Which is "prettier" Lexington or Louisville? (Ashland, Nicholasville: renting, condominiums)

[CoffeeAddict]

I'm not trying to start a debate here, and I know beauty is in the eye of the beholder....and yet I ask anyway. Which city is the most beautiful?

I haven't been to either one yet, only seen pictures and I'm just not sure.

Which one has a walkable downtown (or walkable smaller towns nearby), with lots of flowers, trees, benches, coffee shops... all that good stuff.

Beyond downtown, which has the most suburban streets where people walk their dogs, stroll along with their kids, and just generally enjoy the outside?

I cannot live in Louisville because of the dog law, but I am considering some surrounding areas. But I also really like what I've read about Lexington.

I'm so torn. And no, I don't want to live in the most expensive area, I just want a nice middle class neighborhood, that is safe and most importantly beautiful. Where I live now is so depressing, NOTHING is pretty. I don't want to live in that again. (hence my emphasis on finding something visually appealing)

I'm going to be renting first and hopefully finding a place sometime in Feb. I've considered other states during my search but I keep coming back to KY, and I'm done looking elsewhere now. Kentucky it is. now I just need to decide on a city...

Any suggestions of specific areas I should visit would be greatly appreciated. This way I can go directly to places that would interest me and bypass the rougher areas.

[censusdata]

This is Louisville

Historic Levy Building



Waterfront Park



Historic Portland:


Lou. Skyline


Ohio River Sunset


New downtown construction


Louisville Metro Bike Loop (110 miles around when finished!)

[rnc76]

Seriously, census guy, lay off bashing Lexington and the rest of Kentucky. Most people on this board are respectful of each other, go somewhere else if you just want to start fights.

Both are nice cities with very pretty areas. Louisville is much bigger than Lexington. Lexington is a nice mid-sized city where the University has a large influence. Campus butts up to the south side of downtown, so you have a lot of students living in that area. Lexington's downtown is more walkable in my opinion because it is smaller and I like the influence that UK has on downtown with college bars and students hanging out. The countryside all around Lexington is beautiful horsefarms.

Louisville has several hotspots are in the central part of the city: downtown, the Highlands, St. Matthews... UL doesn't seem to have that much influence downtown. I think most of the student hang out in the Highlands. Visit both and pick for yourself.

[censusdata]

Lexington countryside pictures:

[Toria]

the dog law covers all of Jefferson county, not just Louisville itself....however, there is a federal lawsuit pending by the Louisville Kennel Club and the KY Sportsmans Association which hopefully will overturn it....

[missymomof3]

I personally find Lexington prettier but that is simply my opinion. Louisville is pretty too just not AS pretty

[rnc76]

^^^The area east of downtown Louisville out to Prospect along the river is really pretty. Other than that, I agree that Lexington is prettier overall. A nice drive through the horse farms on a Saturday afternoon puts me in a good place.

[censusdata]

The COUNTRYSIDE around Lexington is prettier and more unique than outside Louisville

As far as the CITIES go, and having lived in both (Lexington 8 yrs, Louisville 5 yrs) I think Louisville is much more scenic than Lexington. It has a much larger number of historic, Victorian era neighborhoods, some of the best and most scenic urban parks in the US, and a treelined parkway system connecting those parks. I also love all of the country roads that run throughout the suburbs - it's truely like being in the country and the city at the same time!

As a summary:

Eastern Parkway **or** Nicholasville Road?
Cherokee/ Iroquois Park **or** Jacobson Park
Old Louisville **or** Maxwell Street

My opinion, Louisville wins hands down for CITY prettiness, Lexington wins hands down for surrounding COUNTRYSIDE prettiness

[stx12499]

Originally Posted by censusdata

The COUNTRYSIDE around Lexington is prettier and more unique than outside Louisville

As far as the CITIES go, and having lived in both (Lexington 8 yrs, Louisville 5 yrs) I think Louisville is much more scenic than Lexington. It has a much larger number of historic, Victorian era neighborhoods, some of the best and most scenic urban parks in the US, and a treelined parkway system connecting those parks. I also love all of the country roads that run throughout the suburbs - it's truely like being in the country and the city at the same time!

As a summary:

Eastern Parkway **or** Nicholasville Road?
Cherokee/ Iroquois Park **or** Jacobson Park
Old Louisville **or** Maxwell Street

My opinion, Louisville wins hands down for CITY prettiness, Lexington wins hands down for surrounding COUNTRYSIDE prettiness

I agree, census data

[rnc76]

Originally Posted by censusdata

The COUNTRYSIDE around Lexington is prettier and more unique than outside Louisville

As far as the CITIES go, and having lived in both (Lexington 8 yrs, Louisville 5 yrs) I think Louisville is much more scenic than Lexington. It has a much larger number of historic, Victorian era neighborhoods, some of the best and most scenic urban parks in the US, and a treelined parkway system connecting those parks. I also love all of the country roads that run throughout the suburbs - it's truely like being in the country and the city at the same time!

As a summary:

Eastern Parkway **or** Nicholasville Road?
Cherokee/ Iroquois Park **or** Jacobson Park
Old Louisville **or** Maxwell Street

My opinion, Louisville wins hands down for CITY prettiness, Lexington wins hands down for surrounding COUNTRYSIDE prettiness

I agree with you for the most part, but you are making pretty lopsided comparisons. You don't mention Lexington's prettiest areas like Gratz Park, Ashland, Chevy Chase, South Hill... UK is a much nicer campus IMO than UL also and UK dominates the southern side of downtown. Of course Louisville will have a larger number of historic districts, because it is a much larger city. Regardless, they are both nice looking cities for the most part and it really wouldn't come into the equation IMO for choosing which one to live.