Tight-knit community with a collection of businesses along Vine Street
Bordered by Norwood to the east and Elmwood Place to the north, Saint Bernard was settled mainly by German-Catholic bakers, saloon keepers and masons in the 19th century and incorporated as a village in 1878. Founded along Vine Street and the Miami and Erie Canal, Saint Bernard is part of Hamilton County. A suburb of Cincinnati, Saint Bernard represents more than 4,000 residents and lies a little over two miles north of the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Gardens. Famous for housing the more than 125-year-old St. Bernard Soap Company, Saint Bernard's manufacturing presence is still present today but is offset by dignified older residences, a vibrant Vine Street with many local businesses and a close community. “St. Bernard is a community without strangers,” says Brandi Schildmeyer, a Realtor with Oyler Hines. “My husband has lived here much longer than I have, and when we're on walks, he always points to houses and says this family used to live here, and this family used to live there. A lot of families stay or come back and it makes for such an interesting mix of old and new.”
Dining options along Vine Street
Long-standing restaurants and watering holes populate Vine Street, including the Saint Bernard Pub, formerly Meiners Saloon, established in 1847. Wiedermann’s Brewery & Taproom is another popular option. “Widermann’s has some specials on the menu, and it's just a fun environment,” Schildmeyer says. “The cheese curds are always our favorite.” Locals love Scherpies Produce & Deli for non-nonsense double-decker sandwiches on Ross Avenue. For Lebanese cuisine, residents head to Five Stars Mediterranean Restaurant for their Gyros. Locals look forward to spending time shopping at the St. Bernard Fresh Market on Vine Street for essentials and a curated selection of liquor and wine. For a more traditional grocery shopping experience, residents head to Kroger, 3 miles east of the neighborhood.
Saint Bernard's German Luau Celebration
Saint Bernard's German Luau celebrates the neighborhood's German heritage with a 2-day block party in August. Eventgoers can enjoy buckets of beer, a pig roast and live music courtesy of Wiedemann's Fine Beer on Vine Street. First held in 1971, Wiedemann's Fine Beer revived the over 50-year-old tradition in 2019 between Washington and McClelland Avenues.
Victorian, ranches and bungalows from the early 20th century
Two-story Victorian, brick ranch and brick bungalow homes dominate the neighborhood's turn-of-the-century footprint, bringing Saint Bernard's past to the forefront of its present. Homes generally feature moderately sized yards, 3-4 bedrooms and 1,600-3,100 square feet of living space. Many Victorian styles are built of wood and feature interior restorations. The median build year of a home in Saint Bernard is 1923. Single-family homes in the neighborhood have sold for between $75,000 and $500,000. Condominiums and townhouses are also available in the neighborhood and have sold for between $50,000 and $200,000. Saint Bernard received a Walk score of 57 out of 100, which is considered ‘somewhat walkable,’ but most residents get from place to place via cars. As for crime, the CAP Index gave Saint Bernard a 3 out of 10 Crime Score, lower than the national average. Noise can be louder the closer residents live to Interstate 75.
Honoring the history of Saint Bernard
Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the Nurre-Royston house on Errun Lane was built in 1850. One of Saint Bernard's oldest residencies, the two-story Georgian home was first owned by J.B. Moorman and J. B. Stallo, both attorneys in the Cincinnati area. Established in 1873, the St. Mary Cemetery and Mausoleum honors Saint Bernard's earliest residents with impressive obelisk art, sculptures and Catholic imagery. A replica of Ernest Moore Viquesney’s World War I monument, "Spirit of the American Doughboy," sits at Washington Avenue and Vine Street. It is one of only four "Doughboy" Viquesney statues with a Walter Rylander copyright marking. Memorial services are held each year at the statue.
Students attend the St. Bernard-Elmwood Place City School District
Residents in Saint Bernard may send their children to the St. Bernard-Elmwood Place City School District. St. Bernard-Elmwood Place Elementary School serves kindergarten through sixth grades with both accelerated and gifted learning programs and earned a C-plus grade from Niche. From there, students may then attend St. Bernard-Elmwood Place High School, which earned a B-minus grade from Niche. The high school publishes a monthly newsletter to inform parents of everything happening at the school. As for private school options, Roger Bacon High School is right outside the neighborhood and earned an A from Niche.
From Frank Robinson Field to the loop trail at Avon Woods Nature Preserve
The Frank Robinson Field is one of two baseball fields built to commemorate the Cincinnati Reds through the franchise's 150th Anniversary Legacy Project. Named after National Baseball Hall of Famer and 14-time All-Star Frank Robinson, the field is at Ross Avenue Park. Visitors love old-school dirt dugouts and romantic views of the city's skyline. Saint Bernard's annual Fourth of July fireworks celebration is held at the park. Ross Park also has a skate park that is popular with local teens, along with picnic benches, grills and reservable shelters that give residents everything they need for a neighborhood barbecue. Franklin Park is the perfect neighborhood spot for locals to take their children for an afternoon on the playground. Hiking enthusiasts will enjoy a weekend walk at Avon Woods Nature Preserve, which has a loop trail. Those looking to hit the links can get a round in at Avon Fields Golf Course, which is a public course or Maketewah Country Club, which is for members only.
Neighborhood intersected by Interstate 75
Commuters can reach downtown Cincinnati by hopping on Interstate 75 South. The commute is about 8 miles. Residents also have easy access to the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden, just 2 miles from the neighborhood. Saint Bernard offers public transportation with the Southwest Ohio Regional Transit Authority bus system. Sports fans can watch the Cincinnati Reds and the Cincinnati Bengals play at their downtown stadiums, both less than eight miles south of Saint Bernard. The Cincinnati/North Kentucky International Airport is under a 20-mile drive. Residents don’t need to go far for medical attention as Good Samaritan Hospital is just about 3 miles south. As for work, Kroger is headquartered in Cincinnati and is the city's largest employer, followed by the University of Cincinnati, the Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center and The Procter & Gamble Company. In Saint Bernard, many people work at Procter & Gamble's St. Bernard Soap Company and other chemical plants in the northern portion of the neighborhood.
