Hartwell

Hartwell has some large older homes and some small. The Williamsburg Apartments on Galbraith Rd. have always been a desirable address for renters. Over the years it's expanded to accommodate a growing senior community.

Just like many of the city's older neighborhoods, Hartwell has nice areas, but then there's a section that doesn't seem to fit, like that strip of Vine with back to back used car lots that take away from the neighborhood's charm. As with many areas of the city, there are a variety of reported crimes in Hartwell.

Shopping
Hartwell's business district has a mix of stores that could supply most of a resident's everyday needs. The Hartwell Kroger has been there for years and it has a gas station. CVS has a large store at the corner of Galbraith and Vine. One of my favorites stores in the area is Country Fresh Market on Vine. They've got fresh fruits and veggies and a nice selection of prepackaged and gourmet foods, spices and wines. Their deli has a variety of meats including kosher.

If you're a book lover, check out the Cincinnati Public Library's warehouse facility at 8456 Vine St. The Friends of the Public Library holds used book sales there

Restaurants
There are no fabulous formal restaurants, but Hartwell has a few fast food outlets. Dragon City has pretty good Szechuan Broccoli and they deliver. There's also a Penn Station, Wendy's, Empress Chili and a Frisch's Big Boy.

Recreation
Hartwell Recreation Center, 8275 Vine St.- This city facility has Spinning, Line Dancing, a pool, a meeting room, summer camp for kids and many more activities. Like most Cincinnati recreation facilities, there are inexpensive fees for some activities.

Hartwell Country Club, 59 Caldwell Dr. - This is a private facility that serves Duke Energy employees. It has a golf course, baseball fields and basketball courts and a picnic area. The main building has several party rooms available for rentals. (hartwellrec.com)

Cincinnati Public Schools
Hartwell Elementary School, pre-8, 8320 Vine St. (hartwell.cps-k12.org )

Hospitals
Drake hospital on Galbraith is a long term care and rehab facility that doesn't have traditional hospital services. It's about a 20 minute drive to one of the hospitals in the city.

Well, Hartwell is not totally surrounded by highways, but it does have Interstate 75 running along one side of it and Ronald Reagan Highway running along another. So, it is convenient to major roads, diverse, and has relatively low crime.

The Drake Center campus takes up a significant portion of Hartwell. Drake is the area's premier, long-term acute care facility. Right across the street from Drake is an upscale retirement community, Evergreen. Evergreen provides independent living cottages, assisted living apartments, skilled nursing, and a memory care unit. Residents of Evergreen can use the pool at Drake Center. Evergreen is a nice community where quite a few of the area's wealthy have retired. Not everyone at Evergreen is wealthy, though, so don't be afraid to check it out. It is a very nice community with lots to offer its residents. My grandmother has lived there for a number of years.

Hartwell has some very nice older, Victoria-style homes reflecting its 19th century origins. Many of these homes have been converted to multi-family units, but are now being returned to some of their former glory as single-family homes. Hartwell is a neighborhood with a sense of community and friendliness. Everybody really does know your name here. My friend that used to live in Hartwell has remained friends with many of her former neighbors.

While there are a number of businesses in Hartwell, there is not really a good shopping district. There also aren't any really special dining options...fast food anyone? However, as Hartwell is conveniently located to major roads, you can be in a better shopping or dining area in no time at all. The major attraction of Hartwell is the historic homes at reasonable prices and the sense of community to be found in this northernmost neighborhood of Cincinnati.

Though still within city limits, Hartwell is farther north than any other Cincinnati neighborhood, up near Reading. It’s still pretty conveniently located, as it’s right off of I-75 and Ronald Reagan Cross County Highway. In other words, it’s not as far of a drive to get downtown as one might think.

You’ll find Hartwell full of beautiful, well-preserved Victorian homes, many of which have spacious front- and back-yards. Properties are truly beautiful, and pretty affordable as well. It seems that homes on Avalon St. are most popular, but real estate in Hartwell typically doesn’t take long to sell, no matter what street it’s on. Most of the homes you’ll find are single-family style, though there are some multi-family homes here and there. Many streets are currently being renovated, as are numerous properties.

Hartwell is home to the Hartwell School, which is K-8. There’s a recreation center near the school called the Hartwell Community Center, where many residents spend time. It’s located on Vine St. and offers classes including zumba, pilates, karate, spinning, and line-dancing, as well as senior programs, drop-in programs, and summer day camp for children. The center has a good reputation among residents of Hartwell. Since the Hartwell School only reaches 8th grade, most of the people I know there went to high-school either in Hyde Park or other, more centrally-located neighborhoods.

My friends who live in Hartwell say they always feel safe outside, both during the day and at night. Sure, you have your everyday hooligans cat-calling on the corner, but crime rates are low, signifying an overall safe community. In fact, it has had the reputation of a “safe haven” ever since an 1888 Hartwell newspaper gave the neighborhood that description.

Hartwell residents also make up a rather tight-knit community. It seems that everyone knows each other, giving the area somewhat of a “hometown feel.” It has its small businesses, community gatherings, area landmarks, and various neighborhood events, including book clubs, community yard sales, and even neighborhood bon fires. Overall, I think Hartwell is the ideal neighborhood for families, though residents seem pretty welcoming to people of all walks of life. I highly recommend it to those looking for a safe, somewhat self-contained neighborhood that’s still easily accessible!