My husband and I are looking for a state to relocate too but we kind of have a tall order of things we both want. I came up with KY because I think it has a lot of things that we both like. Does anyone know of any good towns with good school systems that I can start my research? Also any pos. and neg. about the state? Just to give you an idea of what we are looking for, my husband works for a fire protection company so he needs to be within driving distance to a city with lots of resturants but we like the idea of having a lot of property. We both LOVE living in the country but also like the convenience of have a city near by. My husband HATES snow and rain (told you tall order) so of course he wants to live in the desert but I put my foot down with that because I am a baby when it comes to heat. Our families live in MI, NJ, and FL so I thought KY was a nice in the middle state. What kind of weather does KY have for the most part? I know this is very random but I have only driven through the state and never stayed there so I am not sure what it has to offer. Both me and my husband are into historic places as well and love to share history with our children. Any information or a place to help my research would be great. THank you
Oh my gosh I had a disastrous, thankfully brief, stint in eastern Kentucky (Corbin). I've never seen a more backwards, odd place. Wow. I'm from the south so that wasn't what bothered me. It was just weird.
I like the Louisville area, but haven't spent significant amounts of time there.
Good luck.
Second Stacy's suggestion of Bowling Green. I attended WKU and it's a very nice part of the state. They get some snow, but it's gone quickly. It's one hour to Nashville if you want bigger city amenities. It's also not far from a lot of great outdoor areas including Mammoth Cave. It will be a bit of a culture shock coming from NJ though. Make sure you spend plenty of time visiting before you make a move!
I lived in Louisville and the surrounding area for about 13 years. Louisville is the largest city in KY and is home to tons of restaurants, theaters, universities, and other cultural attractions, so there would probably be a lot of opportunity for your husband's business.
I don't know how much land you want, but like anywhere, the farther out from the city, the more options you have for larger properties. I really like the east side of town, and still have many friends who live there. There are some great small towns outside of the Louisville (about 30 min drive) where you have even more land in Oldham county (La Grange, Goshen, etc). Oldham county used to be known for very good schools.
Another option is to go across the river to Southern Indiana, about a 10 minute ride from downtown Louisville. New Albany (lived there nearly 5 years), Jeffersonville, and Clarksville are the three of the main cities, but there are many smaller nearby towns and rural areas with lots of land.
Shelbyville, KY is a nice area, not too far from Louisville, so your husband could still be in proximity to the city.
Along the back way from Louisville to Lexington, you'll see a lot of horse country. It's beautiful, but many of these properties are quite expensive, as you'd imagine.
Kentucky gets lots of rain so everything is green and lush. You will still get snow and cold winters. Fall is a beautiful time. I miss the changing leaves as I live in the desert now. It can be very humid, but not as bad as FL.
There is so much history in KY. Each part of the state has its own beauty and stories to tell. Go to the websites for Louisville, Lexington, Frankfort, Shelbyville, Bardstown, Bowling Green, Danville to start with, and you'll begin to get a feel for what the state has to offer.
I wish you the best in your search! Send me a PM if you have any other questions I can help with.
J. F.
I have lived in KY all my life. My husband and I recently moved out of Jefferson County (Louisville) because of the nonsense with the school assignment/bussing plan. I would not send my child to the Jefferson county public schools. To be honest, if the school system for your children is very important, you have to know that Kentucky does not rank up there with education. (Don't get me wrong, I love Kentucky, it is a beautiful state, but you could go over to Southern Indiana or Tennessee/Nashville area and still see beautiful land and have a better educational system than Kentucky). BUT, if you absolutely want to live here, I agree with the others, Oldham county schools or Spencer/Bullitt are better than Jefferson County.
Kentucky and the surrounding states have hot humid weather in the summer, and usually mild winters. There is a lot of history in this state, as well as the surrounding states. Louisville has a lot of good restaurants and things to do; a nice zoo, lots of parks, a small professional baseball team, several amusement parks within a short driving distance.
My brother lives in KY and I know they get a lot of rain and snow. Not this last year but the year before they were out for over a month all together because of snow and ice. They are in the southern part of the state.
As to schools, IF you will use public schools and do NOT want your kids bussed all across the county, do NOT choose Metro Louisville/Jefferson County! Choose something outside of that county! I'm just south of there, about mid-way to Bardstown. (and refuse to move to that county since I don't want granddaughter bussed - but I do drive in there to work) Depending on how far a commute you are willing for and your comment about the country - you could also opt for Springfield, Bloomfield and a not too far outside Louisville. Ricmond might also be ok for you - they are more east but not enough for the stuff from the other posts!
Love Kentucky! Lived there for 15 years. We lived in Bowling Green, which is about 55 miles North of Nashville. I prefer the southcentral or western part of the state as opposed to the Eastern part. The eastern part of the state is very closed off to outsiders. I found it very backwards and a little hillbilly.
Bowling Green is a university town, Western Kentucky University is there so its a pretty nice place. Louisville is okay but to me has a more midwestern feeling. Lexington is nice. That is about as far East as I would go in the state.
The weather is great. You get 4 seasons. Three months of winter, summer, fall and spring. The peopel are very friendly and its a great place to raise kids.
Another area to look at is Nashville, TN. Love that city. Its a city with a town feeling. Lots to offer and very affordable. Plus not income taxes!!
Both areas are big on history, civil war. You can't go wrong there!!!
Pm if you would like more information.
We moved to Shelbyville, KY two years ago and love it here. It's a small town but doesn't have a weirdness factor (probably because it's so close to Louisville). We don't have to drive more than 30 minutes to do anything we want to do (restaurants, entertainment, etc.), plus it's an easy trip to places like Lexington or Frankfort as well as Louisville. Land is reasonably priced around here but is more or less expensive depending on where you are looking, just like anywhere else.
If you're looking for good schools, you'd probably want to look either in Oldham or Spencer County (one is northeast, one is southeast of Louisville). Both have great school systems, but Spencer County is more rural, less expensive. Oldham has the best reputation for schools but makes up for it in property taxes.
If you have any questions, feel free to PM, and I'll be happy to answer anything I can. Good luck in your search!
