In a Cincinnati neighborhood known as Avondale there lies two abandoned retirement homes: Parkside and Oakside who combined forces to create the ultimate mediocre/sub-par nursing community known as Hillside. Assumed to have last operated in 1999, copper thieves and people dumping trash have left this once beautiful residence to rot:

 

A quote from my recent article:

As I stood there on Nov. 22, 2008, I thought back to Nov. 22, 1994. No, this date means nothing significant to me, nor do I even remember what happened in my life on that day. However, as I looked at the calendar in my hands, I realized that if you were an elderly individual residing in an Avondale retirement community on Nov. 22, 1994, then that day may have been very important to you. At 11:00 A.M there was "coloring group" followed by "discussion group" at 1:00 PM later day that. I'm not sure what the residents did the rest of the day until 6:00 PM when the calendar indicates it was time for "Open Cassette." I'm not sure exactly what "Open Cassette" is, or was rather. When it comes to this place there isn't much to be sure of anyways. All the historical information that could be found through some internet browsing was that complex last operated in 1999 and had received a 'D' grade.

Full article available here: http://queencitydiscovery.blogspot.com/2008/12/adventures-in-avondale-in-search-of.html

 

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- Eleven

 

- Twelve

 

- Thirteen

 

Cincinnati Public Schools recently embarked on a multi-billion dollar renovation plan, East Fairmount school is slated for re-use as something else, but for the time being sits quiet. We stopped by to admire this architectural beauty:

 

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Many of you may be familiar with the CL&N RR tunnel if you read JMecklenborg's excellent Cincinnati Transit website, for those of you who aren't it basically used to be a tunnel that once served the Cincinnati Lebanon and Northern rail line and was used until the late 80's. It was kept around to maybe one day be used for a light rail right-of-way. Having been inspired by JMecklenborg's pictures and other Queen City explorers we set out on a quest to find it! So through the mud, brush, and thorns we trecked along next to I-71 to the tunnel ahead

 

 

Turns out, it's split into two sections, this is the small flooded section, not the long, awesome tunnel seen on Cincinnati Transit. Tired, covered in mud and thorns, we sat by the highway taking night shots to end the day:

 

More to come soon, we just might find the tunnel ;)

 

To read the history of these places and more about our adventures, check out the latest post here: http://queencitydiscovery.blogspot.com/2008/12/adventures-in-avondale-in-search-of.html

 

Thanks!

Thanks for those hauntingly beautiful photos.  I hate all of these new school buildings CPS is building.  A definitely unwelcome era of teardowns will result.  we have already lost soooo many cool old cincy school buildings in the last 40 years.

I agree with TheCOV that abandoned institutional buildings are at higher risk for demolition. Usually their sheer size discourages developers from making a large investment in rehabilitation and adaptive re-use. Sometimes in an area of high demand it happens but Avondale as a whole seems to have been written off by most Cincinnatians. A shame really as there is some very nice century old (and older) architecture remaining there. In a better location in better times the retirement home in photo 12 (and 13?) could be gutted, rehabbed and used for a variety of purposes, but not these days in that neighborhood. I'd suggest taking and saving plenty of photos for the inevitable buildings' obituaries. The tunnel is an engineering marvel from a different age, now forgotten and obscure. They don't make them like that much anymore.

ironic- I am writing my thesis on CPS buildings. There have been so many great losses and more to come. HAs anyone looked at Lafayette Bloom? Gorgeous interior. I really hope Turner doesn't decide it isn't worth it.

Excellent photos.

 

Even good nursing homes can be depressing when they're still in use. Abandoned ones are beyond words, especially when littered with the left-behind possessions of people who may have been long-dead when the place was abandoned.

Let's make a return trip!

These photos are great.  I'm glad there are people out there who go out and shoot this kind of stuff.  Thanks!

Avondale has some of the most beautiful architecture in the city.

Excellent photos.

 

Even good nursing homes can be depressing when they're still in use. Abandoned ones are beyond words, especially when littered with the left-behind possessions of people who may have been long-dead when the place was abandoned.

 

you said it. i briefly lived as a caretaker in grad school in a modern nursing home that was never opened/mothballed and it was creepy too. it seemed haunted anyway.

 

great pics + detective work on the tunnel.