Considering move to Louisville (Lexington, Bardstown: best cities, sales, 2010)

[daisy]

We've been looking at different places to live in and around the Appalachians. My husband and I are an interracial couple and we're doing extra research in hopes of not living in a place that's completely intolerant to interracial relationships and families. We do understand that there will be some glances and tension no matter where we live. Also, we're very concerned about economy (job availability, cost of living, etc) and schooling (elementary and middle). We love lush, green areas with abundant space and parks, but we don't want to be in the country. Does Louisville or any other city fit any of those desirable qualities?? Please help!

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Quick Facts about Louisville:

Louisville (pronounced lu evel) is Kentucky's largest city.
Population (2004): 556,332
Density: 1,592.6/km²
Metro: 1.2 million

The settlement that became the City of Louisville was founded in 1778 by George Rogers Clark and is named after King Louis XVI. Because of its proximity to Indiana, the metropolitan area around Louisville is regularly referred to as Kentuckiana.

Louisville's weather is temperate and seasonal. Summers are hot and humid with cool evenings. The mean annual temperature is 56 °F (13 °C), with an average annual snowfall of 16.4 inches (41 cm) and an average annual rainfall of 44.53 inches (1131 mm). The wettest seasons are the spring and summer, although rainfall is fairly constant all year round. During the winter, particularly in January and February, several days of snow can be expected, allowing for winter sports. Winter temperatures range from 27 to 43 °F (−3 to 6 °C) and summer temperatures range from 66 and 86 °F (19 and 30 °C).

In terms of urban development and city layout, Louisville is a melting pot of old and new. Louisville boasts a large number of parks, with 122 parks covering more than 14,000 acres (57 km²). The city's architecture contains a blend of old and new (similar to many parts of Chicago). The Old Louisville neighborhood is the largest historic preservation district solely featuring Victorian homes and buildings in the United States, it is also the fourth largest such district overall. There are many modern skyscrapers downtown, as well as older preserved structures. If you google "Louisville Skyline", you can see the front part of our commerical district. It is important to note though that the downtown forms more of a T shape, so some building are obscured. Louisville lays claims to 12 of KY's 15 buildings that are over 300 feet and will add another (the Museum Plaza) in 2010.

Many geographers consider Louisville to be Kentucky's primate city, since 17%of the state's population lives in Jefferson County and 25% live in counties in the Louisville CSA, and also Jefferson County has 2.5 times more people than Kentucky's second most populous county, Fayette County (a.k.a Lexington).

Culturally speaking, Louisville is a hodgepodge. Perhaps the best way to describe it is "the souths most northern city and the north's most southern city". The city is home to a thriving and vibrant arts scene and is host to St. James Court Art Show. The Speed Art Museum opened in 1927 and is the oldest and largest art museum in the state of Kentucky. Located adjacent to the University of Louisville, the museum features over 1,200 pieces of art in its permanent collection. 21C and the museum plaza have also increased Louisville's reputation as a culutrally diverse and artistic city. The performing arts community in Louisville is currently undergoing a bit of a renaissance. The Kentucky Center, dedicated in 1983, located in the downtown hotel and entertainment district, features a variety of plays and concerts. This is also the home of the Louisville Ballet, Louisville Orchestra, and the Kentucky Opera, which is the twelfth oldest opera in the United States. Actors Theatre of Louisville is another performing arts center that has become the cornerstone of the revitalization of Louisville's Main Street. As the centerpiece of the city's urban cultural district, Actors Theatre has significant economic impact on a vital downtown life. Highly acclaimed for its artistic programming and business acumen, Actors Theatre hosts the Humana Festival of New American Plays each Spring. It also presents approximately six hundred performances of about thirty productions during its year-round season, composed of a diverse array of contemporary and classical fare. Also on Fourth Street is the brand new Fourth Street Live! outdoor entertainment complex, which features a wide variety of restaurants, stores and nightclubs. The complex sponsors many free concerts, as does the popular Waterfront Park.

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The Louisville Waterfront Park is prominently located on the banks of the Ohio River near downtown, and features large open areas, which often feature free concerts and other festivals. Cherokee Park is also one of the larger parks in the city, covering 409 acres (1.7 km²), and features many bicycle and nature trails, basketball courts, baseball fields, and picnic pavilions.

In terms of sports, Kentucky in general is a college sports state. College sports are very popular in greater Louisville, with an enormous following for the University of Louisville Cardinals (you'll find out about that soon enough). Horse racing is also a major attraction. Churchill Downs is home to the Kentucky Derby, the largest sports event in the state, as well as the Kentucky Oaks which together cap the two-week-long Kentucky Derby Festival. The Louisville Bats are a baseball team playing in the International League as the Class AAA affiliate of the Cincinnati Reds. The team plays at Louisville Slugger Field at the edge of the city's downtown.

Louisville also plays host to the annual KY state fair, Thunder over Louisville (start of the Kentucky Derby Festival and the largest fireworks display in the U.S.), as well as the famous Kentucky derby.

Thanks to wikipedia for most of the info ;-)

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The Louisville area is home to 122 spacious city parks covering more than 14,000 acres (57 km²), located throughout the city. Several of these parks were designed by Frederick Law Olmsted, who also designed New York City's Central Park as well as parks, parkways, college campuses and public facilities in many U.S. locations. The Louisville Waterfront Park is prominently located on the banks of the Ohio River near downtown, and features large open areas, which often feature free concerts and other festivals. Cherokee Park is also one of the larger parks in the city, covering 409 acres (1.7 km²), and features many bicycle and nature trails, basketball courts, baseball fields, and picnic pavilions.

Going a bit further out from the downtown area is the Jefferson Memorial Forest which, at 5,500 acres (22 km²), is the largest urban forest in the United States. The forest is designated as a National Audubon Society wildlife refuge, and offers over 30 miles (50 km) of various hiking trails. Camping and fishing are both permitted.

Otter Creek Park is another large park nearby. While actually in Brandenburg, Kentucky, Otter Creek Park is owned and operated by Louisville Metro government. The park's namesake, Otter Creek, winds along the eastern side of the park. A scenic bend in the Ohio River, which divides Kentucky from Indiana, can be seen from northern overlooks within the park. The park is a popular mountain biking destination, with trails maintained by a local mountain bike organization.

Other outdoor points of interest in the Louisville area include Cave Hill Cemetery and Arboretum (the burial location of Col. Harland Sanders), Zachary Taylor National Cemetery (the burial location of President Zachary Taylor), the Louisville Zoo, Six Flags Kentucky Kingdom and the Falls of the Ohio National Wildlife Conservation Area (in southern Indiana).

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Demographics

Note: All demographics are the same as that of Jefferson County, Kentucky, which merged with the former City of Louisville on January 6, 2003.

As of the census² of 2000, there were 693,604 people, 287,012 households, and 183,113 families residing in the city/county. The population density was 695/km² (1,801/mi²). There were 305,835 housing units at an average density of 307/km² (794/mi²). The racial makeup of the city/county is 77.38% White, 18.88% Black or African American, 0.22% Native American, 1.39% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 0.68% from other races, and 1.42% from two or more races. 1.78% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 287,012 households out of which 29.60% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.20% were married couples living together, 14.70% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.20% were non-families. 30.50% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.30% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.37 and the average family size was 2.97.

The age distribution is 24.30% under the age of 18, 8.90% from 18 to 24, 30.40% from 25 to 44, 22.80% from 45 to 64, and 13.50% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 91.60 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.60 males.

The median income for a household is $39,457, and the median income for a family was $49,161. Males had a median income of $36,484 versus $26,255 for females. The per capita income for the county was $22,352. About 9.50% of families and 12.40% of the population were below the poverty line, including 18.10% of those under age 18 and 8.80% of those age 65 or over.

There are 135,421 Catholic Louisvillians who attend 163 Catholic churches in the city. [11] The Cathedral of the Assumption located in downtown Louisville is the seat of the Archdiocese of Louisville. Our Lady of Gethsemani Abbey, the monastic home of Catholic writer Thomas Merton, is in nearby Bardstown, Kentucky and also located in the archdiocese. There is also a noticeably large Jewish population of around 10,000 in the city. Most Jewish families came from Russia at the turn of the 20th century with a sizable number (around 1,000) of Soviet Jews having moved to Louisville since 1991. A sizable number of Louisvillians belong to a Protestant faith. Southeast Christian Church, one of the largest Christian churches in the United States, is located in Louisville.

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Education

According to the U.S. Census, of Louisville's population over twenty-five, 21.3% (vs. a national average of 24%) hold a bachelor's degree or higher, and 76.1% (vs. 80% nationally) have a high school diploma or equivalent.

The public school system, Jefferson County Public Schools, consists of more than 98,000 students in Kindergarten through 12th Grade. The Jefferson County school system has over 98,000 students attending 130 schools and more than 20 other educational facilities in its system (consists of 87 elementary schools, 23 middle schools, 20 high schools and 23 other learning centers), making it the nation's 28th-largest school district. It is still one of the most widely recognized school systems in the United States. The Louisville Public Schools began in 1829 and public schools were present in the county as early as the 1830's. The Louisville Public Schools and the Jefferson County Public Schools merged in 1975.

JCPS has received the "What Parents Want" Award from SchoolMatch, a research company based in Columbus, Ohio.

To establish criteria for the award, SchoolMatch compiled information from more than 97,000 questionnaires and determined the criteria that parents use when they decide which schools are best for their children.

SchoolMatch found that parents want the following:

Solid academics, competitive test scores, and appropriate levels of academic rigor
Accreditation
National recognition for excellence
Competitive teacher salaries
Above-average instructional expenditures, based on national percentiles
Above-average expenditures for library/media services, based on national percentiles
Small class sizes
High-quality secondary education

SchoolMatch searched its public school data and found that only 2,504 of the nation's 15,573 districts deserved the 2006 "What Parents Want" Award, based on the criteria. JCPS is one of only 21 districts in Kentucky to receive the award.


http://www.jefferson.k12.ky.us/



Louisville has a large number of private schools, particularly unusual for a city of this size. Due to its large Catholic population, there are 27 Catholic schools in the city, as well as several Protestant schools, the largest Protestant school system in the country in terms of student population.

Louisville is home to the University of Louisville, Bellarmine University, Spalding University, Sullivan University and Jefferson Community College (part of the Kentucky Community and Technical College System), as well as the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and the Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary. Indiana University Southeast is also located across the Ohio River in nearby New Albany, Indiana.

[daisy]

Thanks for all the info! But the key thing is how tolerant is Louisville of interracial relationships? I'm Black and my husband is Native American/White.

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Economy

Louisville is home to several major corporations and organizations:

Brown-Forman Corporation (Fortune 500)
Hillerich & Bradsby (known for Louisville Slugger baseball bats)
Humana Inc. (Fortune 500)
Kindred Healthcare Incorporated (Fortune 500)
Norton Healthcare
Papa John's Pizza
Presbyterian Church (USA)
Yum! Brands, Inc. (owners of KFC, Pizza Hut, Taco Bell, Long John Silver's and A & W Restaurants; formerly Tricon Global Restaurants, spin-off of PepsiCo) (Fortune 500)
Louisville for a long time was also home to Brown & Williamson, the third largest company in the tobacco industry before merging with R. J. Reynolds in 2004 to form the Reynolds American Company. Brands such as KOOL, Viceroy, Capri, Misty and Raleigh were introduced in Louisville. Brown & Williamson, one of the subjects of the tobacco industry scandals of the 1990s, was the focus of The Insider, a 1999 film shot around the Louisville area. Also located in Louisville are two major Ford plants, and a major General Electric appliance factory.

Additionally, one third of all of the bourbon whiskey comes from Louisville. The Brown-Forman Corporation is one of the major makers of bourbon, which is headquartered in Louisville. Other major distilleries of bourbon can be found both in the city of Louisville, or in neighboring cities in Kentucky, such as Heaven Hill (Bardstown, Kentucky), Woodford Reserve (Woodford County), or Maker's Mark (Loretto, Kentucky, with a restaurant/lounge in Louisville).

Louisville is a leader in business growth. Consider a few of the community's recent rankings:
20th in the nation as a desirable location for business expansion or relocation (Expansion Management Magazine).

#9 on the list of the Top 20 Hot Headquarters Cities for the 21st century (Business Facilities).

Best City for Small Business growth (Entrepreneur Magazine).

31st on Inc. Magazine's Top Places to Do Business in the U.S.

15th in the U.S. on Entrepreneur Magazine's Best Cities for Entrepreneurs list.

One of the Top 20 Best Places to Raise A Family (Homebuilder.com).

One of the benefits offered by the Greater Louisville area is the very attractive cost of living. From housing to utilities and transportation to health care, Louisville is a place where maintaining your quality of life is affordable and easy.

According to the American Chamber of Commerce Research Association (ACCRA), Louisville is a less expensive place to live and work than comparable communities by up to 12%. Considering its big city amenities and small town hospitality at an affordable price Louisville is a place where the advantages really add up. Entrepreneur Magazine recently named Louisville as the 15th best city for entrepreneurs and the nation's number ONE city for small business growth. Today, there are over 30,000 business establishments in Louisville's 13 county MSA (metropolitan statistical area) and of these, 28,552 are "small businesses" - defined as fewer than 100 employees.

A great source for city information (on schools, income levels, business, economic opportunities, etc):

http://www.greaterlouisville.com/ed/default.asp

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Also, UPS recently announced a 1 billion dollar expansion of its Worldport hub in Louisville. UPS' latest expansion in Louisville stands to add $750million to the area's economy in the form of new paychecks, car sales and dinners out.

Already the Louisville area's biggest private employer with 18,000 on its payroll, UPS has been credited with luring more than 90 companies to the region. Just last month, for instance, Best Buy announced that it would bring a 550-job computer-repair center to town.

The direct economic impact of the new UPS jobs will be $344.8million, with about $400million in indirect benefits because other companies are projected to arrive or grow as a result of Worldport's expansion, said Gene Strong, secretary of the state Cabinet for Economic Development.

The ripple effects of the expansion will translate into $97million more in annual retail sales for car dealers, banks, homebuilders and restaurants, said Joe Reagan, chief executive of Greater Louisville Inc., the metro chamber of commerce.

[daisy]

It seems to me that you are the "spokesperson" for Kentucky and seem to be an encyclopedia of knowledge. It's almost as though you are getting all this information from a website or book that I can obtain very easily. Wikipedia, Sperling's Best Places, Relocate America, so on and so on. I'm asking for your personal opinion as a resident of Kentucky - Louisville what the racial atmosphere is, and I have yet to read a response.
Anyone else, please help!