Fam of 4 w/ dog maybe moving to Louisville (Lexington, Anchorage: apartments, rent)

[InkFiend]

My husband just interviewed with UofL yesterday and will be on his way out shortly for a campus visit. We've been researching Louisville already, but now that the possibility of moving there is more serious, we're hoping to get more detailed information on where we might consider looking for housing. Here are the deets:

Currently in Iowa; husband would work at UofL (business school); I work from home; kids ages 10 and 6 (one with mild visual impairment that we're monitoring, so a supportive school is imperative); small dog (less than 20 pounds)

We would like 3 bd/2ba place with a bit of a yard for the kids and the dog. We're not opposed to town homes but don't like apartments/condos. We don't know our financial situation yet, but say we could do up to $1500/mo rent or in the range of $225K to $250K for a house.

We don't require the "character" of an older home. We'd prefer a place that doesn't require renovation (we're okay with painting, maybe new flooring—more cosmetic stuff) in a neighborhood where we could get out and walk or bike in the evenings (safe, not too busy) and in a reasonable location for shopping/entertainment and also commuting to the university. Easy access to a public library would be dreamy. A commute of up to 45 minutes one way would be reasonable.

Where are the best places to consider in Jeff County if we go that route (we're leaning toward east or south, but are we missing something)? Best places in Oldham? Or should we consider across the river in Indiana?

The kids are in top-notch public schools right now that offer lots of opportunities for things like orchestra, chorus, etc. We would like to continue public, but I have concerns.
I've been reading about Oldham County vs. Jeff County schools. It seems like Oldham would be a better choice overall (much better scores in general on state and national assessments, and what I've read about bussing in JCSD doesn't excite me), but should that deter us from looking in Jeff County?
How bad is the bussing situation? I mean, how often do kids get bussed away from local schools?
Am I right in understanding that there aren't currently charter schools in the Louisville area? Is that just in Louisville or is that statewide?
How is the home schooling community in the area?

How is public transportation?

It seems like there are a lot of great family things to do right in Louisville. We also like to get out and explore the area. What are some great day trips from Louisville?

Thanks!

[Crazee Cat Lady]

Louisville is a great city, very vibrant with lots of fun things to do, lots of parks, culture and fun!

Being that you have children I think I would opt for Oldham County myself, if I were you,
because of the school situation. Louisville has some of the best schools, yet they also have some of the worst, and you just can't guarantee where your kids might end up imo.
Although Louisville has some incredible neighborhoods if your opting to home school. I live in Lexington currently (grew up in Louisville though) and home schooling is very popular around here. Louisville is really centrally located so you can take day trips to a pretty good percentage of places in America. What are your main interests? Do you all like large urban areas with lots of arts and culture, or do you prefer natural and rural scenery for your trips?

[InkFiend]

Thanks, Crazee! We enjoy urban and rural. We just love to explore and really get to know an area. Our favorites are historic sites, local flavor/culture sites (although we're not drinkers, so we might have to pass on the full experience of bourbon culture :-) ), and quirky, Roadside America-type places. We also love to discover local foods. (This thing called the Hot Brown intrigues us.) In nature we prefer ambling walks or biking versus more aggressive hiking or mountain biking. We're big fans of national parks, so Mammoth Cave is definitely on our list if we end up in the area.

[Peter1948]

Originally Posted by InkFiend

Thanks, Crazee! We enjoy urban and rural. We just love to explore and really get to know an area. Our favorites are historic sites, local flavor/culture sites (although we're not drinkers, so we might have to pass on the full experience of bourbon culture :-) ), and quirky, Roadside America-type places. We also love to discover local foods. (This thing called the Hot Brown intrigues us.) In nature we prefer ambling walks or biking versus more aggressive hiking or mountain biking. We're big fans of national parks, so Mammoth Cave is definitely on our list if we end up in the area.

Don't believe the whole school hype thing. Most students get their "resides" school. However, some families have had some bad experiences with their children being bussed, so there is this fear. The JCPS website has a "school finder" website where you can type in your address and see what school your child will go to. If you end up not liking public schools, the private schools area great. Some of the Catholic schools are among the tops in the Midwest/South, and many of the students at these schools are not Catholic at all.

If you love food and urban, you will love Louisville. It has everything you need. This website is more oriented to young single professionals, but it has all the nice city neighborhoods and gives you some ideas what they are like:

New2Lou

If you are foodies, join the free forum at LouisvilleHotBytes.com

Based on your likes, I think the areas in and around Cherokee and Seneca Parks in Louisville would be wonderful for you. Also close to UofL. Just to compare, you may also look at Oldham County, and specifically, the homes in Norton Commons across the Oldham County line.

[InkFiend]

Originally Posted by Peter1948

Don't believe the whole school hype thing. Most students get their "resides" school. However, some families have had some bad experiences with their children being bussed, so there is this fear. The JCPS website has a "school finder" website where you can type in your address and see what school your child will go to. If you end up not liking public schools, the private schools area great. Some of the Catholic schools are among the tops in the Midwest/South, and many of the students at these schools are not Catholic at all.

If you love food and urban, you will love Louisville. It has everything you need. This website is more oriented to young single professionals, but it has all the nice city neighborhoods and gives you some ideas what they are like:

New2Lou

If you are foodies, join the free forum at LouisvilleHotBytes.com

Thanks for the response, Peter1948! We're keeping our minds open about Jeff County. Loved, loved the Hot Bytes link! Looks like we won't soon run out of great local places to try!

[Peter1948]

Originally Posted by InkFiend

Thanks for the response, Peter1948! We're keeping our minds open about Jeff County. Loved, loved the Hot Bytes link! Looks like we won't soon run out of great local places to try!

If you are going to look at Oldham, I would look at Floyd County, IN as well. Also Anchorage in Jefferson co if you can afford it.

New Albany, IN has seen a real renaissance, driven by the foodie scene, and now has a viable cute little downtown. Floyds Knobs, IN is beautiful and has great schools. It is closer to Louisville's cool urban hoods like downtown, UofL/Old Lou, Butchertown, Germantown, Highlands, Crescent Hill. St Matthews is about equidistant from Oldham as it is to New Albany. Think opposite sides of the metro area. I prefer the Louisville side for shopping reasons, but some people kind of like the "small town" feel of S. Indiana yet you are only 15-20 minutes to the "big city." Best of both worlds.

Like food?

Here's more fodder:

Home | Louisville's Alt-Weekly | LEO Weekly
Metromix | Your Restaurants, Nightlife & Events Guide
Eater Louisville : The Louisville Restaurant, Bar, and Nightlife Blog
Consuming Louisville* *

There's TONS more:
Epicurious Louisville
Ashlee Eats
megabiteslouisville

And if you move, I have more good websites for you Welcome to America's best kept secret. When my job quits transferring, I will see you there soon!

The trolley hops are a nice intro to the city's culture:

http://www.ldmd.org/First-Friday-Trolley-Hop.html
http://www.fatfridayhop.org

Like I said, lots to do, so little space here. Enjoy.

[tomocox]

Well, I no longer need to discuss Jefferson County Schools. The Kentucky Superintendent of Schools has finally blasted onto the scene. There are four high quality high schools in Jefferson County PS, Male, Ballard, Eastern, & Manual. The rest of the schools tend toward the bottom in the state, if not the entire nation.

Until busing stops, until a change in attitude, especially within the Jefferson County Teachers Association run school board, and until the moon falls, I would not plan on my child being educated in a Jefferson County school. It is fine to plan on living in Jefferson County and, if luck allows, sending your child to one of the better JCPS schools, but be prepared to send your child to a private/parochial school. Do not fail to budget.

If you decide to look outside of Jefferson, Oldham is the obvious choice with schools as the primary criteria of living choices. I would not run from some of the Indiana school districts either.

[InkFiend]

Originally Posted by tomocox

Well, I no longer need to discuss Jefferson County Schools. The Kentucky Superintendent of Schools has finally blasted onto the scene. There are four high quality high schools in Jefferson County PS, Male, Ballard, Eastern, & Manual. The rest of the schools tend toward the bottom in the state, if not the entire nation.

Just read the report yesterday. Discouraging, especially in light of busing. Even if most people get their "resides" school, I'm not sure I'm willing to bet my children's education on "most."

[InkFiend]

Originally Posted by Peter1948

If you are going to look at Oldham, I would look at Floyd County, IN as well. Also Anchorage in Jefferson co if you can afford it.

New Albany, IN has seen a real renaissance, driven by the foodie scene, and now has a viable cute little downtown. Floyds Knobs, IN is beautiful and has great schools. It is closer to Louisville's cool urban hoods like downtown, UofL/Old Lou, Butchertown, Germantown, Highlands, Crescent Hill. St Matthews is about equidistant from Oldham as it is to New Albany. Think opposite sides of the metro area. I prefer the Louisville side for shopping reasons, but some people kind of like the "small town" feel of S. Indiana yet you are only 15-20 minutes to the "big city." Best of both worlds.

Like food?

. . .

Like I said, lots to do, so little space here. Enjoy.

More great information! Thank you! Love the trolley hop idea. That sort of thing is right up our alley. Do many people live on the IN side? We're not big shoppers, but we do like convenience, so the Louisville side might be more our cup of tea, but thanks for the recs on the IN side!

[InkFiend]

Originally Posted by N. Olikee

Ink..............I just would not move to Louisville.......ever. It simply is a terrible place to raise kids Period......that is why we moved. Iowa sounds much, much better...and, I actually knew a family from Iowa who lived in LouKy for a while and couldn't wait to get back to Iowa.

However, if you are committed to LouKy, JCPS poses many problems. It's a pretty bad school district. The Catholic schools are questionable.....and why would you go there unless you are Catholic? Oldham County is very good, but you will have a bit of a drive.

I know.............everyone is going to "pile on" me as a Hater, but since we moved, life / opportunities / etc. are so much better.

Lastly, I don't know if LouKy would be the "last stop" for you, but I just could never, ever picture my kids going to college in KY or living their lives there....ick.

N., I appreciate your input. We happen to be in a great location in Iowa, but not all of Iowa is peaches and cream. And there are plenty of people here would give a limb to get out of our town. I guess one man's heaven really is another man's hell, right? Glad you've found a place that suits your family better. Here's hoping that if we end up in Louisville, we'll have a better experience than you did.