Madisonville

Madisonville has changed a lot from the place where I grew up years ago. It's also remained pretty much the same. It's a community with a variety of single family homes styles, some small and others quite grand. Most are well maintained, others have seen better days. There was always an assortment of rental properties and a number of big and small businesses. The business and industry presence in Madisonville has continued to expand since the completion of the Red Bank Expressway connection to !-71 several decades ago.

Madisonville is a prime plot of land nestled among Oakley, Hyde Park, Fairfax, Madison Place, Mariemont, Indian Hill and Kenwood. It's always been a perfect place for families, businesses, industry, gentrification and renewal. Centennial Station, a large, gated rental community on a hill at Madisonville's western edge, is a recent example of the renewal trend. On the Erie Ave. side, it stands alongside some of Madisonville's grand old homes. One of those beautiful old mansions serves as the Centennial Station rental office/community center.

Madisonville has always been a community of working class and professional families, nearly equally white and black. The population shifted a little over time, but these days it's reached nearly the same balance. Recent census data show that of Madisonville's 9,141 residents, 5,444 are African American and 3,702 are white. 458 residents are Native American, Pacific Islander, Asian or Latino. Residents work in occupations from management to finance.

Organizations and Industry
The Children's Home and National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) are located on Madison Rd. Coca Cola Bottling and 5th/ 3rd Bank have major operations in an industrial center on Duck Creek Rd. Medpace Clinical Research now stands at the bottom of Old Red Bank hill where the Nutone property used to be. Blue Chip Surgery Centers and Christ Hospital Urgent Care are just two of the many businesses spanning the length of Red Bank Expressway. There are many more in the area.

Shopping and Dining
There's little in the way of entertainment, but like many Cincinnati neighborhoods, Madisonville has always had a shopping district. The names have changed, but there are still a variety of small stores and restaurants located in the Madison Rd./Whetsel Ave. area. The area along Red Bank Expressway has eateries from Izzy's to Gold Star Chili. There's a Super Walmart and several restaurants less than a mile north of the main business strip.

For auto shopping, the BMW Store is located on Stewart Rd: http://www.bmwstore.com/ . Just SAAB is on Madison Rd.: near the railroad overpass: http://www.justsaab.com/index.htm

Recreation and fitness
Stewart Park and Madisonville Recreation Center are both on Stewart Rd. The center offers a pool, football field, event rentals, game room, senior programs and more. Cincinnati Bikram Yoga: http://www.cincinnatibikramyoga.com/ and Akido of Cincinanti: http://aikidocincy.com/ are located on Red Bank Rd. Madison Bowl is on Madison Rd. near BBQ Review

Cincinanti Public Schools
Schools John P Parker, pre – 8, is on Anderson Place: http://parker.cps-k12.org/
Shroder College Preparatory High School, 7-12, is on Duck Creek Rd: http://shroder.cps-k12.org/

Private Schools
Prince of Peace k-8 Catholic school is on Murray Ave.: http://www.princeofpeacecincinnati.org/
Seven Hills Schools pre-12 Hillsdale campus is on old Red Bank Rd: http://www.7hills.org/
The Goddard School for Early Childhood Development is on Red Bank Expressway: http://www.goddardschool.com/Schools/Cincinnati-OH/schools.gspx

Madisonville is a mixed use neighborhood in the northeastern area of Cincinnati; the community was founded in 1809. There are a number of light industrial businesses along Duck Creek Road and numerous businesses line Red Bank Expressway. The majority of the residential area is east of Red Bank. The residential area of Madisonville has a wide variety of houses in a wide variety of conditions. Houses also come in all size in Madisonville from small bungalows to large single family homes to multi-unit buildings.

Property price in Madisonville range from the low teens to several hundred thousand dollars depending on the property type and condition, as well as location in the neighborhood. Rents cover a wide range of prices, as well, from several hundred to more than a thousand dollars. There a many multi-family units and older apartment buildings, as well as some very nice new apartments. Centennial Station is an upscale rental community built in the last decade in the area between Red Bank Expressway and Erie Avenue.

The Madisonville Community Council is the voice of the community and holds monthly meetings to discuss a variety of issues impacting residents and businesses in Madisonville. There is a $5.00 fee to be a member; monthly meetings are held at the Madisonville Recreation Center. The Madisonville Recreation Center is located on Stewart Road and offers an inexpensive annual membership for community members. The facility offers a computer center, pool, game room, gym, tennis courts and more.

Madisonville is conveniently located to both Downtown Cincinnati and the northern suburbs. It is easily accessed via Interstate 71. Red Bank Expressway also provides direct access to Columbia Parkway, an easy route to both the eastern part of Cincinnati and Downtown. The neighborhood is fairly racially diverse with a moderate amount of crime with a lot of the crime being centered near Madison Road. The Madison Road business district is a little rundown and typically has a lot of people loitering in this area.

There are a number of large businesses in the Madisonville area, including Fifth Third Bank, Gorilla Glue Company, and Medpace. There are several strip malls along Red Bank Expressway, including a number of restaurants. Located on the site of a former drive-in at the intersection of Madison and Red Bank is the Red Dog Pet Resort & Spa and a senior living community, Barrington of Oakley. These are all new facilities built in the last several years.

Overall, Madisonville is a decent community with a convenient location. I would definitely consider purchasing in Madisonville, provided the location were right along with the property fitting my needs and price point.