Ripley County (Lawrence, Lawrenceburg, Aurora: property taxes, jobs, housing)

[spedteach]

Over the weekend, my family drove to Ripley County to check it out since we might be moving there from Michigan. It was a quick trip, but we liked what we saw. I posted a few weeks ago asking for information about Versailles but no one wrote back.

This is a HUGE move for us so I would really like to hear from people who live in the area. How are the schools? Are there sports teams there? My sons are 12 and 10 and we want to make sure this is a good move for them.

We would be moving to the Dillsboro/Versailles area.

Thanks!

[CaraRandall]

Hi. I live in Milan, about 15 minutes from Versailles. Dillsboro is further down route 50 than we are from Versailles, but I know there are some Dillsboro addresses just outside of Versailles.

Well, lesseee...Okay, these are just my opinions, you understand. There are sports teams at each school, and the families are pretty supportive. There is a lot of rivalry between the highschool teams, probably because there are so many in such a little area.

I think your sons will enjoy the sports. People are pretty involved in outdoor things like softball, football, and of course the old standby for Indiana is basketball...but I don't prefer it. Still, if you do, there are lots of games to go see at all of the schools.

Ripley County is pretty boring from my standpoint. It's great if you like quiet and individual pursuits. I really enjoy things like the Versailles State Park. They have a super fireworks display there each year, and the Easter Egg hunt is fun. About the most exciting thing that happens in this area, to me, is the Frienship Fleamarket and Muzzleloader's Shoot. It's a week long giant fleamarket with lots of people dressed in pioeer outfits, a primitive camp where they demonstrate living back in the 1800's, people doing competitive muzzleloader shooting, and just loads of stuff to see and do. Since this is right off of Route 50, about 10 minutes away from me, I go down there several times during that week.

Each town has their little festival, except Milan, which seems content to make sure nothing happens here since, hey, after all, we won that basketball championship in 1954...what else is there to do? (sigh). The greatest in the area is the Versailles Pumpkin Show in late Sept. which brings home a lot of people to visit family. It's a big fair on the courthouse square, a super big parade on Sat. and just a lot of downhome fun.

There are a lot of wonderful small town happy things about this area. What I deeply dislike are the dumpy, slummy homes that people let get run down, or the properties they own but won't clean up. The homes with all the junk cars stuck in their front yard, too. Property taxes are a bit high and hard on the elderly who aren't sending children to school anymore, but still are trying to live on the old home place of 20 or more acres. Then you see a tiny trailer with about 6 kids living in it, on less than a half acre. Hmmmm, gotta wonder about the fairness of that.

Ripley count is not going to offer you a lot to do. You have to drive a half hour to get to anything interesting like movies. Versailles will offer you a couple of good discount stores, Dairy Queen ice cream, a movie store or two, and of course if you like McDonalds, there is that, too. A few little gift stores and things like that. The people are pretty friendly, but in your business the way all little country towns are. Be a real person, no putting on airs, and most people will treat you well...except for the ones that are waiting for nice guys in the world so they can use and abuse them, but I'm sure you've met some of them already, no matter where you go in this world.

I'm trying to present a fair view, looking at the good and bad. For a lifestyle of peace and quite (aside, possibly, from your neighbors running four-wheelers up and down the hills next to your house at all hours...), reasonably clean air, pretty low crime-aside from petty things, good community, simple pleasures, well, it's really a pretty nice place to live overall.

That being said, we hope to move in a a few years when the housing market gets better. We're tired of driving to Cincinnati for decent paying jobs. That's one of the worst issues with Ripley count....no jobs.


Hope this helps...
Cara

[spedteach]

THANK YOU for writing back! No one ever has and this is my second post on the subject. We are still seriously considering moving to the area as soon as June. We have lived in Michigan all of our lives and this will be a big change.

Are there any campgrounds in the area besides the state park? We love to camp. Also, I have noticed that you do not have AYSO soccer in the area. My boys are BIG soccer players so I do not know what we are going to do about that.

Of course, I need to get a teaching job too. There is one in KY about an hour away. I do not want to drive an hour for a job if I do not have to.

I think we are going to like living in a rural community.

Thanks again!

[kazegirl]

Hi,

I am from Dearborn County which is next to Ripley. I agree with the previous poster that there is not a lot going on in Ripley County. The Friendship flea market and shoot twice a year is great. My child plays soccer in Milan through the SAY organization. There are a couple of private campgrounds. Brownings between Dillsboro and Versailles is one off the top of my head. If you do move to Versailles you will get used to driving US 50 very quickly because pretty much anything or anyone you will need to see will be in the Aurora/Lawrenceburg area or Cincy/Northern Ky.. It may be worth it to look for something in Dearborn County same small town atmosphere but a little closer to things.

[CaraRandall]

Jobs are hard to come by in this area because it is so poor. If it does look like you will have to commute an hour away, I would recommend Dearborn County as well. They have more things going for them. If you are planning on building a home I wouldn't go there, though, because there are a lot of added costs to building a home in that county, but for being closer to Cincy and KY, it would be better.

The previous poster mentioned the camping...I love to do that, too. It's fun to camp at the Friendship Fleamarket, but noisy! They play music until after midnight, but you can bring earplugs!

If you enjoy living in the country and being about to see the stars, then Ripley County is a nice choice...but for entertainment and opportunities, you are just going to have to do some driving.

Wishing you all the best,
Cara