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This is a tremendously helpful forum... I've been reading (silently) for a few months. But I recently received a job offer, so suddenly we're more serious. I'm looking to move with my wife and two children (ages 1 and 3). We're coming from Boston. Answers to the stock questions:
-Where you are working: Downtown.
-How much you are willing to spend on housing: $300-$500k.
-How long of a commute you're willing to tolerate: As short as possible. 15-25 minutes, I guess.
-If you have kids: Private school or public school? That will depend on where we live, I suppose. We'd have to see what private and public options were available, and check our budget and go from there. I'm aware of the (generally poor) reputation of the Jefferson county district. Oldham county is attractive for the schools, but we're going to be very unhappy in tract suburbs, so that's likely not for us.
-What type of neighborhood environment you are looking for: small town feeling? small city excitement? suburbia delight? We love the neighborhood we're in now, in Boston (Jamaica Plain, in case anyone is familiar with it), so I'll describe that. Walkable neighborhoods, by which I mean both (1) streets designed for pedestrians and (2) destinations to which pedestrians might want to walk (shops, restaurants, playgrounds). Lots of families. Lots of diversity (a broad mix of incomes, ethnicities, lifestyles). A mix of families, yuppies and hippies, basically.
-Community amenities important to you: a Catholic church within walking distance. Other families with children. Smiles on faces. A sense of community in the neighborhood. Also, the things I mentioned above: playgrounds, restaurants, etc. within walking distance. Good schools nearby.
-Pie or cake? Not nearly enough information. Meringue pie is terrible. Most fruit pies beat most cakes. But a good carrot cake beats almost any pie, as does cheesecake. Except carrot cake and cheesecake both lose to pumpkin pie, which might be the best food in the world.
Any advice is appreciated.
Highlands. No question. It is the midsouth/midwest version of where you live in boston. Half dozen catholic churches and schools within walking distance, young professionals, hippies, gays, and families mixed in, urban, but not too urban, historic homes and parks but also lots of land in spots, especially compared to the urban NE. Very walkable with movies, organic grocers, and any restaurant imaginable within walking distance.
Dont believe JCPS is as bad as you hear. If you want to be safe, use a Catholic School like St Agnes or St Rapheal and live close to them. If you are an advocate, JCPS has some stellar schools at the top end.
Highlands. No question. It is the midsouth/midwest version of where you live in boston. Half dozen catholic churches and schools within walking distance, young professionals, hippies, gays, and families mixed in, urban, but not too urban, historic homes and parks but also lots of land in spots, especially compared to the urban NE. Very walkable with movies, organic grocers, and any restaurant imaginable within walking distance.
Dont believe JCPS is as bad as you hear. If you want to be safe, use a Catholic School like St Agnes or St Rapheal and live close to them. If you are an advocate, JCPS has some stellar schools at the top end.
Thanks for the advice. The Highlands seems to be by far the most common suggestion, followed by Crescent Hill (and sometimes Old Louisville or St. Matthews).
Are there any other areas we should be considering? I've been interested in Portland (NW Louisville)--any thoughts on that?
Hello,
I just moved here last year. I am having HUGE issues with jcps school! I know there are a lot of people going through this as well, but I am wondering if anyone has heard anything about a class action law suit, or anything to shake the jcps schools! I am not one of those moms. I have just had it with this busing business! They want my 6 yr old girl to take an hour and a half bus ride down town! NFW!!!!!! My hands are tied!!!!!!!
JCPS is a very poorly educated urban school district. Latest US Department of Education rankings state that it finished 118th out of 154 Kentucky School districts regarding educational quality.
Let's hope that you get your child out of that morass because its atrocious at this level. Louisville is not a well educated city by the meaning of education. One might think it being so but in fact its one of the worst US cities as far as educational achievement which in turn keeps high paying careers and job opportunities in other areas.
With that said, in Louisville the schools are better in the far East End in more suburban areas because there is a lesser degree of transferring pupils all over the city. However, you would be best advised to either move your child to Southern Indiana or Oldham County for the best educational experience. Those areas have much better schools than Louisville.
JCPS is a very poorly educated urban school district. Latest US Department of Education rankings state that it finished 118th out of 154 Kentucky School districts regarding educational quality.
Let's hope that you get your child out of that morass because its atrocious at this level. Louisville is not a well educated city by the meaning of education. One might think it being so but in fact its one of the worst US cities as far as educational achievement which in turn keeps high paying careers and job opportunities in other areas.
With that said, in Louisville the schools are better in the far East End in more suburban areas because there is a lesser degree of transferring pupils all over the city. However, you would be best advised to either move your child to Southern Indiana or Oldham County for the best educational experience. Those areas have much better schools than Louisville.
Thanks for the advice. The Highlands seems to be by far the most common suggestion, followed by Crescent Hill (and sometimes Old Louisville or St. Matthews).
Are there any other areas we should be considering? I've been interested in Portland (NW Louisville)--any thoughts on that?
I hope we make it down to visit soon.
Still hoping for any answers to this. Also, I've been running numbers on our budget and I think the $300-$500k house price estimate I gave before might be too high--we're probably going to need to be looking more in the $250k-$400k range. Does that change anything, in terms of the neighborhoods/areas we should be looking? I think we might be priced out of Highlands/Crescent Hill.
Still hoping for any answers to this. Also, I've been running numbers on our budget and I think the $300-$500k house price estimate I gave before might be too high--we're probably going to need to be looking more in the $250k-$400k range. Does that change anything, in terms of the neighborhoods/areas we should be looking? I think we might be priced out of Highlands/Crescent Hill.
Although there are a few urban pioneers and artist converting lofts in Portland, it is not an area to live in at this time. You will want to stay east of 9th street. That said if you like a neighborhood feel but want to be in a gritty urban yet safe area close to downtown, you will love Butchertown. There are lots of condo conversions in this area and a very industrial yet safe and urban historic feel. Check out Washington and Franklin streets for starters.
Also, further down Frankfort near its terminus with Mellwood ave, you will find many cross streets between there and Payne Street in an area known as Clifton and Clifton Heights, which you should also consider.
Louisville is a city with very strong, dense, urban neighborhoods and very active neighborhood associations. Contact these folks for insider advice on where they live! The only qualm to Butchertown is that it contains the largest remaining urban meat packing facility in the US, and this can sometime create a stench in the summer.
Although there are a few urban pioneers and artist converting lofts in Portland, it is not an area to live in at this time. You will want to stay east of 9th street. That said if you like a neighborhood feel but want to be in a gritty urban yet safe area close to downtown, you will love Butchertown. There are lots of condo conversions in this area and a very industrial yet safe and urban historic feel. Check out Washington and Franklin streets for starters.
Also, further down Frankfort near its terminus with Mellwood ave, you will find many cross streets between there and Payne Street in an area known as Clifton and Clifton Heights, which you should also consider.
Louisville is a city with very strong, dense, urban neighborhoods and very active neighborhood associations. Contact these folks for insider advice on where they live! The only qualm to Butchertown is that it contains the largest remaining urban meat packing facility in the US, and this can sometime create a stench in the summer.
Thanks again. We bought a house in the Cherokee Triangle neighborhood of the Highlands. (Well, we have an accepted offer--we'll buy it assuming everything goes well with the inspection.) I hope we didn't make a mistake--is that a decent area for families with children? Everyone told us to buy near Lakeside, but there didn't seem to be nearly as much to walk to in that general area.
Thanks again. We bought a house in the Cherokee Triangle neighborhood of the Highlands. (Well, we have an accepted offer--we'll buy it assuming everything goes well with the inspection.) I hope we didn't make a mistake--is that a decent area for families with children? Everyone told us to buy near Lakeside, but there didn't seem to be nearly as much to walk to in that general area.
Yes, Cherokee Triangle is 100% safe and lots of families around there, along with young professionals etc. You are in the city, however, and you do need to be carfeul walking at night especially alone, but I certainly would not feel uncomfortable even going on a run alone in that area even if I was a petite female.
Lakeside area is mostly all families. Cherokee Triangle is more a mix of young familes, empty nesterers, old hippies, gays, and students. It makes for a wonderful mix and yes, you can walk to everything from organic groceries to the movies to shopping and restaurants.
There's been many threads recently from people requesting information on where to live in Louisville and suburbs. If you are about to post one of these information request threads, please include the following:
-Where you are working--good question!! My office is in the Federal Building downtown, but I have been told most of my work with be in the southern Indiana counties.
-How much you are willing to spend on housing--renting for now--$500 to $900 per month for a 2 bdr that takes cats with a pool/fitness center
-How long of a commute you're willing to tolerate--I'm from Orlando. Anything in Louisville has to be better than I-4, the concrete parking lot!!
-If you have kids: Private school or public school? No kids.
-What type of neighborhood environment you are looking for: small town feeling? small city excitement? suburbia delight? I really don't know.
-Community amenities important to you--safety, friendly people, good medical care
-Pie or cake? It depends. Right now, pumpkin pie. But the rest of the year, cake,, probably.
Is it possible to fly up and rent an apartment in a day or so? I found out on the 4th I got this job and I have to report on Dec, 7th. Let me say how shocked I am at the apartments I've already seen on the web. The prices are unreal--and certainly not what I am used to!! A 2 bedroom of a decent size here is over $1000, most likely. Are they so low because utilities are so high?? I pay around $200 a month now for a 3 bedroom HOUSE that is smaller than some of the 2bdr apartments up there.
I do have a few questions:
1. what is health care like? I am a diabetic and have asthma so I will need to find doctors for that. I do have insurance so that's not an issue.
2. what are the rules for bringing cats into the state? What shots should they have? Mine are senior indoor cats and down here they only get rabies shots--currently at the end of year 1 of a 3 year vaccine.
3. If I tell people I have family in Kentucky and have visited numerous times, will they like me better? I'm not really a native of anywhere, being a military brat who was born in Kansas and lived in Alaska, Delaware, and Mississippi before my dad retired to Florida(my mom's decision). I do have family scaterred around the western part of the state, in the Princeton area.
4. I am a middle-aged professional, classified as a boomer but not really, with no spouse or kids. I am fleeing the mess that is now Orlando and looking for less traffic, more green space, more space period. My commute now is 20 minutes--that's 8 miles here. Considered short by most people I know. The commute is not critical since, as I said, I will be in Indiana most of the time. But I don't want to live there.
5. I am an alumni of the University of Florida, with a state tag on my car. How much trouble will that get me into until I can transfer the tag to a Kentucky one? How far from Louisville is Lexington? Close enough to go to a few sports events there? I am 90 minutes away from Gainesville here and never go up there. But not because of the drive. I am very willing to be a Wildcat in training since blue is really my favorite color anyway.
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Jefferson County Public Schools
