We are first-time homebuyers looking all over (the east side) of Cincinnati.  We saw a house that I liked a lot in Pleasant Ridge, but want to know more about what people think about the neighborhood?  Particularly, demographics, crime, property values.  TIA!

Statistically the #1 safest neighbhorhood in the City in terms of Part 1 Crimes per capita

We bought there a couple years ago because it's good house for the money and you can get a good yard and it's still pretty close to everything.  commuting via bus is pretty easy with the 2X.

 

Molly Malone's, Gaslight, Everybody's Records and a comic book store did it for me.

XUMelanie and I used to live in Pleasant Ridge for over three years before we moved to OTR.  It is a fantastically diverse, active community.  They have a great community center, pool, playground and even just put in a brand new LEED certified Cincinnati Public Montessori grade school.  There is plenty to walk to and the residential neighborhood is very nice.  The only reason we moved is to be more urban (ditch the car and walk to work), but as far as a suburb goes, Pleasant Ridge is one of the best in the city.

I own rental property in PRidge, great people.

Pretty what everyone said. One of the best 'hoods in the city. There are probably a couple streets you might want to be careful investing in, but all in all a great place to buy.

So, the general consensus is that property values will continue to rise?  It seems like there is pride in ownership on the streets we looked at, especially streets with single family units only and no apartment buildings.

Definitely, and 85% of the two and four families are no problem at all. I doubt you'll get rich buying into and selling out of PRidge, but you should do just fine. I'd say the neighborhood has seemed to benefit from some foreclosed properties being bought by upwardly mobile types.

Knew a guy that grew up there, on Beredith Place. I never felt uncomfortable there at all. That neighborhood's a real overlooked gem.

The most problematic sections are at the bottom of the Montgomery Rd. hill (Lawndale) and some of the streets near Kennedy Heights, esp. south of Montgomery.

Where is the boundary between Pleasant Ridge and Kennedy Heights?

Is Mapleleaf a good street? Diaspora, what part of P. Ridge do you live in?  Do you have kids? If so, what school do they go to?

I live south of Montgomery and east of Ridge.

 

I don't have any kids yet, but we plan on staying in this house even if we do.  We aren't sure where we would send them.  I'm a big proponent of Montessori and with the newly opened Montessori school we may go there.  If we don't like that one, we would probably get our kid into Sands.  Last resort would probably be to send them to Nativity.

 

I think Mapleleaf is a decent street between Lester and Ridge.  I'm not sure about west of there.

I have friends that live on Mapleleaf. It has gotten much better over the last couple years.

I think that the boundary for kennedy heights is Robison Rd. (south of Montgomery and east of Ridge.

 

We also looked at a house on Woodmont and Ashwood.  Would you prefer either of those streets to Mapleleaf?

When my wife and i were looking we saw a few houses we really liked on Ashwood.  I thought the neighborhood there looked ideal.  We decided on a different house, but i don't think we would have regretted buying on Ashwood.

 

There is a dumpy two family on the corner of Woodmont and Woodford.  That isn't characteristic of the neighborhood, though.

I agree; the Ashwood/Pandora neighborhood was very quaint and quiet, which I liked.

 

The house on Woodmont (South of Woodford) seemed nice, too.  gaslight street, big yard, but the street didn't seem as quiet. 

 

Not sold on either house, but appreciate getting more information about the neighborhood.  I grew up in Cincinnati, but my family seems to think that P. Ridge isn't such a safe neighborhood.  But, I think they might be marred by how it used to be 20-10 years ago, and that the neighborhood is on the upswing? What do you think? (I'm thinking its like what Oakley was 15 years ago)

I only moved to Ohio about 3 years ago, so i don't have the historical frame of reference. I have heard from neighbors that things were worse a few years ago.  I would have expected things to trend downwards after the financial meltdown but so far haven't seen anything to speak of.

 

If Robison is actually the border, i'm not sure what issues dmerkow is talking about.  Right along Woodmont looks worse than it is and Dryden isn't all that great, but Robison is a nice street and so are Orion, Arrow, Grand Vista, O'Meara Pl, Pandora/Ashwood.  We frequently walk through this part of the neighborhood.

Kennedy Heights is east of Robison; Robison might be good, but once you get to Kennedy Ave and north and east, and up to Silverton, its not so great.  I can't tell exactly what streets create its border, but this is the map from wikipedia (if that means anything) http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/eb/Kennedy-Heights-Cincinnati-map.jpg

Pleasant Ridge has never really had major problems (lived there most of my life and my family still does). It is a city neighborhood and is integrated and has a diversity of class, but I've never felt unsafe. Every once in awhile you'd get a burst of cars broken into but that you get that everywhere. I worked at the pool for most of the 90s. We'd have kids fight but nothing serious.

 

There is more multi-family along Montgomery from the Sunoco up to Kennedy. Sometimes problems have flowed from those.

 

My theory is that PRidge had picked up some folks from Bond Hill at the beginning of the decade, but these folks were mostly wiped out by the subprime mess. In their place has been a lot more young families of all kinds. The opening of PRidge Montessori has also helped the 'hood.

 

The post-riot years when the cops held back were not good for the areas near the KHeights/PRidge borderlands.

I grew up in Cincinnati, but my family seems to think that P. Ridge isn't such a safe neighborhood. But, I think they might be marred by how it used to be 20-10 years ago, and that the neighborhood is on the upswing? What do you think? (I'm thinking its like what Oakley was 15 years ago)

 

When we lived in Pleasant Ridge from 2003-2006, I did feel safe.  There were a few incidents, but overall I liked the neighborhood.  I felt it was improving. 

We also looked at a house on Woodmont and Ashwood. Would you prefer either of those streets to Mapleleaf?

 

I would think location wise those could be better just because it's a little closer to the business district than Mapleleaf.  It's really nice to be able to walk to some restaurants, UDF, churches, schools, and a park.  Mapleleaf seems a little further away.

I lived there when I was a teenager. I liked it. Lots of fun stuff to do in walking distance. Recreation Center, coffee shops, restaurants, bars, etc.

Cool David.  Did you go to private or public school? 

I went to Walnut Hills while I lived in P-Ridge. I went to Woodward for a couple months at the end of the previous year and said "screw this place; I'm testing into Walnut"! Trust me, you don't want your kids going to the public high school unless they can get into SCPA or Walnut Hills.

And what about for elementary school?

They tore down P-Ridge Elementary; my sister went there before going to Walnut. It seems liked one of the better elementary schools in the city. I'm not sure how good the new Elementary School is. I wouldn't ever send my kids to a Cincinnati Public School or charter school. I've been to tons of them in Cincinnati and I hardly ever got educated because teachers had to spend the majority of their time disciplining and lecturing on behavior rather than teaching the material.

 

There's a private elementary school in P-Ridge, called Nativity. I hear it's pretty good.

I don't know much about the new Pleasant Ridge Montesori school, but people seem to be happy with the montesori schools and the magnet schools in CPS.

I believe since PRidge Montessori is new it is on "academic warning." That doesn't mean it won't improve in the next few years.

 

I asked about schools just as an interest for the future; we don't have kids but having good schools in the neighborhood always increases property values.  And its something we want to think about for the future.

The Montessori is only a couple years old. I think the warning is from its old version. PRidgers who send their kids to public schools were major contributors to the Montessori system (Sands et al.), and the other high quality magnets around town. I started at PRidge in another era and finished up at Nativity for the same reason David said he had issue with CPS. Nativity is probably among the better Catholic grade schools in the city. If you come into money at some point, the Seven Hills campus is not that far away.

I was living in PR when the old Pleasant Ridge Elementary was torn down, and the parents in the area worked to have it converted into a neighborhood Montessori school.  Considering the parents were so involved, I have hope that the school will be successful.  I believe that parental involvement in a school will help its success.

They tore down P-Ridge Elementary; my sister went there before going to Walnut. It seems liked one of the better elementary schools in the city. I'm not sure how good the new Elementary School is. I wouldn't ever send my kids to a Cincinnati Public School or charter school. I've been to tons of them in Cincinnati and I hardly ever got educated because teachers had to spend the majority of their time disciplining and lecturing on behavior rather than teaching the material.

 

There's a private elementary school in P-Ridge, called Nativity. I hear it's pretty good.

 

The old Pleasant Ridge was a traditional style elementary school.  There are a decent amount of people who are moving into PRidge because it is more affordable than other neighborhoods while still having the same amenities and decent location of Hyde Park, Mt. Lookout, etc.  They seem to be sending their kids to the new Montessori program there, but obviously you should check out the school before hand.

 

Woodford Elementary was a college-prep style public school that a lot of locals used to go to.  Don't know if it's got the same program or cachet now.

 

Unlike David, I attended Cincinnati Public Schools (Sands Montessori and Walnut Hills) and thought they did a great job.  If anything, I should have studied harder.  I think it's crazy to spend money on private elementary and high school.  You'd be better off allocating the same money you'd spend on private education, send the kids to public schools and investing the difference.  But to each his own.

 

Dmerkow went to Nativity, and he's pretty smart, but if you send your kid there you'll be condemning him or her to eight straight years soccer defeats.

I too am a big proponent of public education, so its hopeful that PRidge montessori is being supported by local parents.

 

I definitely agree about the area being a more affordable hyde park/oakley.  Prices are comparable to Mt. Washington and Deer Park, but from looking at some houses in those areas, I think P.Ridge is a better neighborhood.  Is that a general consensus?

PRidge is more walkable than MtW, has a better business district and a great rec center with fields.  They've got a strong neighborhood community and and up-and-coming neighborhood Montessori school.  It's relatively racially diverse for a Cincinnati neighborhood, and very safe.

 

Contrasting with MtW, which is less diverse and less walkable, has a slightly weaker business district (though it does have a Kroger, and both business districts are relatively ugly with no real center square space) and a slightly weaker public library branch.  It's less racially diverse, has a more established Montessori school in the neighborhood, and the housing stock is generally a little newer than PRidge, but the net effect of this is actually slightly less attractive aesthetic to the neighborhood as a whole (MtW is mostly ranch, split-level and bungalow).

 

Aside from the house, the main question to me is whether you want to have to drive up Ridge or Beechmont.  I'd rather drive on Ridge.

I agree with Ridge vs Beechmont.  The Mt. Washington Kroger kind of sucks (we currently rent in Mt. Lookout and I go to the Hyde Park Kroger even though they're about the same distance).  In P. Ridge you have Biggs and Meijer right there, and Hyde Park Kroger, and Kroger Fresh Fare and Trader Joe's in Kenwood.

 

 

Driving up Ridge sucks.  My commute to downtown is about 25 minutes with about half of that time being from Ridge/Montgomery to 71.

 

I am hoping for the Kennedy Connector to finally happen to cut down on some of the traffic.

25 min is still better than Mason, which is our other option within our price range (but too long of a commute for both of us work downtown).

 

would it be faster to cut over down landgon farm or losantaville to Reading?

That sometimes works.  Also Lester is a sneaky way to parallel Ridge to get to Highland, which you can then take to Montgomery in Norwood.  Oh, but they screwed that up now that you can't get on the westbound Lateral from Montgomery anymore.

Taking Montgomery to Tennessee to Reading is just fine and takes about the same amount of time.

 

It's not terrible, it's just frustrating.  I live 8 miles from work and it takes 25 minutes?  I could leave earlier and it'd take about 15, but i'm not good at getting up that early.

25 min is still better than Mason, which is our other option within our price range (but too long of a commute for both of us work downtown).

 

would it be faster to cut over down landgon farm or losantaville to Reading?

 

Have you looked at the Gaslight area in Clifton? You would be within walking distance to a lot of nice restaurants, movie theater, cvs, the IGA and even the German Fairview elementary school

Can you tell me what streets make up the gaslight district? I've looked in Clifton but its hard to tell what streets are good and what streets are mostly student housing.

or this

 

 

street list

http://friendsofclifton.com/default2.html

 

 

 

too bad, a quick search did not turn up any houses in our price range in this neighbohood.

anything under 200k usually goes quick, and a lot of time you almost have to know someone so you can find out before they go to the market(like when an older resident is getting ready to downsize).

Personally I would choose Mt Washington over Pleasant Ridge.  I find PR kinda boring.  Not that Mt Wash is full of action, but you would be able to walk to Sands Montessori which is an excellent magnet school, and are near the bike trail, the river etc.  Most people I know in Pleasant Ridge either send their kids to Nativity or have a killer bus ride to Fairview or SCPA.

I know I asked about schools, but we do not have kids yet, just thinking about the future.  What restaurants and bars are in Mt. Washington?

The rule for living in PRidge is to avoid Ridge and Highland at all costs. The least worst option is to take Lester to Highland to Ridge (or Forest if you want to go to Hyde Park/Rookwood). The best part of PRidge is that there is a nearly infinite varieties of ways you can get somewhere in the region. The biggest knock on the PRidge is that it is among the worst 'hoods in the city if you like to ride a bike. It will literally be uphill both ways.

The rule for living in PRidge is to avoid Ridge and Highland at all costs. The least worst option is to take Lester to Highland to Ridge (or Forest if you want to go to Hyde Park/Rookwood). The best part of PRidge is that there is a nearly infinite varieties of ways you can get somewhere in the region. The biggest knock on the PRidge is that it is among the worst 'hoods in the city if you like to ride a bike. It will literally be uphill both ways.

 

:?

If you come at Ridge from Highland you can avoid most of the worst congestion, but I generally use the various Norwood shortcuts and avoid Ridge/Highland altogether.

Sadly, the Ashwood house went pending and we have fallen out of like with the other one.  Keep your eyes peeled for new listings for us!