The coolest and most unique neighborhood in Middletown, Bon Veue still has a lot of pride. This part of town (the Second Ward) is largely African American and centers around Fredrick Douglas Park and the forumer Middletown Colored Center, now the Community Center. Woodside Cemetary, the city's most elite cemetary, is located in the second ward also, just accross from Bon Veue.

 

From Hamilton Historian Jim Blount:

Bon Veue, a residential subdivision platted in Section 33 of Lemon Twp., was annexed to Middletown in 1920. It is south of Barnitz Stadium, northwest of Woodside Cemetery and between Verity Parkway on the east and South Main Street on the west, and 14th Avenue on the north and 17th Avenue on the south. It includes Wisconsin, Vermont and Minnesota streets, the latter proposed to be renamed in honor of Martin Luther King.

 

The first block of Fourteenth at South Main Street contains some awesome little homes, I wouldn't mind living in one, they have so much charm.

 

 

 

This one is going for $99,000

 

 

This one for $66,000

 

Awesomeness

 

 

Why did they do that?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The blue one is going for $33,000

 

 

I love these duplexes, they are well maintained and gleaming

 

 

"Guys like us we had it made..."

 

Some later development, yeah

 

 

 

That is the hood of a police car, about to ask me what I am doing

 

 

 

 

I prefer Faygo

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Just to the north, and backing homes on Fourteenth, are Barnitz Stadium and the a school

 

It used to have a grand entrance, but a school bus took it out

http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f229/appletree3/Bon%20Veue/mckinley2.jpg' alt='mckinley2.jpg'>

 

The school board demolished the building in 2004 to make way for a new school to be named Rosa Parks Elementary  :cry: :cry: :cry:

 

They salvaged 3 of the entrances from the old building

 

Can you see them?

 

Roosevelt, the pair to McKinley could be demolished in the next couple years, but I hope it is saved somehow

Nice job.

 

"The noblest motive is the public good" - I love it.  Unfortunately, some find the definition of public good subjective.

Nice housing stock, and Faygo is good!

Some very interesting housing styles in there.  Most look like they're in pretty good shape.  Why so cheap?

Really interesting!

Pretty neat stuff!

 

Re the vinyl siding job -- Examples of bad taste here and there just help the rest stand out more.  :|

Wow, what a great little neighborhood!  There has to be a story behind those doubles and the Olde English type buildings.  And how about that corner store with the vintage Barques sign?!  Fabulous!

 

Middletown is always full of suprises!

Looks like a solid blue collar hood.  Pretty good shape too.  The first few pics are quite the unique haousing style.  Thanks for sharing your tour.

 

btw, what did the cop think you were doing?  Casing the place out for some nefarious purpose? :wink:

I have relatives in Middletown. My greatgrandparents settled there many years ago.

Interesting, I didn't know this neighborhood had an official name.  We always referred to it as the "South end."  And at over 50 years old, Barnitz Stadium is still one of the largest and nicest football complexes in Southern Ohio, if not Ohio. 

 

Very nice shots of the area, Ink.  You made the neighborhood look better than it actually is.  Love the English cottage homes. 

 

Some of you have asked questions about the area and why home prices seem so cheap.  Let me address those questions.

 

Parts of this area were once a middle/upper-middle income neighborhood, bordering the once elite South Main Street district.  These families moved east as black families from the south moved north to take jobs at Armco Steel.  They settled in neighborhoods close by.  The thought then was as black families move to the area, home values decline.  That's why people moved east to newer homes. 

 

The interesting part about this area is that it is home to all sorts of African American families.  Those old individuals that have lived in the neighborhood for years and have refused to move, those that are well-educated who prefer to be close to their "roots" (especially if they grew up in Middletown in the neighborhood) and want to better the area, despite the fact they could live elsewhere and those low-income/near poverty level black families.  I would say the later is what brings the home values down, as many homes are Section 8 occupied, others are in need of much repair.  Plus this area is also filled with many Habitat homes.  The crime and drugs in the area are also bad because of the amount of low income.

 

It's is a cool area though.  Definately not the worst area in Middletown. 

yes interesting, thats a decent looking area. i like seeing where regular folks live as much as the fancy homes and buildings and the totally rundown stuff.

 

also, i see they have the state named streets just like a nabe in lorain does. are they laid out in alphabetical order too?

Hey thanks for the pics. I drive by every day but it seems to look better in pictures.There are some very colorful homes in the area and for the most part are well maintained.It brings back memories of riding my bike with my friends. I went to Mckinley school located behind barnitz field. Even though some of the colors are a little loud they still look nice because they are fresh paint jobs. But I cant talk with the colors I picked out. lol

What the crap!?!?!??!!?!?

What??? All the "junk" in the one yard or the blue house.

 

Come on...the blue house doesn't look THAT bad.  I actually kind of like it.  But then again, as a kid, my favorite book was "Mr. Pine's Purple House."