By Justin Fenton
The Cincinnati Enquirer

While the Over-the-Rhine Summer Tour of Homes offered prospective home buyers a chance to see the architectural revitalization of the embattled neighborhood, it was a homecoming of sorts for Shirley Riportella of East Walnut Hills.

Paul Owens, Amy Owens and Jennifer Wilkey stroll down Main Street after viewing a condominium on the Over the Rhine tour. (Melissa Heatherly photo)

About four homes into the 30-condo tour, as Riportella gazed out of a 13th Street window at the Old St. Mary's Church, she realized she was in the home she grew up in 50 years ago.

"I remember hearing the church bells growing up," said Riportella, 58. "We just kind of wandered over here without making the connection. I really like what they've done with the place."

For most on the tour, however, it was a chance to catch a glimpse of the neighborhood's renaissance. Riportella's sister, Tammy Tyler, 42, of Fort Wright, said the perception of the area is much different than the reality.

"You see what's happening on the news, so you don't come down to see what it's really like," she said. "There's obviously a big police presence, and the neighborhood seems very friendly."

Many of the thousands who took the tour were investors and architects, scoping out what they say is turning into a hot commodity.

"This is a trend going on throughout the country - taking urban areas and redesigning them," said Kevin Hill, a realtor with Remax who took his two sons, Tivon, 14, and Chris, 7, on the tour. "You usually don't see places like this around here. Cincinnati is getting on the mark."

Covington real estate investors Justin Sorg, 31, and Leon King, 25, agreed, saying the they had previously not considered the area an attractive investment.

Several buildings on the tour are under construction. Realtor Peter Chabris was showing off a six-unit building dubbed "The Flats on Main," and while it was dressed up with plants, paintings and a few tables, there was one thing missing: walls.

"You share your design goals and if you've done your homework, done quality work, hopefully people will buy in," he said of the structure.

Though developers are snatching up empty buildings to build $200,000 condos, some were wary of the rough spots sometimes just a block from homes on the tour. Over-the-Rhine leads all Cincinnati communities in the most serious classification of crimes, and was the third most dangerous area in the region last year, according to police statistics.

Overall, Over-the-Rhine Foundation Director Stan Eichelbaum dubbed the event a success.

"Over-the-Rhine made a giant leap forward today with many people exposed to different attributes of the area," he said.