Evanston

As with many older Cincinnati neighborhoods, Evanston has seen its share of wear and tear over the years, but it's bouncing back as always. A base of African American working class families has always kept it a solid and stable neighborhood. In recent years, however, a significant influx of white families, as well as a few Latino, Asians and other families is broadening the demographic and changing the landscape.

Evanston is a mix of mostly single family residences built in the late 30s. There are also small apartment buildings and a few large multifamily units and a senior apartment complex. Evanston's close proximity to Xavier University, Hyde Park, Obryonville and East Walnut has made it a prime target for upgrades. Developers are refurbishing older buildings and building new ones to house college students and professionals.

Long term Woodburn and Dana Ave. businesses like Duke Energy and Barnes Barber Shop have been joined by Body Mind Balance Pilates: http://bmbpilates.com/, Listermann Brewing Supplies: http://www.listermann.com/Store/History.asp , Flavor of Art Studio, and a host of other new arrivals. Evanston Community Council: http://www.evanstoncouncil.org/default.aspx is working with area organizations to reduce crime.

The place where lots of cool music began
A few years back, the City of Cincinnati placed a historic marker in front of an old Evanston warehouse. The 1540 Brewster Ave location is the spot where King Records owner, Syd Nathan, recorded stars like Hank Ballard, James Brown and Bootsy Collins. His influential record label introduced bluegrass, R&B, rock and roll, doo-wop, country, soul and funk music to the world in the 40s and 50s.

Shopping and Entertainment
There are few places to shop in Evanston, but the neighborhood is right next door to shops in Obryonville and East Walnut Hills. It's minutes away from Hyde Park Square and Hyde Park Plaza, as well as Rookwood Plaza and Surry Square in Norwood. It's also close to Oakley's business district. Neighborhood bars like Dana Gardens offer entertainment with a local feel. There are a few small restaurants in Evanston and a few more at the corner of Woodburn and Madison Rd and in nearby neighborhoods.

Recreation
Cincinnati Recreation Commission operates the Evanston Community Center at 3204 Woodburn Ave. The offer a fitness room, after school programs for neighborhood children, basketball court, Senior programs and more. There are also four neighborhood parks in Evanston and a playground at the intersection where Woodburn, Hewitt, Gilbert and Montgomery converge.

Schools:
The neighborhood has several Cincinnati public schools:
Evanston Academy (pre - 8): http://evanstonacademy.cps-k12.org/
Withrow University High School (9-12) : International Language, International Business, Internationational Baccalaureate and Career Development programs: http://withrow.cps-k12.org/
Academy of World Languages (Preschool-8):Arabic, Chinese, Japanese, Russian and English as ESL:http://awl.cps-k12.org/
Walnut Hills High School: (highly ranked nationally) is located in Evanston zip code (7-12):http://www.walnuthillseagles.com/index.asp

Purcell Marion Catholic High School: http://www.purcellmarian.org/
Xavier University is located, in part, within Evanston.
University of Cincinnati is 15 minutes away.

Evanston is a large neighborhood that covers a diverse territory. One end of Evanston is made up of Xavier University and at the other end you will find the O'Bryonville district. In between, there is a large and diverse amount of ground covered from business and industry, to a large cemetery, one of the scariest intersections in town, and a variety of residential streets, as well as one of the best schools in Cincinnati Walnut Hills High School.

The area around Xavier University and Dana Avenue is student friendly with student friendly housing and neighborhood bars, some of which fall in Norwood. At the opposite end of Evanston is O'Bryonville. Centered along Madison Road, the O'Bryonville neighborhood has some great restaurants and eclectic boutiques. There is also a dry cleaners, yoga studio, bank, and more.

The O'Bryonville area is one of the nicer parts of Evanston with homes varying in size with diverse residents. There are a number of businesses lining Madison Road from DeSales Corner to Dana Avenue. There area around Gilbert Avenue, Montgomery Road, and Hewitt Avenue, is known as Five Points as these three roads and two others come together to form a scary intersection of close building and drug trafficking. There has been an organized effort in recent years to clean this area up; however, it is still one to avoid, unless you're driving through to other locations.

There are a number of schools located in Evanston, including the prestigious Walnut Hills High School. There are two Cincinnati Public Schools elementary schools in Evanston, Academy of World Languages and Evanston Academy. Evanston is a convenient location that is close to Downtown Cincinnati and the University of CIncinnati and major hospitals. It is also convenient to the Oakley/Norwood shopping areas with easy access to Interstate 71, which divides Evanston.

Some parts of the Evanston neighborhood are much better than others. The area along Montgomery Road right before you get to Norwood is one of the less nice areas, while the areas closer to Walnut Hills and Hyde Park are much nicer and definitely worth checking out. Of course, depending on which street you are looking at the home prices can vary quite widely. There are some very nice and large homes on Easthill Avenue, while the area near Duck Creek has smaller homes that are less expensive. If I were to choose to live in Evanston, I would pick the area near O'Bryonville as it is definitely the nicest part.