What parts of Cincinnati are nice to live? Close to restaurants, shopping, stores?

Question

Is there a nice downtown where you can walk safely, go to see activities, etc. Please do not refer me to websites. I want insider info. Thanks

Answer 1

I'll start this with the fact that I have lived in the city less than two years, so take the following as you will.

Obviously when you ask which part of any city is the nicest etc., it TOTALLY depends on what you are looking for in a city. Since you specifically mention a downtown area I'll focus on that.

The riverfront, which is adjacent to downtown and includes Northern Kentucky, is pretty cool and loads of fun. Both stadiums and U.S. Bank Arena are all in a row, and there is a really nicely developed shopping and entertainment area across the river in Kentucky (accessible via pedestrian or traditional bridge).

In my opinion Cincinnati's downtown itself is not impressive. Perhaps it has the disadvantage of being compared to cities such as Chicago. It just seems like there isn't anything going on there in the evening. There are bars and clubs, and I'm sure they do well, but it just seems like there are much cooler places to go AWAY from the downtown area like the Northern Kentucky area or Mt. Adams or Hyde Park or Mt. Lookout. I think the better dance clubs and the like are probably downtown, but I am not a fan of those in general so that could be wrong, and most likely biases me against the downtown area as well. There is ok shopping and I do believe they have a lot of good restaurants there. The city is pretty big into the arts, so if you are into that it's got that going for it.

Crime is still a problem. I think the city is working pretty hard to curb it with limited success, but the problem is that some of the rougher areas are very close to downtown, which keeps people away. Cities with really great downtowns will have people walking all over the place, and you can't do that when you are afraid of being mugged.

Also there is no decent mass transit system to bring you into the city, so you have to drive and park. I believe the best cities have top-notch metro lines to connect all parts of the city. Cincy seems unwilling to invest in one.

All-in-all I think Cincinnati has a lot of potential, but it get squandered by high crime, a segmented city that isn't connected together and has no real identity, and having more big city annoyances than big-city conveniences.

Answer 2

Downtown is OK. There's crime there just like any other city. If you are looking to buy a house or rent an apartment, there are tons of options, depending on what you are looking for and what your price range is. Wyoming is nice and the schools are great, hyde park is nice too. Blue Ash and Kenwood are nice areas around a nice mall. Madeira and Mariemont are nice too. Loveland, West Chester, Beckett Ridge are good. As long as you are in Central Cincinnati (not too far from i-75), you can get to most places in Cincinnati in 20 minutes. Cincinnati is a safe city for the most part. I would stay out of Avondale, Bond Hill, Over the Rhine, Corryville (UC's campus). If you are the artsy type, Northside is making a comeback. Not supersafe, but more people are flocking to the older, beautiful home. I wouldn't live downtown though.

Answer 3

Cincinati is a huge area. It has a surrounding area called "Greater Cincinnati And The Tri-State" made up of some cities in Ohio, Kentucky, and Indiana. I suggest living in the Indiana part of "Greater Cincinnati" that is where I live. It includes the towns of Lawrecneburg, Bright, St. Leon and Aurora. You are close to all the shopping and only 20 minutes from downtown. If you are looking closer I would say Mason, Ohio. It has great school districts, plenty off shopping, and also in next to Paramount's King's Island, and The Beach waterpark. It is probably only about 5-10 minutes from downtown. I do not suggest you live in downtown. My dad is a cincinnati police ranger, and I know from experience it is not a good place to live though it is getting better.

Answer 4

The problem with downtown Cincinnati is during the weekend, people do not go there unless it is for a sports event or for some other special event. Also during the weekdays, downtown empties out after 5:00 p.m. People just go downtown it seems to work.

Some good places to live are Hyde Park (especially if you are single). Mason, West Chester, Blue Ash are good for families and have affordable housing. The school system is pretty good as well. Crime is pretty low in these areas.

Answer 5

Downtown?! UHUH! No way, I was just down there today with my mom because she had to pay a ticket at the Justice Dept.
It is very crowded down there, and it is rather busy as well. I would not recommend living downtown, even though it has improved. There isn't as much going on down there now as their used to be. Also stay away from Bond Hill and Avoldale like the girl above me said, rather dangerous. Someone is always getting shot, or beaten up.

I would recommend moving to Anderson Township, rather nice area, and alot safer than most areas of Hamilton County.
They have nice homes, (not to expensive.) It has alot of wooded area around there, it's nice and quiet back there.

They do have some shopping places and restaurants on one of the main roads that goes right through there (not sure of the road name.) The road runs right through Anderson Twp. and has a nice shopping and restaurant plaza. I have not seen that area in a while, but I do not think anything has changed.

Answer 6

Downtown is becoming nicer - but I wouldn't suggest living there right now. Cinci is an interesting place because you frequently go from a good neighborhood to a bad one in a matter of blocks. (stay away from Clifton, Walnut Hills, Over the Rhine, etc. when looking for places to live, or really hang out for that matter)

If you're looking for a fun place to live and like to go out a lot - I would suggest Hyde Park (try as close to the square as possible). Mt. Adams is also nice, but it's a little more expensive and parking is a nightmare. Mt. Lookout is also nice, but there is less to do there within walking distance.

If you're looking for the suburbs to raise a family and all of that, stick to the east and north sides of the city. There a lot of cute suburbs to choose from, and it's too long of a list to rattle off here, but I'm sure Wikipedia has some good info on them.

I lived in Hyde Park last year as a recent college grad and loved it. My apartment was nice and safe, I was within walking distance to a lot of great restraunts (Arthur's, Indigo, Doodles Noodles, etc) - a few fun bars and an outdoor shopping mall.

Good luck!

Answer 7

Downtown is safe but basically uninteresting. People leave after work unless they are going to a specific activity - Reds game, Broadway show at the Arnoff etc.

Where to live. Personally I favor the Northern suburbs(West Chester, Liberty Township, Mason, Blue Ash) or Eastern Subburbs(Anderson, Batavia) for raising a family. For young people there are other areas of the city. (Mt. Adams) All depends what you are looking for. Post what is important and we can give you the area that best matches that as there are many different nieghborhoods.