Asked to describe what they like about College Hill, residents most often use the word diversity. They like the diversity of age, race, income and life-style of their neighbors. They appreciate College Hill's variety of housing options that makes it possible for many to spend a lifetime without leaving the neighborhood. They like the neighborly feeling that College Hill's eclectic mix of stone, brick and wood homes of every style in every price range gives. They like being only minutes away from the advantages of city life while being able to take take walks on tree-lined streets watch their kids play in the parks and forested areas in and around the community.

College Hill, Cincinnati’s fourth largest and most diverse neighborhood, owes much of its character to the nineteenth-century colleges that gave the neighborhood its name. Though Farmers’ College and the Ohio Female College are long gone, their bucolic campuses left a legacy of park-like streets.

The abolitionist sympathies of the area's early families and college faculty began a tradition of racial integration well before the Civil War.

Large retirement homes, several more than a century old, make the neighborhood a haven for elderly people, while an abundance of cottage-style homes attract young families, and neat apartments, many dating from the 1920s, accommodate renters.

From its earliest days, when settlers dreamed of educating a new generation of American pioneers, College Hill has remained a welcoming home to people of all ages, races, and classes. It is truly a country village within city limits.

There is an unmistakable sense of community among College Hill residents. They participate energetically in the civic groups devoted to neighborhood improvement. Many are active in one of the several churches that serve the community. They stop to chat with their neighbors while walking with the kids and the family dog and they organize neighborhood parties on summer nights. They like being greeted by name by long-time local merchants, whose stores continue to draw former College Hill residents back to shop.

Trees, close-knit community and reasonable home prices keep residents happy.

For more about the character of College Hill, read Laura Goldberg's 1996 Cincinnati Enquirer article, which still gives a good feel for what College Hill is like. See it here.