Living in Norwood??

moeend

So this is a wedding spinoff. My fiance and I are also looking to buy our first house in the middle of wedding planning. We currently both live on the westside but have been looking in the Oakley/Hyde Park area to be closer to work. Last week we came across a house we love, but it is in Norwood. We are unfamiliar with the area, but we would like some thoughts and opinions from others who are. Is it safe? Is there alot to do? The house sits in what our realtor told us is the 'presidential district' in the triangle between Smith, Williams, and Montgomery. It is super close to Rookwood and the original area we were looking in.

Any thoughts would help us greatly, thanks girls!

rkt

I wouldn't move there but that's just me

justengaged777

I moved from Lexington, KY to Cincinnati for a job in Blue Ash, everyone pointed me to this area when I was looking. I lived in a gated apartment complex less than 2 miles from Rookwood and I did not feel safe. I was paying around $900 a month for a 1 bedroom. Cars were broken into and property vandalized. I ended up sub-letting my apartment and buying a home in another area.

If you're in love with the property I would talk to other homeowners or neighbors around you. As well as research crime report maps and see how things look. It wasn't a good fit for me but the area your in may be a little nicer. The homes are charming and this is where I originally looked as well. Good luck.

Kari1353

I would drive there at night.  That is one thing I didn't do when I was house hunting.  And, now, driving by some of the places at night I looked at, I'm glad I didn't buy them.

ashleyhack

There are some OK areas in Norwood, but most can get a little sketchy at night Good luck

aprahamian2

Some areas would probably be fine but I personally prefer Oakley/HP. Not sure how old you are but there are a lot of "young professionals" in this area and thus there is a lot of nightlife. HP is definitely more expensive and Oakley is probably between the price of a house in Norwood and that of a house in HP.

futureCelis

I lived in an apartment in Norwood, and it was a nice area to live. However, I would not recommend purchasing a house there. Resale is difficult, and the school district is struggling. Best of luck on your hunt!

belle19dV

I recently visited someone in the Oakley area; she has a cute little 2BR tutor bungalo I fell in love with.  Leaving her house, I saw that a house a few doors down is on the market.  I asked if it was identical to hers and my hostess said the neighbor had done tons of updating.  If we didn't just assume a mortgage for our condo, I'd have been all over that little house (it's less than a mile from the Erie Avenue police department and Ault Park).  If you're interested, the address is 3322 DeForest, a no-outlet street near Hyde Park Plaza.  Oakley is seeing all sorts of gentrification these days so it might be a better investment than Norwood.  I know the area of Norwood you're referencing and it's very nice but it's adjacent to some not-so-safe/iffy areas.  Welcome to the world of landed gentry.

moeend

Yea we have looked over that way and I agree, I love those tudors. We are looking for a 3 bedroom though so that particular one won't work but thank you!

I think the more we've thought and talked about things, I'm holding my ground and I think we are going to keep looking and hopefully we'll find something in Oakley/HP like the original plan. Thanks for all your comments

emilou02

I know exactly where you are talking about (I probably even know what house you are talking about). It's a really nice part of Norwood. My fiance and I grew up in Hyde Park so we're biased, but this is my opinion: parts of Norwood are really nice. Like, seriously, drop dead gorgeous, huge old homes in great condition with big yards and lots of space and character/charm. Fantastic, right? Some parts of Norwood are nice and safe and filled with normal, law-abiding neighbors. The problem is that they back up directly to parts of Norwood that are absolute garbage, and there can be some spill-over.

Property value is something you should consider very seriously. You get a lot of home for your dollar in Norwood - unlike Oakley, Hyde Park and Mt. Lookout where you pretty much allow yourself to get ripped off for the privilege of living there and paying outrageous property taxes on your overpriced home year after year. (If that sounds harsh, please keep in mind that I am from there and would give anything to justify spending way too much money on a 2-bed, 1-bath home with no yard if it meant I could one day take my own kids on a walk to Graeter's in the square after dinner like my parents did with us But in those areas, your property value will likely increase over time because it is in a desirable neighborhood. (Oakley used to be priced similarly to Norwood, but now the asking prices are right up there with Hyde Park most of the time.) Home values in Norwood are typically pretty stagnant, even in the really nice areas.

That said, the schools aren't great and there isn't much to do. Plus traffic is going to get REALLY AWFUL in the next 6-36 months when they finally finished all the construction around Rookwood. Lots of new businesses going in, including a hotel!

Again, it's in a nice part of Norwood, and if you love the house, you should go for it!

LKroll

I live on Melrose, right off of Smith. Moved there after college and am getting ready to move only because my fiance has a bigger place in NKY in a really great school district for my 3 year old daughter. I have never regretted the decision to live in Norwood - the worst thing about it is the stigma that comes along with it. I have always felt safe, leave the house with the first floor windows open,  go walking and running in the early morning and evening, and love walking to Rookwood, HP Square, Oakley Square, etc. To me, it is the perfect location without the big bucks in home ownership!

I bought my place flipped and many of the homes on my block have been flipped as well. It's becoming a younger community with younger kids amongst the people who have lived there all their lives - it's a great neighborhood feel. Since the houses are on top of one another, you can't help but be in everybody's business.

Sure, the trip to the Norwood Kroger is always interesting, but I am going to greatly miss my perfect location and short and speedy commute downtown, and cheap cab rides home from time to time!

lovelybride614

Ok, in that area there is a super fine line between Norwood, Hyde Park and Oakley. Norwood is not so hot for a house. It's an ok city but the schools are HORRIBLE and when looking for a house, you really should consider the school district for future kids. It's more important than most people give credit to.

I agree with PP, drive through at night.

Hyde Park is great but expensive. You can try Blue Ash, Kenwood area, Deerfield Township, Anderson, etc. I personally would not recommend Norwood at all.

lash23

We just bought and remodeling a whole house in Norwood.  More and more young couples are buying in Norwood and PRidge b/c of the cost compaired to HP.
We have been living there since July of this year.  So far we LOVE it!  Our street has 6 new other young couples on it as well.  It is not HP but for the price and being close to all the action it has been worth it.   We just moved from Mason... we love being closer to the city.
We have a nice yard & love our street.
Good Luck!