relocating to Covington - help!! (Louisville, Florence: houses, neighborhoods, construction)

[NEfamily]

Just found out that my husband is being relocated from Massachussets to Covington, KY. I've been frantically researching the web on what life is like there and have so many questions, so please bare with me. We have 2 young children who will be starting elementary school in the next year so a solid education is probably the most important, along with some urban amenities - like shopping and restaurants (we've lived just outside of Boston for many years). We're hoping to find a community that welcomes a bunch of Yankees since we won't know a single soul. We're looking to find a nice home in the $250,000 range. Also, what's the weather like there - I've been trying to find out but it seems like it might be cold and rain a lot too?? Any information on nice suburban towns in close proximity to Covington either in KY or just over the border in OH would be greatly appreciated. I am feeling quite anxious about moving our children away from everyone they know and love so I really want to find a special place to raise our children. Thank you all!

[kimmieyky]

Do a google search for Covington-Newport. They are two separate cities - but like Minneapolis/St.Paul Minnesota, very close, and one rolls into the other.

http://www.newportky.gov/index1.php?res=1024

(one thing you will find is the Newport Aquarium). The area itself is very close to Cincy, but to find a suburban area in Ohio going in that direction will be a little drive.

You may also try coming a little further south to Erlanger or Florence in Kentucky. Florence is a wonderful place - known for it's huge shopping malls and entertainment areas with beautiful housing developements, and not so long of a drive straight up I-75.

Kentucky weather changes constantly. It depends on the time of day! Seriously - it can go from sun to rain to snow in minutes - especially from November to May (that far North). That area is about 2 weeks behind in season change from winter to spring, but obviously ahead in summer to fall.

Amazing what a difference a few miles can make!

Gray skies are normal during the winter months, but we have our share of sun, too. The snow is unpredictable, but that area will generally get more than the rest of the state.

I believe if you center your search around those areas, you will be pleasantly surprised, and surely we can't have more cold and gray than you all do up North. But - I have never been where you are, so it would be hard to compare!

Good luck, happy searching, KimmieyKY

[NEfamily]

Thanks for the help - I was wondering what kind of traffic to expect. You can't tell anything from mapquest! We moved to a suburb of Boston that's 30 miles west of the city and our commute during rush hour could easily be 1.5 - 2 hours. We're NOT interested in doing that again. Do areas like Florence / Erlanger have nice restaurants and storest like Target in close proximity? We've been spoiled here in Ma with such a variety of cuisines. Within a 5 mile drive we can get sushi, Thai, Italian, Greek - you name it we have it.

With regard to weather - I am certainly hoping we see an improvement. NE can be very cold, so I was hoping that if we had to move we'd at least have a longer warm season

One other question - how far south could we live in KY and still have a reasonable commute? I was looking at looking at Louisville, but my husband told me I am nuts!

Thank you so much for all your help!

[augustwest]

I am also relocating from MA to a job in Covington. What are the nicer neighborhoods in the area? Union? Turpin Hills OH? What else?

[kimmieyky]

NE family - yes - Florence and Erlanger have great places to go. Places to eat, Target, Walmart (of course) and Meijers (I think) along with a HUGE mall in Florence.

I am betting the traffic headed to and from will be heavey - but being so close, you guys will probably find a 'back' road to get there - depending on where your husband's job is located.

There has been alot of construction in that area over the past several years - as they widened the interstate - I believe it is 4 lanes up and back now, if not more at exits, etc. It should be like I-65 - in some areas we have 6 lanes in both directions.

South - Louisville would be pushing it! It is about a 2 hour drive with NO traffic. But - you could probably get to Richwood - it is located at the I-71 I-75 split. If I am not mistaken - it has really built up alot and driving from there to Florence for shopping would be a breeze. I believe your huisband would probably have approx. a 45 min commute (somewhere in that range) from there. Anything off of I-75 I would go for. Venturing further down 71 will put you in the country and a little too far away.

August - let me do some research - I will need to do some checking to answer you correctly. I think Union is good - but it has been a while. Get back to you as soon as I can!

Kimmiey

[patsycat]

We live in Ludlow, which is very close to Covington (right next to West Covington. The school district is very good, mostly because it is so small. The town is very small (about 3500), but you really can't tell where one stops and another begins. I believe I have heard that there are either just under or just over 100 municipalities in Northern Ky! But Ludlow is very urban, with a lot of old houses close together. If you like urban but more upscale, you might look at Newport, which has lots of great shopping, etc.

Rural Covington is nice, but I'm going to be straight with you that I'm an educator and I would not send my kids to Covington schools. I almost feel bad for saying that, because I really support public schools, but they are at the bottom of Ky's school achievement for a number of reasons.

My advice is to look closely at Ft. Thomas. It's smallish, but very close to Newport with all the great shopping and so forth. The schools are among the Top 5 in the state, consistently.

If you prefer rural, you can go out to Independence. It will be haul, but depending on traffic could range from a 20-minute to a half hour drive to Covington.

I work in downtown Cinci, and as I said I live in Ludlow. My husband works in Blue Ash (north Cincinnati). It takes me about 8 minutes to get to work; it takes him 20 minutes to half an hour. We are about three minute from the 75/71 bridge. Over on the Ft. Thomas side, you'd be about 10 minutes from the 471 bridge, which will take you directly to 71 and to the connector to 75. Also, you can cut straight over from Newport to Covington and not bother with the interstate.

Other nice neighborhoods with good schools:
Ft. Wright (suburbanish with good shopping) Kenton Co. Schools
Ft. Mitchell (suburnanish with outstanding, competitive schools) Beechwood Schools
(all the forts are former Civil War Union defense sites, if you're interested)
Erlanger (same as Ft. Wright, further out) Erlanger Schools
Florence (more commercial but a nice place) Boone County Schools
Burlington (rural Boone County but can be nasty traffic going north) Boone County Schools

The farthest south I'd go is Grant County. I used to teach there, and it was a good 30-minute drive.

[patsycat]

I will add, about traffic, that it depends how far you are coming from and what the traffic is like on a particular day. I know people in the far reaches of Independence going to Cincinnati that it can take close to an hour. But if you are just going to Covington, it makes a BIG difference.

There is a big curve when you come into Cincinnati from NKy, and BAM you see the city for the first time. Come down that hill at night sometime and you will see a gorgeous skyline.

BUT, come down that hill in rush hour and you don't know what you'll get. It's also called "death hill" because there have been so many tragic accidents. In recent years its been straightened a little, but it's still got the rep. But if you are driving into Covington from NKy, there are many back routes ... you can take the interstate so far and then hop off on the back streets. But coming toward Cinci in the morning can slow you way down, and depending on traffic and whether there's a wreck, you could go quickly or be stuck for an hour.

Also, downtown Cinci (which is immediately across the bridge in Ohio) has all kinds of restaurants. NKy has good variety too, but we like to hop over on nights when we get a sitter.

I think I'm done this time!

[kimmieyky]

Patsy - thanks for providing info I was having trouble finding! I was searching - but it's been a while since I was through the area and I know things have grown.

Thank you for helping our new neighbors!
KimmieyKY