Thinking about a move to Lexington/Louisville (Bowling Green, Covington: fit in, transplants)

[LiberalMary]

Hello,

My husband and I are considering a move to Lexington or Louisville. We are not a typical U.S. family (or maybe we are), so I am concerned whether Kentucky is a good match for us and if so, which city would fit us best?

Tolerance and diversity are very important to us. My husband is from Argentina and I am from the U.S.. We are raising our 5 year old son bilingual and bicultural. We want to raise our son in a culturally diverse place that is compatible with our philosophy of cultural, religious, and political tolerance. Environmental awareness is also important to us.

The southern bible belt and college sports culture I have been reading in other threads scare me a little. How accurate are these notions? Will we fit in if we are religiously liberal?

Being from Argentina, my husband is a soccer fanatic. Is there a decent interest in the sport?

I am originally from a college town in Michigan and we currently live in a conservative and rural area in northern Illinois. It is consider an exhurb of Chicago, however we are too far from Chicago to benefit from the opportunities there and moving closer would be too expensive. I have been able to tolerate it for the 5 years we've lived here but we prefer something more cosmopolitan, diverse and naturally scenic than we have now.

We are considering Kentucky for several reasons:

1. I have two sisters living there, one in Shelbyville and the other in Louisville. Family is important to us since we are raising our young son.

2. We love the outdoors! My husband is from the Patagonia region of ARgentina and I am from Michigan so we have a hard time living in Illinois where it is mostly flat farmland, rarely a tree in sight!

3. Cost of living. Like we did, families from the Chicago suburbs are moving out by us for the lower housing but because of the migration it is also getting high here - $250K+ for a starter.

4. Job opportunities. With gas prices so high we are tired of driving 60+ miles round trip, each day for work. There are few job opportunities in our local area. My husband and I both have Bachelor's degrees and professional experience. Is it true that the job outlook is decent?

Note: My husband's first language is Spanish and it is important for him that his language skills be an asset rather than a disadvantage (he has dealt with some prejudice that he is hispanic and has an accent). Any thoughts on this?

5. University town. I find that university towns tend to be more diverse, liberal, and have stronger economies. Can this be said of Lexington?


I know I have many stipulations....Am I being realistic by considering Lexington or Louisville?

I appreciate any input

Mary

[missymomof3]

There isn't much of a soccer presence here but alot of what you are asking for can be found in Louisville in the Highlands or Old Louisville area. STX, I hand this over to you

[censusdata]

Overall Louisville is quite a bit more racially diverse, although Lexington does have a large and growing Hispanic population. Louisville has a large liberal/artsy side of town with a population of over 60,000 people and a large amount of shops, restaurants, and health food stores (along Bardstown Road inside I-264 & Frankfort Ave) while Lexington has a much smaller liberal area near UK that has a smaller assortment of shops (Chevy Chase).

As for outdoors, Louisville has one of the best park systems in the US, including the largest municipal forest in the US (w/ over 30 miles of hiking trails) and a 110 mile bike loop around the city will be totally complete in 5 years, 30 miles are already complete. Lexington parks are just decent, although Lex is much closer to a lot of good hiking trails such as Natural Bridge/ Red River Gorge and Berea College Forest.

Overall Lexington has a better economy and lower unemployment, although the East side of Louisville is very comperable to Lex (South & West Lou very industrial, blue collar)

[LiberalMary]

Thanks for the input! Actually, I am familier with the Highlands in Louisville and we like it there very much. In fact, there is an Argentine restaurant in that neighborhood that we like. We have also been hiking at the Natural Bridge and surrounding areas, which is beautiful.

I guess I know more about Louisville than Lexington since I hav never actually visited Lexington.

We do like the idea of a smaller city like Lexington however and Louisville is close enough to drive to for a night away etc...

My husband's worry is that he will be discriminated against because he is ethnic. Because he is hispanic, sometimes he is associated with Mexican migrant workers or illegals or something, which he is definately not. Not that Mexicans are undesirable to us but unfortunately some people, who are less exposed to diversity, are not as open or accepting of someone who is different.

Currently, my husband is the Rental Manager for a large industrial equipment dealership. Many of his clients are spanish speaking so the fact that he speaks spanish is a huge advantage for him. He's paid pretty well at his job and I know he wouldn't relocate for a job paying less money or with less responsibility. In fact, since he is at the highest level he can achieve at his current job, he'd like to move to a company with more opportunities. Because of this, he fears that his ethnicity could hold him back. Is he basing this fear on a stereotype of the south U.S. or is there some truth to his fear?

I know my question is a quite explicit but it is important. My sisters aren't in the same situation as us so they can't give much insight on this matter. Does anyone have any thoughts on this specifically? Maybe he would have better luck in Louisville?

Thanks for your help.

[rpb502]

I recommend the eastern suburbs of Louisville. J-town, St. Matthews, Lyndon, etc. You may even like Fern Creek or Okolona.

Louisville has more job opportunities, slightly lower cost of living (except for gas), and its a more "happening" metro area with better restaurants, arts, nightlife, museums, etc. Louisville also has a slightly better school system.

Both are very safe and clean. Crime won't be an issue, except for NW of the city, like Portland.

Lou and Lex are both college towns. Lexington has The Univ. of KY, while Louisville has The Univ. of Louisville. Both are great schools. Lexington has a little more of a "college feel" to it IMO.

As you know, Louisville is a much larger city then Lex. (1.4 million in Lou, compared to 450k in Lex). Louisville offers things that you just simply can't find in Lex. But at the same time, the suburbs are very relaxed and quiet.

As for outdoors, Louisville has a FANTASTIC park system, and and some good outdoor attractions nearby, such as Taylorsville Lake State Park, Jefferson Memorial Forest, and Bernheim Forest. If you love nature, you will love Louisville.

But the main thing is to choose whatever place makes you happy. My advice to further reasearch both cities and pick which one you guys like better. And remember, their only an hour apart from eachother.

Good luck in your decision.

[mdawg]

in my experiences in Chicago, there seems to be a lot more spanish influence and acceptance in Chicago than in Louisville, probably because Chicago is just so much bigger than Louisville and can support its own hispanic culture. I have yet to find a place in Louisville where speaking Spanish is generally accepted, other than a Mexican restaurant. This is probably because 1.) Louisville doesnt have as many native Spanish speakers as Chicago 2.) A lot or even most hispanics in Louisville are Mexican migrant workers IMO.

[Irishtom29]

I ran into an Argentine in Lexington the other day, I thought the guy was Italian.

I live in Lexington and it's nice but if I think now I'd rather live in Louisville, it looks more interesting. (I came down here from Chicago ya see.)

[timelesschild]

Originally Posted by LiberalMary

The southern bible belt and college sports culture I have been reading in other threads scare me a little. How accurate are these notions? Will we fit in if we are religiously liberal?

The descriptions are very accurate. Make no mistake. You can fit in fine if you are religiously liberal (whatever that means to you). People generally respect one another's beliefs. More difficult is getting away from the ubiquitous college sports mania. You can just let it roll over you after a while, but it can be an intense surprise at first and it's unbelievable to me how much people care about that stuff. My family has been in Kentucky continuously since the 1700's, I have been a Kentucky resident all my life, and it STILL seems odd to me. You can ignore it, but it will be in your face.

Originally Posted by LiberalMary

Being from Argentina, my husband is a soccer fanatic. Is there a decent interest in the sport?

Yes, decent. The high schools have well-attended soccer games, and people do watch and discuss the World Cup.

Originally Posted by LiberalMary

I am originally from a college town in Michigan and we currently live in a conservative and rural area in northern Illinois. It is consider an exhurb of Chicago, however we are too far from Chicago to benefit from the opportunities there and moving closer would be too expensive. I have been able to tolerate it for the 5 years we've lived here but we prefer something more cosmopolitan, diverse and naturally scenic than we have now.

You can get that in the downtown area of Lexington, or the parts of Louisville already mentioned.

Originally Posted by LiberalMary

2. We love the outdoors! My husband is from the Patagonia region of ARgentina and I am from Michigan so we have a hard time living in Illinois where it is mostly flat farmland, rarely a tree in sight!

Kentucky will be an improvement here.

Originally Posted by LiberalMary

3. Cost of living. Like we did, families from the Chicago suburbs are moving out by us for the lower housing but because of the migration it is also getting high here - $250K+ for a starter.

Kentucky will be a drastic improvement here.

Originally Posted by LiberalMary

4. Job opportunities. With gas prices so high we are tired of driving 60+ miles round trip, each day for work. There are few job opportunities in our local area. My husband and I both have Bachelor's degrees and professional experience. Is it true that the job outlook is decent?

It totally depends on your line of work. We just this spring moved AWAY from Kentucky because there was no work in our professions. Make sure about that, definitely....

Originally Posted by LiberalMary

Note: My husband's first language is Spanish and it is important for him that his language skills be an asset rather than a disadvantage (he has dealt with some prejudice that he is hispanic and has an accent). Any thoughts on this?

Depends on his line of work. It is highly unusual in Lexington (I'm not going to say it's a negative, but for sure highly unusual) for a professional to have a Spanish accent of any kind, so that is something to be aware of...

Originally Posted by LiberalMary

5. University town. I find that university towns tend to be more diverse, liberal, and have stronger economies. Can this be said of Lexington?

Yes, definitely more diverse and liberal near the university. Stronger economy? Again, depends on your line of work.

Are you being realistic? Yes. I think you can be very happy in Kentucky if you can find work in your field.

[LiberalMary]

Hey, thanks for all the great info! It will be very helpful for us when we need to decide. I'm leaning towards Louisville as a better fit for us.

mdawg: you are definately right. Chicago has a very large hispanic professional community, for sure. Unfortunately, we live just outside the metro Chicago area where it much more rural and less diverse. Moving closer to the city is not really a option since housing is so high to the east of us.

Irishtom: Argentine that looks like an Italian? That sound about right... Actually, a majority of Argentines are 50% Italian heritage.

timelesschild: Excellent and thorough response, thanks!

If anyone has any insight into the Construction/Industrial Equipment Industry in the Louisville area, let me know. My husband is the Rental Manager for a large scale industrial equipment dealership. He has several years experience in the Construction/Industrial/Heavy Equipment Industry in Inventory and Fleet Management.

[EclecticEars]

Originally Posted by LiberalMary

Tolerance and diversity are very important to us. My husband is from Argentina and I am from the U.S. ...Environmental awareness is also important to us.

The southern bible belt and college sports culture I have been reading in other threads scare me a little. How accurate are these notions? Will we fit in if we are religiously liberal?

Well, anywhere you go in Kentucky you'll find strong traces of Bible belt (particularly of the Southern Baptist mindset/variety) and college sports cultures. In fact, they pretty much dominate Kentucky to be perfectly honest and, aside from hunting and fishing, all that most people I meet talk about. Anywhere from half an hour or more away from our three largest metros (Lou, Lex, N. Ky.) will scream this, and college sports are even a strong part of the cities really.

Rest assured--and I'm a conservative trying to help you out --your best bet in all of Kentucky is the inner east end of Louisville. Consider Crescent Hill, Clifton, and the crown jewels of liberal neighborhods in Ky., the Highlands and Original Highlands. All of these neighborhoods are within a 5-mile radius of each other. Primary roads in this area: Baxter Ave., Eastern Parkway, Bardstown Rd. (especially), Grinstead Dr., E. Broadway, Frankfort Ave., and Brownsboro Rd.

Being from Argentina, my husband is a soccer fanatic. Is there a decent interest in the sport?

I'm sure soccer (or futbol) clubs for grown men exist there, although I haven't searched it. Plenty of soccer leagues through out the state for the kiddos, so maybe hubby can ref, fundraise, etc.. Aside from that, not a huge interest in soccer, especially as there is no MLS team.

...we prefer something more cosmopolitan, diverse and naturally scenic than we have now.

Cosmopolitan: Louisville hands down! (The most cosmo in Kentucky, anyway.)

Diverse: Louisville hands down! Lexington has a little bit around UK's campus, but it is even more of an Anglo city than Louisville. Mind you, Lexington has a growing Hispanic community on its west side.)

Naturally scenic: Hmmm...tough call, but I'd say Lexington. Lexington has the surrounding horse farms, Raven Run, Kentucky River palisades, which are breathtaking! Louisville has the Olmstead park system, Waterfront Park, and Jefferson Memorial Forest, but not nearly as many gently rolling farms.

2. We love the outdoors! My husband is from the Patagonia region of ARgentina and I am from Michigan so we have a hard time living in Illinois where it is mostly flat farmland, rarely a tree in sight!

Read above.

Also, with Louisville, you'd be closer to Hoosier National Forest, Bernheim Forest, Otter Creek Park, and Mammoth Cave National Park, all great day trips for hiking, camping, and picnicking. Mammoth Cave is also the world's largest cave system.

With Lexington, you're still pretty close to Red River Gorge, Natural Bridge, and Daniel Boone National Forest.

Nod goes to L'ville in terms of outdoor opps as you'll be closer and have easier access to more in the suburbs and exurbs.

3. Cost of living. Like we did, families from the Chicago suburbs are moving out by us for the lower housing but because of the migration it is also getting high here - $250K+ for a starter.

Anyplace in Kentucky beats Chicagoland in terms of cost of living. Louisville is slightly cheaper than Lexington when you consider housing values and property taxes. Louisville's gasoline is the most expensive in the state, however, from April-September due to the ethanol blends. So, nod here goes to Louisville, but slightly.

4. Job opportunities. With gas prices so high we are tired of driving 60+ miles round trip, each day for work. There are few job opportunities in our local area. My husband and I both have Bachelor's degrees and professional experience. Is it true that the job outlook is decent?

My husband's first language is Spanish and it is important for him that his language skills be an asset...

I don't see how Spanish as a first language will be a terrible hindrance. As long as he fluently speaks English, that's all that matters first and foremost. Having Spanish will just be icing on the cake when he actually has to deal with Hispanic clients. Oh, I know nothing of the C/I-E industry here, sorry.

As for the job market, well...Kentucky's isn't that great. Don't be fooled. Louisville has a slightly weaker market relative to it's size, but of course there are more jobs for more people. Louisville has 700,000, Lexington has 275,000 residents.

The strongest job markets in Kentucky are, IMHO:
(1) Boone/Kenton County (Covington/Florence/Hebron/Cincinnati's SW suburbs)
(2) Bowling Green
(3) Louisville and Lexington (tied)
(5) (distantly) Laurel County
(6) The rest of Ky.

Just be persistent once you move here. You'll find something that matches your qualifications.

5. University town. I find that university towns tend to be more diverse, liberal, and have stronger economies. Can this be said of Lexington?

Lexington is Kentucky's quintessential college town. Around UK, BCTC and Transylvania's campuses, the city is diverse and liberal. Away from that it's mostly full of Anglo transplants from Ohio, Michigan, and eastern Kentucky. I'm not downing the city for that reason, that's just the way it is.

Remember, though, Louisville has even more colleges and students than Lexington. It has UofL, JCC (three campuses), Spalding and Bellarmine, and also IUS is almost immediately across the river.

I'd recommend Louisville for you.