Most of the Cincinnati news outlets today trumpeted the fact that Hyde Park was named one of the 10 best neighborhoods in the US. While this isn’t that surprising (although I have seen many great neighborhoods in cities across the country that are comparable or better) what I found more interesting were the comments, quotes, and criteria used to judge the best neighborhoods.
Just look at some of items mentioned in the Enquirer article:
- “Hyde Park’s historic architecture makes it unique”
- “It really stands out from other areas of the city”
- The value its residents place on education
- “You have bikers, joggers and people walking around at night, It’s a nice atmosphere to be in”
- The good planning by the city that helped shape the neighborhood
- The active nature of the Hyde Park Neighborhood Council
Check, check, check, check, and well not so much.
But the single most defining factor that led the American Planning Association to name Hyde Park one of the top 10 communities in the country is provided by quote from Tre Jordan of the APA at the beginning of the Enquirer article – “It has a great balance of the residential and the commercial. That makes it a suburbanesque urban area.”
What? Retail being a key component of being a great neighborhood? No one wants a McDonalds drive thru or the Hofbrauhaus – just a good mix of locally owned stores such as coffee shops, bakeries or restaraunts.
“One of the things we work hardest at,” said Ann Gerwin, president of the council, “is trying to preserve the right mix of residential and business. We want to protect the residential character of the community while supporting the local businesses
