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I may be posting in several different State/City forums on here as I live in Boise, Idaho and am researching to plan a move next year.
Requirements for me - single 53:
LOW COL - especially housing (I want to rent an apartment, save money, pay off bills and be able to buy within 5 years maybe less).
Diversity. I'm very open minded, educated and tolerant, but I am NOT religious. I'm Jewish but not practicing really. Holidays are for family, friends, good times, etc... I vote Democrat but am more left of center than completely left. I don't base my friendships on religion or politics, and can easily NOT have those conversations, such as at work.
Umm how do I say this one - very few bugs/mosquitos. I don't think that's a problem there. I once visited my sister who used to live in Norfolk area of VA - it was August, and the Mosquito situation was intolerable - too much standing water all around that region!
Progressive feel.
Variety of Restaurants, good music scene and culture. Downtown. I'm 53 so I'm not going out all night bar hoppping, but do like to get out.
This one a lot of you may not know on here but I'm doing my own research on this one - I'm a competitive Mountain Bike Racer and Trail Rider, and also have a road bike I like to train on. It seems there are good trails there, from what I've seen. And probably bigger ones within some driving or day trip distance. I'm a bit "spoiled" in that sense here in Boise, because from my place I can ride road on my Mountainbike and be on trail within 10 mins or so and the Boise Front (foothills) has a lot of trails (though a bit lacking in diversity of trails), with trails also up top the local ski mountain and within the state.
What else - I don't want long commute. I could NEVER handle a "Southern California style commute" - I do NOT want to live in my car!
Good healthcare - in terms of access and quality of care. I'm very healthy, but do have some typical issues a 53 year old guy would, and take a few scripts and see doc and specialist periodically.
I may be posting in several different State/City forums on here as I live in Boise, Idaho and am researching to plan a move next year.
Requirements for me - single 53:
LOW COL - especially housing (I want to rent an apartment, save money, pay off bills and be able to buy within 5 years maybe less).
Diversity. I'm very open minded, educated and tolerant, but I am NOT religious. I'm Jewish but not practicing really. Holidays are for family, friends, good times, etc... I vote Democrat but am more left of center than completely left. I don't base my friendships on religion or politics, and can easily NOT have those conversations, such as at work.
Umm how do I say this one - very few bugs/mosquitos. I don't think that's a problem there. I once visited my sister who used to live in Norfolk area of VA - it was August, and the Mosquito situation was intolerable - too much standing water all around that region!
Progressive feel.
Variety of Restaurants, good music scene and culture. Downtown. I'm 53 so I'm not going out all night bar hoppping, but do like to get out.
This one a lot of you may not know on here but I'm doing my own research on this one - I'm a competitive Mountain Bike Racer and Trail Rider, and also have a road bike I like to train on. It seems there are good trails there, from what I've seen. And probably bigger ones within some driving or day trip distance. I'm a bit "spoiled" in that sense here in Boise, because from my place I can ride road on my Mountainbike and be on trail within 10 mins or so and the Boise Front (foothills) has a lot of trails (though a bit lacking in diversity of trails), with trails also up top the local ski mountain and within the state.
What else - I don't want long commute. I could NEVER handle a "Southern California style commute" - I do NOT want to live in my car!
Good healthcare - in terms of access and quality of care. I'm very healthy, but do have some typical issues a 53 year old guy would, and take a few scripts and see doc and specialist periodically.
Airport - ease of traveling out of the city?
Anything else?
Thanks
I think Louisville nails pretty much all your wants? Some people will knock Louisville's airport but the fact is, it has a direct flight to about 30 cities, a couple seasonal international flights mainly to Mexico, and all the major US cities except a few biggies like Boston, and the big west coast centers like Seattle, SF, Sand Diego, LA. That said, there are 3 other airports within an hour or so so flights aren't a problem. There are nice direct flights to Vegas and Phoenix on SW airlines
Louisville doesn't have mountains but it has large hills and is one of the top cycling cities in the USA.
Its tolerant, vibrant, gay friendly, liberal but not overwhelmingly so, gets TONS of tourists yet not overwhelming, and it has garnered national acclaimed for its celebrity chefs and top 20 food and arts scene. All this is inside the 264 beltway which is progressive and nice. Also about 10k Jewish in the city and at least a half dozen or more synagogues, a Jewish school and center. Outside the 264 beltway, it is pretty much middle america suburbia. https://jewishlouisville.org/communi...ish-community/
In the east, there aren't too many cities which meet your criteria...maybe Asheville or Chattanooga...but they are too small.
I think you will love Louisville. But come visit and stay in an Airbnb in the Highlands! Bars open until 4 am, but its more of an adult scene versus a "jumping scene" like a real big city or Miami, Vegas, etc.
Commute wise, Louisvilel handily beats any other city trumped here on City Data. People will push you to Nashville, Charlotte, etc...all with HORRID traffic and too muggy.
Out west, the major cities also are too sprawly. Perhaps Salt Lake or Albuquerque could be options, but I find Louisville more charming.
Louisville is still cheap and there are some great historic houses....you just need to know where to look. Come for a festival in the spring....the city will surprise the heck out of you. You expect something podunck and discover a very high cultured city, a sort of best kept secret treasure trove.
Last edited by Peter1948; 12-16-2016 at 10:55 PM..
Thank you, for the excellent information and links!
I definitely need to visit and should be able to do so in early spring.
On another board i posted on - which is Mtbr.com (mountain bike forums) - someone there recommended I look at Lexington - but that was only on the basis of quanity and quality of Mtn Bike trails - didn't mention other aspects.
I guess if both towns have the same to offer - there are two good places in the state for me to keep researching.
Thank you, for the excellent information and links!
I definitely need to visit and should be able to do so in early spring.
On another board i posted on - which is Mtbr.com (mountain bike forums) - someone there recommended I look at Lexington - but that was only on the basis of quanity and quality of Mtn Bike trails - didn't mention other aspects.
I guess if both towns have the same to offer - there are two good places in the state for me to keep researching.
They don't have the same to offer.....Louisville is substantially bigger....1.3 million to 500,000 metro. Louisville offers much more in arts, culture, shopping, everything, without the hassle of big city issues mostly.
Comparing Louisville to Lexington is like comparing Boise to Salt Lake or even Portland.
That said, Lexington is a nice town, very quaint, highly educated, and a decent medical center. and its closer to the mountains. But its more of a college town and EVERYTHING revolves around "Big Blue"
Location: Huntersville/Charlotte, NC and Washington, DC
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I think Louisville is a great fit for your criteria. I've had positive experiences with the Airport. The bugs and mosquitoes aren't a major problem, I grew up in the Norfolk area you mentioned so I know how bad they can be.
Really the only thing that stands out to me is the COL - coming from Boise you'll experience a 6% overall increase in COL (According to Expatistan - CNN says it's about even) with housing being at best break-even with Boise when considering the low inventory we have here at the moment while breaking home sales records.
Transportation costs show nearly 20% higher in Louisville compared to Boise. As much as Peter loves to tout the TARC system, it's barely functional outside of the inner ring of the city, as the suburban areas are simply not safely walkable. This is a driving town, no doubt, and be prepared to pony up for auto insurance. My wife and I moved back to Louisville from San Francisco this January and our insurance rates DOUBLED. KY drivers are awful.
Now that being said, everything else is totally on par with your desires. Louisville offers a much better airport than Lexington, and keep in mind, it's only a 45 minute drive should you strongly desire to take the mountain bikes out.
I'd argue however that traffic in Louisville is just as bad if not worse than Nashville and Charlotte simply because the road systems here are so incredibly outdated. The difference here is that there's hope for relief. It's in the Governor's plans to resolve those traffic issues in the next 5 years, which means that if that stays on schedule, the next 5 years are going to suck worse, but will be worth it once the updates are complete. The major interstate exchanges to the loop interstates is where the worst backups are - I-71 to I-265, I-64 to I-265, I-64 to I-264, I-65 to I-264, etc etc. If you don't keep a typical 9-5 job or choose to live in a downtown suburb like the Highlands, then those issues are moot primarily now that the downtown interchange work is 90+% complete.
Great food scene here, although my wife was telling me today that she read an article that predicts a pulling back of the restaurant scene a bit in the next few years. There are tons of choices, and thus tons of restaurant turnover - lots of places competing for the same wallet.
One oddity of Louisville is that while it does have some progressive tendencies, it also is one of the poorest major cities in the country - last I saw it was #11 with Detroit as the obvious #1. Crime in the city overall is reaching historic levels in 2016 - However, the overwhelming majority of said crime is centered in the very economically disadvantaged West End of downtown - rated as one of the most economically depressed areas of the country. The rest of the city is practically the exact opposite. We came from what was a rougher section of SF and feel perfectly safe in the Central Business District and anywhere else in Louisville that we'd desire to go.
I'm throwing both sides at you because I would want someone to tell me the full story and not the Welcome Wagon/Tourist Bureau version when I looked into an area. It's not a perfect city, but my wife, who had never lived in Louisville before (grew up in Miami) says she absolutely loves how friendly and engaging strangers are here, it makes you feel like people actually have pride in where they live, and that's very true about Louisville. You really don't get what you get here anywhere else. I've lived in 5 other cities around the country and visited all 50 states and can say that with confidence.
Location: New Albany, Indiana (Greater Louisville)
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Several recent projects just got finished that will greatly reduce freeway backups in some of the worst places. The downtown bridge and remade interchange and East End Bridge have 99% ended delays going into downtown on I-64 and I-71 and south from Indiana on I-65. Main trouble spots on freeways are at major interchanges like I-64 at I-264 in St Matthews and the obsolete cloverleafs on I-265 at I-71 and I-64.
Car insurance is probably 30%+ lower on the Indiana side due to different state laws. What you save in car insurance and housing costs more than makes up for $40 a month in tolls, and not all bridges will have tolls. Drivers have gotten worse everywhere including Louisville. With fatalities going up hopefully cops will start writing more tickets to get things in line. In Kentucky I rarely see cops on any freeway.
Really the only thing that stands out to me is the COL - coming from Boise you'll experience a 6% overall increase in COL (According to Expatistan - CNN says it's about even) with housing being at best break-even with Boise when considering the low inventory we have here at the moment while breaking home sales records.
Transportation costs show nearly 20% higher in Louisville compared to Boise. As much as Peter loves to tout the TARC system, it's barely functional outside of the inner ring of the city, as the suburban areas are simply not safely walkable. This is a driving town, no doubt, and be prepared to pony up for auto insurance. My wife and I moved back to Louisville from San Francisco this January and our insurance rates DOUBLED. KY drivers are awful.
Now that being said, everything else is totally on par with your desires. Louisville offers a much better airport than Lexington, and keep in mind, it's only a 45 minute drive should you strongly desire to take the mountain bikes out.
I'd argue however that traffic in Louisville is just as bad if not worse than Nashville and Charlotte simply because the road systems here are so incredibly outdated. The difference here is that there's hope for relief. It's in the Governor's plans to resolve those traffic issues in the next 5 years, which means that if that stays on schedule, the next 5 years are going to suck worse, but will be worth it once the updates are complete. The major interstate exchanges to the loop interstates is where the worst backups are - I-71 to I-265, I-64 to I-265, I-64 to I-264, I-65 to I-264, etc etc. If you don't keep a typical 9-5 job or choose to live in a downtown suburb like the Highlands, then those issues are moot primarily now that the downtown interchange work is 90+% complete.
Great food scene here, although my wife was telling me today that she read an article that predicts a pulling back of the restaurant scene a bit in the next few years. There are tons of choices, and thus tons of restaurant turnover - lots of places competing for the same wallet.
One oddity of Louisville is that while it does have some progressive tendencies, it also is one of the poorest major cities in the country - last I saw it was #11 with Detroit as the obvious #1. Crime in the city overall is reaching historic levels in 2016 - However, the overwhelming majority of said crime is centered in the very economically disadvantaged West End of downtown - rated as one of the most economically depressed areas of the country. The rest of the city is practically the exact opposite. We came from what was a rougher section of SF and feel perfectly safe in the Central Business District and anywhere else in Louisville that we'd desire to go.
I'm throwing both sides at you because I would want someone to tell me the full story and not the Welcome Wagon/Tourist Bureau version when I looked into an area. It's not a perfect city, but my wife, who had never lived in Louisville before (grew up in Miami) says she absolutely loves how friendly and engaging strangers are here, it makes you feel like people actually have pride in where they live, and that's very true about Louisville. You really don't get what you get here anywhere else. I've lived in 5 other cities around the country and visited all 50 states and can say that with confidence.
Servo I have never touted TARC. Its an AVERAGE system. No city Louisville's size has good transit. Maybe Salt Lake? New Orleans? Most city transit sucks outside of NYC, SF, DC, Boston, Chicago.
Even some cities with real have REALLY crappy transit systems....ahem Atlanta and Miami.
I lived in Miami and Orlando and I'd argue in some ways Tarc is more serviceable than even Miami, especially when you live in the Highlands. You can catch a bus up and downtown Bardstown road every 15 mins almost any hour from 6 AM to 1 AM, and there are even some buses that run in the early hours.
Also, I am not sure Louisville is one of the poorest cities. Louisville is a tale of two cities much like Chicago on a smaller scale...the very wealth East, north, and southeast sides, and the very poor areas in the west end and parts of the south side.
No city is perfect but Louisville is the best medium large I have seen
Location: Huntersville/Charlotte, NC and Washington, DC
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I don't think Louisville even remotely resembles a poor city. Yes the wage scale is lower (which is not that bad since the COL is lower than a lot of the Southeast, especially Virginia), there are poor neighborhoods but every major city has them. Louisville is more middle class/working class-ish. Very few will be balling out of control like they are in Northern VA but people don't have too much trouble getting by and having a middle-class life.
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