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My husband works for P&G outside of the USA and I'm ready to move somewhere new so I've asked him to look into some potential relocation options and Cincinnati seems to be at the top of his list. So far, I'm not sold on the idea at all, but I'd really like to move and he seems to think that this would be our best option. From what I've read on this forum, there seems to be a wide variety of neighborhoods to choose from, but I'm not sure what would suit us best.
We are young professionals who are planning to start a family soon. I would love to live somewhere 'walkable' with some nice coffee shops, restaurants, parks, etc...I don't like too much 'sprawl' / big box stores /chain restaurants, but I'm fine with living in a small town (actually have never really lived in a large city/urban environment before). What I dislike about our current town is the lack of young people, lack of unique restaurants/coffee shops (we are forced to hang out at Starbucks...seriously) and the general 'conservative' vibe.
If it were only up to me, I think we'd have a few neighborhoods to choose from, but my husband complicates things. He prefers living in new (less than 10 years old) homes because he doesn't want to deal with major home repairs (he's an engineer, so he knows all the things that can go wrong). He also needs space for a workshop...like an extra garage or at least an unfinished basement with a walk-out. We want to have a large lot with privacy (currently have 1 acre but could go a little smaller,just don't want neighbors too close). I'm estimating our budget would be somewhere around $400,000, maybe a little higher.
I know we're probably asking for too much, but is there any place in or around Cincinnati that you would recommend for us? I really need to be convinced that I would enjoy living in and raising a family in the area because right now I'm not too excited about the prospect.
Check out Mariemont. It will have what you're looking for as far as a home for having your first child or two, with plenty of coffee shops, restaurants, and parks within walking distance. As far as the new home thing, I'm not sure how old the average home in Mariemont is, so I can't really speak to that. You may also want to check out Mt. Lookout and Hyde Park, they will have homes within your price range that are reasonably spacious and some are newer although some are older. Those are the areas I know particularly well although I'm sure there are some other communities in Cincinnati that are worth checking out. Good luck!
Edit: Upon further thought, you may want to check out places like Blue Ash, Loveland, and Mason for some newer homes that are reasonably priced. Honestly, I don't like being that far away from the city (even though it's not all that far) but I know a lot of people who live in those areas and love it.
My husband works for P&G outside of the USA and I'm ready to move somewhere new so I've asked him to look into some potential relocation options and Cincinnati seems to be at the top of his list. So far, I'm not sold on the idea at all, but I'd really like to move and he seems to think that this would be our best option. From what I've read on this forum, there seems to be a wide variety of neighborhoods to choose from, but I'm not sure what would suit us best.
We are young professionals who are planning to start a family soon. I would love to live somewhere 'walkable' with some nice coffee shops, restaurants, parks, etc...I don't like too much 'sprawl' / big box stores /chain restaurants, but I'm fine with living in a small town (actually have never really lived in a large city/urban environment before). What I dislike about our current town is the lack of young people, lack of unique restaurants/coffee shops (we are forced to hang out at Starbucks...seriously) and the general 'conservative' vibe.
If it were only up to me, I think we'd have a few neighborhoods to choose from, but my husband complicates things. He prefers living in new (less than 10 years old) homes because he doesn't want to deal with major home repairs (he's an engineer, so he knows all the things that can go wrong). He also needs space for a workshop...like an extra garage or at least an unfinished basement with a walk-out. We want to have a large lot with privacy (currently have 1 acre but could go a little smaller,just don't want neighbors too close). I'm estimating our budget would be somewhere around $400,000, maybe a little higher.
I know we're probably asking for too much, but is there any place in or around Cincinnati that you would recommend for us? I really need to be convinced that I would enjoy living in and raising a family in the area because right now I'm not too excited about the prospect.
You sound a little conflicted and if you don't like goetta you may want to just reconsider the whole thing.
I think the biggest problem you are going to find is that the things you want and the things your husband want are incongruent in Cincinnati. There are heaps of neighborhoods with young people, walkable neighborhoods, unique restaurants/coffee houses/locally owned businesses. However, you will not find an abundance of NEWER homes to choose from. Sure, you can find a few tear-down and rebuilds in these trendy, urban environments, but they will be the exception and not the rule. Also, you will have difficulty finding homes with larger lot sizes in the areas you describe. A few neighborhoods which come to mind are: Hyde Park, Mt. Adams, Northside, Pleasant Ridge, Madeira, Mariemont, and Wyoming. The latter three will have the best overall school districts and the best chance at a larger lot size (maybe 1/2 an acre). Again though, good luck finding many newer homes to choose from.
If you want newer homes with large lots, your best bets would be Mason, places in Northern Kentucky (not familiar with the neighborhoods), West Chester and Liberty Township. However, these areas are very suburban with every big-box store and retail chain you could possibly imagine. You will be driving to a lot of strip malls instead of walking to your favorite locally-owned coffee shop. You'll find young people in these areas, but they will also have families as young couples (without kids) do not tend to settle in these very suburban areas.
Your "compromise" option might be something in Blue Ash/Montgomery/Loveland. These areas have a central downtown area which is walkable (as well as loads of parks), but most residents have to drive to the retail area as the residential neighborhoods are large and spread out. Age of homes can range from 1-30 years, but I'd say most fall in the 20-30 year range as there is very little land remaining on which to build. Madeira, Mariemont and Wyoming could also arguably fall into this compromise category as they are bit more suburban than Hyde Park, et al. Houses are older than Blue Ash/Montgomery/Loveland, but not as old as Hyde Park/Mt Adams.
I'm sure I am missing some neighborhoods such as Amberly, Glendale, etc, but I am just trying to give a quick overview here. I think my main point is that it is going to be difficult to reconcile your desires to your husband's. I'll try to post a link to a recent thread where similar concerns were raised.
Finally, it sounds like you are also looking for reassurance that you can be happy in Cincy. I have lived in numerous cities over the last decade ranging in size from Chicago IL to Dothan, AL. I really do enjoy living here. I think it is a great city, particularly if you are starting a family. We have some nice museums, a great zoo, wonderful restaurants and virtually any retail store you might want. We had an opportunity to move last fall and specifically decided to stay due to the strong roots we have developed in the last five years. Good luck in your search and decision making!
Where are you moving from? Somewhere in Europe, I assume?
It sounds like you would absolutely fall in love with the Hyde Park/Oakley/Mount Lookout areas of Cincinnati, if your husband can get over that 10-years-old or less new home hangup. But if he can compromise, those neighborhoods would seemingly hit every criteria you're looking for. Even if your husband insists on new construction, there are some homes in those neighborhoods that are relatively new. But, most importantly, those neighborhoods seem like they'd be perfect for what you're looking for. Cincinnati is often overlooked for one reason or another, but it is one of America's great cities and there's no doubt that you'd love it.
I think the biggest problem you are going to find is that the things you want and the things your husband want are incongruent in Cincinnati. There are heaps of neighborhoods with young people, walkable neighborhoods, unique restaurants/coffee houses/locally owned businesses. However, you will not find an abundance of NEWER homes to choose from. Sure, you can find a few tear-down and rebuilds in these trendy, urban environments, but they will be the exception and not the rule. Also, you will have difficulty finding homes with larger lot sizes in the areas you describe. A few neighborhoods which come to mind are: Hyde Park, Mt. Adams, Northside, Pleasant Ridge, Madeira, Mariemont, and Wyoming. The latter three will have the best overall school districts and the best chance at a larger lot size (maybe 1/2 an acre). Again though, good luck finding many newer homes to choose from.
If you want newer homes with large lots, your best bets would be Mason, places in Northern Kentucky (not familiar with the neighborhoods), West Chester and Liberty Township. However, these areas are very suburban with every big-box store and retail chain you could possibly imagine. You will be driving to a lot of strip malls instead of walking to your favorite locally-owned coffee shop. You'll find young people in these areas, but they will also have families as young couples (without kids) do not tend to settle in these very suburban areas.
Your "compromise" option might be something in Blue Ash/Montgomery/Loveland. These areas have a central downtown area which is walkable (as well as loads of parks), but most residents have to drive to the retail area as the residential neighborhoods are large and spread out. Age of homes can range from 1-30 years, but I'd say most fall in the 20-30 year range as there is very little land remaining on which to build. Madeira, Mariemont and Wyoming could also arguably fall into this compromise category as they are bit more suburban than Hyde Park, et al. Houses are older than Blue Ash/Montgomery/Loveland, but not as old as Hyde Park/Mt Adams.
I'm sure I am missing some neighborhoods such as Amberly, Glendale, etc, but I am just trying to give a quick overview here. I think my main point is that it is going to be difficult to reconcile your desires to your husband's. I'll try to post a link to a recent thread where similar concerns were raised.
Finally, it sounds like you are also looking for reassurance that you can be happy in Cincy. I have lived in numerous cities over the last decade ranging in size from Chicago IL to Dothan, AL. I really do enjoy living here. I think it is a great city, particularly if you are starting a family. We have some nice museums, a great zoo, wonderful restaurants and virtually any retail store you might want. We had an opportunity to move last fall and specifically decided to stay due to the strong roots we have developed in the last five years. Good luck in your search and decision making!
Sorry for quoting the entire entry above, but I want to second the information in this posting. Inevitably, some of what people end up reading on these types of discussion groups is inaccurate. This posting, however, is spot on.
Something that hasn't been mentioned yet is that the Cincinnati area is very conservative, not just politically but in a lot of other respects as well. If this isn't your cup of tea, you'll probably be able to find like-minded people to interact with, but be aware that conservativism does pretty much pervade the overall local culture.
wanting both walkability and a large lot and no neighbors is a tall order. it is sort of like wanting a full flavored soda with none of the calories. i mean, there is coke zero, that is pretty good and better than diet rite, but it is still a mile away from coca cola classic.
also curious where you are now. when i lived abroad, my current 1/8th of an acre would have seemed an enormous estate fit for kings.
If the husband is moving for P&G and, presumably to advance his career and your family's best interests, how about supporting him and making the best of wherever it takes you? He is not asking you to go to Somalia, right?
EDIT: Geez, I just re-read you post. You are initiating this move and now your husband has to convince you that Cincinnati is OK? Oh, how times have changed.
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