West Chester :: Overview

First Impression: Spacious, modern and prosperous, West Chester is a booming suburban district situated close to the midpoint between Cincinnati and Dayton (though slightly closer to Cincinnati). Known as an attractive location to raise a family and a center for thriving commerce, West Chester is a quickly growing region that appeals to commercial developers, busy professionals and parents looking for safe streets and good schools.

Second Look: When Audrey, a main character in the musical "Little Shop of Horrors," launches into her fantasy of living in a beautiful suburb, "Somewhere That's Green," she could easily be envisioning a place like West Chester. Quiet, clean, safe, family-oriented and affluent, West Chester embodies many characteristics of the quintessential American suburb.

Named by Fortune Magazine as one of the top 100 places to live in the country, West Chester is a flourishing community encompassing 35 square miles. Since 1980, when the population was at about 12,550 people, the population has now grown to more than 55,000 residents, and is soon expected to take second place to Cincinnati for largest population in the region.

Interstate 75 runs through West Chester, with exits at Cincinnati-Dayton Road, Tylersville, and the most recently developed Union Centre Boulevard. Ten years ago, this interchange was nothing but field space; since then, more than a billion dollars have been invested, creating grand commercial hubs such as the Streets of West Chester Plaza, West Chester Towne Centre and Voice of America Centre.

West Chester is considered a fertile area for investors and developers, and new businesses spring up daily. Most businesses tend to be chain stores and franchises, though there are still a few independent shops and restaurants to be found. In this area, convenience is key, and any modern amenity that can be imagined can be easily found in West Chester - by car. The entire community, which is spread over 35 square miles, has businesses spaced fairly far apart; even stores within a single shopping center can be distant on foot.

West Chester is an area almost big enough to consider a city itself, and a highly notable suburb of Cincinnati, both because of the large number of Cincinnati employees who reside there, as well as for the commercial, dining and entertainment attractions on offer. West Chester is a major commercial zone that draws families and individuals who embrace a fast-paced, modern standard of living, but also desire the beauty and tranquility of quiet, green neighborhoods and a high degree of safety.