Hidden Treasures - Housing Opportunities Made Equal

Transcription

Hidden Treasures
A Guide to Integrated Communities in Hamilton County
Sponsored by:
Cincinnatus Association
& HOME
Contents
Introduction. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Profiles of Gold Medal Communities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
(Integrated since 1970)
Downtown/Riverfront
Corryville
Madisonville
Map . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Profiles of Silver Medal Communities. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
College Hill
CUF (Clifton Heights/Fairview
and a small portion of what was
formerly called University Heights)
East Walnut Hills
Forest Park
Heights (the major portion of what was
formerly called University Heights)
Kennedy Heights
Mt. Airy
North Avondale
Northside
Paddock Hills
Pleasant Ridge
Spring Grove Village
(formerly called Winton Place)
List of Bronze Medal Communities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Produced by Field Publications, LLC
1077 State Route 28, Suite 208
Milford, OH 45150
Tel/Fax (513) 965-9000
www.relocationguide4U.com
Publisher, Richard J. Field
Editor, Lilia F. Brady
Art Director, Judy Shertok
Hidden Treasures Guide
Project Supervisors
Brandon H. Wiers, Cincinnatus Association
Elizabeth Brown, Housing Opportunities
Made Equal (HOME)
Consultants
John Huth, Hamilton County Regional Planning Commission; Katherine Keough-Jurs,
Department of City Planning, City of
Cincinnati; Chris Anderson, Department of
Community Development, City of Forest Park
Contributor
Laura Carr, L.A. Carr Communications
Cover Design Judy Shertok
Photography
Photo research & support—Chris Schadler,
Community Building Institute at Xavier
University. Other neighborhood photos from
Brandon Wiers, Dan Yount and Community
Council members in College Hill, Corryville,
Northside, Paddock Hills, Pleasant Ridge,
and The Heights; some provided by
CincinnatiUSA.com.
Special Thanks
We are grateful to the Stephen H. Wilder
Foundation for a grant in support of the
research performed by Dr. Charles F. CaseyLeininger and Dr. Erinn Green, under the
auspices of the Cincinnatus Association,
which is the basis of this Guide, and for
additional funding for this publication
along with financial support from Housing
Opportunities Made Equal (HOME).
Printed by C.J. Krehbiel Co.
3962 Virginia Ave.
Cincinnati, OH 45227
Copyright 2009 by Field Publications, LLC.
No part of this Guide may be reproduced
in any form, without written permission
from the publisher. While every effort has
been made to ensure the accuracy of the
information, any errors or omissions are
the responsibility of Hidden Treasures
Project Supervisors.
Introduction
T
Cincinnati metropolitan area is made up of many wonderful
neighborhoods and communities, each with its own personality.
A variety of neighborhood guides are available to introduce newcomers
to the area. This Guide features 15 unique communities we refer to as
Hidden Treasures. Some are older city residential neighborhoods; some
are suburban communities; and some are urban hip and edgy. The
unifying characteristic of these 15 communities is they all were identified
in a recent study as being racially integrated and stable for more than
20 years.
Hidden Treasures Guide is a project made possible through the work
of two sponsoring organizations—Cincinnatus Association led by
Brandon H. Wiers, co-chair of its Community Inclusion Panel, and
Housing Opportunities Made Equal (HOME), under its executive
director Elizabeth Brown. Both offer a bit of information on the making
of the Guide.
he
The interest of the Cincinnatus Association in local housing patterns was
stimulated by (1) a 20-minute videotape excerpt from Race: The Power of
an Illusion, a PBS documentary, which depicted the historic foundations
and continuing manifestation of housing discrimination throughout the
United States, shown the members in February, 2005, and (2) a personal
incident the next month involving a past member of Cincinnatus.
The incident was an unsolicited telephone call from a local Realtor
telling him of the many recent home sales in the neighborhood where he
lived. The caller did not mention that many of the sales were to AfricanAmericans (which was generally known throughout the neighborhood),
but did mention that he already had many listings from neighbors of
the person being called. He then asked that person when he planned to
sell his home. Responding explicitly that he had no plans to move, he
abruptly ended the conversation and hung up. However, he was angry at
what he believed was an attempt to disrupt the neighborhood’s successful
integration and the assumption that he would want to sell because of the
race of his new neighbors. He also felt strongly that there is a market for
the kind of neighborhood he lived in, and he wanted to see that become
broadly known.
With these motivations, a project proposal was sent to the Stephen
H. Wilder Foundation asking for funding to find out what had been the
history of neighborhood integration in Hamilton County. The proposal
was funded with results that can be viewed on the Association’s Web site
(see below). Cincinnatus members who are lifelong Cincinnati residents
were surprised and delighted to learn about the county’s Hidden Treasures
and wanted to share these wonderful places with newcomers and people
looking for housing.
Brandon H. Wiers
www.cincinnatusassoc.org
Housing Opportunities
Made Equal (HOME)
Made Equal is a private fair
housing agency that serves the
Cincinnati area. We fight the
remnants of racial discrimination
in the housing market and
promote housing choice. Families
choose a home for numerous
highly personal reasons based
on the family’s current priorities,
including schools, closeness to
work, type or cost of housing, or a
certain type of neighborhood feel.
What is too often lacking is good
information on which to base the
important decision of where to live.
Often, I have people tell me, “This
neighborhood is wonderful. I wish
I knew about it when I was looking
for a house.”
This guide is an attempt
to hold up the area’s Hidden
Treasures. Long-term residents are
concerned that the metropolitan
area, like most Midwestern
cities, is segregated by race and
has not attracted significant
immigrant populations since the
1800s. The results of the study,
sponsored by the Cincinnatus
Association, surprised many of
us since it identified a tapestry of
neighborhoods that are diverse in
population and in housing stock,
but uniformly rich in community.
Take a look at them. Drive
through and talk to the neighbors.
See which one feels like home.
Elizabeth Brown
Made Equal (HOME)
www.cincyfairhousing.com
1
GOLD MEDAL COMMUNITIES
Three communities—Riverfront/Downtown, Corryville and Madisonville—
have been integrated since 1970.
'/,$
Riverfront/Downtown
C
incinnati’s
Riverfront, the
oldest settlement in the area,
extends from the river’s edge to
Third Street. From residential,
Riverfront changed and became
more of a recreational area and
developed as a wholesale and
warehousing district. Today,
Riverfront is home to sports
stadiums (Great American Ball
Park and Paul Brown Stadium), the
Bicentennial Commons and the
National Underground Railroad
Freedom Center. The Banks, a
24-hour urban neighborhood, is
currently being developed on this
very site. And coming soon after
more than 15 years in the planning
is Cincinnati Riverfront Park on 45
acres, bounded by the Banks and
the two stadiums.
Across Third Street from the
Freedom Center is Downtown, the
city’s business and cultural center.
In the 1890s, Downtown boasted
homes of some of the city’s richest
and poorest. Today, Downtown
is a vital and an appealing
place to young professionals,
retired couples, empty nesters.
“We have a very diverse group
of people—in interests, ages,
income, creed and race,” offers
Conrad Thiede, 10-year resident
and immediate past president of
Downtown Residents Council.
“It’s healthy to learn from one
another. We’re in it together after
all, so make the best out of the
place.” Prospective residents are
drawn to the numerous living
options Downtown—efficiency
luxury apartments, renovated lofts,
restored historic buildings and new
condominiums. They are equally
drawn to the many advantages
here—arts and entertainment,
pro sports teams, shops and
restaurants, and hundreds of
businesses. It is home to Fortune
500 companies, including Procter
& Gamble, Macy’s and Kroger.
Residents like the fact that most
everything Downtown is walkable.
Conrad Thiede says he walks to
some of the many fine restaurants.
A sampling—Palm Court/Orchids
at the Netherland Hilton, the
RIVERFRONT/DOWNTOWN
Downtown Residents Council
(513) 523-6966
www.ilivedowntown.com
2007 Population Estimate
(Social Compact)
3,818
White 56 %
Black
39 %
Other 5%
Approx. area .79 square miles
2007 med. home price $351,050
Current highest price $1,800,000
Approx. drive to airport 30 minutes
School District
Cincinnati Public Schools
Diners savor specialties at Ingredients in the Westin Hotel, Downtown.
2
Palace at the Cincinnatian,
Ingredients and McCormick &
Schmick’s at the Westin; also
Jeff Ruby’s Steakhouse, the new
Bootsy’s, Boi Na Braza, Via Vite
and Nada —all close to Fountain
Square, the heart of the city.
There’s a smattering of ethnic
spots, including Sung Korean
Bistro, Shanghai Mama, Akash
India and the new Chipotle. It’s a
short stroll to such shops as Brooks
Brothers, Tiffany’s, Jos. A. Banks,
Macy’s, Saks Fifth Avenue, Tower
Place Mall; to some small gift and
flower shops, apparel and jewelry
stores. It’s equally cool to walk to
The Aronoff Center for the Arts for
a Broadway show, or a Cincinnati
Ballet performance.
Other things to do—jazz at
the Blue Wisp, oyster festival at
Washington Platform; lectures by
artists at the Contemporary Arts
Center. And, yes, walk to the ball
park for opening day. It is more or
less within walking distance to the
adjoining Over-the-Rhine (OTR)
neighborhood, for a Cincinnati
Symphony concert or Cincinnati
Opera presentation held at the
129-year-old Music Hall. (Worth
noting: OTR is also home to
such gems as Ensemble Theater,
Know Theater, the new School for
Creative & Performing Arts [SCPA]
and the Art Academy.) Clearly,
there is no lack of activities for the
nearly 4,000 residents and some
83,000 who work Downtown.
Conrad Thiede urges residents to
get involved and volunteer some
of their time to such projects as
Tuesday Night Meal at Christ
Church Cathedral, Downtown
Cincinnati Cleanup, and summer
arts youth program for the
Downtown Library Branch.
“I chose to live Downtown
because it offers a more
cosmopolitan lifestyle.
I’ve lived and worked
in New York and the
Bahamas Islands, so it
was just natural for me
to want to enjoy the
ethnic diversity our city
has to offer.”
– Christine Schoonover,
Downtown
3
Corryville
'/,$
CORRYVILLE
Corryville Recreation Center
(513) 221-0888
www.corryville.org
(Social Compact)
1,952
White 42%
Black
50%
Other 8%
Approx. area
.5 square miles
2007 med. home price
$211,000
Current highest price
$364,900
Approx. drive to Downtown
Cincinnati
10 minutes
Approx. drive to airport
20 minutes
School District
A
to the city of Cincinnati
in 1870, Corryville was once
an agricultural, then residential
community. It was named after
William Corry, who was mayor
of Cincinnati in 1815 to 1819 and
a nephew of William McMillan,
the first justice of the peace of the
old settlement called Losantiville
(later changed to Cincinnati).
Its early residents were mostly
German-Americans and were
middle-class people who came to
Corryville via Over-the-Rhine. In
the 40s and 50s, the population
changed to include university
students, lower-income families,
transients, then followed by
Appalachians and blacks. The area
deteriorated during the 60s; many
houses were demolished to make
way for the expanding University
of Cincinnati and the construction
of EPA (Environmental Protection
Agency) resulting in the displacement
of families. However, starting
1963–1964, investors began
nnexed
4
restoring old buildings and new
businesses opened, including
specialty shops, record stores
and groceries.
Today, the area attracts students
and staff at the university and
hospitals who live in housing
types such as older red bricks,
old frames, brownstones, singleand multi-family dwellings. Kay
Weaks, who’s secretary of the
Corryville Community Council
and who bought her house here
in 1978, comments that the
neighborhood’s central location
is a big advantage to living in
Corryville. She likes being able to
walk to the bank, to Kroger and to
the University of Cincinnati, where
she used to teach in the Fashion
Department. She also likes that
her neighborhood is quite diverse,
which she says is a big advantage.
“What attracted me to Corryville,”
says Clyde Nowlin, a Corryville
property owner and former 29-year
resident, “is its close proximity to
“What attracted me
to Corryville is its close
proximity to downtown
and the University of
Cincinnati. I enjoy the
convenience of being
able to attend sporting
events, music and plays
at CCM and the diversity
in restaurants.”
– Clyde Nowlin,
Corryville property owner
and former 29-year resident
downtown and the University of
Cincinnati. I enjoy the convenience
of being able to attend sporting
events, music and plays at CCM
[College-Conservatory of Music]
and the diversity of restaurants.”
Most people know Corryville
for its “Short Vine” business
district, which is crammed with
specialty shops and dining spots;
plus live music venues (Bogart’s
and Sudsy Malone’s Rock &
Laundry). Traditionally, it’s the
place frequented by University
of Cincinnati students to eat,
shop and have a fun time.
Corryville continues its
renewal efforts and offers basic
neighborhood services such as
a post office, library, banks and
grocery stores. It’s home to a mix
of businesses, including clinics
and hospitals (Children’s Hospital
Medical Center, Veterans Hospital,
Shriners’ Burns Institute and
University Hospital). BIOSTART,
a life sciences and biotech
incubator located here, has recently
launched an online resource for
start-ups called DialedIn.org.
Plans in the offing include
the revitalization of Corryville’s
retail and entertainment district.
Uptown Consortium, a nonprofit
working to promote the area,
hopes to redevelop University
Plaza, where there is a Kroger
and a Walgreens.
5
'/,$
Madisonville
T
2009 is a big deal for
Madisonville. It turns 200
years old! Kick off celebration was
held April 24 to commemorate
the selling of the first five lots
on Madison Road and Whetsel
Avenue in 1809. The community’s
arts center, affectionately called
“The Mac,” is located on Lot 4,
according to Ruth Ann Busald,
who’s co-chair of the Madisonville
Bicentennial Committee. Busald
adds a community parade will be
held July 4th to start on Kenwood
and Madison roads and end at
Bramble Park, where the festivities
continue with music, program,
food and fireworks.
This 200-year-old community
was originally called Madison
in honor of the newly elected
fourth President of the United
States, James Madison. It
was incorporated in 1839 and
annexed to Cincinnati in 1911.
Earlier residents were a diverse
group—some middle and lowerincome families, some well-to-do
with various backgrounds. There
were many blacks who worked on
nearby farms and the railroads.
Debbie Dent, Willow Creative Group
he year
“Living in a neighborhood
that has diversity in
people, housing and
community events
enriches everyone.
Madisonville has a long
history of embracing and
appreciating differences.
A short walk around
the neighborhood is
proof enough.”
– Sam and Kaye Britton,
Madisonville
(Sam Britton is a former
Ohio State Representative)
6
Native son and author Dick Perry
once described the Madisonville
of old: “There’s stability about
Madisonville, because Cincinnati
craftsmen are a stable lot.”
Today, Madisonville is a stable
and diverse community—attracting
young professionals (YPs), singles,
and families in search of affordable
housing. YP Tony Fischer calls his
neighborhood an old community
and says it’s reflected in the
housing stock. His favorite thing
about Madisonville is the variety
of houses. “Often you will find an
old farmhouse next to a Victorian
house, which is next to a four-unit
apartment building, across the
street from a bungalow. It is one
of the most architecturally diverse
neighborhoods in the city.”
There are single- and multifamily dwellings, historic and
restored homes and condo units
and apartments. Its business
district, which is being revitalized,
offers banks, beauty salons, general
automotive repair, and landscaping
services. The soon-to-be completed
$110-million, 15-story Stratford
at Kenwood, an upscale senior
Drum session at St. Anthony Church in Madisonville celebrating its 150 years.
housing
facility,
offers 215
apartment
homes and
penthouses;
plus 24
condos in
an attached
building,
The Bluffs.
Meanwhile, residents
are enjoying some amenities
in their community, including
an arts center which features
an art gallery, a studio shop, an
auditorium and multi-purpose
classrooms. Its recreation center,
where its community council holds
its monthly meetings, offers a
gym, a teen room, weight room,
10 computers, and programs for
senior citizens. Neighborhood
dining spots include Barbecue
Revue and Salt of the Earth. There
are elementary and secondary
schools, including the newly built
98,000-square-foot Shroder High,
7–12. Nearing
completion is
John Parker
School on
northeast
corner of
Madison and
Red Bank roads.
Several churches
and religious
organizations are
found here (one church,
St. Anthony Roman Catholic, just
celebrated its 150th anniversary).
There is a community garden,
where residents can rent raised
beds ($10 apiece) and plant
vegetables as early as spring,
according to coordinator Janice
Sheatzley, who adds that the
garden is full and that all beds
are accounted for.
To lifelong resident Ruth Ann
Busald, there is no place like her
neighborhood. “I love everything
about Madisonville—for what
it had been and to what it can
become.”
MADISONVILLE
Madisonville Community Council
(513) 561-9343
www.madisonvillebd.org
(Social Compact)
11,334
White
36%
Black
60%
Other
4%
Approx. area
2.4 square miles
$98,000
Current highest price $499,900
Cincinnati 15 minutes
Approx. drive to airport30 minutes
School District
7
8
3),6%2
SILVER MEDAL COMMUNITIES
Twelve neighborhoods have been integrated since 1980.
College Hill
COLLEGE HILL
Recreation Center
(513) 591-3555
www.collegehill.info/
(Social Compact)
15,069
White 42%
Black
56%
Other
3%
Approx. area
4.8 square miles
$112,250
$359,000
30 minutes
School District
C
Hill is situated on
a ridge with an altitude of
896 feet above sea level. Since
1988, Elizabeth Sherwood has
called College Hill home. She
was attracted to the beautiful, old
homes on tree-lined streets and
fell in love with the neighborhood.
“I wouldn’t live anywhere else,”
says the Tennessee native who
came to the area to study at UC’s
College of Law. She lives in a stone
Tudor on a lovely street, where she
knows all her neighbors (from 23
houses). Houses here range from
brick to old frame, from cottage to
ranches, single to multi-family. No
McMansions, says Sherwood.
In earlier times, the community
had well-to-do residents living in
large homes and large lots. It was
incorporated in 1866 and took
its name from the two colleges—
Farmers College and Ohio Female
College—that were once located here.
Today this historic neighborhood
is integrated, and it boasts an active
business district, The Avenue,
lined with stores, specialty shops
ollege
and restaurants. The hub here is
the College Hill Coffee House,
kind of a Cheers bar sans alcohol.
It’s rare not to see a neighbor or a
friend when you come here, says
Sherwood. Ditto at Bacalls, which
offers family-style dining. There’s
more dining at Goodies, an awardwinning barbecue restaurant; fine
Chinese food at Chung Ching.
Soon College Hill will have a new
Creole restaurant called Shhhhh;
no kidding, that’s the name of
College Hill resident Spencer
McKinney’s new venture, which
includes a bar and offers live jazz.
Promoting businesses and
lobbying for redevelopment are
groups such as the College Hill
Businessmen’s Association and
College Hill Community Urban
& Redevelopment Corporation
(CHCURC); also The College
Hill Forum. (Forum’s Quality of
Life Committee, with some 50
volunteers, is charged with looking
for code violations and alerting
homeowners of such violations
and fixing them.)
9
College Hill
Residents enjoy amenities such
as the College Hill Recreation
Center on Belmont Avenue
with indoor walking track, two
gymnasiums, shallow pool and a
teen lounge. There’s also plenty
of green space and parks. Several
churches serve the neighborhood,
including College Hill United
Methodist, Grace Episcopal
Church, St. Clare Roman Catholic
and College Hill Presbyterian
organized in 1853—all with
outreach programs. Schools
located here include College
Hill Fundamental Academy,
preschool–6; Aiken College
Career & Design High School,
whose principal, Eric Thomas, is a
Cincinnatus Association awardee;
private schools McAuley, an
all-girls school and a National
Blue Ribbon School of Excellence;
Eden Grove Academy, preschool–8,
an interdenominational school.
It is home to LaBoiteaux Woods,
a 50-acre nature preserve; two
retirement communities—Llanfair
and Twin Towers, which began as
Methodist Home for the Aged; Six
Acres Bed & Breakfast, the 1860s
home of abolitionist Zebulon
Strong and a refuge for slaves
escaping to freedom in Canada.
The magnificent Laurel Court, a
27-room mansion in the style of
Louis XVI’s Petit Trianon near
Versailles, is the most well-known
landmark here. Now a working
mansion, it was originally built
for Peter G. Thomson, founder
of Hamilton’s Champion Coated
Paper Company, and publisher of
Cincinnati’s Blue Book in 1879.
“I love living in
College Hill for its
affordable housing and
quiet neighborhood that
is great for raising young
children. I’m very excited
about the revitalization
in the business district
and the addition of
new condominiums in
the community.”
– Cynthia Creasy
Clergy and members join hands during worship service at Grace Episcopal Church in College Hill on MLK Sunday, 2009.
10
3),6%2
CUF (CLIFTON HEIGHTS/FAIRVIEW AND A
PORTION OF THE OLD UNIVERSITY HEIGHTS)
C
onvenient location, diversity
of residents, and affordable
housing with great view of the
city are some of the advantages
to living in the CUF area. Robert
Neel, an assistant professor at UC
College of Medicine’s Department
of Neurology, points to “proximity
to downtown and to all the major
hospitals that I work in and the
feel of being around the University.
And, of course, the great parks
for jogging and beautiful hills
for biking and running.” He
particularly likes to jog up and
through Bellevue Park and down
to Fairview Park—both have great
stairs for running.
During first half of the 20th
century, Clifton Heights and
Fairview were middle-class
residential neighborhoods and
unincorporated areas of Millcreek
Township. Clifton Heights was
annexed to the city of Cincinnati in
1870 and believed to have gotten
its name from its association with
the village of Clifton, a thriving
suburb then and now.
Its business district offers
local and national chain
businesses—bookstores, coffee
shops and restaurants (Christy’s
& Lenhardt’s, Myra’s Dionysus,
Pomi’s and Floyd’s). Landmarks
include the 136-year old St. George
Church, whose twin steeples were
destroyed by a fire (it was recently
sold); Deaconess Hospital, which
goes back to 1888; and Hughes
High School (currently undergoing
renovation), second oldest public
high school in the Cincinnati
Public School System. Located
here is St. Monica’s Catholic
Church, established in 1911; its
congregation merged with St.
George’s resulting in St. MonicaSt. George Parish.
The area was once an
owner-occupied, single-family
neighborhood. Today, the majority
of residents are students living
in apartment complexes and
other multi-family rentals.
Housing types include a little of
everything—older frames, brick
homes and mansions on Ohio
Avenue, says lifelong resident
Paul Gallagher, who volunteers
and finds time to do his share
to improve the neighborhood.
“We find old, vacant lots and try
to clean and maintain a ‘green’
community,” says the retired
firefighter, who leads CUF’s
Tree Board committee. “You can
find him planting trees in our
community gardens, our parks and
working with Urban Forestry to
get more trees on the sidewalks,”
offers Robert Neel, who’s president
of CUF Community Council.
Fairview was annexed in 1849
and was originally called Riddle’s
Hill in the late 1860s for Col. John
Riddle, a veteran of War of 1812
and largest single landowner here.
Because it’s perched on a hilltop
and offered a great view of the
basin and lower Mill Creek Valley,
it became known as Fairview. It is
bounded to the north by Straight
Street, to the east by Ravine Street,
CUF
Clifton Heights Community Urban
Redevelopment Corporation
(513)564-0078
www.cufna.org
(City-Data.com) 9,655
White
73%
Black 19%
Other
7%
Approx. area 1.0 square mile
2007 Avg. home price
$145,911
$299,900
Cincinnati
10 minutes
20 minutes
School District
11
CUF
to the south by Fairview Park and
to the west by Central Parkway.
Part of its attraction is its
location—near the University of
Cincinnati and Burnet Woods
Park. Wealthy Cincinnatians,
including brewer Christian
Moerlein and lawyers Gustav Tafel
and Francis Lampe, built houses
in western Fairview (and southern
portion of Clifton Heights) and
were some of the early residents,
followed by middle-income
families. Today, there’s a blend of
humanity here—black and white,
upper- and lower-middle-income
families, students and university
staff people who live in all types
of homes. There are single-family,
renovated and historic homes,
mostly Italianate and some Victorian.
Community groups such as the
West McMicken Improvement
Association and many concerned
residents work together to improve
the quality of life here. “We work
with one another for a cleaner
and safer neighborhood,” says
14-year resident Suzanne Fischer,
who adds that they have cleanups,
12
do plantings to beautify the
community. Longtime resident
Tony Walsh started in 1996 a
community garden with the help
and support of the Civic Garden
Center. The garden, on two lots,
runs between McMicken and
McMillan streets and consists of
17 plots, which residents are able
to rent ($15 a year) and plant their
own flowers or vegetables. One
big asset of the neighborhood,
says Fischer, is its Fairview Park,
which boasts an incredible view of
downtown and Northern Kentucky,
through its two overlooks.
There’s a lot going for the
neighborhood, according to Walsh,
who says he likes its proximity to
downtown, to many shops and
restaurants and to UC, where his
wife, Maureen France, teaches,
and his daughter, Lily, is a student.
(Son, Joe, goes to Walnut Hills.)
Ditto, says Suzanne Fischer who
continues to enjoy the easy access
offered by the neighborhood,
which she calls friendly. “You know
your immediate neighbors and you
can count on them.”
“I can imagine no other
place to live beside the
CUF neighborhood—
having grown up in the
suburb. I live my life
walking the streets with
students and teachers,
artists and doctors, social
workers and business
entrepreneurs, musicians
and lawyers. I love the
chance to learn about
my fellow human beings
in ways I might have
sheltered myself from
and I am reminded of our
shared common humanity
every day.”
– Robert W. Neel, M.D.,
University of Cincinnati
College of Medicine
3),6%2
East Walnut Hills
T
his small historic
EAST WALNUT HILLS
East Walnut Hills Assembly
www.eastwalnuthills.com
(City-Data.com)
4,038
White 63%
Black
33%
Other 4%
Approx. area
.9 square mile
$170,750
Current highest price $1,800,000
Cincinnati
5 to 10 minutes
20-25 minutes
neighborhood was home
to wealthy Cincinnatians in
the late 1830s–1840s. A tour of
the neighborhood shows some
of these stately and elegant
homes in various architectural
designs—Colonial Revival, Tudor,
English Country Revival, Second
Renaissance Revival and Dutch
Revival. There’s even a Swiss
chalet (on Upland Place). But
there are also less imposing and
less expensive homes such as row
houses, apartment buildings and
modest-style dwellings.
Today, East Walnut Hills is
being revitalized. There’s the new
DeSales Corner on Woodburn
with three stories of apartments, a
bank, a tax service, exercise place
for women, and a coffeehouse,
MoCa. It’s not uncommon to see
parents meet up here for a cup
of Joe after they transport their
children to nearby schools (Francis
DeSales, K-8; Mercy Montessori
and Doherty campus of Seven Hills
School). Also located on Woodburn
is Manifest Gallery; Motorcar Co.
on Moorman, One More Stitch
(a knitting place) on Madison at
Moorman. Streetscape is being
completed, new lights installed
in the business district, and the
mural on the Schulhoff Tool Rental
façade recently finished.
The housing stock is a mix of
high-rise apartments and condos
(such as Edgecliff Point, Ingleside),
renovated Victorian, starter homes
and rentals. There’s the new
Schoolhouse Lofts Condos with
32 units built by Cincinnati-based
13
East Walnut Hills
“East Walnut Hills has
great architecture,
beautiful river views and
good home values. This
neighborhood has a great
mix of ages and ethnicity
because integration has
occurred naturally. It’s
a neighborhood that is
convenient to everything.
My daughter and I can
walk to Eden Park and
downtown is only five
minutes away.”
– Joe Balbo,
President, E. Walnut Hills
Community Council
14
Excalibur Development, which
hopes to develop DeSales Square
(located by DeSales Plaza), which
will add some 31,000 square feet
of retail and office space to
the area.
Landmarks here include St.
Francis de Sales Church known for
its 35,000-pound bell affectionately
called “Big Joe” and believed to
be the largest free swinging bell
in the world. It was rung for the
first time in January 1896 and the
E-flat bell’s tone shattered nearby
windows. Other landmarks are
the Williams YMCA, PurcellMarian High School, St. Ursula
Academy, Mercy Montessori and
the new public school Frederick
Douglass PreK-8, which is a
community learning center. There
are churches, including Seventh
Presbyterian Church, St. Francis
de Sales Catholic Church and New
Thought Unity Center, which is
nondenominational. (Incidentally,
the Unity Center, which traces its
roots to 1898, celebrates its 110th
anniversary this year.)
East Walnut Hills is so
convenient and accessible to all
of Cincinnati’s major attractions.
It’s minutes away to downtown
shopping, sports, museums and
arts events. According to Teresa
O’Farrell, who was a year old when
her parents moved to East Walnut
Hills, this is where she wants to
be. Most of her life has been here
in East Walnut Hills, where she
and her husband are now raising
their three children. “People here
are who they are, no pretense,”
according to O’Farrell, who says
neighbors gather for block parties,
picnic in the summer with lots of
hot dogs at Owl’s Nest Park, which
offers new playgrounds, ball field
and basketball court.
3),6%2
Forest Park
V
FOREST PARK
Municipal Offices
1201 W. Kemper Rd.
Cincinnati, OH 45240
(513) 595-5200
www.forestpark.org
(Applied Geographic Solutions)18,413
White
36%
Black
55%
Other 9%
Approx. area
5.5 square miles
$103,400
$389,900
Government
Council/Manager
ilma and Rodolfo Lagdameo,
natives of the Philippines,
emigrated to the U.S. more than
30 years ago and settled in Forest
Park, a community they say they
continue to enjoy for its many
amenities. Lagdameo calls her
neighborhood “family-friendly”
and so convenient to everything—
to Jungle Jim’s, her favorite grocery
store; to the shops at Cincinnati
Mall, to schools and churches of
different denominations. Peggy
Feirstine, who’s originally from
upstate New York, chose to live
in Forest Park some 32 years ago.
She said the big consideration in
choosing the community is its
diversity. “We had two children and
wanted them to live in a diverse
environment,” says Feirstine. She
liked that there were sidewalks to
walk with the children and that
they’re close to the park.
This residential suburb,
14 miles north of downtown
Cincinnati, was developed in
the 50s by a private company on
land that once belonged to the
community of Greenhills. The
developers—Marvin Warner
and Joseph Kanter—planned
a community complete with
schools, churches, shops and
recreational facilities. In 1961, it
was incorporated as a village and
became a city in 1968. Its location,
just south of I-275, makes for easy
access to the area’s expressway
system and attracted more people.
Today, Forest Park is the
third largest city in Hamilton
County (surpassed in size only
by Cincinnati and Norwood)—
offering its residents such
amenities as parks, sports leagues,
tennis and basketball courts, soccer
fields, lots of dining and shopping
45 minutes
School Districts
Winton Woods City Schools
Northwest Local Schools
15
Forest Park
“I have lived in Forest
Park for 19 years and I
love it. I moved to Forest
Park because I wanted
to live in a neighborhood
that shared family values.
I wanted a place my
children could play safely
and where we could enjoy
a great outdoor park like
Winton Woods. Forest
Park also has an excellent
school system that has
helped me prepare
my children for their
responsibilities as adults.”
– Sally Huffman
16
places. It is home to more than
550 companies, including Union
Central Life Insurance, Jacobs
Engineering, Faxon Machining
and Megen Construction; also
Cincinnati Mall, the 1.5 millionsquare-foot shopping center,
formerly known as Cincinnati
Mills (it was sold in December
2008 to the Atlanta-based North
Star Realty).
Housing options include
older-and new-single family
homes, apartments, condos and
luxury estates. For public schools,
most students attend the Winton
Woods City Schools; others go to
Northwest Local. There are also
private and parochial schools
nearby.
Residents gather in Central
Park for community events
such as Jazz in the Park Festival
offering nationally known jazz
players and attracting more than
4,000 people, says Sally Huffman,
clerk of council of the city. Forest
Park Soccer Invitational, held
in October, features different
soccer groups from such places
as Dayton, Columbus and West
Virginia. According to Huffman,
“This is such a nice area to live and
raise a family, close to the malls,
and I have never been swayed to
live elsewhere.”
3),6%2
The Heights
T
university
and residential community is
bounded by Jefferson on the north
and east, by West McMillan and
Straight Street on the south, and
by Marshall on the west. There
are a few businesses along Central
Parkway and some on McMicken.
Residents live in old homes, but
it is a mixture of large apartment
complexes, student rentals and
single-family dwellings. “The
houses here tend to have more
lawn than Clifton Heights and the
area is less densely populated,”
according to resident Cindy
Summers, who lived here while
attending law school.
Landmarks include the Hebrew
Union College, founded in 1875
and the oldest institution of
higher Jewish learning in the
country; Good Samaritan, the
oldest and largest private teaching
and tertiary health-care facility in
the area. The Little Sisters of the
Poor nursing home is here (their
founder Blessed Jeanne Jugan
becomes a saint this year); and
Riddle Road Market, an important
neighborhood center for students
and residents, says Summers. Coy
Field, once a quarry, is also here.
Rob Burke, a 23-year resident
who lives on Coy Street, says the
view is an attractive feature here.
his predominantly
THE HEIGHTS
Heights Neighborhood Association
(304) 208-2983
(City-Data.com)
5,368
White
66%
Black
18%
Other
16%
Approx. area
0.8 square mile
2007 Avg. home price
$156,118
$192,500
Cincinnati
10 minutes
20 minutes
School District
“I can see the Millcreek Valley
from my house and in the early
evening I love the enchanting
sound of the train yard down
below. It’s kind of a high-pitched
tone.” Friends who come by
are as entranced, adds Burke.
Cindy Summers points to the
diverse groups here and adds that
students from nearby University
of Cincinnati give the area its
vitality and diversity. Convenient
location is another advantage, says
Summers. It’s great especially for
her husband, Daniel Lewis, who is
able to walk to work.
There is a neighborhood
group, Heights Neighborhood
Association, which Summers
and her husband helped organize
in 2000. They meet monthly to
talk about ways to improve the
area. They hold neighborhood
cleanups several times a year
and a block party in the fall, says
Summers. Quite successful is
their “Wednesdays on the Porch,”
where different neighbors host a
small party and invite the other
neighbors for social time.
The Heights has a listserv for
fast and efficient communication
with the residents. “It is where
“we can share information,
complaints and other such things,”
offers Summers.
“The cool thing about
living in the Heights is
that we have a great mix
of students and longtime
residents from every socioeconomic background
which is unique to a
college community.”
– Brad Hawse, The Heights
17
3),6%2
Kennedy Heights
T
was named
after Lewis Kennedy, who
platted the village in 1884 and
was its first mayor. It was the last
independent village annexed to
the city of Cincinnati in 1914.
The first house here is believed
to be a log cabin built in 1795
by Col. John McFarland. Today,
the neighborhood has a range
of housing types—New England
cape cods, English Tudors, old
brick and frame homes and new
construction. Its Community
Council, founded in 1965, worked
through the years to help break the
segregated housing patterns here
and build an integrated community
with plenty of amenities. There’s
the new community arts center,
housed in a three-story structure
built in 1875 and once home to
founder Lewis Kennedy. The
center features gallery space, art
shop and performance studios.
There are two parks and a
playfield which offer recreational
activities. A dance company, Ballet
Tech Cincinnati, a nonprofit
he community
KENNEDY HEIGHTS
Kennedy Heights
Community Center
(513) 531-4041
www.kennedyheights.org
(Social Compact)
7,030
White
21%
Black
76%
Other
3%
Approx. area
1.01 square miles
$235,000
School District 18
dance group for children and
adults, is located here.
There are clubs and
organizations such as the Kennedy
Heights Seniors Club offering
various programs and trips to
older citizens. The Metallic Club
is geared to retired men who meet
for fellowship and educational
programs. A parent cooperative,
the Kennedy Heights Montessori
School, serves children, ages 3
through kindergarten. Several
churches serve the religious needs
of the community, including the
Kennedy Heights Presbyterian,
which began in 1909 and will
celebrate its centennial July 6,
2009, according to member Susan
Kitchen, who’s putting together a
history of the church; First Baptist
Church of Kennedy Heights and
Kennedy Heights Church of Christ.
Why choose Kennedy Heights?
Longtime residents Diana and
Lee DeRhodes wanted to live in
an integrated community. They
like the mix of people here—
retired professionals, older adults,
young people, couples with their
babies; black and white. Diana
is happy and comfortable living
here, likes that most everything is
within walking distance—to the
library, to Walgreens and even to
the Post Office in nearby Silverton.
Her husband, Lee, a former social
worker turned potter, worked
on the Kennedy Heights Arts
Center’s garden, planted with
beautiful grasses, bushes and
flowers. Jeanette Bronson,
who has lived in Kennedy
Heights for 40 some years,
decided to live here because
“it’s integrated and because
people take pride in their
neighborhood.” Bronson
counts her wonderful neighbors
an added bonus. Jeane Goings,
originally from Louisville, says
“It just had that neighborhood feel
about it to raise a family, safe for
children to grow and go to good
schools. Education is so important
to me.” By the way, this longtime
Kennedy Heights resident was
named one of the Enquirer’s
Women of the Year for 2008.
Today, Goings and other
residents continue to be involved
in their community and go to
events such as Fun Run/Walk
& Community breakfast. “Quite
well attended,” offers Goings, and
it happens every year in spring.
They hold the popular Progressive
Dinner & Auction and celebrate
with Winterfest during the
holidays. There’s a neighborhood
cleanup to rid streets of litter and
Citizens on Patrol to look out for
trouble and alert authorities.
“When children grow up
in a diverse neighborhood,
they are better prepared
for life.”
–Milton Kimble,
Kennedy Heights
resident for 32 years
3),6%2
Mt. Airy
Mt. Airy
Mt. Airy Community Council
(513) 542-1117
(Social Compact) White Black Other Approx. area
12,200
48%
46%
5%
3 square miles
$339,900
30 minutes
School District
Y
Mt. Airy Forest, begun in
1911, is a breathtakingly
beautiful park with
1,478 acres featuring scenic
hiking trails and bridle
paths, softball fields,
plenty of picnic areas,
and three lodges.
ou know you are in Mt. Airy
when you see the imposing
water tower on North Bend Road.
Located on the highest point of
land in Hamilton County, this wellknown landmark, built in 1927,
has 14 separate tanks encased
in brick and concrete structure
looking like a medieval castle. The
reservoir has a combined capacity
of 8.5 million gallons—providing
reserve water supply for Mt. Airy
and surrounding neighborhoods.
Another landmark is Mt. Airy
Forest, begun in 1911. It is a
breathtakingly beautiful park
with 1,478 acres featuring scenic
hiking trails and bridle paths,
softball fields, plenty of picnic
areas, and three lodges. A fourmile paved bike loop with entrance
at Colerain Avenue is planned by
the Park Department, according
to resident and big bicycle booster
Katherine Holwadel, who says start
of construction is in 2010. The
arboretum here boasts more than
5,000 plants representing 1,600
species and varieties of deciduous
trees, shrubs and evergreens.
This suburban community
was originally known as Brown’s
Grove and its first settler, Michael
Isgrig, arrived in 1806. It was
incorporated as a village in October
1865 and annexed to Cincinnati in
1910. Early residents were mostly
engaged in farming-related jobs.
Today there is a small business
district, two blocks long, featuring
fast food, gas stations, tire store,
car audio, dry cleaners, hair salon
& barber shops. There’s an ethnic
store, Touba Global International,
which carries fresh fish (occasionally
Thioff, best-loved fish from
Senegal); also a restaurant called
N 2 Deep Fish & Chicken and soon
a sports bar Slavors. A mile or so
from the edge is a CVS drug store,
and two Kroger stores are less than
a mile away. There is a hospital,
the 269-bed Mercy Franciscan
Hospital, and adjacent to it is
the historic Crosley mansion, a
Mt. Airy landmark (available for
weddings and different social
functions). A newly built public
school, Mt. Airy Elementary,
Pre-K–8, is located here; as is
19
Mt. Airy
The Waldorf School, K–8, in the
former Little Flower School. Three
Catholic high schools are around
the area—McAuley, an all-girls
high school; St. X, an all-boys high
school; and LaSalle, also all boys.
The various housing options
reflect the city’s character and
architecture. There are older
brick structures, many 40 years
old and up, some country homes
and refurbished farmhouses, says
Cindy Walsh, who has lived in Mt.
Airy for 29 years and is president
of the Community Council.
There are also new townhouses,
condominiums, multi-family
and single-family dwellings,
such as new resident Katherine
Holwadel’s four-bedroom, three-
20
bath home, which she said she
and her husband purchased at a
very affordable price. It’s quite
diverse—with everything from
homes priced $50,000 to $1 million.
Cindy Walsh cites several
places of worship serving the
community—The Methodist
Church, organized in 1845;
St. Anthony Friary in 1889 and
St. Therese Little Flower Church
in 1926, both Roman Catholic.
Praise Chapel Church of God is
Pentecostal and began in 1968;
and Impact Church, a new
nondenominational church.
All work together and join in a
Thanksgiving service and Easter
Sunday and rotate pastors at these
special gatherings. They also do
a Way of the Cross on Colerain
Avenue, says Walsh.
There are community activities
where residents get involved,
including the Green Team working
weekly to clean the neighborhood
and the Great American Cleanup
in April. More than 100 people
show up for this, says Walsh.
For social time, there are block
parties. One group, the Raeburn
Neighborhood Club representing
127 homes, meets four times a
year. The Mt. Airy Town Council
sponsors a fireworks display
in August at Mt. Airy Forest, a
Forest Festival in September and a
Sidewalk Fair is being planned for
the summer, according to Walsh.
3),6%2
T
North Avondale
he neighborhood’s
history
dates back to the mid-1800s.
Early residents were some of
Cincinnati’s wealthy citizens,
including businessmen Samuel
Pogue, Frank Herschede
and Barney Kroger,
who built
fabulous homes
here in North
Avondale.
These
homes
continue to
represent
some of the
city’ finest
examples of
residential
architecture—
from Greek Revival
to Italian Renaissance
to English Medieval.
Through the years, from the
mid-1800s to the 1950s, North
Avondale had seen a lot of changes
in its racial and religious makeup.
After World War II, many of the
well-to-do families decided to sell
their old homes and bought new
modern ones in the suburbs.
This resulted in subdividing their
homes into low-rent apartments,
enabling blacks and lower-income
families to afford homes in the
neighborhood. White residents
began leaving and property
values declined. But many
concerned residents decided to
do something. They organized
and formed the North Avondale
Neighborhood Association
(NANA) to improve relations in the
community and make it racially
and economically integrated.
Today, this highly diverse
neighborhood boasts winding
streets and stately homes on large
lots—majority built between 1900
and 1940. Its well-established
community association is
dedicated to “actively preserve
and enhance living experience in
the neighborhood.” Community
activities include block parties,
luminary walk and annual
progressive dinners. There are
cocktail parties to welcome
new neighbors;
sometimes
spaghetti dinners
are held and
open to
everyone at
the QuakersCommunity
Friends
Meeting
House on
Winding Way,
according to
9-year resident
Jennifer A. Gibson,
who says that the
neighborhood’s geographical
location is one big advantage
to living in North Avondale.
It’s convenient to shopping, to
cultural, entertainment and sports
venues downtown. It’s also quite
accessible with four bus city routes
passing through the neighborhood.
But more important, “We
wanted to raise our son in a
successfully integrated community.
I don’t want him growing up
seeing color,” says Gibson, who
describes this city neighborhood
kind of “eclectic” (“maybe
because it’s close to Xavier,” she
says). Here, a lot of children play
together, and people look out after
one another. “You know your
neighbors, who all take a lot of
pride in their neighborhood,”
says Gibson.
Located here are two
Montessori schools. The New
School is a private Montessori
for preschool–6, housed at the
historic Mitchell mansion. North
Avondale Montessori is a public
preschool–6. It is home to some
15 different religious institutions.
“I grew up in the vibrant
urban communities of
Avondale and North
Avondale, surrounded
by wonderful, caring
neighbors of diverse
ethnic and socio-economic
backgrounds. Today,
my children are privy to
the same advantages of
growing up in a closeknit community where
neighbors know, visit and
look after one another.”
– Jan-Michele Lemon Kearney,
Publisher,
The Cincinnati Herald
NORTH AVONDALE
North Avondale Community Center
(513) 221-6166
www.northavondalecincinnati.com
(City-Data.com)
White Black
Other
Approx. area
8,295
45%
52%
3%
1.7 square miles
2007 Avg. home price $225,171
School District Cincinnati Public Schools
21
3),6%2
Northside
T
and happening
place. People come to
Northside to sample its fine
restaurants—Honey, Slims, Gajah
Wong West, Melt and Boswell
Alley. They come to check out
specialty shops such as Ali’s
Boutique, Shake It Records
and Shoetopia, a “must” for the
Imeldas of the world. It is a neat,
eclectic neighborhood. Early
residents included people of Irish
and German descent as well as
blacks. Like most neighborhoods,
Northside had a down period in the
1960s—losing not only businesses
but also residents. In the 1980s,
the neighborhood started to
experience a renaissance—
attracting first-time home buyers
and new merchants.
Today, it’s a cool neighborhood
to live, work and connect with
diverse groups of people, whose
his is a hip
NORTHSIDE
McKie Recreation Center
(513) 681-8247
www.northside.net
(Social Compact) 11,326
White 58%
Black
39%
Other 3%
Approx. area 1.81 square miles
$84,000
$199,900
School District 22
choice of housing is as diverse.
Residents live in older brick and
frame homes, cozy bungalows,
large Victorian and new
construction—with affordable
price tags. For a glimpse of the
unique blend of houses here,
check out House Tours, which
sometimes occur in October (held
on even years; porch tours on odd
years, offers longtime resident Tim
Jeckering. Go figure.). Residents
are served by more than a dozen
churches—Baptist, Methodist,
Presbyterian and Roman Catholic.
These churches are brought
together in their nonprofit
collaborative ministry called CAIN
(Churches Active in Northside),
which assists families in need.
For recreation, there are woods
and parks, including Hoffner Park,
a site for many festivals and the
terminus of the annual Gay Pride
Parade. Families with children lean
towards Jergen’s Park. Northside
Arts promotes art activities,
holding area artists’ sales. Its
McKie Recreation Center features
fitness and cardio rooms, afterschool youth programs and senior
programs. There are community
gardens with 50 garden boxes.
For shopping, Northside has a
fun and healthy business district
with nearly 400 businesses, all
within a four-block area. There
are banks and credit unions, pawn
shops, groceries, beauty parlors
and specialty shops. There’s a
Farmers’ Market on Hamilton
Avenue every Wednesday with
vendors selling everything from
organic vegetables to cut flowers
to homemade chocolate.
There’s always something going
on in the neighborhood, which
has an active community council
(with 200 members) and which
continues to work to improve
Northside. There are standing
committees on safety & livability,
Education, House Tours and
Fourth of July Parade. Community
Council president Tim Jeckering,
an architect, who has lived here
since 1981, calls Northside “a real
little village in a big city,” and loves
it. He says he bought a house
for a very affordable price and
has spent the last 20-plus
years remodeling the house,
raising a son and becoming
active in the community.
He saw that there is
something special about
this neighborhood and moved here
“because of the character of the
urban environment and the quality
of the historic homes.” He says
he has made many friends and
has a huge social network “that
I truly love and would not trade
for anything. Every week brings a
new friend into my life as I meet
another Northsidian.”
“I love the architecture
of the homes in Northside
and I love living in a
neighborhood that is
so community-minded.
I enjoy all of my neighbors,
they are almost like family.”
– Linda Seiter
23
3),6%2
Paddock Hills
his is a diverse
PADDOCK HILLS
Paddock Hills Assembly
(513) 241-2221
www.paddockhills.org
(City-Data.com)
1,908
White 45%
Black
52%
Other
3%
2007 Avg. home price $253,554
$219,000
School District 24
by accident. Paddock
Hills is a community of
T
community
working together to continue
to improve the quality of life of its
residents. Through the Paddock
Hills Assembly, residents organize
cleanups, award homeowners for
excellence in landscaping, and
hold environmental workshops.
They gather for National Night
Out, community dinners and hold
a women’s annual tea party. They
volunteer to tutor in neighborhood
schools. There’s a strong sense
of community and real caring.
Who lives in Paddock Hills?
Early residents were Catholics,
followed by Jewish people who
moved from Avondale in the
1940s. In 1966, the first black
families moved to the area. Rheba
Clark, a 12-year-resident, loves
the diversity here. There is a
mixture of young and old, black
and white, Christians and Jews,
according to Clark, who adds that
residents are both professionals
and blue-collar—lawyers, doctors,
engineers, teachers, Duke Energy
workers. “A Channel 9 reporter
lives across the street from me
“I found this community
14 cul-de-sacs. I was lost,
yet I knew this is where
I would like to live. It
is a community that is
involved, in its children,
as well as a reporter from the
Enquirer.” Clark, who calls
herself an “oldster,” is particularly
pleased that the younger people
welcome her and her husband,
Robert, to neighborhood parties.
Lina K. Orr, who’s president
of the Paddock Hills Assembly,
recalls how she discovered her
neighborhood. She and her
husband, JT, had been looking for
a house for some time in an area
“that would fit and we would fit
in.” One day, says Orr, “I saw a
‘For Sale’ sign and was impressed
with the few houses I noticed
on the way down the hill from
Reading Road. I turned to Paddock
Hills and drove around looking
at the houses and fell in love. I
called JT and told him I found
the perfect place for us to live.”
Though skeptical at first, JT went
to Paddock Hills and loved what he
saw, according to Orr. “We knew
then that this was the place for us.”
They are now the proud owners
of a home on Bristol Lane.
The most prevailing style
of home here is English Tudor,
with a mixture of stone and
wood and plaster, according to
Rheba Clark, who used to live in
Corryville. There are also some
wooden and brick houses, many
with lovely yards planted with
flowers, shrubs and many trees,
old trees. Several streets with
cul-de-sacs offer safe places for
children to play, offers Clark.
Resident Vivian Kline likes the
size of the houses, “not too big
the elderly or issues that
affect common good. We
are diverse in professions,
ethnicity, ages and
religions. I got lost 26 years
ago, I hope I never find
my way out.”
– Donald Swain
and not too small and the front
lawns looking neat and well kept.”
In the spring and summer, many
walk the neighborhood to see
the blooming trees and plants.
Kline adds that Paddock Hills
“has trees and quiet as if one
is away from big-city noise.”
In Paddock Hills, residents like
the fact that their neighborhood
offers convenience and easy access
to shopping, to downtown jobs and
downtown amenities, to public
as well as private schools nearby.
There are Metro buses on Reading
and Paddock roads to transport
residents to their jobs and yellow
buses for school children. Clark
counts at least seven school
buses that pass by her house.
Paddock Hills’ history goes
back to the early 1800s when it
was a way station for travelers
from the East. It was named
for Judge A. Paddack (note
variant spelling), who was
prominent in the late 1800s.
3),6%2
L
Pleasant Ridge
ocated on Ridge and
Montgomery, Pleasant Ridge
was established in 1795 and
incorporated as a village in 1891.
John C. Wood platted the area
and called it Cross Roads, later
re-platted as Pleasant Ridge (name
derived from nearby Presbyterian
burial ground established in
1798). It was once an agricultural
community and served as a
country retreat for wealthier
Cincinnatians. It shed its rural
character and started growing
with the coming of the railroad.
Large and expensive homes were
built for upper-crust families as
well as moderately priced homes
for middle-income families. It
grew into a stable and desirable
community. In the 1960s,
Pleasant Ridge began attracting
black families from older suburbs
seeking affordable homes.
Today, this is primarily a
residential community with a
variety of housing options—Cape
Cods, Colonials, Tudors, newer
brick homes on quiet, tree-lined
streets. There are neighborhood
clubs, block parties, and church
activities. Several churches of
different denominations serve
the community. Lifelong resident
Patricia Meder likes that Nativity
of Our Lord and its pastor, Paul
deLuca, are constantly reaching
out to the community and getting
people involved; ditto the Pleasant
Ridge Presbyterian Church, which
is part of the Interfaith Hospitality
Network helping homeless
families. Some church members
do volunteer tutoring at the new
PLEASANT RIDGE
Pleasant Ridge Community Council
(513) 297-2820
Recreation Center (513) 731-7894
www.pleasantridge.org
(Social Compact) 9,276
White 61%
Black 36%
Other 4%
$151,000
$525,000
30 minutes
School District Cincinnati Public Schools
25
Pleasant Ridge
Montessori School across the street
from them. “We’re a community
rich with dedicated volunteers,”
says Meder.
Mary Anne Phalen is heading
a grassroots campaign to raise
funds for their library which
needs handicapped accessibility.
The library is a beautiful Federalstyle building and well-known
landmark in the community, but
it needs updating to meet the
requirements of the Americans
with Disability Act,” according to
Phalen, who reports that hundreds
of households have already
contributed to the project. Phalen
is also leading the effort to create
“I moved here from
Iowa and I enjoy Pleasant
Ridge’s close proximity
to everything. It’s a
really diverse and safe
community. Where
else can you find a
neighborhood chili parlor
across the street from
an Ethiopian restaurant?
I love it!”
– Heather Willard
26
some kind of an arts district on
Montgomery Road in hopes of
making Pleasant Ridge more than
a “residential community but a
destination point.”
Pleasant Ridge has a business
district on Montgomery Road
offering shops, pubs and
restaurants, including Pleasant
Ridge Chili (open till 4:30 a.m.
six days a week); Molly Malone’s
Irish Pub (serves a weekly Irish
breakfast); Emanu East African
Restaurant (features Ethiopian
cuisine); Loving Café, a vegan place
(located next to the Pleasant Ridge
Public Library). The new kid on
the block is a coffeehouse, Pleasant
Perk, where many young people
meet and hang out. Residents
gather for community events
such as Christmas Tree Lighting
and Luminaria in December. The
community has a new Montessori
school, PreK-6, built by Cincinnati
Public Schools and opened in fall
2008. It is the first public school
in Ohio to be certified under the
LEED program (Leadership in
Energy & Environmental Design).
Also located here is a charter
school T.C.P. World Academy,
rated “Excellent” the past few years
and “Effective” in 2008 by the
Ohio Department of Education.
3),6%2
R
since 2002, Isaac
Greene proudly points to the
many assets of his neighborhood,
Spring Grove Village (some people
still refer to its old name Winton
Place). Greene, who was president
of their Community council in
2008, says people from all over
come to Spring Grove Village to
do business. They buy cars from
the four auto dealerships (Superior
Chevrolet, Honda, Hyundai,
Woody Sander Ford); restaurant
people from Columbus and all over
buy restaurant & food equipment
at Restaurant Depot; gardeners
buy from the three working
greenhouses on Gray Road. Also
on Gray Road is the La Rosa’s
Commissary.
The village has a historic
landmark, Spring Grove
Cemetery & Arboretum, on
733 acres, established in 1845.
It is the final resting place of
many of the area’s prominent
citizens, including James N.
Gamble, William C. Procter,
Dr. Daniel Drake, John Shillito,
Barney Kroger, Powel Crosley,
Jr., Charles Phelps Taft, John
Hauck, Catherine & Levi Coffin.
Spring Grove Village was platted
in 1865 by real estate agent Samuel
Froome and businessman Sylvester
Hand and called it Winton Place,
after 18th-century pioneer Matthew
Winton, who once owned a
plantation in what is now Forest
Park. It was incorporated in
1882 and annexed to the city of
Cincinnati in 1903. Early residents
were a mix of upper- and middleincome families who lived in large
homes in the heart of the village,
including W. M. Yeatman, Judge
Jacob Burnet, Charles MacElfresh
and Samuel Hannaford (who
designed Music Hall and many of
the homes in the village). There
were also working-class people—
farm workers, black woodcutters,
esident
gardeners and laborers—who
occupied the fringes of the
neighborhood.
When train service began in
1850, more people started coming
and began working at nearby
plants. Today, Spring Grove
Village has an active community
council, a youth center and
business association. There are
more than 100 businesses—
banks, credit unions, groceries/
retail, and fast-food places. Isaac
Greene adds that they have a
nonprofit corporation, Winton
Place Development Corporation,
which buys houses, takes care
of abandoned properties and
foreclosed eyesores. House types
are mostly single-family dwellings,
apartments, some brick and
wood frames, many built in the
50s. More than a dozen churches
serve the community. One public
Montessori, Winton Montessori,
preschool-6, is located here.
The village’s central location
is a big asset, says Greene. It
takes less than five minutes to
other neighborhoods such as
St. Bernard, Northside, Mt. Airy
and Clifton, “so we’re able to
utilize stores nearby.” A tight-knit
community, Spring Grove Village
residents hold a neighborhood
potluck picnic in the summer,
about the same time Greene takes
to one heavily traveled street and
starts strumming his guitar. “I do
it because it adds to the character
of the neighborhood,” says Greene.
(Greene, who is an engineer, is
working on his MBA at Xavier and
currently busy. But stay tuned.)
Those not too busy come together
to a big neighborhood garage sale
and cleanup twice a year.
SPRING GROVE VILLAGE
Community Council
(513) 542-1750
www.springgrovevillage.org
(Social Compact)
3,335
White 49%
Black
46%
Other 5%
Approx. area 3 square miles
$80,000
30 minutes
School District
27
"2/.:%
Bronze Medal Communities
Camp Washington
Clifton
Hartwell
South Fairmount
Westwood East
Finneytown (Springfield Twp.)
City of Mt. Healthy
Mt. Healthy Heights (Colerain Twp.)
Pleasant Run Farms (Springfield Twp.)
City of Springdale
Source for historical information: The Bicentennial Guide to Greater Cincinnati: A Portrait of Two Hundred Years. Population: 2000 U.S. Census,
Applied Geographic Solutions, City-Data.com and Social Compact. 2007 average home prices and 2007 median home prices from City-Data.com;
current highest prices from MLS of Greater Cincinnati. (For data sources, contact Brandon H. Wiers; bhwiers@fuse.net.)
28
Housing Opportunities Made Equal
The Fair Housing Act makes it illegal for housing professionals
to steer home buyers to certain neighborhoods based on race.
Ɣ Blacks may not be steered away from White
neighborhoods.
Ɣ Whites may not be steered away from Black or
integrated neighborhoods.
Ɣ People with a particular ethnic background may not be
told by a real estate agent that they would be more
comfortable in a certain neighborhood because
there are lots of folks like them there.
As a Home Buyer, the Choice is Yours.
If you believe that a real estate agent or other housing professional is
steering you to, or away from, certain neighborhoods based on race or
national origin, call Housing Opportunities Made Equal. Such unethical
actions limit your choices, hurt both the owners and agents selling houses,
and harm our communities.
Housing Opportunities Made Equal
2400 Reading Road, Suite 404
Cincinnati, Ohio 45202
PH.: (513) 721-4663 FAX: (513) 721-1642
www.cincyfairhousing.com
Diversity is working.
Shouldn’t it also be living?
Your workplace thrives on diversity, so why shouldn’t your neighborhood? Diversity
expands horizons, promotes understanding, prepares our kids. It promises us all a
richer life. To better understand how neighborhood diversity will benefit you and
your family, please log onto www.ARicherLife.org.
Celebrating the 40th Anniversary of the Fair Housing Act

Hidden Treasures - Housing Opportunities Made Equal

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