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I am moving to Lexington in September. I have an old car that I do not want to have to depend on to get me to work, so I will be depending on the city bus system (as I did when I lived in Anchorage, and it worked just fine). I have a bus schedule from LexTran, but can't tell how far out it really goes, and I can't determine if it goes to towns like Versailles or Paris or Georgetown at all. Does anyone out there ride the bus? Also, I'd like a recommendation on an apartment complex that allows larger dogs, that is near a bus line. Any information is appreciated--I have never been to Lexington, but my sister lives in Mt. Sterling. Will I get a job? (I am an admin assistant with a degree in English.)
I am moving to Lexington in September. I have an old car that I do not want to have to depend on to get me to work, so I will be depending on the city bus system (as I did when I lived in Anchorage, and it worked just fine). I have a bus schedule from LexTran, but can't tell how far out it really goes, and I can't determine if it goes to towns like Versailles or Paris or Georgetown at all. Does anyone out there ride the bus? Also, I'd like a recommendation on an apartment complex that allows larger dogs, that is near a bus line. Any information is appreciated--I have never been to Lexington, but my sister lives in Mt. Sterling. Will I get a job? (I am an admin assistant with a degree in English.)
The bus system in Lexington is horrible. there is little if any suburban service., The bus is only good to get around UK campus and downtown.
The only extensive bus system in KY is in Louisville, but even that system is insufficient given Louisville's size. still, Louisville at least has several commuter buses to distant suburbs 15-20 miles away. The times these buses run are limited, but buses in the city and immediate suburbs is quite good and on time.
I agree with stx12499 on the bus system here.. LexTran's suburban service is non-existent....basically Fayette County only. I live in Paris and commute everyday to Lexington and you'll never see a LexTran bus on Paris Pike.
The job market isnt bad but it isnt necessarily booming right now either....With enough time to plan ahead I think you'll be OK. Admin assistants are usually always needed....This area has plenty of corporate offices, etc. Your move in Septmeber coincides with when someone may vacate a position to go back to school as well. I'd get your resume circulated over the summer and hopefully you'll have more than 1 job offer to choose from. Best of luck to you....sorry I'm not much help on apartment complexes though.
Thanks for the info--you should see the bus system here! It is a joke, so I think LexTran will still be an improvement. I will have to look at somewhere near downtown. I am still interested in hearing about apartment complexes--so...anyone else out there?
the. bus. system. sucks. plain and simple. it used to run to Georgetown and Nicholasville at one point, but doesn't any longer. the routes and times change very often due to budget restrictions, and the buses themselves are unsafe (faulty brakes, etc). I was on a low budget and couldn't afford a car for a few years, and had to use the bus in the winter. on several occasions the bus, which runs once an hour most of the time, would not come at all, so I'd be up to half an hour late for work. on top of that, the routes are convoluted and slow, and each route has a 15 minute layover downtown. so a ten minute drive can take up to an hour while riding the bus. in the summer, I walked or rode my bicycle rather than riding the bus. believe it or not, walking takes about as long as riding the bus, and bike riding cut my time to work in half. unfortunately, Lexington is rather large to be hoofing it all over the place, so a car is necessary.
on the upside, we don't have vehicle inspections here, and your driver's license will simply be transferred to a Kentucky one. also, the minimum insurance is liability only so that won't kill you. you can also trade in your car at a "buy-here-pay-here" lot for another that is cheap but more reliable. if you make payments on a car at a dealership, you will have to have full coverage insurance, but if you buy an older used car from a buy-here-pay-here, you will only be required to carry the minimum liability on it. just give the car a good test drive before you buy it. one lot that is honest is North Broadway Auto, while I do not recommend Key Auto; they lock up your ignition remotely if you are one day late in payment.
admin. assistants are prevelant and also in demand. jobs are available, but you have to be competitive to get them. oftentimes a job will be posted for one day before it is filled. if you're ever in a crunch, you can get temporary work at an agency like Adecco or OfficeTeam that usually have a few decent-paying jobs that will get you by. remember the cost of living is very low, so you can get bills paid, living simply, on about $10 an hour. my friend worked in a temp job for about two years before she got a job at UK. if you have at least 2 years experience, UK is a very good employer to start out with excellent benefits, discounts on sports tickets, financial aid if you want to take some college courses, etc. if you've got more refined talent, you could live comfortably working in a lawyer's office or a hospital. another plus to this city having so many jobs to fill is employers often reward hard work with pay raises. most are wary of lazy employees, and we have many in this will-to-work state, so the pay starts out relatively low. do a good job and you can see a raise often within a few weeks.
it can be tough to find an apartment complex that allows large dogs, but just keep looking. since you do have a large dog, you may want to consider renting a small house or duplex with a fenced yard instead. check out Kentucky.com's listings, and start calling during the months before you move. often landlords will require a pet deposit, if they are willing to allow pets at all, but I've also found that having references from prior landlords can help convince them that you are a responsible pet owner and care about your carpet. :P I've always meant to take pics of my cats' living area before I move to show them how I've kept a clean house.
sorry for the bad news about the bus system. if you can't get another car to drive, you may want to consider living near downtown where walking is easier. the downside to that is the rent is higher there, and your job may not be anywhere near downtown. the bus might work temporarily, if you have an understanding employer, but I'm sorry to say that you'll have to have a vehicle.
NatashaQuick is right about the cars. New Circle Road on the NE side of town is "buy-here-pay-here" heaven. There must be 20-25 of these dealers with 2 miles. Never done business with any of them myself to recommend one over another but the competition there keeps the prices affordable.
I have lived here now for much of my adult life, as well as most of my childhood. Now that LEXTRAN , which I still ride frequently, has gotten a property tax subsidy, it has improved substantially. It is generally limited to areas inside of Circle-4 ( New Circle Road), but most routes are now being lengthened, new ones added, new buses purchased/old ones remanufactured, and operating schedules expanded. Oh, and no, I don't work for them- I have primarily been involved in trucking and law enforcement. They have come up a long way this past year, and are well aware of the need to continue doing so. Please come to Lexington, you'll like it here, I'll bet. The job scene is quite healthy here as well.
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thanks for the info
