Avondale, Cincinnati facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Avondale
Neighborhood of Cincinnati
Carmel Presbyterian Church, Avondale
Avondale (red) within Cincinnati, Ohio
Country	United States
State	Ohio
County	Hamilton
City	Cincinnati
Population  (2020)
• Total	11,345
ZIP code	45229

Rockdale Avenue, Avondale, March 2019

Avondale is one of the 52 neighborhoods in Cincinnati, Ohio. It is a vibrant community and home to the famous Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden. In 2020, about 11,345 people lived here.

Avondale started as a quiet suburb. It became part of Cincinnati in 1896. In the early 1900s, many Jewish families lived here. Later, it became a community with a majority of African Americans. This change happened because of city development projects. Avondale was also where two important events happened in 1967 and 1968. These events were part of the larger Civil Rights Movement in the United States.

The neighborhood shares its borders with North Avondale, Evanston, Walnut Hills, Corryville, and Clifton.

A Look Back: Avondale's History

In the 1800s, Avondale was a peaceful countryside area. Most residents were white Protestants. They often had English or German backgrounds. The name "Avondale" came about in 1853. A wealthy ironworks owner's wife thought a stream behind her house looked like the Avon River in England. The area officially became a town on July 27, 1864.

Between the 1870s and 1890s, Avondale faced some problems. There were burglaries and public disturbances. Cincinnati took over Avondale in 1893. This brought better police and fire services. It made Avondale a much safer place to live. After streetcar lines were built, more people moved in. From 1920 until after World War II, about 60% of Avondale's residents were Jewish.

Avondale remained mostly white for a while. But in the 1940s, the Millcreek Expressway was built. This project caused many African American families to move from the West End neighborhood. At that time, real estate rules often limited where Black families could move. Avondale had some Black residents already. So, it became one of the few places they could go.

As more Black families moved in, Avondale began to change. It slowly split into two parts: North and South. North Avondale kept its property values high. The rest of Avondale saw property values drop. Housing also started to get worse. By 1956, the city saw Avondale as a troubled area. They tried to fix it up. However, many improvements helped institutions like the University of Cincinnati. They did not always help the people living there.

Important Events: The Riots of 1967 and 1968

Avondale experienced significant unrest in 1967. These events began on June 12 and lasted several days. They were part of a larger period of civil unrest across many U.S. cities that summer. Just before these events, Martin Luther King Jr. visited Cincinnati. He spoke about nonviolence at a local church in Avondale.

Less than a year later, in 1968, the neighborhood saw more unrest. This happened after the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr. on April 4, 1968. People in Avondale were already feeling frustrated. There were not enough job opportunities for African American men. Dr. King's death made these feelings much stronger.

After a memorial for Dr. King, a large crowd gathered. A false rumor spread that a Black woman had been killed by a white police officer. This led to people breaking windows and taking items from stores. Many fires were set. The city put a curfew in place. Nearly 1,500 National Guardsmen came to help stop the violence. After several days, two people had died. Hundreds were arrested. The city had about $3 million in property damage.

What Happened Next: After the Riots

The events of 1967 and 1968 greatly harmed Avondale's main business area. Many damaged places stayed empty for years. These events also made some people believe the city was too dangerous. This led to "white flight," where many white families moved to the suburbs. Between 1960 and 1970, Cincinnati lost 10% of its population. This was a much bigger loss than in previous years. The city continued to lose residents for decades. Many neighborhoods around Avondale, including Avondale itself, struggled to recover.

While the riots caused a lot of damage, they also led to some changes. After these events, more African Americans were appointed to city boards and commissions. Before 1967, all 69 members of these groups were white.

Who Lives Here: Demographics

2020 Census Information

In 2020, the neighborhood had 11,345 people living there. There were 6,410 housing units. Most residents were Black or African American (81.4%). About 11.4% were White. Other groups included Native American (0.3%), Asian (0.8%), and people of two or more races (4.7%). About 2.5% of the population identified as Hispanic or Latino.

There were 5,968 households in Avondale. About 37.2% of these were families. More than half of all households (51.3%) were made up of single individuals.

Looking at age groups, 29.9% of the people were under 18. Most residents (53.8%) were between 18 and 64 years old. About 16.3% were 65 or older. Slightly more than half of the population (53.5%) was male.

The average yearly income for a household in Avondale was $24,250. This data is from 2016-2020. About 32.6% of families lived below the poverty line. About 19.5% of adults had a bachelor's degree or higher.

Fun and Games: Recreation

Fleischmann Gardens is a beautiful 4-acre park in Avondale. It was created in 1925. The land was given by the family of Charles Louis Fleischmann, a well-known Avondale resident.

Learning and Schools: Education

Avondale has its own branch of the Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County.

South Avondale Elementary School serves students from kindergarten to 6th grade. It is part of the Cincinnati Public Schools system. Phoenix Community Learning Center is another school in Avondale. It is a public charter school for students from kindergarten to 10th grade.

Avondale is also very close to important institutions. These include Xavier University and Cincinnati Children's Hospital. The University of Cincinnati and its medical centers are also nearby.

Famous Faces: Notable People

• John Kenneth Blackwell
• Don Brodie
• Elizabeth Drew
• Ban Johnson
• David Justice
• Charles Keating
• James Levine
• Curtis Peagler
• Tuffy Rhodes
• Jerry Rubin
• Evelyn Venable