North Fairmount

Just 5 miles from Cincinnati central, a community that is no longer driven by the auto industry continues to evolve. Long-established North Fairmount, known as an urban enclave for immigrants in the late 1880s, has made room in recent decades for a massive Lick Run Greenway project — and it’s revitalizing the neighborhood’s entire southern edge. Part of a mandated upgrade of Cincinnati’s sewer system, the greenway restored life to a creek that had long been buried. Where abandoned buildings stood in disrepair, neighbors now enjoy an urban waterway of rainwater undulating through accessible and well-planned green spaces. Lawns, paved pathways and playgrounds welcome recreation. It’s all part of the Metropolitan Sewer District’s commitment to green technologies that allow the creek to naturally rise and fall. Locals also enjoy the Lick Run Heritage Trail through North Fairmount, which chronicles the community’s history on educational signs.

Along its quiet, gently rolling streets, porch steps that are traced with minimal lawn line well-worn sidewalks, and places of worship tuck in between residences. Two-story 1920s row houses with Italianate and Victorian details either show their age or are updated with bright trim and window awnings. Craftsman-style bungalows with covered porches and narrow, two-story American folk-style homes add to the housing mix. Anne Doran, Realtor with Comey and Shepherd, says, “In North Fairmount, you have homes that are move-in ready and others that need some remodeling. And you also have homes that need to be completely redone down to the studs.” Pricing is attractive to first-time buyers, ranging from $65,000 to around $150,000.

Public schools are in the Cincinnati Public Schools system, which Niche gives a B-minus grade. Kids can attend Rees E. Price Elementary through sixth grade and then head to their CPS high school of choice for grades seven through 12. Niche gives both Rees E. Price Elementary and North Fairmount’s Dater High School a C grade. Students can also apply by audition to attend the School for Creative and Performance Arts, which earns a B from Niche. In 2022, the SCPA earned U.S. News Best High School status, ranking nationally in the top 40% of high schools.

North Fairmount’s central attraction is the new Lick Run Greenway, stretching between and under freeways that are lined with vintage multistory buildings and forest buffer. Pedestrian bridges allow access to more than a mile of paved walking trails meandering past basketball courts and playscapes.

In 2015, the MSD also installed two rain gardens between Linden and Beekman streets, using native plants, gravel and soils to absorb and clean stormwater. Designed to complement the surrounding natural beauty, the gardens are unfenced and open to the public. They should, however, be treated with caution during storms as they can hold several inches of rain. Residents also enjoy a playground and paved and natural walking trails at St. Clair Heights, found at the elevated end of Fairmount Avenue.

“I always tell homebuyers considering a new neighborhood to do their research. Look at crime statistics in an area or what buildings are being refurbished or what new businesses are moving into the area. There are neighborhoods nearby like Price Hill and others on the south side of the west side, that when developers and businesses started investing, it really turned around.”

While you won’t find fine dining or large-name grocers right within North Fairmount’s streetscapes, residents can pick up convenience groceries at local mini-marts and reach a Walmart Supercenter just 5 miles west. Nearby Camp Washington Chili is a favorite go-to for spicy bowls, and a few miles south in East Price Hill, locals can dine al fresco with a sweeping Cincinnati skyline view at Incline Public House. Blending history with a progressive new green space, North Fairmount brings you close to Cincinnati’s downtown at a comparatively affordable price.

Written By

Lia Girard

Photography Contributed By

Daniele Giuseppe Del Gaudio

Video By

Paris Lape