Considering a move to Kentucky (Vanceburg, Hardin: houses, pros and cons, income)

[rachelweghorst]

Our family is originally from Pennsylvania, and we recently moved to Florida, in light of the recent crappy winter weather. Well, we realized that Florida is not the place for usl Moving from the snow belt, to a tropical climate was a bad decision. Too extreme of a change, plus there are numerous other reasons why FL is a bad fit.

We started researching different places, we wanted decent, in-between weather. Love mountains, and hiking, lakes, we're very outdoorsy people. We came across some info about Kentucky and it struck a chord with us, so we started doing more research and it really seems like a beautiful place, and we think it might just be the right one for us.

I work as a CNA and my husband is on Social Security so there literally is work for me just about anywhere, and he has income wherever we decide to go. I'm not interested in living in a largely congested area, and would love some suggestions about what areas would be quiet but open to newcomers? All opinions are welcome, pros and cons! I'm not about to make another bad move with 6 kids! They deserve a good place where we can settle! Thanks!

[EricOldTime]

Originally Posted by rachelweghorst

Our family is originally from Pennsylvania, and we recently moved to Florida, in light of the recent crappy winter weather. Well, we realized that Florida is not the place for usl Moving from the snow belt, to a tropical climate was a bad decision. Too extreme of a change, plus there are numerous other reasons why FL is a bad fit.

We started researching different places, we wanted decent, in-between weather. Love mountains, and hiking, lakes, we're very outdoorsy people. We came across some info about Kentucky and it struck a chord with us, so we started doing more research and it really seems like a beautiful place, and we think it might just be the right one for us.

I work as a CNA and my husband is on Social Security so there literally is work for me just about anywhere, and he has income wherever we decide to go. I'm not interested in living in a largely congested area, and would love some suggestions about what areas would be quiet but open to newcomers? All opinions are welcome, pros and cons! I'm not about to make another bad move with 6 kids! They deserve a good place where we can settle! Thanks!

My goodness, just about anywhere in Kentucky! Your from Pennsylvania so Kentucky's topography will definately feel "right at home for you" especially if you like rolling to high rugged hills, broad valleys to small cozy little hollows ( called hollers in Ky ) and small, tidy little Tobacco farms and Cornfields. I love late August when the smell of speared Tobacco hanging in the barns fills the air in Kentucky

Rural Kentucky is pretty slow, as is Pennsylvanias I would assume. Kentuckians generally have a bit o' southern twang in their speech, albeit not as heavy in Georgia, but your definately in the south without a doubt, it aint Pennsylvania.

Kentucky has the Daniel Boone Nat'l Forest from the Tennessee line on up to just about Vanceburg on the Ohio river ( it's pretty much a mountainous wilderness ) and I think there's several places in that general area with hiking and reservoirs for boating and fishing. Kentucky is right on the cusp of the "humid subtropical" climate zone so even though Ky doesn't have as many "hot days" in summer as Florida does, days in July and August can generally get every bit as hot ( if not even more humid ) in lot's of Kentucky, the only expection being some of the high mountains along the Va / Tennessee line. Winters can be just as cold, but, more so at night when Kentucky has what locals will call "0" weather. During the day though sometimes winter temps can be anywhere from the upper teens ( extreme cases ) to even upper 50's low 60's it can happen! Some years a good amount of snow, some years hardly no snow at all and very mild temperatures. Overall I'd say Ky get's far less snow and has milder winters than Pennsylvania, but not always! Average winter temps are usually in the low to mid 30's with nightime temps hovering around 0 on an average winter day. Nasty ice storms are much more common, knocking out power for up to a week at a time in some cases.

Insects and snakes, particularly Copperheads, Timber Rattlers, Deer Flies, Turkey Lice, Ticks and Chiggars will generally be thicker and more prevalent in rural Kentucky than Pennsylvania, especially during dry spells. Ky is FULL of Deer and Turkey's, you'll see them all of the time and we even have the largest "Elk" herd east of the Mississippi river.

Kentuckians are generally shy and a bit timid, standoffish with outsiders in the beginning, but with time should begin to open up to you. You'll have to slow down when you drive through the tiny rural Kentucky towns to about 25 or 35 miles perhour. You'll ramble through the town and see folks sitting out on the front porch of old whitewashed tin-roof houses, very tidy. they'll be sitting on those front porch swings and if they make eye contact with you, expect a friendly wave or gesture as you roll on bye, even by folks who pass you by on the road in their cars, even if they don't know you. Some towns will have a central courthouse and a roundabout going right around the courthouse. Be careful on Ky's rural highways. High to no shoulders and VERY narrow and curvy is the general rule and if you have a nasty collision on one of those roads it could be quite a while before help can arrive in some extreme cases. Some of the poorer counties also the roads will not be in good condition at all and a good many will be gravel or clay.


Kentucky families are old families, everybody has an "Old Homeplace" or Farm where some grandparents or great grandparents live, usually down an old gravel or dirt road somewhere back in the hills just outside of town. >The floors will be wood, some homes will be just old cabins with an old fireplace and pot-bellied stove. The walls will be littered with old black and whites, some of them of ancestors dating back to civil war times. The folks are friendly, but gossipy and a bit curious. They'll want to know why you're in Kentucky ( naturally they'll assume in the beginning you're there because maybe or "you must have" a mother or father who's from around their somewhere. You'll get invited to Church even if you don't go. You'll eat some of the best homegrown southern cooking in your life. Kentucky is famous for it's smoked and cured hams, sausage and even has it's own style of southern BBQ, Hickory Smoked. Everybody knows everybody....lot's of doors can be opened because your friends with "so and so's cousin" and so forth. It's just the nature of Kentucky.
Hit it off or get along well with someone and you'll be invited over for dinner at someones house. This will be around 1:30 in the afternoon in rural Kentucky and could be the following: Fried Chicken or Boiled, mashed taters and gravy or boiled red taters, fresh sliced, peeled tomaters, Turnip, Mustard or Collard Greens, Okra, fresh boiled Roastin Ear'd Corn, fresh snapped green beans, hot chou-chou or spicy or sweet pickles or relish ( usually eaten with fried fish of somekind ) fried yellow squash, washed town with a tall glass of mildy sweet iced tea ( Kentuckians like cold tea but generally lightly sweetened or sweetened to taste, unlike the deep south ) or Kool-Aid and maybe some Banana Pudding afterwards....

Also in Kentucky nobody says what town their from they'll just say: "Well so and so he's from Hardin County or "so and so he lives over in Meade county etc etc....

You'll hear terms such as: "Roastin Ears" Y'all or "you-all" "yonder" "holler" "knob" "bottom" "fix'n or "fix'n to" "dried beans" Taters, Back there is "bac'ar" and over there is "o'var" help will be just "hep" "reckon" "collards" "mustards" Okra is "okr-ee" ( how come I always talk about food when reminising about Ky and my roots? LOL

You'll hear expressions like: "God luv'em" "Lordy have mercy" "Bless his/her/their little hearts" a bag is a "poke" all the boys will be called "son and all the girls will be called "sis" Also when a Kentuckian get's ready to leave they won't necessarily say "See ya'll later, I'm going home" You might hear many say "See ya'll later I'm a' goin to the house" or "let's go to house or "go to the house"

Gosh I could go on and on.....Kentucky sure is a colorful, countrified kinda place!! I hope you'll like it!