My best friend and I will be moving to Cincinnati around the end of May-early June. We are both from Kansas City, MO however he has been in San Diego for the past year in job training for the Marines. He just got his orders to relocate to Cincinnati and I have decided to move with him. Neither of us know anything about the city or surrounding areas. We have both been reading as much as possible about the city and its surroundings but figured it would be better to get some interaction with people that know more about the city than just reading articles and stories.

 

We will be looking to rent a house. But we have no idea where to look or what to expect. Could you tell me a little bit about the different areas of the city and if there are any places to avoid.

 

Any and all help is appreciated. Thanks in advance!

What kind of living situation are you looking for? Are you young? Do you like an urban environment or a neighborhood environment?

 

My favorite areas are:

 

Over the Rhine - Eclectic urban neighborhood with beautiful architecture. A little bit rough around the 

                      edges, but is under going an amazing transformation.

 

Downtown - In my opinion the most happenin' place in the city.

 

Mt. Adams - Urban neighborhood with great views overlooking downtown

 

Clifton - is a neighborhood that has huge mansions and student housing two blocks down the street -

            there is something for everyone in clifton

 

Mt. Lookout - nice neighborhood with a great business district - lots of young families

 

Columbia Tusclum - very vibrant neighborhood with great victorian style homes

 

Walnut Hills - very close to Eden park, Mt. adams and downtown - very affordable and a lot of historic

                  architecture. Areas of the neighborhood are rough.

 

Or if you prefer living in Kentucky

 

Newport or Covington - both are really nice areas, but I just prefer Ohio

 

check out this website that Proctor and Gamble just made for helping their employees relocating here. its still under construction so it doesn't have everything yet, but it will get you started.

 

http://pgcincinnati.com/

 

Hope this helps and good luck. We're looking forward to having you in the 'Nati

If you know where you and your friend might be working in the region, that might also help us give you some direction.

We are open to living in any environment really but we would prefer a house. The only thing we would really like to have is a garage. But if we find the right place we could live without it. He is 20 and I am 19. I will more than likely look into the colleges while I am in Cincinnati.

 

It looks like he will be working in/around the Walnut Hills area. He is willing to drive 10-15 minutes to work everyday. I will be working from home like I do now so that isn't a factor for me. But I may look for another job later on.

 

My friend will get more specifics on Monday.

 

Thanks for the help!

I would look into:

 

-Hyde Park, Mt. Lookout, Columbia Tusclum & Oakley- Very nice neighborhoods grouped together on the east side of town.  Lots of great bars and restaurants.  Very walkable.  About 10 minute drive to downtown.  Lots of housing options.

 

-Mt. Adams- Very unique, trendy neighborhood on a steep hill overlooking downtown and the river.  Lots of bars and restaurants, great views.  Housing is more limited and more expensive.  Parking can be bad.  In my opinion this is the best neighborhood in the city.

 

-Clifton and Corryville- Diverse neighborhoods surrounding UC.  Given your age I would take a hard look at these areas as this is where college age people tend to live.

 

I would not recommend Over the Rhine to someone new to the city.  It is up and coming, but it is very rough around the edges. 

O'Bryonville and East Walnut Hills might also be options, though I'd be careful because Walnut Hills and Evanston encroach on the neighborhoods and are less desirable. Norwood also wouldn't be too bad as it is affordable especially if you want a house and it is near Xavier Univ. and not too far from Univ. of Cincinnati.

So far we have found a few homes in Clifton, Mt. Lookout, and  Oakley that we like.

^All solid neighborhoods with distinctly different feels.

Based on your ages I would say Clifton would be the best fit. Either Clifton proper around Ludlow or Clifton Heights between the university and OTR. Lots of stuff going on, tons of young people, and cheap rent (esp in Clifton Heights).

 

Mt Lookout and Oakley can get pretty pricey for renters, though both are fantastic neighborhoods with great central business districts.