Avondale is a neighborhood in Cincinnati, Hamilton County, Ohio. It is home to the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden. It has 18,706 residents, making it Cincinnati's fourth largest neighborhood.92 percent of Avondale residents are African American and more than 40 percent are living at or below the poverty level. More than 77 percent rent housing. Two Cincinnati race riots began in Avondale in 1967 and 1968, which were part of the larger Civil Rights Movement and Black Power movement in the United States. The neighborhood is bordered by North Avondale, Evanston, Walnut Hills, Corryville, and Clifton.HistoryDuring the 19th century Avondale was a rural suburb. Its residents were mostly white Protestants of the merchant class with English or German ancestry. It is claimed that the wife of Stephen Burton, a wealthy ironworks owner, began calling the area Avondale in 1853 after she saw a resemblance between the stream behind her house and the Avon River in England. It was incorporated July 27, 1864 by Daniel Collier, Seth Evans and Joe C. Moores.
