Westwood

Westwood is the largest Cincinnati neighborhood and at one time was home to many of Cincinnati's wealthy. As a result there are many large and stately homes in the neighborhood reflecting its former days of glory. As the influx of German immigrants into Cincinnati increased, many of them settled in the Westwood area making it into a solid working class neighborhood.Today, as the largest neighborhood in the city, it is a diverse neighborhood with both good and bad areas; fortunately, there are more good areas than bad.

Westwood is filled with many tree lines streets, complementing the large older homes. Adding to the greenery of Westwood is Mt. Airy Forest, which is partially in Westood. Mt. Airy is one of the largest municipal parks in the United States covering more than 1400 acres of land. The park was developed in 1911 and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

You can find much of what you need in Westwood. There are plenty of restaurants to keep your hunger at bay and many shops to keep your wallet lighter. You can find all kinds of cuisines in Westwood from Greek to Thai to Japanese to Mexican and everything in between. There are many of your typical chain restaurants, as well as many local favorites. There are also many places to go shopping from large box stores to small local shops that have been staples of the community for years. While there aren't a lot of high end shops in Westwood, the shopping has been improving in recent years.

While there is crime in Westwood, considering it is the largest Cincinnati neighborhood, the crime to population ration is very good. There are also areas of Westwood where crime is more concentrated. Housing prices in Westwood also run the gamut, but on average, housing costs are pretty reasonable. There are a lot of multi-family units and if you're looking to own a rental property, Westwood would be a good place to buy.

Overall, Westwood is a large and diverse neighborhood that would be a decent place to live as long as you choose to live in one of the better areas.

Westwood is the largest neighborhood in Cincinnati, Ohio. Like many of the near-town neighborhoods you'll find historic architecture. The main corner, Harrison and Montana, is a particularly historic district. In that one area you'll find buildings housing Westwood Town Hall, Library, School and several other buildings on the National Historic Register.

Westwood is mostly residential with many large old, well-kept homes. A recent effort has been organized to renovate the historic home of James Gamble, one of the original Procter and Gamble founders. There are also quite a few rental properties in the neighborhood, some are older and in need of repair.

Westwood is part of the Cincinnati Police Department's District 3. The area has a few crime problems, but officials are quick to point out that Westwood also gets named as the location of crimes that actually took place elsewhere. The Westwood Civic Association (www.westwoodcivic.org), Citizens on Patrol and Good Guys Loitering work together to address safety and security issues in the neighborhood. The civic association also sponsors a community garden.

Shopping in Westwood
The neighborhood is primarily residential, but there are a few shops along Harrison Ave. Otherwise you'll find whatever you need in nearby shopping malls and strips.

There's not much in the way of night life in Westwood, but the community sponsors the annual West Fest each June. It's a street festival with entertainment, food and merchant booths lining Harrison Ave.

There are several notable restaurants. To outsiders, LaRosa's may seem like just another pizza place, but to Westwood residents, it's a hometown business. You'll find LaRosa's Pizza restaurants in Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana, but the chain's corporate headquarters and flagship restaurant remain in Westwood. Henke's Winery is also a Westwood tradition. Food Republic Magazine named it one of the country's top urban wineries.

Cincinnati Public Schools operates Westwood Elementary School, K-8 at 2601 Westwood Northern Blvd. (westwoodschool.cps-k12.org). There are several other schools in the area including Oak Hills High School on Ebeneezer Rd. (www.oakhills.k12.oh.us/ohhs ) and St Jude Elementary on Bridgetown Rd (stjudebridgetown.org ).

Medical facilities
There's a Good Samaritan satellite facility nearby and plans to open a Children's Hospital Out Patient facility off Harrison Ave.. Mercy West will open in 2013 (mercywest.com)

Parks and Recreation
Brodeck Preserve is located on Westwood-Northern Blvd. Take the back way down Montana Ave. and you'll run right into Mt Airy Forest, a huge wooded facility with picnic areas, an arboretum and much more.