Lexington or Louisville?
 

Hi - my husband and I have been looking at Kentucky as a place to live - the seasonal weather, beauty, affordability, and cities sound attractive. I'm from Florida and am used to people from all over the country and lots of diversity - is there much diversity in Kentucky, esp. if you live near/in one of these cities? I'm more of a liberal person politically and that's why I'm wondering - I don't want to just look at silly stereotypes. Also, which city would you recommend as far as job opportunity, crime rate, and desirable place to live - Lexington or Louisville? I've read some stats about both & am leaning toward Lexington. Any advice? Also, which suburbs are the best? Thanks - sorry for all the questions!

In my line of work, I often work with people who are relocating. Here are some of my farovite sites to compare almost everything from here to there:

http://www.bestplaces.net/

http://homefair.com/home/

http://www.city-data.com/

This last one is more oriented to if you aren't sure where you want to live.

http://www.findyourspot.com/

Good Luck!

Lexington & Louisville, while only 70 miles apart, are vastly different.

Lexington is, well, <i>small</i>. It's dominated by the University of Kentucky. Cultural opportunities are extremely limited.

Louisville, on the other hand, is a fairly large city (officially the 16th largest in the country, although that's deceptive -- its MSA is much smaller). Louisville has several museums, a nationally-recognized theater (Actors Theater), the Derby, and much better restaurant &amp; shopping options than Lexington. Simply put, it's a bigger city, with more opportunities.

Both Lexington and Louisville are extremely segregated. Louisville can basically be divided into 4 regions around downtown, with 4 distinct socio-economic make-ups.

Kentucky is also a conservative state, but you'll certainly find more political diversity in Louisville (e.g., the Bardstown Road area, Crescent Hill, Highlands, etc.).

Finally, Louisville is frequently on the list of top places to live in the US.

Good Luck!

I live near Lexington and have been to Louisville several times. I am a small town person. The city I live is much smaller than Lexington. I am not sure that I would want to live in either one but I had to choose, I would probally pick Lexington. Traffic in both cities is not pretty, but Louisville seems worse to me. It just depends on what you like. Kentucky is a beautiful state and we have some wonderful state parks. Good Luck and if you choose Lexington be ready to experience Big Blue basketball season.

Thanks, everybody, for the info. I just may take another look at Louisville after hearing some more info - thank you!

A few online resources:

www.greaterlouisville.com

www.louisville.com

www.gotolouisville.com

www.courier-journal.com

I have lived in Cincinnati for years and traveled to both Louisville and Lexington. Both are small cities. Personally, I prefer Lexington.

Regarding diversity and liberal open-mindedness in KY, there isn't much. I've worked in KY for 10+ years at a major international company. Our KY location has it's own HR and we still have an official business Christmas Party (rather than holdiay party including all religions). We have events at work that raise money for charities associated with a specific religion or conservative cause. It still shocks me that noboday in HR thinks it might be nice to be more inclusive. Ironically our HR is being outsourced within the next year so I'll be curious to see how things change.

Anyway, these are just small examples. I guess what I'm trying to say is that if you consider yourself a liberal (as I do myself), you will indeed be a minority in KY. However there is something to be said for having a differing opinion and trying to expose others to your views - there are certainly more minds to open in KY than in states like CA or NY!!

I don't mean to put KY down - it is a BEAUTIFUL state and has a lot to offer.

Louisville is actually almost twice as large as Cincinnati (population within in the city limits), but with a smaller MSA. (Cincinnati's MSA includes Covington, Kentucky.)

Like I said, if you lean left, you'll find plenty of company in Louisville, if you pick the right spot of course.

Regardless of the population statistics, I think anyone who has been to both Louisville and Cincinnati would agree that Louisville seems like a much smaller city. It certainly did to me.

I love both cities! I have show horses in Louisville and go up there often. (I live in GA). My shows and horse auctions take me to Lexington all the time. What a wonderful area up there! Gekko summed it up well..Louisville might offer the city feel more than Lexington but Lexington has it's own flavor that I love. Lexington is known as the thoroughbred country while Louisville is known as the saddlebred country..although you find both breeds strong in both cities. Both cities are beautiful to me and I love the people up there. Let us know how it turns out!

I am from Kentucky originally and lived in the northern part of the state. Undergrad at UK, so I love Lexington for that reason. I have been to Louisville multiple times and to compare it to Cincinnati and say it feels larger is..... interesting. Cincinnati is a much larger city and MUCh more diverse.
Louisville probably does offer more entertainment than Lexington, BUT it is really an unattractive city compared to Lexington. Schools are good however and you may find a little more growth in Louisville. I have never felt unsafe in Lexington and I cannot say the same about Louisville. (I feel safer in large European cities like Rome than in Louisville)

That being said, while I love Kentucky, diverse is not what I would call the state. If you lean left, you will likely be in the minority generally. Cincinnati is VERY conservative and views do not change much south of that city (except regarding basketball!).

It depends on where you are from in Florida. If you are from a large city, such as Orlando or even Jacksonville, these cities are probably not the place for you unless you are looking for a small town feel.

Having lived in Louisville it is actually one of the few places I would move back to. Unless you are a die-hard Kentucky fan, it is hard to over come all the other good things about Lexington with all of those obnoxious freaks running around. I would also say that Louisville is a more well-rounded cosmopolitan city, while Lexington is a more buttoned-up, somewhat snobby, city (?). Don't get me wrong I like Lexington &amp; the horse country around it, the residents, however, need a little work.

Lexington and the area around it are much more attractive than Louisville and it's surrounding area.

Louisville is only about an hour away so as far as cultural and entertainment events, it's not far away.

I'm surprised that people find KY conservative. They recently voted in their first Republican governor in a long time.

My father's family is from KY and my Dad was always bragging about all the social services KY offers its' citizens. Talking to my sister who is in the health care business and has a child in the public school system, I can't believe all the services that are offered for free.

Spent a week and several quick visits with relatives in Louisville and saw/visited Speed Museum (very nice art not racing), Churchhill Downs (interesting museum as well as racing), Brown Hotel brunch, symphony, theatre (Sound of Music with Marie Osmond) and had several excellent dinners out. It's a lovely town. Relatives lived on Hawthorne Hill and there are some really gorgeous homes around there. I too hate labels but there have been only 2 or 3 Republican governors in Kentucky history so adjust your thinking about Kentucky's conservatism a bit. If you have interests in art and theatre, there will be plenty for you to do. Derby activities are legion. Only visited once, but Frankfort, the capital, is pretty. Basketball IS taken seriously and the UL/UK fans in the family studiously avoid discussions about this rivalry.(!) Good luck.

I'm sure you'll go for a visit to both cities before deciding. I think you'll get a feel pretty quickly for which one fits your life style.

Both are nice cities, and only 70 miles apart. If you want to live in Kentucky, you would definitely want to live in one of these two cities. Lexington is a big college town, and the University of Kentucky dominates everything (similar to Gainesville FL). Lexington has a population of approx. 270,000, and Louisville had a population of approx. 700,000. Louisville, being larger, is more diverse. Louisville is also one of the few KY counties to not vote majority Bush in the 2004 elections. I think that, from what you have said, that you would prefer Louisville.
There is above average job opportunity in Louisville, especially in service sector and health care fields. Crime rate tends to be higher in the central city and west sides of the city, and is relatively low on the east. Most suburban growth is concentrated on the eastern side of the city.
If you want to live close to downtown and dont care about parking, the highlands area off of Bardstown Rd would be suitable. Most houses are 100+ years old and are close to Cherokee Park, which is one of the nicest parks in the city park system and is 409 acres (Louisville has more public park acreage per capita than any other US city).
If you are looking for a compromise between suburb and city, you may want to look at the St. Matthews area of the city. Homes are 50+ years old and not too far from most destinations.
A new subdivision that is proving to be popular is Norton Commons on the northeast side of the city. It is being built by the developers of Celebration FL and combines urban features in a suburban setting. The homes are brand new and close to an interstate interchange, but not as close to downtown or the airport (but many shopping choices in this area). There are many newer subdivisions in the northeast corridor as well.
Hope this helps :)

Chris_24 - I think your numbers are from 2000.

Lexington always seems to outrank Louisville on lists for best place to live, etc. but I'm not sure why.
Here's the recent Forbes link.
http://www.forbes.com/lists/2005/1/KY_Rank_1.shtml

kybourbon, can you explain what figures are from 2000?
http://www.census.gov/popest/countie...ST2004-08.html
has Louisville-Jefferson population at 700,030 (no listing for Lexington-Fayette as it only lists the top 100).
http://www.visitlex.com/aboutLex.html lists the Lexington population at 260,512 (which is why I stated it at being approx. 270,000, being generous about population gain over the previous 4 years).

You may want to check out
http://www.courier-journal.com/cjconnect/aboutus.htm
http://www.bizjournals.com/louisvill...ditorial3.html
http://www.kioskmarketplace.com/news_story.htm?i=12358

Another 2 cents! This is our 2nd time living in Louisville. I find it to be small town in the burbs and bigger city within a 20 minute drive. You will not find better and more varied resturants anywhere! Always something to do downtown if you are interested. Art, theatre, sports, clubs, whatever. Eastern Jefferson county is growing rapidly with family homes. There is also revitalization downtown with lofts and condos. Have visited Lexington and I think it is beautiful but have been told if you weren't born there. don't go to school there or don't own horses you may feel out of place. I've lived in Illinois, Alabama and England and Louisville feels like home! Not sure what your work is but you could always live between the 2 and have the best of both! Simpsonville, Shelbyville, etc. Best of luck!

wheretogousa.com is based in Louisville and has reviews on local attractions restaurants, etc. Also louisville.com and gotolouisville.com (Convention and visitors Bureau) as well. Welcome to The Ville!