Crittenden is among Cincinnati’s rural commuter communities
Crittenden is among the small cities on the southern rural outskirts of the Cincinnati metro. This community, surrounded by beef farms and a few hunting grounds, is one of the alternatives to some of Cincinnati’s growing and much more crowded exurbs. “It’s ‘small town USA’, basically,” says Kyle Art, a Realtor with Re/Max Victory and Affiliates. “The people that move out there are looking for that small-town feel and to get out of places that have grown up, like Independence and Florence .” The city of about 4,000 people is also located along Interstate 75, which provides a quick commuter route for those traveling to the bigger cities for work. “It’s conveniently between Cincinnati and Lexington ,” Art says. “A lot of it [the community] is people who are maybe working down in Lexington but don’t want to live in Lexington.”
Community offers space and modern homes
Homes in the area are along roads with and without sidewalks. Several homes are in dense subdivisions, while others are in spacious neighborhoods with multi-acre lots. The rural area around Crittenden consists of rolling green landscapes dotted with active and abandoned farm buildings. While there are some homes from the end of the Victorian era, much of the housing was built between the 2000s and today. The area has ranch-style, Colonial Revival, bi-level and New Traditional homes. Lot size is a cost factor, and many homes with less than 2.5 acres sell between $190,000 and $450,000. Properties with more land can go from $420,000 to $850,000. Crittenden has an overall CAP Index Crime Score of 2 out of 10, below the national average of 4.
Restaurants serve subs, burgers and ice cream
Crittenden’s few restaurants include Tasty Subs, a community institution also serving pizza and homemade ice cream. Places for Latin cuisine include Restaurante Tajumulquense Chapin. Whippy-Dip is a casual spot many visit after spending a day at the park. “It is a staple in our community. I [first] went there 40 years ago after a softball game,” says Mandy Kinley, a Realtor with eXp Realty. “It’s where everybody goes for shakes and burgers.” The Grape Vines Wine Bar & Bistro offers tastings, farmland views and live music. Mullins Supply Barn and Crittenden Farm Lawn and Garden provide feed and other farming items. Located 6 miles north in Walton , Kroger offers a nearby grocery store and neighbors other chains like Kohl’s and Tractor Supply Co.
Parks and preserves provide space for sports, hikes and hunting
Grant County Park, which spans over 50 acres, is one of the community’s destinations for recreation and youth sports. Its amenities include playgrounds, a disc golf course and a 1-mile-long unpaved trail that partly winds through the woods. The park also has a few basketball courts and Little League baseball fields. Avid golfers may seek a membership at the private Eagle Creek Country Club, which has an 18-hole, tree-lined course. Crittenden is close to the Mullins Wildlife Management Area, where trails wind across 259 acres of fields and woods. Hikers here may spot red-tailed hawks and woodpeckers, among other birds. Nature walkers may visit the even larger Curtis Gates Lloyd Wildlife Management Area and its old-growth forest. The Mullins and Curtis Gates Lloyd areas are destinations for seasonal deer and small game hunting.
Grant County district offers JROTC and trade programs
Grant County Schools serve the area and get a C from Niche. Students may start at Crittenden Mt. Zion and Sherman elementary schools, both of which receive C grades. They may then go to Grant County middle and high schools, both of which get C-plus grades. The high school is attached to the district’s Career and Technology Center, which caters to students looking to enter trades after graduation. The center offers courses in areas like engineering and welding. High school students considering a military career may also join Army Junior ROTC.
Community hosts seasonal events and summer concerts
Crittenden has several community events throughout the year. Grant County Park hosts the Jammin' in the Park summer monthly concert series. In the evenings, many gather in front of the Martha Blaine Stage to watch and listen to bluegrass bands. June’s Ice. Those looking for physical activities and contests may come to the park for October’s Day of Play. The events include a three-on-three basketball tournament and kickball games.
Commuters may take I-75 to travel to Cincinnati
Residents usually drive to commute and have quick access to a few highways. Interstate 75 runs through Crittenden and goes straight to Cincinnati, about 30 miles north. The interstate also goes toward the Cincinnati & Northern Kentucky International Airport, about 25 miles north. Crittenden residents seeking medical care may drive to Williamstown, 13 miles south. The nearby city has the St. Elizabeth Healthcare Grant Hospital.
