living in cincinnati
 

we are considering relocating to cincinnati. though i grew up near indianapolis, my experience with neighboring cincinnati was pretty much just driving through on my way to other places. i searched through past postings and from those i ascertained that native residents and visitors like the city alot, however natives tend to be biased and visitors, well, they don't stay long. <BR> <BR>i would like to hear opinions of those who have moved there, and if you wouldn't mind telling me where else you've lived and whether you liked or disliked it. (to give me an idea of your point of reference) <BR> <BR>thanks in advance for any help! julie

Being a native Cincinnatian, I'd be interested to hear any responses to Julie's questions.

It depends what you are looking for. Housing is affordable compared to the east coast. conservative? yes!!! Schooling - acceptable. Culture- there is available eg symphony, theatre etc. Aesthetic beauty - depends what you are used to. You need to do a lot of investigating. If you have any religious leanings look at what is available and if you would fit in. There are so many variables. Have been here 12 years and it is ok.

I have lived in Chicago, Columbus OH, Cincinnati and now live in St. Louis. I like the midwest, and have never wanted to leave it, so I'm biased. I loved Cincinnati in many ways, lived there 17 years. I think it is a beautiful city. I believe Winston Churchill once said Cincinnati was America's most beautiful inland city. It's very safe, clean, polite, and affordable. <BR> <BR>The arts are well represented. It has a great sports tradition. Great parks. Fabulous festivals (I never miss Oktoberfest). Great restaurants (what I'd give for some Skyline Chili right now). Good schools, elementary to university. One great thing about Ohio schools is that parochial school children are given transportation on public school buses. There's no personal property tax in Ohio. I'd move back in a heartbeat. <BR> <BR>A few drawbacks: It is far too conservative for my tastes. They don't have an NHL team (they barely have an NFL team). The natives tend to be stand-offish. Cincinnati is very like St. Louis in that respect. Most people in Cincy live there all their lives and keep their friends from childhood. Outsiders are treated very politely, but a little coldly. I would suggest moving to a newer neighborhood, maybe the north suburbs, or the east (where I lived). Mt. Adams is very cool. I wouldn't try the west side. <BR> <BR>A few funny things about Cincy: We used to say that you couldn't swing a dead cat without hitting a chili parlor or a Catholic church. "Please?" means please repeat what you said. Soft drinks are called pop. <BR> <BR>I don't know much about Indianapolis, but I'd have a hard time choosing between St. Louis and Cincinnati. I'd definitely choose Cincy over Chicago (too expensive and cold) and Columbus (other than Ohio State, there's little to recommend it). My relatives and job are in StL. Otherwise, I might move back. I hope that helps you a little.

I just had to put my 2 cents in about Cincinnati. I was born and raised east of town, and have always loved it. My favorite place has to be Mt.Washington, where I lived for three years. As I live near Indianapolis now, I'm always weighing the pros and cons of the two. Even though I love the place to my marrow, I found out again last week that traffic in Cinci can be horrible...it took me an hour to drive 11 miles on Tylersville Road. You might want to see how your roads can handle the rush hour crunch before you move in an area. The only other bad thing about Cinci is that the weather can be really nasty...more snow and worse storms than central Indiana. Also, I love the local language tidbits.....an ambulance is a lifesquad, and a police car is either a squad car, or a patrol cruiser. I may end up travelling the seven seas, but when I'm in Cincinnati, I'm home!

I have lived here 48 yrs., and I have to tell you that we are spoiled. Housing is very reasonable, even the biggest and most beautiful. the winters are fairly easy, only had one snow this past winter. It's very humid in the summer, but so is FLORIDA!!! There are many suburbs, but the northeast is booming, esp. Mason.The only drawback is the traffic can get horrendous, but that is anywhere. i think you would love it here, and we are not cold to " outsiders", as someone else wrote. how can we tell natives from new residents? That's just crazy. Good luck!!!