Highland Park rests comfortably on the west side of Hamilton, Ohio in the middle of Butler County. Downtown Hamilton lies 2 miles and a world away. Miami University is a pastoral 15-mile-drive from Highland Park. An easy left turn onto Main Street puts Highlanders on a straight, 3-mile ride to the I-75 connector. Cincinnati and Dayton are within commuting distance.
It’s the local geography that makes Highland Park truly special. Highland Elementary School, Wilson Middle School, and Hamilton High are all walking distance from Highland Park. Four major grocery stores are in a 2-mile radius of Highland Park: Meijer, Kroger, Walmart Super Center, and Aldi. To the envy of the entire world, 10 pizzerias occupy that same radius. Two stops on the famous Butler County Donut Trail are practically at our back step: the Ross Bakery and Kelly’s Bakery. Summertime strolls to Flub’s Dari-ette have been a Highland Park tradition for generations of Highlanders. Oh, and don’t forget Fort Hamilton Hospital right across the street from Highland Park on Eaton Avenue.
When new in 1919, Highland Park was a sliver two blocks wide and eight streets deep running east and west between Highland and Cereal Avenues. Dick, Haldimand, Marcia, Emerson, Haven, Lawn, Park, Armo, and McKinley Avenues completed the Highland Park grid. Over the years, the Highland Park name grew in importance to include similar, nearby sub-divisions such as Lawn View, Lawn Park, and Elm Park, which are all but forgotten.
Today, unlike more recent and less sophisticated neighborhoods, the borders of Highland Park are not marred by gates or carefully disguised walls. A Highland Park sign at the intersection of Rhea, Dick and Virginia Avenues marks the southern entrance of Highland Park. Another sign in the greenspace at Park, Cereal, and Haldimand Avenues marks the western entrance. Highland Park’s eastern border runs variously along the Dick Avenue alley and Eaton Avenue itself. Two Mile Creek to the north of the neighborhood is the natural end of Highland Park.
Signs, landmarks, and maps aren’t really needed to find Highland Park. Whether driving, biking or walking into one of our tree-lines streets, Highlanders and visitors alike feel the welcome hush of home. You immediately know Highland Park, and realize that this is a place worth being.
–Dave Duricy