It’s easy to forget how close you are to downtown Cincinnati when you find yourself in the heart of Fort Thomas. Maybe it’s the climb via Grand and Highland Avenues and all their curves that throw you off a bit. Or maybe it’s the fact that when you arrive, you feel like you are in a community that has a personality all its own.
“I don’t know quite how to describe it, but it’s almost like there’s a bit of a time warp,” says a homeowner who recently moved into the community. “It’s a sweet town with what I think of as old-fashioned sensibilities.”
Indeed, this is a community that honors its past. At its center is the actual Fort Thomas, a U.S. Army post built in 1887 in “The Highlands” after moving from its flood-prone location in Newport. Today, banners honoring veterans flank the light posts along the city’s streets.
But this charming Hamlet is a mere 3.5 miles from the Big Mac bridge, (Exit 3 off I-471). “I can get to my downtown office faster from here than I could from our previous home in Covington,” the owner says.
Settling in
Since August, she and her husband have been happily ensconced in the top floor of the new condominium complex, Residences at One Highland. The Greiwe Development team selected this location to build 18 luxury residences due to the walkability of the neighborhood along with its inviting mix of dining, shopping, and recreational options. Some of these options—including Fort Thomas Coffee—occupy the street level of the building’s complex.
“That patio area in front of the coffee shop is like our front porch,” the homeowner says. “It’s a great spot for people watching. Kids pass by on their way to school, and there’s runners, bikers, and lots of young moms pushing strollers.”
The coffee shop also has workspaces and a conference room, if needed. And in the evenings, it doubles as a wine and cocktail bar, thereby creating an inviting gathering spot—from morning to night—for residents of the condos above and the entire Fort Thomas neighborhood.
“We live in the middle of the cultural arts district,” the homeowner says. There’s a community theater and an art gallery across the street. Plus, there are plenty of restaurants within walking distance. Right next door to One Highland, is The Greenline Kitchen and Cocktails, named after the Green Line streetcar which ran from Fort Thomas to Cincinnati’s Dixie Terminal until 1950.
Will walk for food
The couple eats out two or three nights a week. When they are in the mood to walk, some of their local favorite spots, along with The Greenline, include Grassroots & Vine for salads and frequent live music, Comal Restaurant for tacos, and The Post which now serves much of the menu from The Gruff in Covington.
Without a doubt, its walkability is what drew them both to this area. When the goal is exercise, not dinner, the homeowner says there are all kinds of routes to choose from—with plenty of park trails and hills to get that heart rate up.
Stepping inside
After living in a hi-rise with one operating window, the couple was drawn to a corner unit in One Highland thanks to its abundance of windows with their appeal of natural light, the high ceilings—10-feet in most rooms, 13-feet in the great room—and the overall airy feeling of the space.
“I just love opening all these windows,” the homeowner says. “At our previous place you could only open one.”
The 1,800-square-foot floor plan includes a kitchen, living and dining areas, two bedrooms, two baths and a balcony off the great room. Off the main entry, there’s a laundry room, furnace room, and hall closet.
In addition to the windows, woodwork in the form of built-in bookcases, a fireplace mantel, crown molding, cabinetry, and wide-plank, white oak hardwood floors were a major draw as well. All these features were in place before the couple made their selection. Being the third couple to take up residence in the building, they had their choice of location, style, and floor plan. “Some units are more traditional,” she says. “We liked the look of this one which is transitional, if not contemporary.”
Putting their own touch on the space came in the form of bold artwork and walls. They have an eye-catching collection of mostly contemporary art by local artists including glass pieces by Springfield, Ohio artist Doug Frates and paintings by Cincinnati-based Nelle Ferrara. And the homeowners don’t shy away from paint colors.
“We used turquoise, purple and orange to our advantage,” she says.
The first example of this combination hits you immediately upon entering their home. A bold orange side table adds a fun burst of contrast to the entry walls which are covered in Sherwin-Williams Amalfi, a color the couple says, calls to mind the Mediterranean Sea. Their travels to that area are documented in black and white photos taken by the male homeowner, that pop against the turquoise paint.
Their ability to lock up and travel is another appeal of condominium living. “We turn off the water, close the door and don’t worry,” she says. “Somebody else shovels the snow and cuts the grass.”
Both feel strongly that condominium living is a good fit for their lifestyle. “Condo living might scare some people,” she says, “but in the end having less stuff is freeing. You keep the things you love and get rid of what you don’t love. Plus, it’s a great opportunity to create another space together.”
Two secure garage parking places and an ample storage area for bikes and holiday decorations are accessed via a stairway or elevator. There’s plenty of public parking at street level behind the building, so visitors have no difficulty finding spots nearby.
Checks all the boxes
It’s clear this couple enjoys the blend of old and new their new home offers. “We like having all these modern amenities in this older, established neighborhood where we feel safe,” the husband says. And they both are looking forward to spring days when they can gather with their new neighbors on their streetside patio and watch the world go by.
RESOURCES
Developers Greiwe Development, North American Properties, Sibcy Cline; Architect MA Design; Construction Joshua One; Finish selections Greiwe Interiors; Cabinetry Schöne Kitchen Design; Countertops NK Stone Design; Appliances Custom Distributors, Inc.; Fireplaces Bromwell’s; Fireplace built-ins G. Graham Wilson Architectural Woodworking; Lighting Greiwe Interiors Flooring JP Flooring; Rugs The Rug Gallery; Furniture Bova Contemporary Furniture; Window treatments Rachel Siebert, Dwellings on Madison; TV room credenza Don Justice Cabinet Makers; Plumbing fixtures Ferguson Enterprises; Shower enclosures Basco Shower Enclosures; Landscape design Martin Koepke Design; Outdoor lighting Architectural Landscape Lighting & Design
Article by Karen Bradner | Photos by Greg Grupenhof
Article originally appeared in March 2024