What are the most over- and under-rated cities in Kentucky and why? (Lexington: cul-de-sac, hotels)

[InLondon]

Originally Posted by bw87a

pikeville is very underrated in my opinion. i was very impressed while driving through there this past summer. i loved it!

I agree with you!

[Jamie40829]

I gotta say it again. I think Paris and Ashland may be two very underrated cities. They are both very charming towns with alot of heritage and history behind them. The bourbon county courthouse is one of the most impressive buildings I have ever saw.

[JimmyJohnWilson]

there are only two real cities in ky, everything else is just large towns.

i mean come on, bowling green has 50,000 people, thats nothing.

and pikeville as a city???? please people.

[Jamie40829]

There is much more to being a city than a large population......

[dixiegirl7]

Originally Posted by JimmyJohnWilson

there are only two real cities in ky, everything else is just large towns.

i mean come on, bowling green has 50,000 people, thats nothing.

and pikeville as a city???? please people.

Warren County has over 100,000 people in it which actually is Bowling Green. Bowling Green's population within the city limits was almost 55,000 in 2007. Bowling Green/Warren County is now considered a metro area and is one of the fastest growing counties in Kentucky. Is it still rural, yes, but it is a little bit bigger than a town.

[Miss Blue]

I think it all comes down to personal preference..Big town, small town? Big city, small city..I prefer the rural areas and small cities/towns and I prefer Pikeville..We came here here while the children were small from a large city..I was so impressed with the wonderful proud people who worked so hard and so many long years to bring so many changes for the good of all of us here in the Eastern mountains..Yet because of the topography, thank God we will never be a large city
I think the bottom line is "Home is where the heart is"

[Kentuckyguy]

Originally Posted by jkr785

By far, I think the MOST OVERRATED city in Kentucky is Bowling Green. Yes, I do like the diverse cultures and the college-town atmosphere.

But:
1. Without Western it would be dead
2. I can not manage its growth
3. The city is layed out in a very haphazard way and is hard for many people to get around in
4. Offers very little besides cookie-cutter, big-box, suburban type development

I think Owensboro is the MOST UNDERRATED city in Kentucky. I know it's not growing very fast, suffers from isolation, and is hardly exciting. And, yes it does have the big-box development too.

However:
1. It has a much more managed feel than many cities in the state (i.e. laid out in a grid with a helpful expressway)
2. Has a major riverfront development project in the works that will greatly improve the downtown area
3. It is the commercial hub of Western Kentucky
4. Is 30 minutes away from the much larger city of Evansville
5. It will benefit from I-69 when it is completed
6. The OPS and DCPS are two of the best school systems in Kentucky

This is an easy question for me because I think about it a lot. I would have to say the most underrated city in Kentucky is Covington and I am not just saying this because I am from the area. Covington has a great downtown, great historic districts (especially The Riverside Drive Historic District), a small town feel even though it's a city, a great riverfront and unique gift/collectable shops including Mainstrasse Village.

While I think this area is great, it is often not included in books on Kentucky, barely included in visitor’s guides if included at all and just passed by but not stopped at after traveling through Cincinnati after crossing the bridge into Kentucky. I just wish people would see what a unique gem Covington is and how it offers so much to our great Bluegrass State!

Another area I would have to say is underrated is Berea Kentucky. IMO Berea Kentucky is a real gem. There are so many unique craft stores with a lot of handmade goods and the small town is beautiful in the summer. They also have great bands come in and play bluegrass or country music during the summer in one of the town squares. The people there I have found are incredibly friendly. It is also very hilly there. Berea College is also very nice and pretty. I would say it is not emphasized enough in travel guides as well as books about Kentucky as well as also passed by people going down I-75 and rarely stopped at enough.

The last place I would say that is underrated in Frankfort. I don't think enough people realize how beautiful our state capital is! When there I think you definitely get the "small town feel." The people tend to be friendly. There are a lot of shops that are what I like to call "uniquely Kentucky" which specialize in KY products which include KY cafe's, KY quilt shops, etc with all products made in Kentucky! There is however a lot of information, tourism guides, maps etc that can be found throughout the state which tells of the "goings on" in Frankfort so if you want to know what is going on there, you can certainly find out fairly easily through all the resources out there.

I would also say that our most underrated places are not our cities but our wonderful small towns that at times go totally unnoticed. I think people in KY cities sometimes forget about them and forget about how much they offer. Also, there are people that live there that are the kindest people you could come across. I think these people at times feel like there areas don't get near enough attention as they should and deserve. Without our people in our small towns, Kentucky would not be Kentucky IMO. I believe the people living in our small towns are the backbone of Kentucky and are the heart of our great state!

The two overrated places I feel are Lexington and Louisville. Don't get me wrong, I think Lex and Lou are great cities, but I feel that there is so much more to KY. In almost every tourist guide, book about KY, etc you find pictures of both cities and they are emphasized more than any other area of the state or so it seems at times. I know these two cities are what people outside the state think of when they think of KY, but I believe the people of Kentucky know that there is so much more to discover than just these two cities. Yes, there is a lot of do in both places, but there is a lot of do in other towns and cites across the state as well. I would say though that without these two places we would not have horse racing in KY and that would be a true tragedy!
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[Jamie40829]

I agree Kentuckyguy. There are so many awesome things to find in the small towns acros the state. Last summer I marveled at the fully intac Newberrys store front thats still in Paris. I dont know why but it amazed me. I can remembergoing there when i was like VERY VERY small

[JimmyJohnWilson]

Originally Posted by dixiegirl7

Warren County has over 100,000 people in it which actually is Bowling Green. Bowling Green's population within the city limits was almost 55,000 in 2007. Bowling Green/Warren County is now considered a metro area and is one of the fastest growing counties in Kentucky. Is it still rural, yes, but it is a little bit bigger than a town.

i draw the line for city at 100,000 so perhaps bowling green is a city. pikeville is most definetly a town

[JimmyJohnWilson]

Originally Posted by Miss Blue

Yet because of the topography, thank God we will never be a large city
I think the bottom line is "Home is where the heart is"

thats true, its not physically possible for it to grow, and because of that it will always retain its character