Bowling Green.....yes or no?? (Louisville, Somerset: new home, purchasing, inspection)

[dlk33]

PURPLE3...
Thanks for your input. Should we decide that BG is the place for us, I will want to know which areas to avoid! Please tell me why you like BG so much, I'm interested to know.

[dixiegirl7]

Originally Posted by dlk33

dixiegirl7...
I see that you are a Real Estate Agent, so of course you would have positive things to say about where you live. That's not saying they aren't positive, but would you say anything really negative?
I didn't have my mind made up before the posting, I'm still not 100% sure.
Why do you say that you're not sure why I was ever considering BG? There are things that I do like about BG, mainly though it's the park system, mostly the disc golf course options. I do like that there are a decent amount of shopping options in BG. I don't like that there aren't that many food stores to choose from. I don't care for the traffic congestion. I did have a sort of negative experience at the motel I stayed at, which does make a reflection on the city, although it's not related to the city. The decision isn't just mine to make, my hubby has to be happy as well.
As far as the state parks, GV has several state parks within an hours drive towards the mountains. BG has Mammoth Cave. I believe land between the lakes is further. We had the time to check out one of the parks close to GV, but didn't have the time to check out Mammoth Cave(I wish we had).
I appreciate you letting me know about the expansion. Do you have anymore detail about it, as in what shopping or restaurants will be there?
We were only in the downtown area once, where we were kind of lost trying to get back to a street we had missed a turn for.
I'm just going to keep an eye on the forum for anything that comes up related to BG, and keep reading the online newspaper to get whatever information I can to help us make a decision. I want to make the right move for us, which may be very different then for someone else. The phase of life we will be moving into, is quite different then what we have been living. Honestly, the whole moving thing is scary to me! If it weren't for a couple really important things like cost of living & the weather, we'd stay put where we are now.
Two negatives for BG... I like to bowl in clean fresh air, this is not possible in BG since BG does not have a no smoking ban. Along those lines, the lack of a smoking ban puts me off on wanting to move there, especially since I feel like I'd be moving backwards, being that there is one where I live now.
I will say though that while we were there, it was only an issue in a few places that we noticed.
So, don't give up on me just yet

I would be very honest about BG, real estate or not. I wholeheartedly agree with you on the smoking ban. I like to bowl also and unfortunately the bowling alley is always smoky. We have tried to pass a smoking ban a couple of times and so far no luck. I am hoping we will soon though. Several of our restaurants have gone smoke free on their own.

I also agree about the lack of grocery choices although I shop at Walmart and warehouse restaurant supply stores mostly anyway. I really wish we had a Publix at least. Kroger seems to have control of the grocery thing.

I hope you find the place that is best suited for you and your husband.

[dlk33]

dixiegirl7...
Now you're getting the idea If BG does decide to pass a smoking ban within the next year, I'd be much more willing to consider a move there. It seems they would be onboard with the "health" side of it, rather then the political side of it, to go along with the beautiful park system that is in place. I think it would be a big plus for BG all the way around!

Kroger needs some competition to hopefully keep the prices down, to help pass on the savings to the consumer. They can set their prices & you have no choice but to pay whatever it is, since you have to eat. I suppose Walmart would be considered competition to Kroger, but then they are more then just a grocery store. I know that GV has Publix, Ingles, Walmart & Bi-LO.
One other thing BG could use is a Golden Corral resturant.

Thanks for the well wishes

[Leaving_NY]

I'll put in my two cents here..... being that we have recently imported to Bowling Green. We relocated for my husbands job in July of 08, so it hasn't quite been a year, but we LOVE it here. Coming from NY, it is a wonderful place to be. We lived in a small town with less than 10,000 ppl....not much traffic there, but I grew up with plenty of traffic in Syracuse, NY. I have also lived in Winston-Salem, NC. I can honestly say that the traffic is not that bad. There are ways to avoid the Scottsville Rd. traffic (231) I have learned to deal with it and it doesn't bother me too much anymore. It is worse on the weekends especially if there is something major going on. I know college graduation was a couple weeks ago, and it got a little hairy, but like any city you learn how to avoid it when you need to.

As for the city itself it is a wonderful place. The parks are amazing, never seen anything like them anywhere we have been! We had never heard of disc golf before we came here. Now my husband and 7yr old are hooked. He even played in a tournament last month, and is a PDGA member. There are 15 courses within a 25 mile radius.

The greenway trails is the biking project they are working on, they are beautiful and when completed the will circle the city. We just purchased bikes for the whole family. There is also a lot of biking to be had in the Mammoth Cave area, as well as Barren River State Park. If you are more than a casual biker check out this website. BGLOB - Bowling Green League of Bicyclists I have to admit that we have never been this active and our outdoor activities keep us very busy. Since moving here I have lost 45lbs. and even ran a 5k. Never ever thought I would do that LOL!

I agree with the shopping issue, but there are a few options when you look for them. The second biggest chain (minus Wal-Mart...which I avoid at all costs) is Houchens. There are a few other smaller stores which I shop as well.

My husbands job is in jeporady (he works for GM) we have decided in the event of a catostrophic job loss, which we do not believe will happen, but if it does we will be staying in the BG area. The climate is about as close to perfect as you can get. We absolutely love this city. Hope this helps you out, sometimes it helps to hear from someone who hasn't grown up here....

[dixiegirl7]

That is a wonderful description of BG, Leaving NY. I am so glad you all like it so much. I love it also, but hate to come off as biased just because of what I do. You are right, it is good to hear some of the same things from a newer resident. I hope your husband's job holds up, hopefully it will.

[dlk33]

Leaving_NY...
Thanks so much for the information you've added It is good to hear from someone that has moved to the are from somewhere else. We've actually lived in many places, from small to large population. I kind of like being in the middle, not to small, not to big. Bowling Green could be that happy medium for us. I'm just not certain as of yet which city would make us happier all the way around, BG or Greenville, SC. I have no question that BG wins hands down for the disc golf courses! Any hope you might take up the sport of dg???
The one positive thing about the traffic & congestion is that with us being retired, we can choose when or when not to go anywhere which would help a lot! I'm curious, what type of bikes did you purchase, hybrid, mountain or road bikes? Where do you plan on riding with then now? I had heard that BG has a bike club, that they take trips out in the country on the paved roads. I myself didn't notice a place that I'd feel comfortable riding with the traffic.
Congrats on the weight loss!
We went into the Houchens grocery store & honestly I wasn't that impressed. It's much more smaller then what I'm used to, which usually means higher prices. I would say the prices are higher for groceries there then here.
I hope your husband is able to keep his job.
Don't you find it kind of hot & humid there in the summer?
Have you noticed any issues with crime there, BG does show high numbers for both property & violent crimes.

I appreciate hearing the thoughts of anyone else who has an opinion they want to share about living in BG

[dixiegirl7]

Bowling Green is definitely not Mayberry. We have a higher violent crime rate than the average rate in Kentucky overall, but a lower rate than the national average. We rank in the 79th percentile nationally. For property crime, Bowling Green ranks higher than both the Kentucky average and the national average.

However, overall it is a fairly safe city with a big police presence, with city, state and university police. This is a college town and it is an international refuge city which makes it very diverse for a city of it's size. The crime is actually fairly limited to certain areas which one needs to be aware of and take the proper precautions. I would dare say that Bowling Green might be safer now than in years past when it was nicknamed "Little Chicago"...lol.

[Digger57]

dlk33, in response to your question as to what I was looking for in a retirement area, yes, we do differ. After living in fairly large cities most of my life we will retire to a small town (Morgantown) just about 20 miles north of BG. Actually we will be about 10 miles out of town on the Green River, pretty much in the woods. The wife may continue to teach for a few years at the university while I spend my time outdoors, probably in the doghouse most of the time....hehe. Seriously though, I may decide to run for some local public office if I get too bored as I have been in an executive/management position most of my life. But the Spring & Fall seasons of Kentucky will be what I look forward to the most. If you haven't witnessed them, you must!

Digger~

[dlk33]

A question for anyone who knows... Does Bowling Green have a sales tax on groceries?

[dixiegirl7]

Originally Posted by dlk33

A question for anyone who knows... Does Bowling Green have a sales tax on groceries?

No, no tax on food, just on nonfood items like cleaning supplies and such.