Lansing, Michigan to Louisville, Kentucky: Some Questions and Concerns (home, public school)

[MBLaLande]

My fiancé and I currently live in Lansing, Michigan (we just earned degrees from Michigan State University) and are from a smallish city just south of Detroit. We are getting married soon and plan to move right after I complete my graduate schooling (about 1-1.5 years). Louisville is one of the areas that we are interested in. What does everyone know about life in Louisville? We are also interested in other city suggestions. Here are some of our main concerns:

Employment – I will earn my master’s degree in library science, so a well-established library system is important. My fiancé is in communication; he’s particularly interested in working for an environmental organization of some sort, but would take a job in any kind of public relations. Would such jobs be available in Louisville or any other areas?

Weather – One of the main reasons we are so excited to move is to escape the long, snowy, gray, freezing winters and the hot, muggy summers. How are the winters in Louisville? Are the summers unbearably humid? Opinions from people who moved from Michigan to Kentucky would be awesome..

Trees – Outdoor activities, trees, lakes, etc. are very important to us because they are so abundant here in Michigan. Are there outdoorsy activities near the city?

People - I’d like some diversity of ethnicity and beliefs. Also, we are non-believers and we’d like to live in a community in which that won’t be an issue. I’ve read that there are a lot of church-goers in Louisville. Will we be welcome in the city?

Families/Kids – We want to have a few kids eventually and education is particularly important to us. Which cities/areas have better public school systems? Also, do certain areas have more activities/community accommodations for children? Obviously, safety is also an issue.

Food – I am a vegetarian and have found Michigan very disappointing is accommodating my eating needs. My fiancé eats meat and I don’t plan to force my kids into my eating style, however we are both very concerned with being able to eat locally grown/processed foods. This includes produce, but also meats and cheeses. We’d also like to be able to grow a lot of our own fruits and veggies. What is the food culture like in Louisville?

Sorry this post was so long. I really appreciate any information people can provide. I’ve done a lot of research, but realistically there is only so much that statistics can tell you. Thanks!!!

[Off Topic]

Employment – I will earn my master’s degree in library science, so a well-established library system is important. My fiancé is in communication; he’s particularly interested in working for an environmental organization of some sort, but would take a job in any kind of public relations. Would such jobs be available in Louisville or any other areas?

We have a nice library system but it's under economic siege right now. Voters just voted down a tax to improve the system. There are several colleges in the area, however. Not sure about public relations jobs.

Weather – One of the main reasons we are so excited to move is to escape the long, snowy, gray, freezing winters and the hot, muggy summers. How are the winters in Louisville? Are the summers unbearably humid? Opinions from people who moved from Michigan to Kentucky would be awesome.

Still a little dreary in the winter but it has to be an improvement over Michigan.

Trees – Outdoor activities, trees, lakes, etc. are very important to us because they are so abundant here in Michigan. Are there outdoorsy activities near the city?

Lots and lots and lots. That's our strong suit. Great park system. Near to tons of outdoor activities.

People - I’d like some diversity of ethnicity and beliefs. Also, we are non-believers and we’d like to live in a community in which that won’t be an issue. I’ve read that there are a lot of church-goers in Louisville. Will we be welcome in the city?

Super-nice and accepting people in Louisville. Doesn't matter if you are a church goer or not, you'll have no trouble fitting in and finding lots of diversity here.

Families/Kids – We want to have a few kids eventually and education is particularly important to us. Which cities/areas have better public school systems? Also, do certain areas have more activities/community accommodations for children? Obviously, safety is also an issue.

Lots of threads on this forum about education. Not so great in Kentucky in general, but several strong pockets of education in Jefferson County. Louisville is very safe and family friendly.

Food – I am a vegetarian and have found Michigan very disappointing is accommodating my eating needs. My fiancé eats meat and I don’t plan to force my kids into my eating style, however we are both very concerned with being able to eat locally grown/processed foods. This includes produce, but also meats and cheeses. We’d also like to be able to grow a lot of our own fruits and veggies. What is the food culture like in Louisville?

Another strong suit for us. For our size, we might be one of the best areas for food in the country.

Sorry this post was so long. I really appreciate any information people can provide. I’ve done a lot of research, but realistically there is only so much that statistics can tell you. Thanks!!!

You're welcome!

[MBLaLande]

Off Topic: Thanks so much for all of the information. Louisville sounds like it might be a pretty good match for us, aside from the slashing of library funds (which seems to be a problem in many places). I'm especially glad to hear how nice the people are. :-)

[rpb502]

1. Louisville has an excellent library system. If im not mistaking, its the oldest in the country. Louisville Free Public Library

2. Winters here are still pretty cold, but its nothing like what your use to up north. We only get about 1 snow storm a year, if that. However, summers are very hot and humid.

3. Louisville has an outstanding park system. In addition to that, your a short drive from Jefferson Memorial Forest (One of the country's largest Urban forests), and Bernheim Forest. Both are gorgeous.

4. Louisville does have a lot of church goers. Beyond that, Louisville is a very diverse and welcoming city. I definitely think you will like it here.

5. Safety won't be an issue, unless you choose to live on the West end, in the Portland area. Louisville is one of the top 10 safest large cities in the U.S. As for schools, I can't really tell you which particular area of Louisville has the best nearby schools. Oldham County has an excellent school system from what I understand. I can't tell you from personal experience because I was home schooled. Maybe stx can tell you a little more about this.

6. Food is probably one of my favorite things about living in Louisville. Tons of great restaurants. Particularly in the Highlands area. Im sure you will find some nice vegetarian friendly places. Eating locally grown foods likely won't be a problem either.

Here are a couple restaurant guides/listings for the Louisville area.
www.louisvillehotbytes.com
www.louisvillediningguide.com (fairly new)

[MBLaLande]

rpb502: Thanks for answering all of my questions! The links are really great. It sounds like you guys have a very nice city.. :-)

[emanresu]

Originally Posted by MBLaLande

Off Topic: Thanks so much for all of the information. Louisville sounds like it might be a pretty good match for us, aside from the slashing of library funds (which seems to be a problem in many places). I'm especially glad to hear how nice the people are. :-)

Louisville didn't slash Library funding, the voters denied an increase to the occupational tax (which is already high, compared to the surrounding areas) to raise funds to "improve the libraries". However, the politics surrounding this issue are much deeper than that. The current funding for the library would have been rolled back into the general fund. So, in essence, the voters would have been approving a voluntary tax increase for the general fund, along with the library. If the politicos had thought the citizens had half a brain, and would have made concessions for this fact, the library funding probably would have passed. But instead, it was overwhelmingly trounced.

However, Louisville is a great place to live. An environmental outfit that your fiancee may want to check out is RiverFields. Good luck!

[MBLaLande]

emanresu: Thanks for that clarification! It would be somewhat intimidating to move to a community in which they weren't very supportive of one's field of work. I'm glad to hear that the system is well established, though. Also, thanks for the RiverFields suggestion!

[rpb502]

Originally Posted by MBLaLande

rpb502: Thanks for answering all of my questions! The links are really great. It sounds like you guys have a very nice city.. :-)

No problem. If you do decide to move to Louisville, I definitely think you will love it. Great place to live.

Good luck!

[Peter1948]

Originally Posted by MBLaLande

emanresu: Thanks for that clarification! It would be somewhat intimidating to move to a community in which they weren't very supportive of one's field of work. I'm glad to hear that the system is well established, though. Also, thanks for the RiverFields suggestion!

If you click my name and search my posts, I think you will find excellent suggestions for young urban couples moving to our city...there is a lot to do.

[MBLaLande]

Thanks, stx12499, I'll do that.. :-)