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My husband and I, AA couple in our early 40's, are pondering a move to Cincy due to work. We have two elementary aged kids and are looking into neighborhoods that are safe and have an excellent school system and close to DH's job. With that being said, I know there will be little to no diversity in the areas we are considering (Kenwood-IH Schools, Madeira, Blue Ash, Montgomery). Living in Manhattan and attending schools where they were one of the only black kids, lack of diversity in the classroom isn't that much of an issue.
However, will we face issues when out and about (shopping, restaurants, swimming pools, parks, etc)? Folks in our circle have said OH is very segregated and I'm reaching out to get the nitty gritty from those who live there now. Most of these stories are from ppl who left 20+ years ago.
Welcome to Cincinnati DIVA! Or at least potentially, job and decision pending.
Those areas would be a good starting point. I think Kenwood's areas that are a part of Indian Hills Schools or portions of Blue Ash or Montgomery would be the places to start. Madeira isn't bad, but Kenwood and Blue Ash / Montgomery will be more diverse and are larger, either in school district size (Blue Ash and Montgomery) or overall density (Kenwood).
Sycamore covers a much larger area than Madeira for school district zones. So it also has a larger chance of having greater income-economic diversity than a small and wealthy town such as Madeira. Kenwood sits next to more urban areas on the Montgomery Road corridor, such as was mentioned, Silverton, and further down the road Pleasant Ridge and Kennedy Heights, and the shopping centers around Montgomery and Kenwood Roads are home to a more diverse crowd of shoppers. But Kenwood also benefits from one of the top districts in the state in Indian Hill Schools.
I would say my personal recommendations on your list? 1) Kenwood (IH Schools), 2) Blue Ash or Montgomery (Sycamore Schools), 3) Madeira.
If you want to expand outside those options, I would also consider Amberly or Pleasant Ridge. Both are Cincinnati Public Schools. I believe both are served by Pleasant Ridge Montessori Elementary, but if that is not appealing or you are less inclined to an urban district, there are plenty of both parochial school and independent private school options. I will say I always hear great things about parent involvement at Pleasant Ridge Montessori, so don't discount the area just by the school's scores. Where as Pleasant Ridge is an older inner-ring urban neighborhood with both small apartment multi-unit buildings and nice single-family homes side-by-side, Amberly is almost purely large SFH lots. It also offers a decent diversity set with about 10% of its residents being Black as of 2010. It has its own village council and police force. Lots of greenspace here as well. Only thing it shares with its urban neighbor is Cincinnati Public Schools and access to Walnut Hills or Cincinnati School of Creative and Performing Arts (SCPA).
A benefit to being in Cincinnati Public Schools is it gives your children a chance to apply and enroll at Walnut Hills High School (serves 7-12 grades though). While CPS is not overall a great district, WHHS is one of the top 5, if not the top, high school is the state of Ohio. It is a large school (3000+ students across all grades, I believe), so if that scares you or your kids, I would recommend against it. But it has opportunities and education levels even most suburban districts cannot offer most students, let alone every student in the building.
If you want a smaller or more artsy magnet school experience, SCPA in OTR is also a wonderful option. While not NYC level of arts scene, there is still for a city of Cincinnati's size plenty of arts and cultural options. Cincinnati Art Museum, Cincinnati Contemporary Arts Center, Music Hall (caddy-corner from SCPA in Washington Park) and other smaller theater companies are found in Cincinnati. University of Cincinnati also provides plenty of resources to SCPA, through its design school and College-Conservatory of Music at UC.
Welcome to Cincinnati DIVA! Or at least potentially, job and decision pending.
Those areas would be a good starting point. I think Kenwood's areas that are a part of Indian Hills Schools or portions of Blue Ash or Montgomery would be the places to start. Madeira isn't bad, but Kenwood and Blue Ash / Montgomery will be more diverse and are larger, either in school district size (Blue Ash and Montgomery) or overall density (Kenwood).
Sycamore covers a much larger area than Madeira for school district zones. So it also has a larger chance of having greater income-economic diversity than a small and wealthy town such as Madeira. Kenwood sits next to more urban areas on the Montgomery Road corridor, such as was mentioned, Silverton, and further down the road Pleasant Ridge and Kennedy Heights, and the shopping centers around Montgomery and Kenwood Roads are home to a more diverse crowd of shoppers. But Kenwood also benefits from one of the top districts in the state in Indian Hill Schools.
I would say my personal recommendations on your list? 1) Kenwood (IH Schools), 2) Blue Ash or Montgomery (Sycamore Schools), 3) Madeira.
If you want to expand outside those options, I would also consider Amberly or Pleasant Ridge. Both are Cincinnati Public Schools. I believe both are served by Pleasant Ridge Montessori Elementary, but if that is not appealing or you are less inclined to an urban district, there are plenty of both parochial school and independent private school options. I will say I always hear great things about parent involvement at Pleasant Ridge Montessori, so don't discount the area just by the school's scores. Where as Pleasant Ridge is an older inner-ring urban neighborhood with both small apartment multi-unit buildings and nice single-family homes side-by-side, Amberly is almost purely large SFH lots. It also offers a decent diversity set with about 10% of its residents being Black as of 2010. It has its own village council and police force. Lots of greenspace here as well. Only thing it shares with its urban neighbor is Cincinnati Public Schools and access to Walnut Hills or Cincinnati School of Creative and Performing Arts (SCPA).
A benefit to being in Cincinnati Public Schools is it gives your children a chance to apply and enroll at Walnut Hills High School (serves 7-12 grades though). While CPS is not overall a great district, WHHS is one of the top 5, if not the top, high school is the state of Ohio. It is a large school (3000+ students across all grades, I believe), so if that scares you or your kids, I would recommend against it. But it has opportunities and education levels even most suburban districts cannot offer most students, let alone every student in the building.
If you want a smaller or more artsy magnet school experience, SCPA in OTR is also a wonderful option. While not NYC level of arts scene, there is still for a city of Cincinnati's size plenty of arts and cultural options. Cincinnati Art Museum, Cincinnati Contemporary Arts Center, Music Hall (caddy-corner from SCPA in Washington Park) and other smaller theater companies are found in Cincinnati. University of Cincinnati also provides plenty of resources to SCPA, through its design school and College-Conservatory of Music at UC.
Wow, thanks for the comprehensive reply!
I've read many good things about most of the areas/schools you mentioned and will continue to further research. We plan to rent for a year before deciding where to settle down which will give us enough time, I hope, to make the right decision for our family.
I'll post an update if he gets the offer; fingers crossed!
Well Ohio is a state and people who you have spoken with used mass generalizations. Kenwood is the main shopping dining spot in that area, NE inside the beltway, and there are lots of blacks there shopping, dining, working etc. Heck Silverton just south of Kenwood is majority black. I go to a LA Esporta Fitness in Oakley, not far from Kenwood. Any given day the membership is 50% White 50% black, not including other. Never been to the one in Kenwood but demographics are likely similar. I can't think of any issues you have have either living or being out and about in this area.
Welcome to Cincinnati DIVA! Or at least potentially, job and decision pending.
Those areas would be a good starting point. I think Kenwood's areas that are a part of Indian Hills Schools or portions of Blue Ash or Montgomery would be the places to start. Madeira isn't bad, but Kenwood and Blue Ash / Montgomery will be more diverse and are larger, either in school district size (Blue Ash and Montgomery) or overall density (Kenwood).
Sycamore covers a much larger area than Madeira for school district zones. So it also has a larger chance of having greater income-economic diversity than a small and wealthy town such as Madeira. Kenwood sits next to more urban areas on the Montgomery Road corridor, such as was mentioned, Silverton, and further down the road Pleasant Ridge and Kennedy Heights, and the shopping centers around Montgomery and Kenwood Roads are home to a more diverse crowd of shoppers. But Kenwood also benefits from one of the top districts in the state in Indian Hill Schools.
I would say my personal recommendations on your list? 1) Kenwood (IH Schools), 2) Blue Ash or Montgomery (Sycamore Schools), 3) Madeira.
If you want to expand outside those options, I would also consider Amberly or Pleasant Ridge. Both are Cincinnati Public Schools. I believe both are served by Pleasant Ridge Montessori Elementary, but if that is not appealing or you are less inclined to an urban district, there are plenty of both parochial school and independent private school options. I will say I always hear great things about parent involvement at Pleasant Ridge Montessori, so don't discount the area just by the school's scores. Where as Pleasant Ridge is an older inner-ring urban neighborhood with both small apartment multi-unit buildings and nice single-family homes side-by-side, Amberly is almost purely large SFH lots. It also offers a decent diversity set with about 10% of its residents being Black as of 2010. It has its own village council and police force. Lots of greenspace here as well. Only thing it shares with its urban neighbor is Cincinnati Public Schools and access to Walnut Hills or Cincinnati School of Creative and Performing Arts (SCPA).
A benefit to being in Cincinnati Public Schools is it gives your children a chance to apply and enroll at Walnut Hills High School (serves 7-12 grades though). While CPS is not overall a great district, WHHS is one of the top 5, if not the top, high school is the state of Ohio. It is a large school (3000+ students across all grades, I believe), so if that scares you or your kids, I would recommend against it. But it has opportunities and education levels even most suburban districts cannot offer most students, let alone every student in the building.
If you want a smaller or more artsy magnet school experience, SCPA in OTR is also a wonderful option. While not NYC level of arts scene, there is still for a city of Cincinnati's size plenty of arts and cultural options. Cincinnati Art Museum, Cincinnati Contemporary Arts Center, Music Hall (caddy-corner from SCPA in Washington Park) and other smaller theater companies are found in Cincinnati. University of Cincinnati also provides plenty of resources to SCPA, through its design school and College-Conservatory of Music at UC.
Lots of great recommendations in this post.
As someone who grew up in Cincinnati, still has family in Cincinnati, but has lived in Queens, NY for the past decade, I understand very well the differences that exist between Cincinnati and NYC, but think that you'll be happy with your move.
Some of the areas you're considering (particularly Kenwood) remind me of middle-class areas in Nassau County with a heavy retail presence like Garden City or Hicksville, while the nicest parts of Blue Ash, Madeira, and Montgomery more closely resemble upper-middle class, less dense "north shore" communities in Long Island.
All of the neighborhoods on your present list are great in various ways, but as for the school districts you're considering, I like Sycamore best. I think it offers the best blend of diversity, excellent education, and community.
As someone who grew up in Cincinnati, still has family in Cincinnati, but has lived in Queens, NY for the past decade, I understand very well the differences that exist between Cincinnati and NYC, but think that you'll be happy with your move.
Some of the areas you're considering (particularly Kenwood) remind me of middle-class areas in Nassau County with a heavy retail presence like Garden City or Hicksville, while the nicest parts of Blue Ash, Madeira, and Montgomery more closely resemble upper-middle class, less dense "north shore" communities in Long Island.
All of the neighborhoods on your present list are great in various ways, but as for the school districts you're considering, I like Sycamore best. I think it offers the best blend of diversity, excellent education, and community.
This is very helpful information; thanks for sharing!
I too like Sycamore the best so will definitely see where we end up.
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