Possibly Moving to Lousiville (Louisville, St. Matthews: rent, affordable house, neighborhood)

[artifact]

Thanks again for the input. I still have no word on the position in Louisville and I have interviewed for a couple of positions in other cities (Austin, Portland and Durham), but I did have one follow up question.

In looking at the schools, I saw that Hawthorne Elementary in the JCSD has a dual language program that looks interesting - my oldest child speaks both English and Spanish fluently and we would like to continue encouraging that. So my questions are:

1. It appears that Hawthorne is a pretty good school (at least as much as you can judge by scores and rankings) and I think it feeds into Atherton High School which also looks good, but it is not clear what Middle School it is - the 3 in the area do not rank as high.

2. I assume there is a lottery to get into the program, which we will probably miss unless I hear something really soon. Does anyone have input on how hard it is to get into the program?

3. I also assume that you can apply for the program from anywhere in the district, but what is the area like right around the school as far as a family living there? It looks like there is a small airport close by, but it is also close to one of the bigger parks.

Thanks!

[tomocox]

Originally Posted by artifact

Thanks again for the input. I still have no word on the position in Louisville and I have interviewed for a couple of positions in other cities (Austin, Portland and Durham), but I did have one follow up question.

In looking at the schools, I saw that Hawthorne Elementary in the JCSD has a dual language program that looks interesting - my oldest child speaks both English and Spanish fluently and we would like to continue encouraging that. So my questions are:

1. It appears that Hawthorne is a pretty good school (at least as much as you can judge by scores and rankings) and I think it feeds into Atherton High School which also looks good, but it is not clear what Middle School it is - the 3 in the area do not rank as high.

2. I assume there is a lottery to get into the program, which we will probably miss unless I hear something really soon. Does anyone have input on how hard it is to get into the program?

3. I also assume that you can apply for the program from anywhere in the district, but what is the area like right around the school as far as a family living there? It looks like there is a small airport close by, but it is also close to one of the bigger parks.

Thanks!

Art,

There can be no certainty with JCPS for normal children. A recent lawsuit just forced JCPS to redraw their assignment maps with the middle and high schools getting new maps shortly. If, however, you can get into Hawthorne, I know that it was a great school at one time. Very solid instruction, although it was the last JCPS school to be air conditioned. This means that while a good school, don't expect it to be chosen as a model school by JCPS. Model schools being the schools JCPS shows off to other school administrations and the media; therefore always having the latest and greatest tools, teachers, and facilities.

Atherton prior to consolidation of the Louisville School District and the Jefferson County School Districts in early 1970's was considered as a perennial top school in the state. It, too, fell into some malaise since then. While I am not certain of the Middle School, based on distance, Hawthorne students likely attend Highlands. What much can be said about most middle schools? Those "tween" years are the most difficult of zoos to manage any where, and as my school teaching family members will all tell you, "oh what a difference a year can make." The chemistry of children coming from the same homes makes for a totally unique class personally every fall.

[tomocox]

This may help you with school assignments: JCPS SchoolFinder

[artifact]

The "redistricting" theme is one that seems common in the places I have looked - really a big issue in the Raleigh/Durham area. It is something that really makes me willing to live a little farther away from the urban centers and have the comfort of a more stable school system - having your children get moved around between schools as the district changes would not be all that fun.

I do agree that of the school levels, I would worry the least about Middle School - only a couple of years, and maybe the most difficult in terms of the maturation process (social and physical).

As far as school districts being changed, I would have to think that parents will feel more invested and be more willing to be involved if they know their child will be in the same school year after year. There are a lot of factors that go into schools scoring better or worse and parent involvement is a pretty important component.

[tomocox]

Many don't want to hear this, but if you want to assure your child's success, attending the church of your choice on a routine basis will do more than any one thing you can do. The facts just prove the point over and over. Kids raised in church may not be any better than those not, but the odds are greater for those who have been.

[kjat32]

Thanks for pointing that out, Tomocox.
We're hoping to move asap (as soon as our house here in SK, Canada sells) as well, and have been looking around, focusing on the IN side because it's cheaper but my husband will be attending the SBT Seminary downtown. We will have 4 kids by then (also due in May!), and one of the things I've wondered most about are the area churches. We live in a small Mennonite community here, with very little "diversity", and I assume we'll all be having culture shock in L'ville. Since we're looking to move overseas after seminary, cultural diversity is important for us. We'd like to expose our children to many different "peoples" so that they have an easier time adjusting overseas.
Can anybody help with some advice on what locales are generally "diverse", any churches that seem especially welcoming to people of all flavors, and if there are any areas we should avoid (racism-wise)? Denomination is not as big a factor as long as the Bible is the source of authority and generally mentioned in sermons.
It seems to me that kids don't really learn discrimination until after 8 or so, and our oldest is only 4, but we'd really like to get to know people from lots of different backgrounds.

Thanks,
Kat

[kjat32]

Hi,
It occurred to me that I was basically starting a new topic here, so I made a new thread "Area churches help?" and move my question there. If anyone would like to reply, it'd probably be better to use that thread. Sorry!
Kat

[phylpa96]

Info about short term furnished would be of great help. Have 4 small dogs and 2 boys. Thank you so much.

[12buttons]

Originally Posted by artifact

I have read through numerous posts here about the different areas in Louisville and differing opinions on where are good places to live. I mostly wanted to make sure I have everything summarized as best I can and make sure I am not missing anything as I research the possibilities.

I am considering a position in the Louisville area. I currently live in the San Diego area and for a variety of reasons, I am considering leaving for better/different pastures. I am married with 2 (3 in May) children. My wife does not work and my oldest child will start school next fall.

To answer the standard questions:

1. The company has a couple of locations, but I would most likely be working in the downtown area.
2. I can't say for certain how much I would be willing to spend - depending on potential salary, probably between 150K and 200K. I would most definitely look to rent for a period first to get a feel for any area I was in. I pay 1600 per month now for a small 2 bedroom apartment - I would prefer to pay less than that for a 3 bedroom. That may give you an idea of reasons to leave San Diego!
3. Shorter commute is better, but depending on other factors commuting 30 minutes would not be a deal breaker.
4. My kids would be in public schools - more below.
5/6. Neighborhood. Both my wife and I grew up in smaller towns, but have lived for a while in bigger cities. We want to live in an area that has other families around and children to play with, parks for children, but not so packed in as we see here in the newer developments - a decent sized back yard. If we went further out we would obviously expect to get more space. We will want to have access to the amenities of the urban city - museums, medical care, restaurants, etc. - but would be willing to drive to utilize them.

I think for us the two biggest things will be schools and healthcare. My youngest child has a medical condition that requires us to at least stay close to urban centers with adequate pediatric specialists. This also includes trips to physical therapists etc. This will also mean that she needs a public school with good services - help with an IEP, onsite therapists if possible, etc.

Schools in Louisville seem difficult to pick - like a lot of other bigger cities, it seems pretty hit and miss - a great elementary school may feed into a not so good high school (e.g. Audubon Hills elementary looks pretty good, but I think it feeds into a not so good high school?). The more sub-urban you go that seems to be easier to pin down (e.g. Middletown seems to have good elementary schools and feeds into Eastern High school which looks to be pretty good).

We also eat pretty healthy. That includes some organic foods - so the usual suspects on restaurant row are not a necessity, but good produce markets are.

So getting to the point and summarizing what I have put together from reading through the other posts:

Oldham County (Crestwood, etc.) - longer commute, more space, less urban, good schools - for us, farther from the bigger medical centers.

Anchorage - sounds great, but not in my price range

Middletown, Lyndon, etc. - More sub-urban than downtown, but less rural than Oldham County - Middletown in particular has good schools, harder to tell with Lyndon.

Closer in - St. Matthews, Audubon Hills, etc. - these are obviously the shortest commute and closest to medical centers, but are more hit and miss for schools, and possibly the least amount of space for the money.

My gut feeling is that most likely areas like Middletown are maybe the best fit for us, basically because they are in the middle - not so far out, but not right in the middle of the city either. The extra space that might be a possibility in Oldham county is appealing (my wife would want horses) as are the good schools there and it really does not seem like the commute is that bad. The alternative is that living closer to the city has its advantages as well.

I really have no knowledge of the Louisville area, so that is feeding into my seeming indecision. Are there other areas I should look into? Any input on the school situation in the more urban areas?

Thanks for reading this far and for any help!

Oh - I prefer Ice Cream over Pie and Cake, but if I had to choose...I guess pie!

Have you checked out the weather?

[Scrabble75]

There are some affordable houses in a really nice area of 40241 area code near The Summit/ Springhurst area in East End.

I grew up in the Brownsboro Farm neighborhood/ city, which is perfect for families. It is the ideal surburban dream complete of nothing but minivans and strollers.

Check out Highway 22(aka Old Brownsboro Rd) and Barbor Manor Lane areas......some decent prices $200-$225 area....

someone said something about the weather.....well....it sucks. Kentucky weather has always been fickle. In recent years the wind has been nuts, last year we had a wind storm that ripped up the city, ice and snow knocked out power for 10 days last winter citywide, and temperatures can be nutso hot., in 2007 we had nearly 2 weeks of nearly 100 degrees....oh and last but not least....the allergy capital of the world!

I won't even mention the deep, deep depression that happens every February from perm. cloud coverage.