have time right now.

[t45209]

Take a look at the new Section 8 thread and find out the answer to your question as to why we can't.