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Nearly half of Dayton residents are satisfied with the city as a place to live and the direction the city is headed, according to a citywide Dayton survey. About a quarter of respondents answered they had no opinion or were neutral on these issues.
Downtown residents are the most optimistic: 59 percent say Dayton’s headed in the right direction, and 78 percent are satisfied or very satisfied about living here.
Just 5 percent of downtown residents say they are unhappy with Dayton as a place to live.
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Meanwhile, about 54 percent of residents of the southeastern part of the city, half of northeast Dayton residents and 47 percent of Fair River Oaks Council residents say the city’s on the right track.
Negative views outweighed positive ones in other parts of Dayton.
About 39 percent of Innerwest residents say the city’s on the wrong track, compared to 38 percent who say things are looking good.
In the northwest, 40 percent responded that Dayton’s on the wrong track, compared to 37 percent who responded it’s on the right track. For the southwest: 37 percent said wrong direction, 35 percent said right direction.
Satisfaction levels also vary by geography.
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Fifty-seven percent of southeast residents are satisfied with Dayton as a place to live; 46 percent were satisfied in northeast; 42 percent in both Innerwest and northwest; 38 percent in Fair River Oaks; and 35 percent in southwest.
Opinions about neighborhoods also vary, depending where people live.
More than two-thirds of downtown residents said they were satisfied with their neighborhood.
That compares to 32 percent satisfaction for Fair River Oaks residents and 21 percent for Innerwest residents. Northeast neighborhood satisfaction was 67 percent; southeast was 53 percent and southwest was 42 percent.
More downtown residents (72 percent) felt safe in their neighborhood at night than their peers in other parts of Dayton.
About 68 percent of northeast residents said they felt safe being out alone at night; 56 percent said that in southeast; 49 percent in northwest; 45 percent in Innerwest; 43 percent in southwest; and 42 percent in Fair River Oaks.
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Downtown has been hopping, with new housing and amenities, like the Levitt Pavilion Dayton, an outdoor amphitheater.
In the last 12 to 14 months, new apartments opened next to Fifth Third Field (the 133-unit Delco Lofts), along the river (54 units as part of expansion of Water Street Flats) and near the Oregon District (40-unit Wheelhouse Lofts).
The Dayton Metro Library opened its $64 million downtown flagship facility last year. New bars and restaurants have opened near the Oregon District, the ballpark and elsewhere downtown.
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