kentucky natives.... tell the truth!!! (Louisville, Owensboro: for sale, new home, schools)

[Micah Girl]

Originally Posted by mass_family

well the london area is the only place we have acctually been to in ky and we liked it alot. but i was a little weary of what the job market was like. and an hr drive to work is not unusual up here so that wouldnt be a problem. as for the type of construction i do, i have been in residential construction for the last 10 yrs, did some commercial work and right now im in the roofers union in boston. we do all flat roofs, no residential. but im well rounded. i can operate equipment, i run a loader in the winter plowing and doing snow removal so id be open to many different jobs. how are the schools in london and whats the crime rate like?

We just moved to Lexington from MA and I am a native New Englander. We are in the city itself and have found wonderful neighbors and friendly, helpful people. For me, Lexington is the right mix of Southern hospitality and giving me a little bit of space, too. We love it.

[censusdata]

There is descent construction market in the London-Somerset area, has it is experiencing moderate population growth. It is still a lot less wealthy than Upstate KY (Lou, Lex, NKY), but then again the cost of living is a lot less. A 4 bedroom house down there might cost $40,000.

County Growth from 2000-2006
Laurel 8.1%, added 4,264 people
Pulaski 6.3%, added 3,532 people
Whitley 6.3%, added 2,277 people

Here are the school test scores for the Tri City area:
Laurel (overall 82.2) courier-journal.com»Kentucky CATS scores»Louisville, KY
Pulaski (overall 82.6) courier-journal.com»Kentucky CATS scores»Louisville, KY
Whitley (overall 86.2) courier-journal.com»Kentucky CATS scores»Louisville, KY

[censusdata]

Originally Posted by jcm1986

The only places in Kentucky with any amount of construction worth remarking about are:

1. Louisville suburbs (far south and east Jefferson, and particularly Oldham, Bullitt, and Spencer Counties)
2. Fort Knox/Radcliff. Fort Knox is currently being expanded greatly, adding 11,000 or so new jobs. This means new facilities construction on base, new highways and infrastructure, and new housing in Hardin, Bullitt, and Meade Counties.
3. Lexington suburbs (south Fayette, Jessamine, Madison Counties)
4. Northern Kentucky (Boone, south Kenton Counties)

That's really about it.

Actually, Bowling Green has the fastest growing metro in KY, at least percentage wise, growing by 9% since 2000.

Ft Knox's growth he mentioned is from transfers coming in from other bases which recently got closed. Ft Knox had been losing a large number of jobs and troops, which is why Hardin County has been growing so slow the past few decades, while the non military population of Hardin Co has been been growing rapidly

[mass_family]

haha yeah i think we are the only place in the u.s. that has rotaries..... and out of state people hate them! and i wont miss the snowstorms that dump feet at a time either. well this is all really good news for us, it sounds like ill have no problem getting a job and making good friends. i think we may need to take a trip down once more to look around at the places mentioned. i have seen a few homes online that look like what we want that have a little land also, and are in small towns with a few mom and pop stores nearby. but its hard to shop for a house online, you just cant get the feel like you can in person. but im very glad to hear all the good things mentioned!! we are off to a great start!

[Miss Blue]

I just want to say kudos to the people who responded to the op This is absolutely the very best thread I have seen in promoting Ky..Everything is accurate, and told with the friendship that is typical of the "natives" Absolutely amazing that noone had anything derrogatory about any area of Ky..What a beautiful job

[Edge07]

Owensboro KY is really trying to expand. I have noticed lots of clearing being done and can't wait to see what might be coming up, And we love ATV!!

[mass_family]

i have to agree. we have gotten alot out of this! and i have to say, the topic title was originally supposed to be funny. it was sort of like, " c'mon now, just say it, you hate yankees" lol i just had to clear that up because now when i read it , it just doesnt sound right. but thats ok because the thread turned out great! now its up to us to decide on what part to look in. there have been alot of towns mentioned so it could take a while and some narrowing down. but i would like to thank everyone for all the help. and feel free to keep filling us in on the details no matter how tiny they are!! every little bit helps!!

[mass_family]

does anyone happen to know anything about columbia,ky.

[censusdata]

Originally Posted by mass_family

does anyone happen to know anything about columbia,ky.

Yes, I spent a lot of my childhood 20 miles from there. It is a lot smaller than London. The economy in Adair County is probably the weakest in that area of the state, w/ a 10% unemployment rate. The topography in that area is beautiful, with pristine farmland in northern Adair County, and very hilly topography in its southern areas. Campbellsville is the next town to the north, it has quite a bit of shopping and restaurants.

Are you more of an industrial roofer? Several of my uncles did that for a living

[mass_family]

well i had been building houses for the last 10 yrs and is what i enjoy doing. but a year ago i got into the roofers union because the work was a little more reliable. the company i work for does all industrial and commercial roofing which is mainly flat roofs. rubber, hot tar and sarnafil (which is a plastic material) are the types we works with. while building houses i did everything from framing to finish work, shingling, siding, flooring etc. so i do have a few options given the options are available to me.