there's a chance i may be moving again, sometime soon. life's always full of up's and down's and probably with 6 months i'll figure out whether it's up or down this time.

 

anyway, i live in mariemont right now. have lived in corryville, and downtown cbd (4th street @ kinsey flats). if i end up making, yet another move, i'll probably focus back on downtown cincinnati. out of everywhere i think that worked out the best for me. i've been seeing a lot going on in the 'gateway quarter' and it looks like its really cool, and actually really affordable (which is hard to say about much in the cbd).

 

does anyone here live there though? is it safe? i know otr is improving, but has it improved that much? during the day it seems perfectly fine, but at night it used to be pretty sketchy. its been a couple years since i've been down there at night though.

 

anyway, if anyone lives down there i'd like to hear what's its like these days

I think whether or not its safe enough for you depends on your own tolerance for lack of safety. It's safer than a few years ago, for sure, but it's not Mt. Adams or anything. With so many projects going on in OTR, it's ony going to get safer.

when i lived on 4th, i never really felt unsafe my car was broken into once, but i never felt unsafe. i'd go walk around at night, no problem.

 

in corryville, it felt a bit unsafe to walk at night. there were some legitimate reasons for that, at the time there was a rash of robberies and muggings at night. you could go out at night, but you were taking a chance if you walked too far from home (although it depended what direction you walked).

 

obviously, mariemont is pretty safe. the biggest danger is a tree might fall on you

 

i'm not sure where otr fits in relation to those areas, lately at least.

http://www.cincinnati-oh.gov/police/downloads/police_pdf32699.pdf

 

You can look at statistics here. Robbery and Burglary are still a big concern in OTR this year. Murders are down but most people who get murdered are drug dealers.  The gateway quarter area has cleaned up a lot since a few years ago though.

I live about a block from the Gateway Quarter.  My husband and I have lived here for two years, and we don't see many serious crime problems.  We feel pretty safe, and the area has definitely cleaned up.  We feel fine walking around together at night to some of the main areas.  I see very few problems in the Quarter itself, but there are definitely still trouble spots in OTR.

 

 

You should take a tour, Prolix. Once you see those units, you'll probably change your mind quickly :)

does anyone here live there though? is it safe? i know otr is improving, but has it improved that much? during the day it seems perfectly fine, but at night it used to be pretty sketchy. its been a couple years since i've been down there at night though.

 

That stretch of Vine St really has improved a lot in the past 15 months.  I recommend coming down some night and go to Lavomatic.  That should give you a pretty good idea.  And I agree with David's suggestion of checking out the units.  There are some really neat spaces in the Gateway Quarter. 

Gateway Quarter > Corryville

Queensgate > Corryville

Corryville>Gary, Indiana. I'm just saying... I don't like Gary!

 

Stay at the Symphony Hotel one night and see what you think of the area. Walk down to Lavamatic around 6:30, 7, and see for yourself. Call Holly at 479-0413 (tell her I told you to call) and she may be able to get you a better rate for a single night and she can show you any condo you would like.

 

I don't live at the Gateway but I walk thru it just about everyday. Today I had the best ever experience at the Krogers on Vine.  The only complaint I have is the urine soaked area where the bike rack is. I was able to buy Organic milk, bananas and all the other basics and there was no drama. The staff said good morning welcome to Krogers and the manager of the store went out of his way to give my Son a free pinwheel. Today was like one of those fly dreams Didn't even see a berry flashin those high beams No helicopter looking for a murder Today I didn't even have to use my A.K. I got to say it was a good day.

I love that Kroger. It is intimidating to people who aren't familiar with the area (Prolix - it's right by the Gateway Quarter) but it's very up-to-date and clean inside. The people hanging outside might be slanging drugs or just hanging out for no reason but they've never bothered me. If Kroger riff raff is an issue for you, at least go inside and see how nice it is.

We used to go to the Kroger in Bellevue. I thought I'd pop into the one in OTR one afternoon, and realized the people working there were friendlier,  and the place was a lot cleaner. 

Prolix, OTR has definitely made strides, and as David put it so aptly, it depends on your own tolerance for lack of safety.  I certainly don't feel unsafe in OTR, but I personally wouldn't live there in its current state.  My concern has always been for my guests, especially my female guests.  I know too many people who have had their cars broken into or have had bad experiences with people on the street who think they don't "belong" in the area, and I don't want to be in the position of apologizing to my friends for my choice of neighborhood.  My greatest hope is that OTR continues its turnaround, as it has fantastic potential.  There are some truly amazing condos in OTR, but when I was looking for my last place, I kept asking myself "would my mother feel comfortable visiting me here?"  It may sound silly, but that's my litmus test.  So for me, it was no, but I know many people who swear by that neighborhood.  I don't think my assessment has made your choice any easier, but it's something to consider at least.

asking myself "would my mother feel comfortable visiting me here?

My mother visited me in OTR today, and yesterday (she comes down too much in fact). Its not just mothers visiting, there are mothers who live here, whole families in fact, children and all who call OTR home today. OTR has its safety issues as does everyplace else but I can tell you my car was broken into more times living in Mt. Adams than in OTR so does that mean that Mt. Adams is unsafe? No. It almost always depends on who you are, not simply where you are and if I happen to come down to OTR for illegal activities, chances are I will be a victim of one. However those who move down here and take ownership in the area are here to be part of the change and are some of the most proactive and engaged residents of any neighborhood in Cincinnati which should give you and everyone even more faith in the future of all of Downtown. Be vigilant, regardless of where you live. Lock your doors, look both ways before crossing the street and chances are you will be OK in OTR or Hyde Park.

if I happen to come down to OTR for illegal activities, chances are I will be a victim of one.

 

I agree with your post, but for the record, I wasn't going to OTR for illegal activities.  I don't think you were implying that, but just in case it's being read that way, I wasn't.  My best friend lived there and was rehabbing one of the houses.  His car was broken into several times in 3 or 4 years, and he stopped replacing the antenna after he found out why people kept breaking it off.  There's more to it than this, but it's not worth recapping here, as I'm not trying to beat down OTR.  And you're totally correct.  This type of thing can happen anywhere, even out in the 'burbs.  I just feel like the opinions regarding OTR  on this board are a little bit too "pie in the sky", though.  So I'm just giving my honest assessment of the neighborhood, as someone who spent a great deal of time there, to balance that out.  I definitely think it's worst days are behind it, but it's important for people moving there to understand that this is a neighborhood that is still in transition, and will be for some time. 

still in transition

"Transition", that is definetly the word to describe OTR and several other commuties in Cincinnati right now. But when looking at a transitioning neighborhood when determining where to invest or live, one must take into consideration what it is transitioning into. A community that may be deemed as historically safe may be transitioning into an unsafe area. I would say that much of the westside and other communities including Deer Park or even sections of Pleasant Ridge are transitioning into something worse but still deemed safe today only by historical definitions.

OTR on the other hand is burdened with an unsafe historical definition but is transitioning into a much safer area and if trends continue may actually become one of the safer places in Cincinnati. So which community do you choose, one on the way up, or one on the way down? The answer is simple and if we are to believe in the trends, then OTR is a good bet.