Cincinnati to Dayton commute (Kettering, Warren: houses, find a job, neighborhoods)

[zenzele]

Hi. I've received a job offer from University of Dayton and I'm considering accepting. However, I'm thinking about relocating my family to Cincinnati and commuting to UD 4 days a week. Both my husband and I are big city people but due to my career we've been living college towns for the last decade. We like having a yard for our preschooler and garden, and love living in beautiful or at least charming landscape. But we both miss the diversity of people and things to do larger city and to be honest I think our marriage has suffered to due to general lack of fun in our lives. I visited Dayton briefly and while I didn't see much of the city, from what I've researched about the city and its issues, I feel 50/50 about living there. The downtown was okay, I liked the quirky Oregon District, but it seemed rather small. Besides being close to my job, I'm not sure that living in Dayton would satisfy our everyday desires. So, I'm thinking Cincinnati might be a better place for us to have at least some of the kind of lifestyle we crave--arts, nightlife--esp music concerts/performances, walkable neighborhoods, houses with outside space, diversity including some, even a little, international/immigrant culture.

I am I right in my assessment of Cincinnati? Is the commute doable? Any carpool options I should know about? What are the most diverse, walkable, and family friendly areas in the city? What neighborhoods are accessible to the route towards Dayton?

I look forward to your insights. Thanks.

[progmac]

I just can't see commuting from the interesting Cincinnati neighborhoods to Dayton. The more commutable suburbs like West Chester or Mason are nice, but at that point, you might as well live in a nice Dayton suburb like Bellbrook or Centerville.

I'd thoroughly vet Dayton itself before considering the hour + commute from Cincinnati. I'm not too familiar with the City itself but the Children's museum there is very nice. I've got to think there are some decent neighborhoods around Downtown. What about Oakwood or some of the closer parts of Kettering?

[Ohiogirl81]

I'd hate to make that drive on a daily basis. It would get old right quick. When you look at it practically, work is more a part of your daily life than entertainment.

Dayton has all the things you have listed; you just have to be clever, open-minded, and/or persistent enough to find them.

P.S. Dayton is not a college town.

[TomJones123]

I moved from Dayton to Cincinnati for personal reasons a couple years ago. I can say that Dayton is very lacking and has a lot of problems. I hated living there, even though I made the best of it. There is no comparison between Cincinnati and Dayton. As for the commute. It all depends on your background. I am a former New Yorker and used to spend anywhere from an hour to an hour and a half getting back and forth to work at times. Of course I was taking the train though. If you are used to living in a major city, then you understand that an hour commute isn't that bad.

With that said, there is some pretty heavy traffic on the Cincinnati side of things. So it being an hour is very subjective.

I am I right in my assessment of Cincinnati? Is the commute doable? Any carpool options I should know about? What are the most diverse, walkable, and family friendly areas in the city? What neighborhoods are accessible to the route towards Dayton?

So in my opinion:

The commute is doable.

I don't know about carpools.

Clifton Gas Light, Hyde Park are two neighborhoods to get you going.

Really, both of the above mentioned hoods are interstate assessable.

[kjbrill]

An interstate commute from Cincinnati to Dayton is like a kick in the teeth. You mentioned your job offer from UD, but said nothing about the husband's line of work and what he would do. If the husband's line of work is such he either works out of the home or can find a job in one of the northern Cincinnati suburbs, my plan would be clear. Locate a house in Centerville, Bellbrook, or Springboro, etc. You should definitely find the nice yard and pleasant surroundings you mentioned. You make the commute to UD and your hubby to northern Cincinnati, both readily doable. You are certainly near enough to Cincinnati to plan specific reasons for trips to the City. I feel if you see specific events in Cincinnati you want to participate in and make the effort to go it will work out fine. Too often people who live on top of things do not actually attend, we can do it next go-around, etc.

[TomJones123]

I don't understand why you guys won't just answer their questions, instead of telling them not to do it. They did not ask if it was a good idea, or what we thought about it. Not to mention, they say they are big city people. A 60 minute commute to someone from a big city is not a big deal.

[kjbrill]

Originally Posted by TomJones123

I don't understand why you guys won't just answer their questions, instead of telling them not to do it. They did not ask if it was a good idea, or what we thought about it. Not to mention, they say they are big city people. A 60 minute commute to someone from a big city is not a big deal.

A 60 minute commute for anyone is a big deal, because that is a portion of their life they cannot ever recoup. They may justify it, but in later years they will wonder how in Hell did I ever do that.

[TomJones123]

Originally Posted by kjbrill

A 60 minute commute for anyone is a big deal, because that is a portion of their life they cannot ever recoup. They may justify it, but in later years they will wonder how in Hell did I ever do that.

Brill. You just don't get living in places like NYC or LA. I knew people in NYC who commuted around two hours one way each day.

But, hey, let's not make this thread about you and me. Besides, we should answer their questions, not tell them how to live their lives.

[hensleya1]

Originally Posted by zenzele

Hi. I've received a job offer from University of Dayton and I'm considering accepting. However, I'm thinking about relocating my family to Cincinnati and commuting to UD 4 days a week. Both my husband and I are big city people but due to my career we've been living college towns for the last decade. We like having a yard for our preschooler and garden, and love living in beautiful or at least charming landscape. But we both miss the diversity of people and things to do larger city and to be honest I think our marriage has suffered to due to general lack of fun in our lives. I visited Dayton briefly and while I didn't see much of the city, from what I've researched about the city and its issues, I feel 50/50 about living there. The downtown was okay, I liked the quirky Oregon District, but it seemed rather small. Besides being close to my job, I'm not sure that living in Dayton would satisfy our everyday desires. So, I'm thinking Cincinnati might be a better place for us to have at least some of the kind of lifestyle we crave--arts, nightlife--esp music concerts/performances, walkable neighborhoods, houses with outside space, diversity including some, even a little, international/immigrant culture.

I am I right in my assessment of Cincinnati? Is the commute doable? Any carpool options I should know about? What are the most diverse, walkable, and family friendly areas in the city? What neighborhoods are accessible to the route towards Dayton?

I look forward to your insights. Thanks.

Hi zenzele--

I would consider a Cincinnati-Dayton commute 'do-able', but not desirable by any stretch of the imagination. It's one thing to live in a big city and take Metro from one place to another - you can sit back on the bus/train, read the morning paper, drink your coffee, etc. on the way there. Not so for driving on I-75 the whole way. I actually have a friend who lives in East Dayton and accepted a job working at UC's admissions office. That drive is really taking a toll on her, day in and day out. Not something I'd relish doing every day.

I-75 through Dayton (with the glaring exception of the never-ending construction downtown) is fairly decent. The construction around Dxie Drive/West Carrollton is almost complete, and I-75 has been expanded to eight lanes through Butler/Warren Counties. However, the minute you get inside the 275 ring, traffic starts struggling... badly. I wouldn't relish the thought of stewing in rush hour traffic at the tail end of a long commute each day, even if it's for as little as 15-20 minutes.

I would seriously consider downtown Dayton if you prefer the city life. It's not on the same scale as Cincinnati, but you are well within walking distance of the Dayton Art Institute, 5/3 Field, Riverscape, the Schuster Perfoming Arts center, Victoria Theater, and also the Oregon District. (Although most Daytonians seem to have a walking problem - I've seen people drive the six or eight blocks.)

[unusualfire]

Guys truck drives do these drives like it's nothing. They are still functioning. From anywhere north of I-275 it should never ever take an hour unless there is an accident.