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Thank you guys so much! I will check out everything, and try to plan our visit around things we’d like to do on a whim if we lived there. Just yesterday, I took the day off and we all went down to Letchworth State Park. Granted this would be a good place for cooling off, there was still snow on the ground LOL and sadly, many people have died there over the years in the river/falls. I don’t let my kids get within 50 feet of that water! But, there are these little Brooks throughout the woods that pose no risk, although you have all got me thinking about water quality… Never really gave much thought to that as irresponsible as that may sound… Our beaches here have daily water forecast and sometimes they close based on bacteria, but I never thought of farm runoff in little creeks.
Basically what we are looking for is a place that has a month or so last winter, and it’s other winter months not 10+ feet of snow, a little bit longer of a summer but not something hot and sticky like the Carolinas. We would like to be able to have a couple acres and absolutely positively a 40 x 60 barn or so, and not a particularly fancy house but as a family of five going on six, we’d like what we’ve got now: 2100 ft.² and a basement we can use as a recreation area. We would like to be somewhat in the country… We are into old cars and like to leave our home and immediately find country roads to Cruise… I couldn’t handle living somewhere like Boca Raton (we lived there way before kids and hot rods) for my hobby and personal preferences… I like more space. I would however find it equally inconvenient to live more than 25 minutes from “everything.” Currently I guess we have it made… We live in an area that’s almost all farms, but on a winding road with creeks and golf courses (not the ritzy side of town though) within 1/ third of a mile of our house our country roads where are you can’t tell it’s not still the 1930s. 17 minutes away by Highway with a little traffic is the city of Rochester (19 minutes) and about nine minutes away is a decently developed canal town with dining, Walmart, running’s tractor supply etc. The downside: crazy taxes politics in winter!
That said, I would really like to find something similar… I would like to be within a 20 or 30 minute drive from my city that has all I need, but far enough out that I can’t tell it’s there. Not far from a tiny town that has the basics.
Noted! Small chance I’ll be down there this week. Will be in Sandusky OH (lord willing) and it’s only a 5 hour drive from there. I want to pin some houses for sale on Zillow and then drive by and see the areas, plus check out al the stuff y’all listed within 90mins. Will be a very good idea of how life there will be
In a nut shell we want tiny town living 10
Minutes from a Walmart:McDonald’s (if not for them, for all the converse that’s always near them) 25 minutes from a city I don’t know exists on til 20 minutes into the drive toward it
In a nut shell we want tiny town living 10
Minutes from a Walmart:McDonald’s (if not for them, for all the converse that’s always near them) 25 minutes from a city I don’t know exists on til 20 minutes into the drive toward it
Drew, I got a laugh from a memory when you mentioned the distance to a Walmart. When my wife was a civilian employee at Ft. Campbell, Ky., a coworker was doing a lot of research. Her husband was retiring from the Army and had several job offers from companies that did contract work for the military. She was getting online and checking all the places he had offers and the distance of that town to a Walmart. She told him she didn't want to go to Montana. Closest Walmart was over an hour away. They settled in Arizona. lol
Ironically enough (Erie county NY suburb of buffalo here myself) I'm looking into KY right now for many of the same reasons. I'm looking for a big town/smaller city and Kentucky seems to have plenty of good choices. I want a lower cost of life, good people around, lower taxes, mild climate, better political situation, and still within a days drive of home and family.
I don't want to go deep south and KY seems to have a great mild 4 season climate. I'm also looking into the Lexington suburbs, bowling green etc. It's a lot to learn about and consider.
I think KY has a ton going for it and honestly I'm really surprised it doesn't get more attention nationally like TN has been getting lately.
If I ever move to KY I won't be bringing any "NY politics" with me don't worry. The rest of NY state is nothing like NYC stereotype but NYC makes up 70% of the states population.
Ironically enough (Erie county NY suburb of buffalo here myself) I'm looking into KY right now for many of the same reasons. I'm looking for a big town/smaller city and Kentucky seems to have plenty of good choices. I want a lower cost of life, good people around, lower taxes, mild climate, better political situation, and still within a days drive of home and family.
I don't want to go deep south and KY seems to have a great mild 4 season climate. I'm also looking into the Lexington suburbs, bowling green etc. It's a lot to learn about and consider.
I think KY has a ton going for it and honestly I'm really surprised it doesn't get more attention nationally like TN has been getting lately.
If I ever move to KY I won't be bringing any "NY politics" with me don't worry. The rest of NY state is nothing like NYC stereotype but NYC makes up 70% of the states population.
I would look at the areas around Lexington and Frankfort if you want more balanced weather, as those areas tend to have less insane levels of humidity and heat and cool off more efficiently at night compared to Louisville or Bowling Green. If you really despise heat and humidity, avoid all the urbanized areas as the summer low temperatures are excessive. I'm in southern Indiana at double the elevation of the Ohio River and it is always MUCH cooler than Louisville, KY. Just two weeks ago Louisville was 90F at 11 PM with sky high humidity..... KY has its own political problems including the state pension crisis, and spending huge amounts of money for development in rapidly declining rural areas of the state that people leave anyway- leaving less money for infrastructure upgrades and other improvements for areas of the state where the vast majority of the people live. I wouldn't call the area "four mild seasons" in the least, expect generally awful weather of some type most of the year- either excessive amounts of precipitation, random long periods of dryness, and lots of severe thunderstorms. There are VERY FEW days with high temperatures between 60-80F.
Last edited by GraniteStater; 07-01-2022 at 10:53 AM..
I wouldn't call the area "four mild seasons" in the least, expect generally awful weather of some type most of the year- either excessive amounts of precipitation, random long periods of dryness, and lots of severe thunderstorms. There are VERY FEW days with high temperatures between 60-80F.
I fail to see why you think Kentucky does not have four mild seasons. We have all four seasons first off. Second, the seasons, when compared to the extremes in other parts of the country, are rather mild. So, I think this is an apt description.
We do have rainy and dry periods, but again, they usually balance out and droughts, when they do occur, usually lasting a season or two. Go out west with water scarcity being a major concern, and I have co-workers in California's Central Valley that say their droughts last 3-5 years and occur every 2-4 years apart. Not sure how true that necessarily is in scientific data analysis, but the co-worker threw this out there like it was no big deal.
Here's the thing. Kentucky doesn't have that today and likely will not in any of our lifetimes or even grandchildren's lifetimes. Then there is the comparison with the snowbelt or parts of the northern plains, where heavy snow and extreme cold are common for 3-4 months straight. The OP for this thread as well as koolaid, are from areas that routinely get storms that dump 1-2+ feet of snow monthly for three straight months (more if you live really close to the lakes). Between December and February, they have typically 60 days with snowfall, plus accumulating snows in November, March and April. That would be the other extreme.
So, when people complain, even in NKY, of a month or two of high temps in the 20s or 30s, I find that laughable in comparison to the snowbelt or plains. It does not mean we do not get snow. Plenty of snow in Kentucky this past winter. The OP and koolaid will find clearing the snow may take longer, as we don't have the equipment and manpower that Buffalo or Rochester has. So be prepared for general closures of schools and offices at least three or four times a year. I actually think NKY got lucky this past winter and saw less snow than parts of Central and Eastern Kentucky where I have family. Just depends I guess on where the majority of the storms track.
We do see rain quite a bit between March and early June, with storms that can produce pretty heavy downpours. Tornados can be a concern, but the stronger ones tend to stay west of I-75 though can still be a hazard in Eastern Kentucky. Then it does get dry but humid. Still, not as humid as the southern reaches of the south along the Gulf Coast or the Floridian Peninsula. That last until mid-to-late August when we start seeing breaks. Fall is definitely the best time here, from late August through late October. Plenty of crisp days, shockingly probably to Indiana residents, in the 60s and 70s. Our leaves actually didn't fall until mid to late November last year, which was unusually late, a result of a longer than average Indian Summer in October.
OP and koolaid, don't let people scare you that Kentucky is a weather nightmare. One thing about the state is it is very wide and crosses several geographical differences from Ashland to Wickliffe. As a result, residents can find any number of different climates that vary slightly enough to better suit them. Personally, I don't think I could take the Paducah or Bowling Green summers. But eastern reaches of KY, especially along the Ohio from Cincinnati on up towards Ashland, provide plenty varying climates due to the valleys and plenty of tree covered hills. Even in Campbell County you can find different biospheres between the Licking River and the heights up in Fort Thomas. It is quite interesting actually.
Regardless, I think the OPs will be fine. If anything throws them off, it will be winters were things close when it snows more than 4-5 inches.
I'll disagree with you also regarding the climate. The four meteorological seasons are pretty evenly spaced apart, at least where I live with each about 3 months in length.
Spring - March-May Gradually warming from winter into summer with spring bulbs blooming in March and April
Summer - June-August Generally hot and humid but still having many nights down into the 60s and many daytime temps in the mid to upper 80s. Daytime temps here in the low 90s are not unusual either Thunderstorms are fairly common. It usually rains here at least once a week, most weeks more often than that but I see that as a positive.
Fall - Sept-Nov Gradually cooling with fall colors going into winter
Winter - Dec-Feb Cold or cool days and nights with some occasional snow melting within a couple of days. I think last winter I saw about 11" of snow total where I live.
One of the things I do enjoy about living here are the 4 seasons, the thunderstorms, rain which keeps things green and lush even in the summer. Thunderstorms don't generally bother me at all, but tornadoes are another story. One reason I chose this part of the state is that tornadoes are less common than the western and southern counties.
I realize you enjoy long, cold, white winters but many if not most other people see that as a negative.
There are variations in climate across the state. The urbanized areas of Louisville are far hotter in the summer with outlandish levels of humidity and do not cool off at night compared to many areas of central and eastern Kentucky. Louisville has one of the worst urban heat islands in the country and that is well documented. The state does have mild weather, but that still doesn't negate the lack of 60-80F high temperatures, with the exception of Fall. There is very little pleasant spring weather before the heat and humidity come back in the summer. It generally goes from 40-50F high temperatures to over 80F, and skips over the milder temperatures entirely. This is due to the lower latitude nature of the area, and the fact that the sun angle gets very strong and intense by May compared to areas the north that warm up more gradually from spring into summer.
I fail to see why you think Kentucky does not have four mild seasons. We have all four seasons first off. Second, the seasons, when compared to the extremes in other parts of the country, are rather mild. So, I think this is an apt description.
We do have rainy and dry periods, but again, they usually balance out and droughts, when they do occur, usually lasting a season or two. Go out west with water scarcity being a major concern, and I have co-workers in California's Central Valley that say their droughts last 3-5 years and occur every 2-4 years apart. Not sure how true that necessarily is in scientific data analysis, but the co-worker threw this out there like it was no big deal.
Here's the thing. Kentucky doesn't have that today and likely will not in any of our lifetimes or even grandchildren's lifetimes. Then there is the comparison with the snowbelt or parts of the northern plains, where heavy snow and extreme cold are common for 3-4 months straight. The OP for this thread as well as koolaid, are from areas that routinely get storms that dump 1-2+ feet of snow monthly for three straight months (more if you live really close to the lakes). Between December and February, they have typically 60 days with snowfall, plus accumulating snows in November, March and April. That would be the other extreme.
So, when people complain, even in NKY, of a month or two of high temps in the 20s or 30s, I find that laughable in comparison to the snowbelt or plains. It does not mean we do not get snow. Plenty of snow in Kentucky this past winter. The OP and koolaid will find clearing the snow may take longer, as we don't have the equipment and manpower that Buffalo or Rochester has. So be prepared for general closures of schools and offices at least three or four times a year. I actually think NKY got lucky this past winter and saw less snow than parts of Central and Eastern Kentucky where I have family. Just depends I guess on where the majority of the storms track.
We do see rain quite a bit between March and early June, with storms that can produce pretty heavy downpours. Tornados can be a concern, but the stronger ones tend to stay west of I-75 though can still be a hazard in Eastern Kentucky. Then it does get dry but humid. Still, not as humid as the southern reaches of the south along the Gulf Coast or the Floridian Peninsula. That last until mid-to-late August when we start seeing breaks. Fall is definitely the best time here, from late August through late October. Plenty of crisp days, shockingly probably to Indiana residents, in the 60s and 70s. Our leaves actually didn't fall until mid to late November last year, which was unusually late, a result of a longer than average Indian Summer in October.
OP and koolaid, don't let people scare you that Kentucky is a weather nightmare. One thing about the state is it is very wide and crosses several geographical differences from Ashland to Wickliffe. As a result, residents can find any number of different climates that vary slightly enough to better suit them. Personally, I don't think I could take the Paducah or Bowling Green summers. But eastern reaches of KY, especially along the Ohio from Cincinnati on up towards Ashland, provide plenty varying climates due to the valleys and plenty of tree covered hills. Even in Campbell County you can find different biospheres between the Licking River and the heights up in Fort Thomas. It is quite interesting actually.
Regardless, I think the OPs will be fine. If anything throws them off, it will be winters were things close when it snows more than 4-5 inches.
It would be great if spring featured a more gradual rise in temperature instead of going from 50F for a high temperature to over 80F in less than two weeks. That is my big complaint about the climate of this region. Fall is actually one of the few consistently pleasant times of the year that generally doesn't feature crazy amounts of humidity or rain.
It would be great if spring featured a more gradual rise in temperature instead of going from 50F for a high temperature to over 80F in less than two weeks. That is my big complaint about the climate of this region. Fall is actually one of the few consistently pleasant times of the year that generally doesn't feature crazy amounts of humidity or rain.
Thanks for putting things in perspective.
Mild to me by my experience and definition is probably different than others.
My climate is tilted very heavily to winter (snow in April isn't rare at all) a very brief spring, a glorious summer and outstanding early fall. The weather where I am from june-mid october could arguably be some of the best in the country. But real genuine winter comes on very quickly in November and lasts till April/may. May is really our "spring"
I'm looking to tile things more towards the heat and summer to balance out a shorter more mild winter.
I'm willing to raise my avg monthly temps 5-10 degrees. More mild winter, but the address extra heat of summer.
Also where I live central air is not part of the lifestyle many houses don't have it and I'm 5 miles from lake Erie so it's humid in the summer. 85-90 with no central air is hot and muggy. So I know I'm getting into heat more but hopeful with more widespread air conditioning it will balance out and be more tolerable
But seriously you guys are giving awesome feedback. Thank you
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