Diverse, community-minded neighborhoods on the east side? (Cincinnati, Norwood: how much, houses)

[akamilkcat]

I'm a 50-something woman looking to buy a second home in Cincinnati, for my increasingly frequent visits to my aging parents and other family in the area. I grew up in Cincinnati but have lived on the east coast for the past 30+ years so my neighborhood impressions are really outdated.

I would like to find a diverse, friendly, liberal (for Cincinnati) neighborhood within about 20 minutes of Hyde Park, with some preference for the east side since that's where most of my extended family is. A community of small older homes, where people are community-minded and won't be unwelcoming to me and my same-sex spouse, would be ideal. My current neighborhood in Philly is basically a lot of hippies in ca. 1900 houses with a live-and-let-live vibe, organic veggie gardens on the front lawn, and regular community events like ice cream socials and July 4 parades, so that's my idea of a welcoming neighborhood. The neighborhood doesn't need to be especially "vibrant" or nightlife-oriented, and schools aren't a direct consideration, but I want to maintain the resale value. I will have family maintaining the property when we aren't staying there, but since this won't be a fulltime residence a safe neighborhood where neighbors look out for each other is a priority. I'd like to stay under $200K for a small (really small is OK) 2 bedroom single family home with a pet-friendly yard. I'm not interested in a serious fixer-upper.

Norwood would be perfect in terms of location and housing stock, but my (30+ year old) impression is that we might have trouble fitting in. Madisonville looks to be a possibility but everything I've seen needs substantial work. I know people will suggest Northside, and I know it's changed an awful lot since I last lived in Cincinnati, but I think I'd be paying for neighborhood atmosphere we wouldn't really utilize given how we'll be using the home.

So what neighborhoods should I be considering?

[Misfit Toy]

Northside and Madisonville would have been my first suggestions. The only other place I can think of that might fit the bill is O'Bryonville, though I'm not sure how much houses go for there.

[SonnyDaze]

Pleasant Ridge and Silverton should be on your list.

[rlw366]

I'm 55 and grew up in Norwood, it not the city of 30 years ago. It's definitely diverse now - hard to tell where Norwood begins and Cincinnati proper ends... for better or worse.

[akamilkcat]

I'm quite surprised to hear that a liberal same-sex couple would feel welcome in Norwood! That's a big change from my impressions.

[rlw366]

Originally Posted by akamilkcat

I'm quite surprised to hear that a liberal same-sex couple would feel welcome in Norwood! That's a big change from my impressions.

I'm not liberal nor part of a same- sex couple but my friends who are love Norwood. I mentioned this post to them last night. Their point is Norwood is central to everything, has a good stock of solid homes and they haven't had any issues since moving there. Their street is a mix of older folks and young professional families who couldn't afford Hyde Park prices.