Avondale

Like many Cincinnati neighborhoods, Avondale is currently going through somewhat of a revitalization period. It’s not by any means one of the safest or most fashionable neighborhoods in the city, but it definitely has its charms.

Let me preface this review by giving a straightforward description of Avondale. Avondale has a pretty bad reputation among most Cincinnatians. It’s not looked upon as a very upscale neighborhood to live in, especially as its crime rate is rather high and many formerly nice houses have deteriorated over the years. After the two major race riots in 1967 and ’68, Avondale was never the same. Over the years, many of those who could afford to leave have done so, and Avondale and many of its surrounding areas have experienced serious urban decline. Today, more than 40% of Avondale residents are either at or below the poverty line.

Lately, however, it seems that Avondale may be going through a period of recovery. Visually, I’ve noticed that many streets have improved looks compared to a decade ago. Additionally, Avondale has a lot going for it in terms of sights and attractions. Visitors come to Avondale on a daily basis to see the world-famous Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden, for example.

Perhaps more importantly, Avondale houses some of Cincinnati’s best hospitals. You’ll find the nationally-ranked Cincinnati Children’s Hospital there, as well as Shriners Burn Hospital, University Hospital, and the Hoxworth Blood Center, among others. These are all really great resources to have nearby.

Though Avondale is not the safest neighborhood in the city, it does have great access to local schooling. The University of Cincinnati, Xavier University, and Cincinnati State are all a short distance away. Avondale also houses a few Cincinnati Public Schools (CPS), including the South Avondale School (http://savondale.cps-k12.org/), Rockdale Academy (http://rockdaleacademy.cps-k12.org/) and Frederick Douglass Elementary (http://douglas.cps-k12.org/).

In addition to local schools, Avondale is also very close to other Cincinnati hotspots. It’s a few minutes from downtown, Clifton, Hyde Park, and Mt. Adams. All in all, I wouldn’t recommend Avondale to families looking for something upscale or family-friendly, but it wouldn’t hurt for others to check it out as either an affordable place to live or, at the very least, a great place to take a day-trip.

Avondale... not to be confused with North Avondale, is a high crime area. I might as well get that fact out of the way up front. The ghosts of 60s civil unrest still haunt the old Reading Rd. business district. They've tried really hard for decades, but never quite bounced back. The Avondale Community Council and neighborhood patrol groups work to keep things positive and get criminals to back off, and there's always new construction.

Avondale's main streets are mostly safe during the day; but I'd never walk them after dark. My issues are based on reported crimes. If you ask someone else, the negatives you hear may also have a slight bias based on the fact that Avondale is one of the city's few overwhelmingly African American communities.

People still come to Avondale
No matter what anyone says, including me, thousands of outsiders come to Avondale every single day. The Zoo and the Hospitals are there. Children's, Shriner's Burns Institute, Veterans Administration, Hoxworth Blood Center, Jewish Hospital Cholesterol and Metabolism Center and even the Ronald McDonald House are all in Avondale. There are lots of medical/professional offices, including Cincinnati Board of Health. University Hospital is just beyond Burnett Ave.

Recreation
Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Gardens (cincinnatizoo.org) is one of the nation's oldest zoos. They've got new green elements like solar panels and water runoff collectors, great animals and plants and nationally known zoo and wildlife guy, Thane Maynard.

CRC's Hirsch Recreation Center on Reading, offers activities for residents from youth to seniors. Like most Cincinnati neighborhoods, Avondale has a few small parks and green spaces like Fleischman Gardens.

Meng’s Martial Arts offers paid classes in Shaolin Kung Fu, Qi Gong, San Shou, and Wing Chun. (cinciwingchun.com)

Churches
The Avondale Community Council directory (avondalecommunitycouncil.org/links.lasso) lists 45 churches.

Shopping
Auto Zone, Simply Fashions, Simply Shoes, Deveroes urban clothing, Family Dollar, UDF and other shops are open in the Reading Rd and Burnett Ave. shopping areas.

Restaurants
Lots of fast food: White Castle, Rally's, Dunkin Donuts, McDonald's, KFC, Gold Star Chili, Subway and Burger King. Chipotle is a block from Burnett and Richie's Fast Food cooks a Soul food menu on Woolper at Vine.

Cincinnati Public Schools
-Rockdale Academy (rockdaleacademy.cps-k12.org)
-South Avondale (savondale.cps-k12.org)

Private Schools
-UC and Xavier U. are a few blocks away. Cincinnati State is a 10 minute drive.
-Nanny's Multi-Level Learning & Day Care
-Great Oaks Health Professions Academy (www.greatoaks.com)
-Wesley Education Center for Families and Children (www.wesleyeducationcenter.org)