Lexington, Louisville or Hebron (Plantation: crime, home, neighborhoods)

[MoveALot]

We have an opportunity to move to anyone of these 3 cities but need help making a decision from far away.

My son has issues with pollution so it looks like Lexington is the best bet but not sure.

Any information would be appreciated.

[censusdata]

IMHO :

Louisville-PRO: best parks, nightlife, outdoor recreation (hiking, biking, fishing), lots of thriving historic neighborhoods
CON: higher crime than Lex or Boone Co, although still among safest cities nationally;
pollution is a problem in the river valley and West End, not a major problem in Eastern Suburbs

Lexington PRO: very safe, no pollution problems anywhere, nice downtown area for its size
CON: traffic is TERRIBLE, a bit more cliquish than Lou or NKY, tends to shut down when UK classes are out

NKY/Hebron PRO: Boone County has thriving economy, good schools
CON: I-75 traffic is really heavy, airport noise, across the river from Cincinnati (yuck!)

[tomocox]

The pollution issue... You must be sure you understand that the Ohio Valley is extremely humid during the summer with several Ozone Action days occuring frequently in July and August. I understand that no matter how wonderful the three places you have mentioned are, breathing is far more important. I would be certain to check with your child's physician and then with the National Weather Service before committing to move into this fantastic place to otherwise raise a kid.

[censusdata]

Any of the 3 cities you mentioned will have allergy problems

[MoveALot]

Thanks for the information. We have ruled out Hebron and Louisville after much research. We lived in FL for 2 years so the pollen isn't a problem but the sulfur dioxide levels are. We also have an opportunity outside Oklahoma City and West of Atlanta, GA. I guess I'll keep researching.

[bw87a]

I'm from the Louisville area and I go to school in Norman, OK. It's about 20 miles south of Oklahoma City. While I love it here, I'd much rather prefer the Kentucky area. The weather is so much better here. The area is rather sprawling and traffic in suburban Oklahoma can be quite congested due to limited road access. One of my ideal locations in Kentucky would be Lexington due to the high educational attainment, increasingly diverse quality of life, and the friendly people. I would not enjoy living in metro Atlanta. Ahh, the traffic!

[teebird1012]

If you have allergy issues, you must understand that during that summer, Kentucky gets very humid and pollen levels soar. I have allergies too so from experience, let me share a bit of my story. From about April to mid May, my allergies get extremely bad because of the pollen being released (oak in particular). I have been taking allergy shots since I was 11 (I'm 17 now) and though they have done quite a bit of good, I still have problems for about 2- 3 months out of the year. Now, when I leave Kentucky to visit my family in NC, IN, or TN or take a vacation somewhere else in the country (NYC, Chicago, etc.), my allergies seem to disappear and while one week at home I'm suffering, the next week when I'm in Charleston, SC, I'm just fine. This is part of the reason why I'm only looking at colleges outside of Kentucky.

I don't know anything about Oklahoma City, but have spent a fair amount of time in Atlanta, particularly in the car. My dad's best friend moved to Reynold's Plantation, GA on Lake Oconee about 3 years ago and just today they were talking. He has a two hour meeting in Atlanta (2- 4 PM) which means that he won't get home til around 8ish. It's only 60- 70 miles away and the drive takes 4 HOURS!!! IF you should decide to move to ATL, MAKE SURE you live near a MARTA train station. Commuting will be MUCH easier for you if you do.