Middletown South
Printed From: MiddletownUSA.com
Category: Middletown Community
Forum Name: Community Events
Forum Description: Post and discuss area events, upload photos and pdf.
URL: http://www.middletownusa.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=2465
Printed Date: May 16 2024 at 9:52pm
Topic: Middletown South
Posted By: Kujani1840
Subject: Middletown South
Date Posted: Dec 27 2009 at 7:18pm
| What are your views on South Main Street? My wife and I are originally from Hamilton and Fairfield and we now reside in Georgia. We are looking to move back. We love the houses in the Middletown South area but we hear many conflicting opinions from friends and family. Any helpful suggestions would be appreciated. |
Replies:
Posted By: swohio75
Date Posted: Dec 27 2009 at 9:19pm
| http://www.sibcycline.com/viewlisting.asp?mls=1158910&b=CIN&p=RESI&s=SFRD&m=1&sender=SearchResults&a=502-S-Main-St-Middletown-South-OH-45044 |
Posted By: Kujani1840
Date Posted: Dec 27 2009 at 10:05pm
| Ok, I'm not looking for a realtor to find me a home. Obviously, I'm already looking at houses in the area or I wouldn't have posted this. I'm just looking for some opinions from residents, not suggestions for houses. Thanks. |
Posted By: Bocephus
Date Posted: Dec 27 2009 at 10:38pm
|
I really like the houses on the south main area but as far as living there Im just not sure as I have never lived there.If you want an older house to restore etc... You could try the newly created historical district (the one around the old hospital) its a much "nicer" area in my opinion.The houses on south main are not worth 285,000 like the one listed in the above post.No way no how.But then again its just my opinion. |
Posted By: spiderjohn
Date Posted: Dec 28 2009 at 6:39am
|
beautiful home
the price is only the beginning
heating that place has to be rough--steam heat still!
but if you have a couple hundred thou to renovate-and don't operate retail instead work in a profession that doesn't need local customers..............
would love to have a new quality family in town
nothing is happening in that area
poor schools no shopping or dining of any type near by
hope house just down the street-big negative
good library is the only +
many other GREAT values on newer classics in town
your choice
good luck!
|
Posted By: VietVet
Date Posted: Dec 28 2009 at 6:43am
| JMO- you don't want to go down too far toward Barnitz Stadium. The further south you go on S. Main, the more "questionable" it becomes as to value. Need to stay up toward the "Sorg Mansion"/Old South Park end of the street. Again, JMO. |
Posted By: Pacman
Date Posted: Dec 28 2009 at 6:55am
|
Spider what do you mean no shopping or dining in the area. Didn't you read the Sibcy Cline Propaganda on this joint and I quote:
"Shopping
Historic South Main Street offers eclectic shopping opportunities in a scenic downtown. 63 stores and eateries fill the popular Towne Mall located at St. Rt. 122 and Cincinnati Dayton Rd. Numerous strip malls, both chains and fast food restaurants line the highway access to the downtown. Local merchants fill the needs of residents with convenient shopping in many neighborhoods. For the bargain enthusiast, Cincinnati Premium Outlet, with over 100 stores, is a short drive away."  |
Posted By: randy
Date Posted: Dec 28 2009 at 7:42am
|
I live in the area, not on South Main but close enough and it is not as bad as many would have you believe. Are the houses worth the price probable not. Is it an area that needs some good people in it...yea it is. Too listen to everyone else it's the worst part of town. This is not the case at all. I do agree that in order to shop you'll need to go across town or even to Trenton. I do hope you decide to move to town, and the South Main area is just s nice as any other part of town. ------------- Call me for a www.CameraSecurityNow.com" rel="nofollow - www.CameraSecurityNow.com quote 513-422-1907 x357 |
Posted By: wasteful
Date Posted: Dec 28 2009 at 9:51am
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This must be the "scenic downtown".
 |
Posted By: Mr. Dave
Date Posted: Dec 28 2009 at 10:02am
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I just love how people are so negative all the time. Here someone ask a legitimate question and one or two people actually answer the question, Everybody else just talks about what Middletown doesn't have or why someone shouldn't move here. You people are something else, I read these post everyday and people are always asking why city officials wont come here and answer questions, do you really not know. I cant blame them for not wanting to come to a site and be belittled.
If you people spent half as much time out in the community doing something positive as you did on here complaining about everything and everyone maybe you would see some change in this town.
|
Posted By: wasteful
Date Posted: Dec 28 2009 at 10:18am
| Hey Dave please enlighten us as to the "Scenic Downtown" and the "Popular Towne Mall". Sometimes the truth hurts and some people just like walking around with blinders on, ignoring the facts. |
Posted By: VietVet
Date Posted: Dec 28 2009 at 10:23am
| Mr. Dave- we are just frustrated at the direction and condition of our town. We care- just don't know who to talk to, to discuss our issues. Can't address the issues in the Council meetings- Mulligan and company won't answer our questions and engage in any dialogue. Try e-mails- sometimes they respond- most don't. Try Letters To The Editor- they won't respond to those either. Short of driving to their house and knocking on their door, (resulting on the cops being called, I'm sure), we can't seem to get them to listen to us "complainers". You state "if you people spent half as much time out in the community doing something positive as you did on here complaining about everything and everyone maybe you would see some change in this town." Perhaps- BUT- it is awfully hard gearing yourself up to do something positive in this town, when you are overwhelmed by the group of city leaders that make such high impact/wrong direction/ town destroying decisions on a routine basis, completely overshadowing anything positive that you could possibly come up with. How else can you explain how the city went from a prosperous, respectable working-class town to what we see today? The downfall in the last 30 years has been a result of the city leadership decisions concerning the direction of this town made by the very people you are attempting to defend. Why would you support these people? JMO |
Posted By: Mr. Dave
Date Posted: Dec 28 2009 at 10:25am
| Wasteful, I am assuming you can read, I never said that Middletown had a scenic downtown or that theTown Mall was a popular place. I asked why you and everyone else have to focus on the negative all the time. Why not tell this person that South Main is close to Smith Park, which is a nice park. why not tell them that Middletown is going through some changes and we are hopeful that things will get better here and we would welcome some new people to town. Instead you post a pic that says just the opposite. Dont you grow tired of being such a negative person? |
Posted By: Mr. Dave
Date Posted: Dec 28 2009 at 10:37am
| Mr. Vet, First and Foremost: I hope your wife is feeling better and that you had a nice Christmas. As for my supporting these city leaders...I do not at all I believe what they have down to my city is shameful. But I do not need Mr. Mulligan or Mrs. Gilleland's permission to do something positive in this town. Vet, I do not claim to have the answers on how to fix this town, I do know that it is not an easy job. All I am saying is lets try to focus on the good things for a few min. |
Posted By: Bobbie
Date Posted: Dec 28 2009 at 10:57am
| WOW - what a sells job on the demographics. My sides are hurting so bad from laughing at that. Seriously, I know of someone that was interested in this paticular home and they said there were a lot of updates that needed to be done. just check it out for yourself to make sure that is what you are wanting to do. Also have your realtor give you the list of what can and can not be done to this house as it is in a historical district (there are restrictions). Since you live in Georgia - you need to come see the area for yourself, everyone will have there own opinions on what they consider to be a good area or not. |
Posted By: lrisner
Date Posted: Dec 28 2009 at 11:14am
|
Mr Dave, I am sorry to have to say this, but you MUST be a Realtor or have some other Business Interest in promoting Middletown. Our fair City has, and will continue, to decline. The attitude in City Hall has clearly shown that they are "Business as usual" and that unfortunately will cause the Decline to gather more Steam. What Plan has been put in place to deal with the failing Infrastructure? None! They are committed to let the streets fail to such a point as to FORCE the Citizens to vote a Repair Levy in place. I personally will not vote for one even if Central Ave is in Gravel. How can anyone be "positive" when things are as they are? Only the naive, or the Financially involved, in my opinion! I hope to bring change thru Educating People to the problems and HOPE that enough listen so that there will someday be a vocal Majority demanding the "Right Stuff". Ms City Mamager saying that the Down Town "is Booming" does nothing but hurt the City's Credibility as it is a Blantant Spin , at best! We need action, not lame PR. |
Posted By: Mr. Dave
Date Posted: Dec 28 2009 at 11:36am
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[QUOTE=lrisner]Mr Dave, I am sorry to have to say this, but you MUST be a Realtor or have some other Business Interest in promoting Middletown.
No I am not in the Real estate biz, nor do I have a Biz interest in promoting Middletown. what I am is citizen that has lived here his entire life and is sick to death of everyone just talking SH*& about Middletown. GO out and do something to help the town. If you dont like council go down there and tell them, least Vet shows up there ( yes Vet I see you there) You act like someone else should do the work that you bitch about, why not help out some.
|
Posted By: VietVet
Date Posted: Dec 28 2009 at 11:38am
| Mr. Dave- Thank you for your compassion. It is appreciated. She is doing outpatient rehab, once a week. Has feeling in her left arm and leg, but still can't move them. I have a new respect for the care-givers and the patience and mental capacity to deal with constant giving of themselves to the care of the patient. My son, his wife and I are currently learning the patience and mental capacity thing as we are constantly tending to her needs. Have called all the Butler County agencies that deal with her situation. We don't qualify- must have an income below 24 thou and must be 65. We are above 24 thou and she is 58. We go on. A life changer- for sure! |
Posted By: swohio75
Date Posted: Dec 28 2009 at 11:52am
Gotcha. I am not a realtor btw. Purchasing a home in the South Main Historical District is risky. If you do purchase, I would not consider it an investment for long-time financial growth, but rather as a place to live. If you are going to purchase, now is probably the right time with values where they are at. I agree with those who say that you should consider homes closer to First Avenue--and I will add those that back up to Forest Hills Country Club. PRISM seems to be a strong neighborhood association, so that is a big plus. Recent zoning changes in the area are also positive for homeowners in the District. Makes it more difficult to sub-divide the larger homes into rentals. Should downtown see revitalization (and we are talking 15-20 years in the making), it could (and that's a very big could) pay off for you in the long-run. If you are willing to make that kind of commitment. Personally, I believe downtown will eventual turn around, but it is going to take some time. It will never be the commercial/office district it was in its heyday though. It takes a certain kind of person to own, restore and maintain a historical home. You need to ask yourself if you are up to it. There are also plenty of older homes in Middletown. The new Highlands Historic District around the hospital. The Sunset area and Park Place just east of downtown. The homes may not be as large and may not have as much character, but you don't see a lot of cookie cutter like you would in new subdivisions. As I said, I am not a realtor, but here are a few other options to consider: http://www.sibcycline.com/viewlisting.asp?mls=1199796&b=CIN&p=RESI&s=SFRD&m=1&sender=SearchResults&a=1-McKnight-Dr-Middletown-South-OH-45044 My personal favorite at the moment on the market: http://www.sibcycline.com/viewlisting.asp?mls=1183643&b=CIN&p=RESI&s=SFRD&m=1&sender=SearchResults&a=615-Stanley-St-Middletown-South-OH-45044 http://www.sibcycline.com/viewlisting.asp?mls=1184419&b=CIN&p=RESI&s=SFRD&m=1&sender=SearchResults&a=2709-Flemming-Rd-Middletown-South-OH-45042 http://www.sibcycline.com/viewlisting.asp?mls=1199330&b=CIN&p=RESI&s=SFRD&m=1&sender=SearchResults&a=107-Ardmore-Dr-Middletown-North-OH-45042 http://www.sibcycline.com/viewlisting.asp?mls=1171762&b=CIN&p=RESI&s=SFRD&m=1&sender=SearchResults&a=2606-Flemming-Rd-Middletown-North-OH-45042 http://www.sibcycline.com/viewlisting.asp?mls=1182431&b=CIN&p=RESI&s=SFRD&m=1&sender=SearchResults&a=117-Kenwood-Dr-Middletown-North-OH-45042 http://www.sibcycline.com/viewlisting.asp?mls=1191323&b=CIN&p=RESI&s=SFRD&m=1&sender=SearchResults&a=3201-McGee-Ave-Middletown-South-OH-45044 Not sure what your price range is, but there are a variety of options above. I have also heard that Hook Mansion on Alameda Circle is on the market for sale by own with a price of around $600k. Heard it may end up in foreclosure. Happy House hunting. And hopefully a welcome to Middletown. |
Kujani1840 wrote:Posted By: SupportMiddletown
Date Posted: Dec 28 2009 at 12:20pm
|
I agree with swohio.
South Main may not give you a great ROI when you move, but it could be a great place to live. The neighbors seem to have created good community, the architecture is beautiful, and downtown amenities (i.e. library, post office, YMCA, etc.) are very close by.
As far as crime, I have heard mixed reviews. The neighborhood is certainly liveable, though, no question. Since you are from Hamilton, I will suggest it is very similar to Dayton Lane historic district. The core varies from the surrounding neighborhood.
While closer proximity to First Avenue is preferrable, the future of Forest Hills Country Club could be development. Although the club has been revived thanks to the closing of Armco Park, the long-term is a question. Not that development is a negative thing, but if you don't want your surroundings to change or be under construction, it is something to consider.
Indeed, the Highlands is a great alternative for a historic home, but can be pricey (similar to Highland Park or Forest Hills in Hamilton). Upper Arlington around Sunset Park has some great homes as well, as does Arlington (streets south of Central just to the west and down the hill from the Highlands). Both are more affordable. We have friends who have lived in Arlington for many years and really enjoy it. ------------- |
Posted By: spiderjohn
Date Posted: Dec 28 2009 at 2:30pm
|
wow Mr.Dave
since I was an early responder, I assume you talk at me about negativity and no involvement.
I was trying to be as honest as possible to a potential new up-scale resident, as opposed to the realtor blurb.
I toured many homes there and the Highland district b4 buying a comparable home elsewhere. I have lived here 50+ years in every part of this town and know it pretty well.
I have also been involved in the community in many ways, also frequenting Council/Commission meetings until I wore out my welcome. Vet has seen me there on many occasions.
I currently serve on two city boards and have served on others(chairing one for 2 terms).
Not sure that I will be re-appointed next year, though the board/dept. wants me. Council/Admin may not.
The community has treated me very well, and I try to return the favor.
So--if you imply that I don't back up my talk or am completely negative, I would strongly disagree with you.
But that is ok--think however you like.
|
Posted By: Mr. Dave
Date Posted: Dec 28 2009 at 3:20pm
| Spider, I was not talking about you, I do know who you are and I know all that you have done and do in this town. It does get old though watching all these people here talk so negatively about the city I have lived in for more than 30 years. |
Posted By: lrisner
Date Posted: Dec 28 2009 at 3:50pm
Wow, 30 years! Well, I have been here for 53 years. Does that trump you? I gave up on "Community Involvement" a long time ago. To have them listen to you, you first have to join the Club. In order to "jion" the Club, you have to give up your own ideas and just embrace those that they give you. If you say you have never experience that, then you are naturally in line with them already. Try bringing up something they do not want to hear and see how welcome you feel. There is a "Cliche" Group that runs things and if you are outside that Group, you had better be a Member of some protected Class or have lots of Money, because short of those things you will not be listened to. I saw it many times, including some that involved Spider, so I certainly know where He is coming from. |
Posted By: Mr. Dave
Date Posted: Dec 28 2009 at 4:14pm
|
wow, your older than me good for you, does that mean you know more or are smarter than me...I think not. Why does everyone think you need to be apart of some group approved the city to do anything. Who is stopping you from taking part in things in your own neighborhood. To have them listen to you they should be a quitter, do you really need permission to take part in community involvement? Myself and several of my neighborers go out once a week and clean up OUR street and look after one another. That Sir is community involvement.
I do not like the city leaders in OUR town but i do not them or anyone else dictate what i am gonna do. Maybe if you didn't you would see a different Middletown, but you just keep on waiting for someone else to fix the problem, that will get it done. It's people like you (those that give up) that make this town not worth fighting for, not the city leaders or the "THEY" you speak of.
|
Posted By: viper771
Date Posted: Dec 28 2009 at 5:08pm
| I just bought a house on Yankee and it isn't bad there... as long as you don't go past south park. Between the other far end of South park... towards 8th ave, the area between Yankee and S Main becomes kind of iffy. The whole reason why I moved there was to fix up and old house. At the time, there were no houses for sale on South Main, otherwise I would have most likely bought one there, but I am happy on Yankee. Nobody bothers us and our neighbors have been really nice. House is in solid shape too.. |
Posted By: lrisner
Date Posted: Dec 28 2009 at 7:13pm
Thank you for being Rude! Now i can say it "Myyy way" ( thx Franko!). You are an Idiot Sir! I only referenced my "seniority" BECAUSE you said "30 yrs" like it GAVE you credibility. As to Community Involvement, are you so thick you did not understand that I gave up doing that, probably when you were a Child, because of the reasons I LISTED. Please reread if you have a comprehension Problem. You talk like you are Liberal. Are you? Liberals always think THEIR way is the right way and that any one disagreeing is clearly a quiter. I am a bit of a quiter. I am going to quit trying to make you understand a point other than your own. Obviously that is a waste of time. Your right and everyone else is wrong. |
Posted By: Mr. Dave
Date Posted: Dec 28 2009 at 7:26pm
| Not sure how well versed you are in punctuation , but !!! those exclamation points tend to mean yelling, which is what you used in your original comment about my age. So dont start yelling if you cant take it. You are the one said that you gave up, dont be mad when I call you on it. As for being a Liberal, I dont think so, I just hate people that are negative and blame everyone else for the problems we face. If you want to see change you have to step up and make it happen, Dont be a quitter. |
Posted By: Kujani1840
Date Posted: Dec 28 2009 at 9:06pm
| Some of you have been very helpful and I appreciate the time that you have taken to give me some personal insight. It seems that a lot of others just want to argue with each other about , well, anything really. From what I can gather from the useful comments, Middletown is a lot like Hamilton; there are nice areas and not so nice areas. Our main concern as far as the area is the crime. We're not real thrilled about the school system based upon the research that we have done, but our children won't be starting for a few years and we'll be able to explore private schools or other alternatives by then if they haven't improved. To the person that sent me the like to the house, I apologize if I sounded like an ass in my response, but I thought that I may have given the wrong impression with my question. Someone mentioned about the job of keeping up an historic home; is there anything different to caring for a home that is historic as far as ordinances or is it just the size of the house, etc? Would the 500-700 block of South Main Street be considered the nicer part or is it closer to the bad part? I've noticed a lot of press and comments about Section 8 housing; is Section 8 scattered throughout Middletown or is it isolated? Where are the apartment complexes located? In my experience I have found that crime normally surrounds apartment complexes. With the Section 8 housing and rental property, it's usually not as bad because there are usually home owners amongst them so the area doesn't look as bad. Unfortunately, renters don't normally care about the house that they're renting so they don't do a whole lot with them. However, with today's economy a lot of good people find themselves having to lease and rent homes, often times leading to the purchase of the home; do you find that to be true in the area? I've also seen many comments about North, South, East, New Middletown....what is the significance of the areas? We're looking to move into an early 1900s home and we understand that it will most likely need significant work, which we are OK with. We're not looking to flip a house, but to make it our home for several years. Does anyone know anything about the 7th Avenue area near South Main? I've noticed a lot of multi family homes for sale; has anyone heard of someone buying the homes to make them single family homes again? The homes did look to be in good condition from the pictures, so hopefully someone who cares about the property will keep them in good shape and insist on good tenants. There doesn't seem to be much faith in the local community leaders from all of the complaining. It sounds like a lot of Middletown's problems stem from irresponsible leadership. Why would a city put all of their financialy "eggs" into one basket (ie AK Steel). If they could have built other businesses around AK and encouraged local business owners and helped them with their businesses, they could have probably done much better. I've asked a lot of questions and you all could tell me to jump off of a bridge, but I do appreciate your time. Even though I hear a lot of negative comments on these blogs I will say that Middletown looks very nice from the pictures, anyway. Whether or not we wind up living amongst you, we sincerely hope that someone will take charge and make Middletown beautiful again. It is such a shame to see these beautiful old buildings neglected so much. I also hate to see people wanting them torn down because they're old. New buildings always look new no matter how they're designed. Any town can have nice new buildings, but a town that takes pride in its' history and preserves its' heritage is something special. Thank you. |
Posted By: Upper90
Date Posted: Dec 28 2009 at 9:06pm
| Wow folks, no wonder people are moving out. Anyway, to me from the old fish place down to the stadium I hardly see any activity. I know several families that have lived in that stretch with no problems. There are far far worse places to live for certain. There are no places to go within a few miles and don't kid yourselves that their is for modern entertainment. Union Centre area, Bridgewater heck even the Greene in Beavercreek are not that far if you want wined and dined or even Cincinnati. That stretch of houses is beautiful, when I tell people I am from Middletown they almost always mention those homes. Franklin has a similar area by the lion bridge as does Hamilton on Dayton and then even better on D street, top end. I now live in a boring subdivision and wish I would have chosen something different, it is great house with nice neighbors but I feel like Ward Cleaver is going to show up at any moment. The best place I ever lived was in the gaslight area of Clifton - beautiful old homes, a real entertainment district, eclectic folks and a weird sense of safety, real or not. But for almost 300K right now you could find a steal out in one of the townships, 2-5 acres nice house, etc. It is a hard call because your kids won't have a cul de sac to play which is a great benefit to sub living. |
Posted By: Kujani1840
Date Posted: Dec 28 2009 at 9:10pm
| I apologize for my typos, but I didn't proof read it until after I had posted my reply. |
Posted By: Kujani1840
Date Posted: Dec 28 2009 at 9:18pm
| Thanks for the information. We're still not even sure if we'll be moving or not but if we do we would really like to get one of the houses that I mentioned. Now, we're not looking for the house on 502 Main, even though it is breath taking, but it is just WAY too big. I don't know what kind of problems it has, but it looks like a good deal from the pictures, anyway. My friends and family that I have asked about the area pretty much say the same thing; Middletown is a ghost town, but there aren't a lot of problems (crime) out there. I spent 27 years living in Butler County living in the county part of Hamilton, so I'm familiar with the crime in Hamilton. Right now we're still excited about moving there and we hope to be able to view some of the homes that we're interested in before too much longer. Thanks again. |
Posted By: viper771
Date Posted: Dec 28 2009 at 9:41pm
| I do hope you find the perfect home for your family... Middletown or otherwise :) |
Posted By: Pacman
Date Posted: Dec 28 2009 at 10:51pm
Does Section 8 help or hurt city?In the past 10 years, residents using the program have more than doubled.By Ed Richter, Staff Writer
1:02 AM Sunday, July 19, 2009
MIDDLETOWN — While the term “Section 8” may evoke different ideas in the minds of Middletonians, it is a public program meant to provide rent subsidies for low- to moderate-income families to live in safe, decent and clean housing. Its roots date back to the federal laws enacted during the Great Depression, and now Section 8 also includes programs that provide housing assistance to the elderly and disabled in public and private complexes and rental houses. Jim Cunningham of the Cincinnati office of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, said the “tenant-based program allows people to rent on the open market. The tenant pays 30 to 40 percent of the rent.” Cunningham said tenants pay their portion to the landlord while the housing authority pays the difference in the rent for units that must meet HUD housing quality standards. According to HUD regulations, there is no limit on how long a person may keep a voucher, so long as the income limits — no more than 50 percent of the median income for the county or city — are not exceeded. Also, the vouchers are portable and can be used anywhere in the United States. HUD spends more than $16.8 billion annually on the housing choice program that nationally assists more than 1.4 million households. Growth of Section 8 The 1,662 housing choice vouchers assigned to the Middletown Public Housing Authority represent about 7 percent of the city’s households. As of Wednesday, July 15, there were 1,576 active vouchers in use, according to the city’s Community Revitalization Department. While it has been proposed to reduce the number of vouchers to about 800 through attrition, Middletown City Council has not moved forward with the proposal. “I believe that the Section 8 program is a good program that benefits people in need,” said City Manager Judy Gilleland. “We need to ensure that Middletown residents have access to affordable housing, and Section 8 vouchers help to that end.” Middletown, along with Parma, are the only two municipally run public housing agencies in Ohio. Throughout the rest of the state, public housing is overseen by county or multicounty housing authorities. Lucrative leases In its 2009 budget, the city projected to receive more than $11.75 million in federal funding for the Section 8 voucher program. The number of vouchers in Middletown has more than doubled from 767 in 2000 to 1,662 in 2009. In federal funding, that has grown from $2.47 million in 2000 that is pumped into the city’s economy. The program is big business for local landlords, with some owning as many as 20 to more than 40 rental units. Housing ‘imbalance’ In 2008, Gilleland proposed transferring the 30-year-old program to the Butler Metropolitan Housing Authority because the city was not equipped to administer the complex program. She also cited the imbalance of Section 8 housing vouchers in Middletown compared to Butler County, which has just under 1,000. Middletown holds more than 50 percent of the housing choice vouchers in Butler County, yet the city only represents about 15 percent of the county’s population. The city’s poverty rate also nearly doubled the past eight years from 12 to 22 percent. She said the city in the past acquired vouchers “without a conscious conversation with Council.” City staff in 2000, 2001, 2002 and 2003 wrote letters of support in applications seeking an additional 790 vouchers. The applications were prepared by CONSOC Housing Consultants of Columbus, which has managed the program for the past 19 years. Council gave its approval as part of its annual consolidated plan sent to HUD. Although City Council capped the number of vouchers at 1,554, HUD also converted 108 site-based units to the housing choice program, which increased the total to its current level at 1,662 vouchers. Addressing issues “The city of Middletown has experienced issues with Section 8 housing,” Gilleland said. “The city wasn’t doing its due diligence with housing inspections and criminal activity among the residents of Section 8 residents.” In May, City Council ratified a new three-year contract with CONSOC, and both are now working on updating the administrative plan and policies to ensure there is quality housing and to curtail criminal activity, Gilleland said. Some tenants involved in criminal activity already have lost vouchers. “We’ve tightened up the provisions ... and we’re confident that there will be major improvements in the Section 8 program in the very near future,” she said. “In fact, we’ve seen some positive changes already.” |
Posted By: Pacman
Date Posted: Dec 28 2009 at 10:57pm
| Kujani1840 the school system is a major problem. I moved here 6 years ago with the same assumption as you that the school system would improve before my child got to Middle School it didn't happen and I don't see it happening anytime In the next 10+ years under the current circumstances. My son now goes to private school. |
Posted By: Kujani1840
Date Posted: Dec 28 2009 at 11:25pm
| That's what I was afraid of, Pacman. What are some of the private schools in the area that are reasonable and successful? |
Posted By: Pacman
Date Posted: Dec 29 2009 at 5:16am
|
The two area Private schools that are probably the most well known are:
Middletown Christian School
http://www.mcseagles.net/ - http://www.mcseagles.net/
John XXIII Elementary/Bishop Fenwick High School
http://www.john23middletown.org/j23/ - http://www.john23middletown.org/j23/
http://www.fenwickfalcons.org/ - http://www.fenwickfalcons.org/
My son goes to Middletown Christian and he loves it there. Cost is about $4500.00+ a year. The other option is to enroll your kids in the surrounding Public schools districts with open enrollment. There are several excellent school districts in surrounding areas. Madison or Monroe, etc.
|
Posted By: wasteful
Date Posted: Dec 29 2009 at 8:14am
Dave like I said people with Blinders on. Dave being truthful is not being negative. Telling the world that "Middletown has a Bright Future" under the current circumstances is being less than truthful.
We as citizens want answers and actions to:
Reduce Poverty
Reduce Section 8
Improve and maintain our Infrastructure
Improve our schools
Shore up our business community
The Amenities that come with a City of 50k population
Control Crime
Be able to have a dialog with our leaders
etc. etc. etc. etc.
Now being a good neighbor which I am sure most if not all of us on here are is not going to solve the major issues of this city. If you want the fluff and the nicey nice talk just turn on TV Middletown daily and you will get plenty of it as they do not have discussions about the above issues.
Are there quick fixes for the above nope, but ignoring the citizens unless they have the right last name or a big fat wallet isn't the answer. Pretending the issues don't exist doesn't make them go away. Telling people that Middletown is currently a wonderful place to live doesn't either, especially when they are talking about dropping a boat load of money on some property.
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Posted By: spiderjohn
Date Posted: Dec 29 2009 at 8:41am
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new potential resident--the BEST real estate values are in mid-city imo.
Plenty of wonderful/interesting homes at very good pricing.
Puts you closer to what amenities are available.
You could play the schooling issue many different ways when the time comes, and the local district can only get better.
Honestly, crime in Middietown is pretty much pg rated when compared to serious locations.
Come here--be nice, helpful and constructively involved-we will love you and help you however possible
These are very good people here--just ignored by our local government, which will be changing faces through the next election--guaranteed
I like the S Main old mansion and would try it if I had a family or the talent to fix it up
There is another nice piece in the Highland area for big $$ that could also be a masterpiece, though the asking price + fix-up makes it a bad investment imo.
jmo
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Posted By: Laubach
Date Posted: Dec 29 2009 at 9:08am
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kujani1840; My name is Josh Laubach. As a Middletown City Councilman, I would love to see you and your family move to Middletown. Although we have suffered setbacks, we have a great deal to offer those looking to find a solid community with great character and potential. Please email me and I would be happy to assist you with any information I can. If I don't know it, I will point you in the right direction. Thanks, Josh |
Posted By: Laubach
Date Posted: Dec 29 2009 at 9:14am
| Sorry. My email is joshual@cityofmiddletown.org |
Posted By: randy
Date Posted: Dec 29 2009 at 9:27am
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Wasteful & Mr. Dave, Here is my problem with this whole discussion you two are having. Dave wants us to focus on the positive of which there is not that much of and Wasteful wants us to focus on the negative which there is too much of. My question for both of you and for all reading this post, is this....why do you not attend council meetings? I go to everyone and it's all ways the same couple of people there, the SpiderJohn's the Mike Presta's and the Vet's. Why dont all of you show up, fill out a citizens comment card and speak your mind? And please dont tell me it's because you get no answer from council or you get the standard "we are not set up to answer question's at this time." i have been there and hear those response to, so what, go anyway. If 50 people showed up ready to talk it might open some eyes. If the next week 100 showed up it might send a message.It's not about Council answering you it's about showing them you are willing to come down there and tell them just how you feel, ask one of them a question directly, If they dont answer come back next week and ask again, tell them you will be back next week. There is a room full of people there and many watching on TV Middletown show them the way council is acting. Turn to the TV Middletown cameras and ask the citizens watching to come down and join you next week.
Mr. Dave you are right about one, you should never let someone else dictate what you do or say.
Glad to see you stop by Mr. Laubach. Cant wait to see you in action on the 5th. ------------- Call me for a www.CameraSecurityNow.com" rel="nofollow - www.CameraSecurityNow.com quote 513-422-1907 x357 |
Posted By: VietVet
Date Posted: Dec 30 2009 at 8:48am
| randy- they won't show up at council meetings to speak their mind for the same reasons they wouldn't show up at Nick Kidd's meeting a few years ago at the old Montgomery Ward building, nor the Sunday Library sessions a while back, the 3rd Ward Marconi thing at the Senior Citizens Center nor the "Meet The Candidates" sessions before the last election ........they are angry, frustrated and feel helpless and without a voice, but they won't get up off the couch, jump in the car and come to the meetings to voice their feelings or ask questions. The old "Apathy Disease" is always with us. Apparently, it's going to take much more than what is currently happening to get the people out in numbers. I guess the town just hasn't gotten bad enough yet or the people haven't been personally affected enough by the city for them to react. Too busy fighting the day to day problems at home to add another problem fighting the city, or, they would just rather move out of the city and leave it all behind. Alot of people sitting on the sidelines watching but not wanting to get in the game. JMO |
Posted By: randy
Date Posted: Dec 30 2009 at 11:47am
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Vet, It's too bad that people feel this way. Until people come out and stand up, and make those in charge listen you cant bitch JMO. It's no different with voting, if you don't vote you cant complain. So if people want to say "this is whats wrong with our city, and this is what should be done" they need to do it at a meeting at least once. You and I have spoken many times at these meetings, along with Spider, Presta and Nagy. I know people are busy, hell we are all busy but this is our town and if you really want to see some change then one would make time to show up. If people are are SO frustrated ,as you say, one would think you would show up just to tell council to kiss your @$^ I am hopeful that some things will change with the new blood on Council, but it is still up to us to force change. ------------- Call me for a www.CameraSecurityNow.com" rel="nofollow - www.CameraSecurityNow.com quote 513-422-1907 x357 |
Posted By: Pacman
Date Posted: Dec 30 2009 at 12:23pm
| You guys as making some big assumptions about people you either don't know or have only met once or twice. |
Posted By: Kujani1840
Date Posted: Dec 30 2009 at 5:21pm
| I'm really beginning to wonder if we should move to Middletown with all of the hostility flowing between the members on here. I think I received a handful of helpful responses and the rest turned into everyone arguing. I understand that some of you believe that you're being helpful by being "honest" but to a prespective resident, you're giving us a very bad opinion. I do have questions for the council man, however. I'm not sure if he can or will answer them on here or not, but we're very concerned about the percentage of Section 8 housing in Middletown. We have relatives visiting and they say that Middletown is called "Section 8 town" by outside residents. According to my research, Middletown has twice as many Section 8 vouchers as the rest of the entire county! To me, that's absurd. Is that the only way that Middletown has to make money? Over 11 million dollars from the government? It sounds like welfare for the city to me. Even my friends outside the city can't believe that Middletown has resorted to collecting a check from the Federal government to get by. I hope it can get resolved. We would still like to move there but I hope that we can get more helpful suggestions. |
Posted By: VietVet
Date Posted: Dec 30 2009 at 7:13pm
| Well Pac, what other explanation would you have for the lack of interest, apathy and general malaise from the general populace of this town? IMO I'm not treating my statements as assumptions at all, but rather observations over time. I don't need to know each individual in town to make a generalized statement about the absence of enthusiasm and citizen involvement, do I? |
Posted By: VietVet
Date Posted: Dec 30 2009 at 7:22pm
| Kujani- you have just stated in your post one of the many reasons that are causing the negativity in our posts. Bingo! your Section 8 comments as to over abundance, using the program as a revenue generator instead of luring companies and employment to town for revenue (like most towns do), and the people outside Middletown calling us "section 8- welfare-low income- low class- etc. (image has gone down the toilet) ALL of these issues has infuriated us here on this site. You have just realized why we are all so angry! Now, you understand. |
Posted By: swohio75
Date Posted: Dec 30 2009 at 10:24pm
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Those of us, like myself, who try to look at Middletown and its future in a positive light often come under a lot of criticism on this site. However, just because we keep a positive attitude doesn't mean that we aren't equally as frustrated with some of what's happened in our town--in particular the Section 8 and subsidized housing issues.
That being said, Middletown’s future is in people who are willing to make an investment in our community, such as Kujani. And I could not be more thrilled that he or she is considering Middletown as home—and even more thrilled that he or she is looking at our historical district. I agree with Kujani that the bickering and negativity could be a big turn off for perspective residents that this community desperately needs. A lot of you hammer the city on not being business friendly. Take a look in the mirror and see just how friendly you are being to potential residents yourself. To answer your questions about the school district. I am a firm believer that a child can get a great education in Middletown’s schools, so long as education is a top priority in the family’s household. Middletown’s school “issues” are in the form of test scores. Research shows that low income kids perform poorer on tests, and with the abundance of low income kids in our district, it’s no wonder test scores are lower and progress is slower. The issue with purchasing a home in on South Main is the elementary school for that neighborhood—which is Rosa Parks Elementary. It has consistently been the poorest performing school in the district. Students, however, qualify for school of choice which I believe means you can send your child to another elementary school in Middletown. Middletown currently has two middle schools—Vail and Verity. They are both about equal in terms of performance, but Vail is the larger of the two schools. As long as your child gets on the “advanced” track in middle school and stays on that track through high school, he or she will be fine. Also, high school students can also enroll in Miami University Middletown coursework their junior year (I think), and it is right across the street from Middletown High School. As you probably have come to the conclusion, South Main Historical District is a mix of single family and converted multi-family homes. There are both single family and converted homes on the market at the moment. Converted homes tend to be less expensive. Some multi-family have been converted back to single family homes. Marty Kohler—Middletown’s Planning Director—lives in the district. He is currently restoring a home that was used as a nursing home for many years. I was in it a couple of years ago and saw some of the renovation. He would be an excellent resource for you. And because the house is part of a district that is listed on the National Register, you may be able to qualify for federal funds for help with renovation. I am no expert in that regard, but again, Marty may be willing to help you. Here are some amenities close to the historical district: Middletown Public Library—has been top rated in the nation Middletown Area YMCA The Great Miami Connection Recreation Trail which will eventually link up to Cincinnati and Dayton along the river. In Middletown, it connects you Smith Park. Middletown Tennis Club is on the edge of the district, which historically has been a top-notch club http://www.middletownsportscomplex.com/home/ You have a 9-hole golf course in the district with pretty reasonable rates to join the club—which also has a pool. Three long-time congregations within walking distance—First Methodist, St. Paul’s United Church of Christ and Bethlehem Lutheran Church. Catholic community not too far away either. Miami University Middletown has a center downtown with lots of activities There’s the Broad Street Bashes and other activities around Governor’s Square throughout the year. Used to be a Farmers Market—not sure. As far as shopping is concerned, there is a newer Kroger just down Main Street at Engles Corner along with a CVS. There are some restaurants in that area as well—mostly fast food. More fast food and convenience type places along Verity near Germantown Road. Downtown does not have much to offer in terms of dining and shopping at the moment, but I believe in the next five years Downtown could see a major transformation. There are some things in progress that could be very good for the area in general. There is a great spirit of volunteerism and giving back in Middletown. And there is still a lot of pride. And a lot of apathy. And a lot of frustration at the same time. Middletown has a great history, much potential and many challenges to overcome. But no community is perfect. You seem to like older homes. Middletown is a community full of them. West Chester, Mason, Monroe, Trenton, Springboro, eh not so much. |
Posted By: spiderjohn
Date Posted: Dec 31 2009 at 9:16am
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wow kujani--you concern yourself with banter between those posting here more so than the true assrssments of our community?
These are honest and reasonably accurate opinions of the city where WE live.
I am wondering if YOU are for real or just playing around.
SWOhio is presenting many legit positives about the area.
He obviously is knowledgeable and loves Middletown, seeing a much brighter future down the road.
We ALL hope for that.
Still--I don't believe that SWOhio lives or works anywhere near Middletown.
We have our negatives obviously, and you seem to want a fair appraisal of our community from those who frequent this forum.
Pretty much what you have recieved.
You might try the TV MIDDLETOWN website for replays of Council and Planning Comm.meetings to understand a little more.
And visit the Middletown Journal website for daily news and opinions.
We could use more mid-upper scale families, buying into our excellent real estate market.
Rosa Parks school is definitely on the improve with a young Mr.Edwards as the principal. He is a fine local man determined to make things better, and is doing so.
We have fine local restaurants--The Meadows,Stefano's,Java Johnny's.Taste of Memphis,Checkers,The Jug,The Anchor,Grecian Delight and others I regret not mentioning. Retail options are very thin and going the wrong direction. Still--as mentioned you aren't far away from every option(as you would know being from Hamiltucky). Atrium is a good medical facility.
Our local govt. is in transition and WILL be changing to a more citizen-friendly direction. THEY brought on the Section 8 glut to keep their job security and benefits. This direction has destroyed our retail environment, with NO help or involvement from city economic development. A real black mark against them.
We have a good, fair Mayor. A genuinely nice person who DOES care and listen. Don't really agree with his overall philosophy, but that is a work evolving. Our Council WILL be moving to a more receptive direction for citizen concerns and input. The old guard who has masterminded our decline is aging rapidly and beginning to lose their death grip on local govt.
We are just the concerned citizens.
We care very much, even though we don't always agree.
There is "right and wrong" in our opinions.
Hopefully we will sort through them and apply the best solutions to unification and a brighter future.
Our area formerly known as downtown and our empty retail centers can only get better. Same with our schools. We need real employment--nothing unusual to the Midwest industrial areas. Residents need income--not subsidy. Bail-outs are hardly the answer to anything.
Mr.Laubaugh is a fine young man who may well work to change t he direction of our city.
I like him very much, and have confidence in his approach and enthusiasm.
In essence--
you asked--we answered
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Posted By: Kujani1840
Date Posted: Dec 31 2009 at 4:39pm
| Spiderjohn, why would you doubt my sincerity? Do you think I have nothing better to do than to read hour after hour for days on end until 3 or 4 am about Middletown and the available homes? To watch every video on Youtube about Middletown? To read every newspaper article that I could find on Middletown? I live in Atlanta, Georgia. I could find something better to do than to waste your time. You have no idea how serious I was. My wife and I talked non stop for a month about moving to Middletown. We fell in love with the pictures of 700 South Main Street. We had already made many plans on what we could and would do with the house. We plan on opening a business near the area and even joked that if our business became successful enough we would buy more of the historic homes, renovate them and sell them to single families and personally save Middletown. Obviously, that's not even a remote possiblity even if we became millionaires. As far as my intention, we have decided to look elsewhere. Believe me, it is a very painful decision. I had my brother in law, who is a realtor, my sister and her husband and my best friend, who is a licensed housing inspector, go and check out 700 South Main Street and 514 South Main Street. They all agreed that both houses, the bones of them anyway, were absolutely beautiful. But they had been neglected for so long that it would take approximately $100k to renovate 700 South Main Street. We were trying to suprise our family so I was trying to use another realtor. She failed to mention to us that the house had been CONDEMNED and all of the windows were boarded up and that it had been used previously as what appears to be a homeless shelter. It needs a roof, wiring, plumbing, etc... 514 Main Street has had a lot of work done on the inside, but it has a big mold problem. They also found that quite a few of the other homes around it had their windows boarded up. Now, in all of my years as a police officer, I've worked in many neighborhoods that had many vacant homes. Not all of them had to board up the windows in order to keep them from being broken into or damaged. The ones that did were normally very bad neighborhoods with a lot of crime. Now, I'm hearing talk of an active gang problem from some of my police friends. I've considered all of those factors; the crime, section 8 problem, the condition of the homes, the state of the education (approximately 30% of students don't graduate and 2% attend college). I'm not trying to talk bad about anyone. It sounds to me like there are a lot of good people stuck in a bad town with not much hope. I'm not that brave of a person to subject my 2 toddler children to an uphill battle. |
Posted By: viper771
Date Posted: Dec 31 2009 at 5:33pm
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Franklin is a nice little town north of Middletown. I wanted to move there but I wasn't able to afford the old house that we wanted to get in the first place. Check out some of the houses on Oxford road and the historical society there was very helpful to me.
I am sorry to hear of your decision about Middletown but it is totally understandable. My wife and I are still new to the town but we know it will be an uphill battle for awhile. Good luck to you and your family, and I do hope you guys find your perfect home :)
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Posted By: Kujani1840
Date Posted: Dec 31 2009 at 8:29pm
| Thank you, I really appreciate that. We actually found a few homes in Franklin, one in the Mackinaw Historic District? They do look really nice. My friends will be looking at them this weekend. We do really like the area. We were so upset with the South Main houses. They looked so beautiful and have so much character. There are some older houses that are for sale in Middletown that look really nice, but ...... Anyway, thanks for helping out. Take care. |
Posted By: wasteful
Date Posted: Dec 31 2009 at 10:47pm
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Interesting how someone can read some Newspapers, Blogs, other web sites on the net and come to the reasonable conclusion that Middletown is over run with Section 8, all in the name of City Supporting itself on Federal Dollars.
Also interesting how Judy, Dave, Tony, Jim, Anita, Leslie, Larry and Bill can't see what has been done and continues to be done by them each month all for the almighty federal Dollar.
Destroy the City, destroy the Schools, destroy the will of the people. destroy the business community, destroy the infrastructure, destroy the job market and all for what...........to maintain a Power Grip on the city and push more dollars into a failing City Hall.
Thank You City Leaders.
All of a sudden 2010 is not looking so good.....................
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Posted By: Nelson R. Self
Date Posted: Jan 01 2010 at 6:09am
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My prayer in 2010 is for City Council members to insist upon transparency and accountability from senior City staff at One Donham Plaza. How refreshing it will be for average citizens to know what is really going on at City Hall and for senior staff to be held accountable for their actions (or inaction).
The truth will set the captives free !!
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Posted By: Mike_Presta
Date Posted: Jan 01 2010 at 6:45am
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Kujani:
I am glad that you got to the truth. Now that you have posted it, expect to be roundly criticized as being negative, a scoundrel, mis-informed, ignorant, lazy, hard-hearted and worse.
Good luck in Franklin, I am certain that you will be an asset to that community. ------------- “Mulligan said he ... doesn’t believe they necessarily make the return on investment necessary to keep funding them.” …The Middletown Journal, January 30, 2012 |
Posted By: spiderjohn
Date Posted: Jan 01 2010 at 7:02am
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kujani--if the S.Main St.properties were in good order, you wouldn't be able to buy them so cheaply.
Unless you go to an up-scale community, Ohio is full of similar issues in most areas.
Then again--you pay premium for real estate in those areas.
Honestly--I doubt that anything said on this message board would sway your family's decision on such an important decision.
We are what we are--same with Atlanta(which has it's own problems).
Best of luck to you--whatever you choose.
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Posted By: Kujani1840
Date Posted: Jan 01 2010 at 3:47pm
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Thank you Mikepresta and spiderjohn for your comments. I totally agree with your statement about the reason for the property being so cheap; however 100k worth of improvements on that house and it would be amazing, but with the condition of the neighborhood it doesn't warrant the investment, at least not now. I don't see anyone doing anything with those houses other than making them into multi family homes. If someone could come in and buy the entire block and restore them and sell them as single family homes, as my wife and I joked that we would, then they could make a difference. Just buying one and making it nice is going to help much. It would make a nice start, but unless something is done with the rest of the street, it's a waste of time and money.
As far as Atlanta, good grief, you are not lying there. Atlanta's problems are the same as Middletown's just on a much larger scale: poverty, housing conditions, mis management of funds, etc... Of course Atlanta also has a MUCH worse crime problem than Middletown will hopefully ever have with all of the gangs, illegal immigrants, the taxes are outrageous even to live in a dumpy neighborhood, plus they have corruption amongst City Hall. The last Mayor hired all of his friends and gave them 6 figure salaries with absolutely no responsibilites. He then bankrupted the city and moved to Florida. Of course he had to go to jail for a whole 6 months and brush up on his golf game. Some of his friends would clock in at work and then leave and go play golf, go shopping, go home or wherever they wanted to go. We actually live in a suburb of Atlanta.
I do appreciate the time everyone has taken in this forum. I am still a fan of Middletown and I hope that someone can revitalize it soon. Who knows, if I hit the lottery, I may still come in and buy up all the homes and "save" it anyway. Happy new year.
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Posted By: angelababy
Date Posted: Aug 18 2010 at 10:10pm
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If you want an older house to restore etc... You could try the newly created historical district ,would love to have a new quality family in town nothing is happening in that area,Too listen to everyone else it's the worst part of town. ------------- Welcome to my paintings website - http://www.wholesaleartmall.com - Wholesale Art Mall . |
Posted By: viper771
Date Posted: Aug 19 2010 at 12:11pm
| Yeah, everyone else thinks everything but the newer east side is the worst part of town ;) |