KY for couple in their 20's (Lexington, Louisville: rent, insurance, crime)

[lilbear]

Hi everyone,
I'm looking way ahead but early planning is always good right? Well, let me start off, I'm originally from south east Michigan (not from Detroit just outside a good 40 miles). I'm 25 married to my 23 year old husband and currently live in South Carolina, for about 5 years. My elderly (yes elderly) sick parents live in Mich but economics are pretty bad there, just a little worse than the part of SC we're currently in.

We're planning to move out of SC someday, maybe within a couple of years. (I would hope so) and I loved KY the last several times I've been there. I visited friends (who unfortunately I'm no longer in touch with) in the Calhoun area.

KY is halfway between my family in MI and hubby's family in SC. We're not really that interested in Ohio, although it's not completely ruled out.

So I was looking for some opinions or information on areas not right IN a city, more like country/suburbs. I like to have plenty to do, have places like Pets Mart or Petco, Target, good restaurants (My fave Olive Garden his Outback Steakhouse) less than 45 min away (as is currently). Probably will rent for a while. Decent rent would be nice. You can just tell me average rent for different areas, no $800 rent I'm sure lol. We'll have our 3 indoor declawed cats. My dogs are old so they may not be around by that point. And we have no children and aren't planning on any at this point.

I do customer service jobs but hope to get my education to be a Teacher's Aide and hubby is a Graphic Designer also Prepress Tech and IT.

So I'm searching around for ideas where we could possibly afford to live and still be happy with the area. Its not expensive persay to live in SC but unless you're close to a city, (the biggest is Columbia and we're 2 hours from there) there isn't much to do but eat out a lot and we prefer to do more active things. Although there's plenty of hiking to do, but we like other stuff too. Bowling, skating, that type of stuff.

Eventually we'll start traveling again and start visiting places so any input where to go, let me know if you like.

Thanks in advance.

[lilbear]

-Where you are working I'm currently at Dollar Tree. There's no jobs in our small town area right now. Hubby at a newspaper
-How much you are willing to spend on housing $300-500 roughly the lower the better
-How long of a commute you're willing to tolerate 30 min
-If you have kids: Private school or public school? no kids, none planned for future
-What type of neighborhood environment you are looking for: small town feeling? small city excitement? suburbia delight? suburban, like country settings but nice suburb town close
-Community amenities important to you I like a good mall closeby, no more than like 30 min away
-Pie or cake? cheesecake

[lilbear]

I was also thinking, how are costs like registering your car each year? Does the state require hmm, the word just slipped my mind, those tests so they're safe and whatnot for the roads?

[censusdata]

I'd recommend the Springhurst area of Louisville (I-265 around Wesport Rd). It has tons of shopping, is only 15 minutes from downtown, but doesn't have major traffic or crime problems.

Georgetown (north of Lexington) is another nice area with lots of shopping

[censusdata]

Originally Posted by lilbear

I was also thinking, how are costs like registering your car each year? Does the state require hmm, the word just slipped my mind, those tests so they're safe and whatnot for the roads?

Tailpipie emmisions testing? That ended probably 6 years ago

[lilbear]

Thanks for your responses. I'll definitely mark those areas down Census. I've visited Goergetown a couple of times but very briefly, so didn't get to really sight see.

And thank goodness no emissions tests. They don't have that in MI or SC but some states still do so I was wondering. Does it cost a lot though to register? It's actually kind of expensive in SC, not the worst but they make you pay property tax here, costs some thousands of dollars a year.

How is auto insurance? MI has no fault insurance but SC doesn't so rates are very different. I suppose I could probably do basic quotes online for a general idea.

[Katsmeeyow]

OK, I am still trying to get past your tag line.

Sorry, really I am, it is just hitting me in my funny bone!

Seriously, I wish you well, pay no mind to me..........

[bw87a]

i'd say maybe simpsonville (shelby county) may be a good fit. even mt. washington (bullitt county) or even fern creek (louisville suburb in jefferson county). jeffersontown is always a good bet (jefferson county). i dunno, i like many of the areas in eastern jefferson county or the eastern suburban counties for what you are looking for.

[rnc76]

Northern KY would be another good option as well. Florence, Union, Burlington, Alexandria... all those places would provide everything you asked for. You could be as far south as Dry Ridge and still be within 45 min of downtown Cinci and half that to all the shopping and retail around Florence. Bowling Green and Elizabethtown are other options if you are looking at smaller towns. Bowling Green is 1 hour from Nashville, ETown is 45 minutes from Louisville. They both have plenty of retail and restaurants. Good luck.

[lilbear]

Those all sound great. Northern KY sounds good when it comes to location because it's closer to MI. Thanks for all your suggestions. Going to look into those.