Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Wow, those are tough choices! I would be awfully tempted by the Bay Area offer, but the rental market up there is out of control. Change is good. You'll never be sorry you tried something new. Best of luck to you!
Given the OP's love for California (especially) and Utah, I'd recommend that he doesn't move to Kentucky. He might be in for total culture shock that he couldn't get over. He'd be trading a drier climate with a plethora of natural activities, for a much more humid climate and horse farms generally inaccessible to the middle class, and occupied by rabid (and I mean RABID!) Kentucky Wildcats fans.
If he can hack the cost of living in the Bay Area, that is the tech capital of the world. That would be my recommendation.
Bay Area people can be more standoffish and aloof than the average Kentuckian, Southerner, and even Southern Californian, yet the friendly ones usually are genuinely friendly and helpful. The population there is also generally more cosmopolitan, and more prone to just casual, random intellectual conversation in fora like MUNI, Meetup groups, walking the street in Berkeley, etc. Kentuckians might be smiley in the customer service realm, but they are an incredibly cliquish bunch. Even though Lexington still has a much higher than average percentage of higher educational attainment, the culture of Lexington and central Kentucky constantly revolves around UK basketball, hatred of Louisville basketball, dress styles for Keeneland, and, seasonally, Derby parties and UK football. (It's kind of like Kentucky's San Diego: everyone who lives there loves it, never wants to leave, and lives within their city's cultural bubble.) I actually, despite my political conservatism, "got" the Bay Area more in two years of living there than I did central Kentucky in my 18 years there.
Utah, however, like Kentucky, is a very church-centric culture. (The Bay Area certainly does not fit this bill.) But while Utah is very LDS, Kentucky is a predominantly Southern Baptist sorta place (with the exceptions of a few Catholic enclaves scattered throughout the state).
Kentucky is beautiful--at least eight months of the year. Spring and fall can be real treats in the state. There are areas around Lexington worth checking out on the weekends: driving through horse country (though, like I said, accessibility to the farms is usually reserved for the wealthy and farm hands), Valley View Ferry, the Kentucky Bourbon Trail, and Frankfort. Louisville and Cincinnati make for quick, great day trips. There are direct flights from LEX to Chicago, Atlanta, Philadelphia, New York, and destinations throughout Florida if one so desires to visit those places. Lexington is in a great location, but I would advise the OP to spend time there if he can before making a decision.
As an aside, the commute from Lexington to Harrodsburg wouldn't be terrible, except when there's snow or ice. Kentucky doesn't always treat their highways very well, depending on how much salt municipalities and the state have in stock. But the Versailles Road/Bluegrass Parkway/US 127 route would provide a reliable, modern, entirely 4-6 lane route without many traffic problems. Taking Harrodsburg Road direct to Harrodsburg would shave a few miles, and while traffic problems aren't much to speak of, the road can become rather curvy and dangerous (though very scenic) down in the Kentucky River palisades area approaching Harrodsburg.
Last edited by EclecticEars; 03-31-2015 at 10:43 PM..
So the company I'm interested in is actually in Harrodsburg, but I'm pretty sure I would not like living there. Lexington seems like it's at a feasible distance away to live (unless there are traffic issues I'm unaware of).
Oh no...
The drive from Lex to Harrodsburg is terrible! Don't even think of driving US68, it's a windy two lane road with sharp curves and scary drop offs.
You could take the Bluegrass parkway to US 127, which is a better route but is a long commute time unless you live near the airport.
If you don't like Harrodsburg (and I don't blame you!) consider Versailles, if you can afford it. It's small like Harrodsburg but so very close to Lexington that you can go do things you would like easier.
Location: New Albany, Indiana (Greater Louisville)
11,974 posts, read 25,473,841 times
Reputation: 12187
Quote:
Originally Posted by EclecticEars
Bay Area people can be more standoffish and aloof than the average Kentuckian, Southerner, and even Southern Californian, yet the friendly ones usually are genuinely friendly and helpful. The population there is also generally more cosmopolitan, and more prone to just casual, random intellectual conversation in fora like MUNI, Meetup groups, walking the street in Berkeley, etc. Kentuckians might be smiley in the customer service realm, but they are an incredibly cliquish bunch. Even though Lexington still has a much higher than average percentage of higher educational attainment, the culture of Lexington and central Kentucky constantly revolves around UK basketball, hatred of Louisville basketball, dress styles for Keeneland, and, seasonally, Derby parties and UK football. (It's kind of like Kentucky's San Diego: everyone who lives there loves it, never wants to leave, and lives within their city's cultural bubble.) I actually, despite my political conservatism, "got" the Bay Area more in two years of living there than I did central Kentucky in my 18 years there.
.
Bay Area is much larger than the whole state of KY and more along the lines of Chicago or DC. How does Lexington compare to a Stockton or Modesto or how does Louisville compare with Sacramento peoplewise?
I no longer live in Lexington (moved to Nashville for a job), but I loved Lexington and if we ever left Nashville then Lexington would be on the short list of places to relocate. It's affordable, surprisingly well cultured for a city its size, and has some fairly unique attributes culturally. Lexington is unique because of horses, bourbon, and basketball. Those three things are more important here than anywhere else in the US and it gives Lexington a unique feel. There are certainly other things in Lexington that drive the economy as well, but unique attributes of a city are always interesting.
I'll focus on the airport a little. Bluegrass Airport is really nice. It's not massive by any means, but it is very efficient, clean, and relatively affordable. There are good dining options and easy parking. You can arrive in the parking lot an hour before your flight leaves and still have plenty of time to stop and get something to eat before going to your gate most days. It's got direct flights to essentially every east coast, Midwest, and Southern hub there is. You won't be able to fly nonstop to LA or SF, but there are numerous options on multiple airlines that can get you there with one stop. Coming out of Lexington you have nonstop flights to: Minneapolis, Chicago O'hare, Detroit, Washington DC, New York - La Guardia, Dallas-Forth Worth, Houston, Philadelphia, Charlotte, and Atlanta. Allegiant Airlines also flies to Myrtle Beach, Ft Myers, Ft Lauderdale, Orlando, and Tampa but targets primarily vacationers. It is served primarily by moderate sized regional jets, although Delta did fly mainline 737s to and from Atlanta on certain flights. Louisville and Cincinnati are also an hour or so away, but to be honest it usually isn't worth it driving to those places to fly out by the time you count driving costs.
Cool thanks for the info everyone! I will be going there this Thursday for the interview and staying for the weekend to check everything out. I'm excited!...well kind of scared too. After hearing you guys mention multiple times how important basketball is, I'm a bit afraid if the atmosphere there is going to be very morose after UK lost this weekend...(I was rooting for perfection if that means anything, since the University of Utah is no longer in the tournament!).
Ok, here's the best, and most successful tip I can give you....
Buy a UK sweatshirt - Wear it - Become a fan.
Make sure everybody knows that BLUE is your favorite color!
Don't mention the word 'Cardinal' unless you're talking about a bird...
John Vincent Calipari is THE best basketball coach who's ever lived..
Know that the first Saturday in May SHOULD BE a National Holiday ...
I suggest - if it interests you - going to Keeneland Race Track while you are there. General admission is only $5. If you don't mind a bit of a walk, parking is free or also $5.
Cool thanks for the info everyone! I will be going there this Thursday for the interview and staying for the weekend to check everything out. I'm excited!...well kind of scared too. After hearing you guys mention multiple times how important basketball is, I'm a bit afraid if the atmosphere there is going to be very morose after UK lost this weekend...(I was rooting for perfection if that means anything, since the University of Utah is no longer in the tournament!).
No need to be scared, people are a bit disappointed, but the atmosphere isn't too morose....they partied it out downtown just like if, we would have won the game Sat. night....and it the end 38 - 1... was still a pretty fantastic year!
Utah really looked awesome against Duke...I wish they would have won.
I agree with what Tumf said. If you do move don't be one of the people who refuses to embrace UK basketball. You'll have a MUCH more fun time if you are actively rooting for them. I did residency training at UK, so people came from all over the US. Most of the people became UK fans while there (usually secondary to their alma mater or home state team). Go to the games, wear the shirts, visit the fan blogs, etc. There really is something special about UK basketball. It's on the same level as Alabama football, Yankee baseball, Detroit Redwings hockey; very intense and knowledgeable fan base.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
