Recent articles have been citing a study by neighborhoodscout.com (who the heck are they, anyway?) that seems to think that Cincinnati's Over the Rhine neighborhood is the most dangerous neighborhood in the U.S.
Words escape me. I've been going there weekly (at night) since I moved here in 1980. One rainy night in 1991 while I was at the symphony, someone smashed a car window and stole something I should have kept hidden. Total loss: $25. Once in several thousand visits is certainly not the one in four statistics this website quotes.
I continue to visit OTR, to attend Music Hall events. Just three or four weeks ago, I left an event there, by myself, alone on the street, after midnight, and walked to my car. There was no security, and I certainly felt no need for it. It never occurred to me to be afraid.
My daughter works in Over the Rhine six days a week, often leaving work late at night. If I were the least fearful of her safety, I'd be there to pick her up every night.
If this is such a bad neighborhood, why are developers rehabbing buildings and selling them to the suburbanites who are moving to downtown and OTR in record numbers?
There is danger on city streets everywhere. Nine times out of ten, crimes of violence are intra-neighborhood problems. If you're in OTR doing something you shouldn't be doing, then perhaps you'll have a problem. Otherwise, I wouldn't worry about it.
Incorrect and outdated information like this can ruin the chances that OTR has to continue it's rebirth. In 2007, the National Historic Trust for Preservation designated Over-the-Rhine one of its 11-most endangered places in the country. Two years later, that "danger" is diminishing daily. Let's not let the misinformed derail the rebirth of OTR.
Words escape me. I've been going there weekly (at night) since I moved here in 1980. One rainy night in 1991 while I was at the symphony, someone smashed a car window and stole something I should have kept hidden. Total loss: $25. Once in several thousand visits is certainly not the one in four statistics this website quotes.
I continue to visit OTR, to attend Music Hall events. Just three or four weeks ago, I left an event there, by myself, alone on the street, after midnight, and walked to my car. There was no security, and I certainly felt no need for it. It never occurred to me to be afraid.
My daughter works in Over the Rhine six days a week, often leaving work late at night. If I were the least fearful of her safety, I'd be there to pick her up every night.
If this is such a bad neighborhood, why are developers rehabbing buildings and selling them to the suburbanites who are moving to downtown and OTR in record numbers?
There is danger on city streets everywhere. Nine times out of ten, crimes of violence are intra-neighborhood problems. If you're in OTR doing something you shouldn't be doing, then perhaps you'll have a problem. Otherwise, I wouldn't worry about it.
Incorrect and outdated information like this can ruin the chances that OTR has to continue it's rebirth. In 2007, the National Historic Trust for Preservation designated Over-the-Rhine one of its 11-most endangered places in the country. Two years later, that "danger" is diminishing daily. Let's not let the misinformed derail the rebirth of OTR.
Below is a statement dated 6/22/09 from 3CDC (Cincinnati Center City Development Corp) in regard to the study:
“The study released today regarding Over-the-Rhine (OTR) focuses on approximately 20 square blocks, some of them not even located in OTR and is based on data that is more than two and a half years old. In fact, reported crime through 2008 in the area of OTR south of Liberty Street, known as OTR Gateway, is down 37% since 2004.
“OTR is 110 square blocks and includes several neighborhood districts including OTR Gateway, centered at the corner of 12th and Vine streets. This area, and other OTR census tract areas, was not part of the study.
“It is unfortunate and intellectually dishonest that the entire neighborhood was labeled in such a negative way. The fact is, $84 million has been invested in OTR Gateway since 2004 and new home owners and business owners are investing in the neighborhood. This past Saturday, a 5K run and day-long Summer Celebration arts festival brought about 2,000 people to the corner of 12th and Vine to shop, eat and listen to music. The only problem was that some of our vendors didn’t anticipate such a large crowd and ran out of food.”
“OTR is 110 square blocks and includes several neighborhood districts including OTR Gateway, centered at the corner of 12th and Vine streets. This area, and other OTR census tract areas, was not part of the study.
“It is unfortunate and intellectually dishonest that the entire neighborhood was labeled in such a negative way. The fact is, $84 million has been invested in OTR Gateway since 2004 and new home owners and business owners are investing in the neighborhood. This past Saturday, a 5K run and day-long Summer Celebration arts festival brought about 2,000 people to the corner of 12th and Vine to shop, eat and listen to music. The only problem was that some of our vendors didn’t anticipate such a large crowd and ran out of food.”
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