Possibly moving from Lex. to L'ville...need some suggestions! (Lexington: condominiums, townhouse)

[ResidentsWife]

Hello everyone! I want to say thank you because even though I haven't posted on this board yet, I have learned a lot from it. My husband is getting ready to put in his rank list for residency (he'll find out in March where he matches) and right now his top two are Louisville and Charlotte, NC. We both have family in or near Louisville so that's a big draw for it. Because of that and the fact that we've been in Lexington all through college and his med school, we are pretty familiar with the Louisville area. However, this will be our first house purchase and I'd like some advice/suggestions on areas/neighborhoods if we do end up there. Here are our biggest factors that we are considering:

1. Safety/Family Atmosphere--we want an area and neighborhood that we can start a family in
2. Location---we need to be within 15-20 miles of U of L/Frazier Rehab, since that's where he'll be spending most of his time. I also like to be close to shopping, etc. but not a downtown type feel.
3. Price---since residents don't make what doctors do, and I will either be teaching or staying at home with children, we need to find a place in the $175,000 to $200,000 range.

With all these things considered, what suggestions do you have? I drove around recently and really liked the areas near The Summitt (is that considered Worthington? Fincastle? I'm not sure..). What do you think about that area with regards to the factors I mentioned? Any other ideas that may be similar to that?

Thanks so much in advance for your help!

[censusdata]

Clifton Heights a nice areas only a couple of miles from the Med Center along Brownsboro Road. Areas you already mentioned, along with Lyndon, are all good areas

[tomocox]

What will be your likely post-residency plans? If you are planning to stay in the area, I would recommend that you look at Oldham County. There are several developments in the 175-200K range. Why do I say Oldham? Well, even from LaGrange it is only 22 miles down I-71 to UL/Fraizer. You will be able to establish your friendships, have great schools, and still upgrade your home as future finances allow.

Currently, there is one new full service hospital under construction plus two out-patient centers being built in far eastern Jefferson County, and BHNE is growing in reputation with each day it seems.

[ResidentsWife]

Thank you both so much for your suggestions. I will definitely look up Clifton Heights and the Lyndon area. Tomocox, we definitely love Oldham Co. with the great school systems, etc. What do you think the commute would be like for my husband to U of L and Frazier? He would be mostly driving in during the early mornings (I guess around 6-7) and driving out during "rush hour" times most likely. 22 miles sounds fine, but if that correlates to 45 minutes, it might be a problem. Also, do you have any experience with banks that may be resident-friendly in the area? Thanks!

[tomocox]

I have found wonderful banking people at Stock Yards Bank, The Bank-Oldham County, & BB&T.

6-7 morning drive from LaGrange is easy 25 minutes. Home 4-6:30 can be a bit of a bear between Zorn Ave on i-71 or Brownsboro Rd on I-264 to I-265 (Gene Synder) but that is anywhere to the east from downtown including I-64. Nowhere in Louisville is the traffic as bad as Nicholasville Rd rush hour or after KY Football game. UL is one minute from I-71 mile post 0. LaGrange is exit 22, with 3 other Oldham Co. exits on i-71. That being said, there are good 170-200k homes off of Gene Snyder too. You can pretty well count on 75% of Oldham County to downtown medical center normally in 30min or less.

[censusdata]

There are places in Oldham closer than La Grange. Crestwood and Buckner are only 15 miles from the Med Center.

River Rd is also a good alternative route from Oldham or NE Lou. It takes you from Prospect to Downtown in with only 4 traffic signals. You can also connect to it from Zorn Ave to avoid Spaghetti Junction traffic

[bk1234]

$200K will give you access to a lot of neighborhoods. Do you want a newer suburb or a established neighborhood? What size house to do you expect for $200K?

My personal thought here is: the east and northeast suburbs are growing faster than road infrastructure. Traffic gets bad at certain times of day at certain locations - currently not too bad but bound to get worse.

[larryreaves]

If you are interested in a more urban atmosphere you should consider the Clifton and Crescent Hill areas. Lots of historical homes, unique shop, art galleries, truely a walking neighborhoods, independent resturants, etc...

Louisville also has a great deal of new development in downtown condominiums.

For more space and/or subdivision type areas look out around the I265 corridor from say Bardstown Road east to the Oldham County line. Louisville's growth is in the Easterly direction with home prices rising as you go East.

Schools range from public, to private and catholic.

Good luck

[stx12499]

Originally Posted by larryreaves

If you are interested in a more urban atmosphere you should consider the Clifton and Crescent Hill areas. Lots of historical homes, unique shop, art galleries, truely a walking neighborhoods, independent resturants, etc...

Louisville also has a great deal of new development in downtown condominiums.

For more space and/or subdivision type areas look out around the I265 corridor from say Bardstown Road east to the Oldham County line. Louisville's growth is in the Easterly direction with home prices rising as you go East.

Schools range from public, to private and catholic.

Good luck

And the Highlands. Dont rule out downtown proper...its booming down there, and I am a downtown resident. Also check out the development thread. If you have questions, please feel free to Private message me.

[ResidentsWife]

Thank you so very much for your help and suggestions!

With regards to what we're looking for, definitely more space rather than historic, downtown, or condos. We've been in a townhouse throughout all of his med school and cannot wait to have our own four walls! We'd like to find at least 1700 sq. ft, 3 bedrooms, a newer construction (w/in the last 10-15 years). But most importantly we want a family-friendly neighborhood with at least a decent sized yard that our dog can run in!