UofL grad student with family...housing? (Louisville, Albany: real estate, apartments, rental homes)

[rbcca19]

I've been looking all over the internet for housing for our little family moving to Louisville, but haven't had much luck.

Is it worth it to live somewhere in New Albany and commute to U of L? We are from the west coast and are not familiar with Louisville at all.

We have two kids so we need to live in a family friendly, safe neighborhood. What can you recommend?

Thanks for your help!

[rbcca19]

Anyone??

[The Dissenter]

I've heard mostly positive things about New Albany. I think the public school situation is definitely better than Louisville's. New Albany's Achilles heel is the commute across the I-64 bridge during rush hour (while better than I-65's bridge it can still frustrate some). If you have hours that allow you to avoid the heat of rush hour, New Albany is alright.

[notthatgirl]

I can't speak for what it's like in New Albany but personally I wouldn't want to live in IN just because I'd rather avoid the rush hour traffic on the bridges and in downtown. Of course, as Alanboy said, if your schedule allows you to miss rush hour, it wouldn't be as bad.

I'm not sure whether you are looking to rent or buy, but here are a few sites to check out for rentals. I would advise you to rent before you buy, especially since you aren't from the area. That would allow you to get to know the city and the neighborhoods so you will be better able to decide where you want to purchase a home.

Louisville Home Rentals, Homes for Rent in Louisville KY, Apartments, Houses for Rent, and Rental Homes in Louisville, Kentucky
Louisville KY Home Rentals, Apartments for Rent, Homes or Houses for rent in Louisville KY | RentalHouses.com
Louisville Real Estate :: Exit Realty Crutcher

Although some of the search results will be similar, there are also some houses that are not listed on all of the rental sites, so I always checked multiple sites just to ensure that I wouldn't miss something.

louisville apts/housing for rent classifieds - craigslist

I would also recommend checking craigslist fairly often. I actually found several great rentals there that rented before I could get in and we found the rental we currently live in on craigslist. The only issue is that are a lot of scams on there. As long as you can spot the scams and avoid them, it can be great tool.

Property management businesses in Louisville are also worth checking into:
Home
Bailey Property Management
Welcome to Broadway Management - Home

To get a better grasp on the crime levels in different parts of Louisville, here's the site I used: Crime Reports - Louisville, Kentucky - Metro Mapper

If you can come out and visit, it's also a good idea to drive through neighborhoods you like and look for "For Rent" signs. There can be great homes out there that never make it to the Internet searches because they rent out to someone who saw the sign in the yard.

Good luck and I hope you find what you are looking for!

[Off Topic]

Yeah, the commute from Indiana to UL can be awful. Personally, I'd look in the Highlands if I were you.

[kytoaz]

the highlands would be my first choice along with maybe crescent hill. really depends on what you're looking for. there are many safe areas for families in louisville. if you are interested in walkability, restaurants and cool, open minded people then the highlands is hard to beat. if you are more interested in a suburban neighborhood feel there are also several great options.

i graduated from new albany high school and personally i wouldn't live there again if it were free. nothing to do in that town. not even a movie theatre. i think they are trying to breathe some life into downtown, but it really is off the beaten path. i would definately stay on the kentucky side of the river, but again, just one opinion. good luck.

[rbcca19]

Do you know what pricing in like in The Highlands? I've looked up the area and it seems very cool with a lot of shops and things to do.

[Peter1948]

Originally Posted by rbcca19

Do you know what pricing in like in The Highlands? I've looked up the area and it seems very cool with a lot of shops and things to do.

expensive