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If you could move to either city, which would you choose and why?
I grew up in the Lexington area and graduated from college in Louisville.
Between the two cities, I'd live in Lexington and surrounding environs all day long before choosing the Louisville area. Lexington feels more "approachable" than Louisville, and one is still in close proximity to Louisville and Cincinnati for night and weekend trips. Lexington also has a nicer collection of small towns surrounding it than does Louisville - if one cares about that sort of thing. While Lexington does have its share of pretentious, old-South, Charleston-wannabe types, the area's population is generally still pretty down-to-Earth and normal. Yeah, if I were ever to move back to Kentucky, I'd easily consider the Lexington area first.
My only serious issues with Lexington are, given that the area subculture revolves around University of Kentucky everything, life can get pretty boring there if one is not into that sort of thing (which I'm not). And, the local park system is quite underwhelming for a city its size. However, that's not the end of the world. The area's horse farms make for an enjoyable drive year-round, Natural Bridge and Red River Gorge are next door, and the city has a rapidly improving and evolving culinary scene.
Granted, Louisville is not too "big city" for me. Actually, I've lived in and visited large cities all over the world at this point. It's just that while Louisville has many of the amenities expected in a larger metropolis, including a wonderful and robust network of local parks, it also has a very parochial and unwelcoming local population. Sadly, anymore, it also has one of the highest violent crime rates of any US city.
Alternately, one could live between the two cities. I wouldn't particularly recommend Franklin or Anderson Counties, but Shelby County is definitely a nice area (as the previous poster mentioned).
I grew up in Louisville, but have lived the last 30 years of my life in Lexington.
Both are great cities with lots going for them, I can see where a great percentage of people would chose Louisville, just like a great percentage of people moving would chose Lexington. Myself, I hands down prefer Lexington, although I still love Louisville.
The previous poster nailed it!
Louisville has much going for it - a fantastic park system, lots of things going on, always something to do.
Lexington is much smaller, with less to do, but much cleaner and so much less crime than Louisville.
I love life here and couldn't imagine living anywhere else right now.
(And when wanting to go to the zoo, or an amusement Park, or Professional sports game ...
you are only and hour and a half or two hours from Louisville or Cincinnati) but you are much closer to the Mountains and Red River gorge than Louisville is, if you are into that sort of stuff.
I don't think there is one place that would be perfect for everybody...everyone has different needs
and things of importance to consider. So there is no right or wrong answer on one being better than the other. They are both great and viva la difference!
Last edited by Crazee Cat Lady; 04-11-2022 at 05:31 PM..
No comparison here. Lexington is a quaint small college town. Everything there centers around UK and if you do not like UK, you will not fit in.
Louisville is a mid major city. It has lots of cultural amenities not found in Lexington and is three times the size. Lexington is very cosmopolitan for a smaller college town but sometimes to the point almost of feeling uppity.
The two cities are such a size difference that they are no more comparable than Louisville and Denver, a city nearly three times its size. People forget that Louisville's Indiana suburbs are close in size to Lexington alone, and have the same quaint amenities.
Louisville has a top tier women's pro soccer and the highest level of second tier men's soccer and AAA baseball. That said, until Louisville gets MLS or NBA, Louisville will get compared to cities a third of its size like Lexington even though its apples and oranges.
I would add only that Lexington is so much cleaner and prettier, especially being surrounded by bluegrass and thoroughbreds and picturesque horse farms, and it WAS much safer, although that's changing lately...
I would add only that Lexington is so much cleaner and prettier, especially being surrounded by bluegrass and thoroughbreds and picturesque horse farms, and it WAS much safer, although that's changing lately...
Lexington also has a better climate, with less extremes due to the slightly higher elevation around 1,000 ft. compared to Louisville at around 500 ft. Louisville has horrid levels of heat and humidity and an extreme urban heat island, which makes it basically unlivable in the summer months in my opinion. That's why I moved to Floyd County, IN at close to 1,000 ft. elevation- always 6-10F cooler temperatures than Louisville.
Lexington also has a better climate, with less extremes due to the slightly higher elevation around 1,000 ft. compared to Louisville at around 500 ft. Louisville has horrid levels of heat and humidity and an extreme urban heat island, which makes it basically unlivable in the summer months in my opinion. That's why I moved to Floyd County, IN at close to 1,000 ft. elevation- always 6-10F cooler temperatures than Louisville.
Not to mention air pollution, the attempt to control which has resulted in even HIGHER gas prices in Louisville than in surrounding cities.
Last edited by otterhere; 05-13-2022 at 03:54 PM..
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