NorthsiderWithaDog

For me, this brings a sort of character to the area. The breweries bring jobs and visitors to the area, so I guess it is a trade off, and there are certainly worse smells in the city. Something I hadn't really thought about though.

I like Camp Washington as a neighborhood and connector from the Northside/Clifton to Downtown (i'll ride Spring Grove into Downtown over Central, I like it way more as a bike route) but see the valid points many are making in this thread. I think a few things would need to happen for Camp Washington to become a walkable neighborhood appealing to families. 1. There would have to be investment from a wide range of sources into the neighborhood. This could mean the opening of small local businesses, the creation of parks and green space or other things that would give people reason to venture TO the camp rather than blow through it. It would be amazing to have more green space in the area. All the cement and cinderblock is oppressive. 2. Some careful planning would need to occur. As mentioned elsewhere, Camp Washington is pretty loud at all hours due to all of the industry in the area, and the smell can be not so great. Finding a way to blend a new neighborhood and attractions with existing industry would be critical, as the industry still in the area is not going anywhere more than likely because of proximity to railyards/Downtown/expressways. 3. The history of the area would need to be recognized and made a selling point. There are plenty of buildings with plenty of history, but I only know the stories behind a handful of them. All of that being said, things are happening. There is a crossfit gym and what appears to be an art collective coming around the bend on Spring Grove at Hopple. There is a string of nice-looking townhouse style residences near Queen City Sausage. I know a few younger people who have moved to the neighborhood. Things could change, but it will take some doing.

I would love to see this happen. Central Pkwy. has a distinct feel that I like. it would be great to see a few taller buildings added in.

I guess this was more the area I was thinking of, not necessarily further over toward Spring Grove. I like that area though, it has a certain charm.

My street is an interesting mix of folks from the suburbs, a younger couple from D.C. across the street, one couple from California (as mentioned above) and several dyed-in-the-wool locals who have called Northside home for many years. I loved this neighborhood years ago while at UC, wondered why people didn't flock to it. Well, they do now.

The market for "starter homes" in Northside is pretty rapidly evaporating and perhaps gone at this point. I rent, and am happy doing so, given the price I currently pay. I looked at homes here in 2009 and found great places for 70-125k. Everything I looked at this time around in 2017 was in the 250-300k range. Northside is a fantastic place to live, especially if you are raising a family (as evidenced by the dogs and children parading up and down my street on a daily basis). It is at a very interesting point now, and experiencing a fair deal of what I might call growing pains. There are ex-suburbanites living around me who are dissatisfied with the fact that drivers treat Hamilton Ave. and Colerain like mini highway arteries, and decry graffiti and car break-ins. Basically, parts of the Northside I spent time in while I was a student in 2004-2010 are still alive and well. Some new faces and elements are emerging and some blend in, as others stick out, as they still maintain the attitude and ethos of someone living in Mason or Mariemont (I have neighbors from each area). One thing is certain: it's hilarious to watch a clearly monied couple wait to cross the street next to a group of Anarchist crust punks...a very San Francisco vibe.

I can offer some insight into how strange things are in Nashville, as I go there 2-3 times a year and my aunt and uncle moved into a newly constructed house in the East Nashville Area. The area is in a very obvious phase of transition, as there are older established homes on many streets, with new construction happening up and down the streets also. Probably the strangest aspect for me is that the new homes are designed to look EXACTLY like the older existing homes in the area. The newer homes are clearly made of much cheaper material however, as there is already obvious wear on homes built less than 5 years ago. There are times you have to do a double-take however because it can be hard to tell if a home is new or existing at first glance. Upon closer inspection, it's often obvious. There are no sidewalks in their area, at least on the side streets surrounding their home, none. The main streets have fairly narrow sidewalks that begin and end abruptly. I would not feel comfortable traveling the area on foot during times of high traffic. There are bike lanes also kind of intermittently dropped onto side and main streets heading toward the downtown core. I spoke with two young couples who had moved from Austin my last time there. They were all musicians, go figure, who echoed that Austin had become "brutally unaffordable" and that they moved to Nashville for a better cost-of-living and for the hype of the music scene. They had moved a year and a half prior and noted that prices for apartments and everything else were on an uphill climb, due to lots of transplants from Louisville and other parts of Kentucky, Ohio, Indiana, and...lots of other creative types from Austin. There are parts of the city I love. It seems as though lots of the former charm is being hidden by some of the rapid changes occurring.

I lived off of Straight Street a decade ago an am super keen to see how this old Deaconess development pans out. As the student population at UC grows, there is going to be less and less room to develop, as has been discussed ad nauseum. There are the Ohio Ave. developments on that side of campus, developments heading toward short Vine, the newer places lining Calhoun...what area will come next after the Deaconess side? If I were a student now, I would look into places around Camp Washington which is a short drive (or bike ride if you have strong glutes) up and down the hill, and still seems to offer affordable rent. The evolution of this campus and the CUF area in general since I first toured it in 2000 up until now has been fascinating. I am wondering how this place will evolve in the coming decade.

I lived in South Park a few years ago. That area was slowly gaining popularity among ex-suburbanites formerly situated in Centerville and Beavercreek along with younger professionals attending UD and working Downtown. I also spent quite a bit of time near the Water Street development on the river and spoke with a few of the planners involved about the waiting list for residences there and the prices, which weren't steep, but weren't a bargain either. They all seemed to think that eventually younger people would be priced out of The Oregon District, South Park or St. Anne's and move Downtown or even across the river. Initially, I didn't predict much growth or development Downtown in the near future, but now it seems like it is really starting to take off. If what those developers were saying is true, I am highly interested in what the next decade will bring. Downtown Dayton was pretty burgeoning and alive in my youth and I would love to see some semblance of that again.

This is a pretty apt description. It really is a fascinating city. I guess I kind of misrepresented my view above. There are definitely still areas of Baltimore that remind me of Cincinnati, especially the running together of neighborhoods. As I was riding to the Central Parkway YMCA last night I was thinking about it. Where the West End and OTR butt up against central as you are almost downtown, that area is quite akin to areas in Baltimore skirting the downtown area heading toward Charles Village. My family all lives in the outer suburbs of Baltimore, so my exposure had been limited to those areas into the Inner Harbor and Camden Yards and back prior to this trip. I got much more of a feel for the city.

I spent quite of bit of time in Baltimore and D.C. this summer and have lots of family in each. To me, Baltimore has areas quite reminiscent of Cincinnati, and from an outside perspective, I always thought of them as pretty similar, but that view changed a bit this time around. Talking to an Uber driver our first night there, I got some pretty unique opinions about Baltimore, as she had also spent time in Florida, Louisiana, Northern Ohio and West Virginia. She said the city was the most segregated that she had been to, or lived in. She actually noted the "butt up" of neighborhoods, pointing out where a somewhat affluent area would butt up directly against a rougher area as we drove along. She spoke about the schools in each area and how different two neighborhoods can be, although right up against one another. I also found it interesting that she noted a strong southern influence in the city. I hadn't really taken any notice of this until she mentioned it. It was an awesome ride, well worth what I paid. The next day, we took the city bus from Penn Station to Fells Point, passing probably two solid miles of abandoned row houses, maybe the edge of what would be considered East Baltimore, before you hit Johns Hopkins. The blight of this area in terms of other cities I have been to is only rivaled, and perhaps surpassed by West Baltimore, East St. Louis or areas around Detroit. Dense desolation is really the only way I can describe it. Lots of buildings with little open space, but few inhabitants. Downtown Baltimore, where we stayed was really where the difference became clear. The downtown area is just bigger and way shabbier than what I see every day in Cincinnati. There is a much more pronounced big-city feel to me with the light rail and also MARC Trains running from D.C. to Baltimore a few times a day and more visible tourists. Harbor East definitely looks like what the Banks could be/could've been, and Federal Hill reminded me of areas around Mt. Adams and Eden Park. I dunno, just some rambling thoughts. Baltimore is a fascinating city, especially given its contrast to D.C. when going back and forth between them.