Louisville? Think again (California: homes, camp, taxes)

[KY_Transplant]

Originally Posted by Geneyus

This is a pretty timely conversation. I've visited Louisville a few times in recent years, and I thought it was a decent place. This year has changed my mind. I'd stay far away.

Once everyone gets done trashing and suing LMPD, and all the good officers quit for better opportunities, I'm sure things will only get better.

It is sad to see what has happened to a great, little city on the rise. Louisville's reputation was starting to improve but after the riots has diminished significantly.

[GraniteStater]

Originally Posted by KY_Transplant

It is sad to see what has happened to a great, little city on the rise. Louisville's reputation was starting to improve but after the riots has diminished significantly.

Or just write 2020 off as a total loss/anomaly and 2021 can only see things improve.

[censusdata]

One thing to note is Louisville always had a 50/50 nice vs gritty downtown. It's never been as vibrant or clean as Nashville or Indy. Here downtown has always been OK but not great. Like Cincy or STL Louisville is a metro with multiple non downtown urban living options. So downtown will take a hit but it always a bit behind the best downtowns anyway. The big questions now are how much the news coverage effects tourism to the museum district and whether the homicide totals can come back down to well below 100, as used to be every year. Unlike Detroit or Gary in the 1960s and 70s the unrest here does not coincide with a local economic downturn. The logistics industry here is booming due to more online shopping.

[Peter1948]

Originally Posted by GraniteStater

Or just write 2020 off as a total loss/anomaly and 2021 can only see things improve.

Exactly, the entire country is struggling! I was downtown this weekend and Nulu was PACKED. Lots of new business open. Already, downtown proper is mostly unboarded, but I'd say 25% remain. If things stay calm after the election Moderator cut: no national partisan politics expect Louisville to be back to normal by next summer. Covid has destroyed nearly every downtown in the USA!

Moderator cut: no national partisan politics....

Louisville is going to be a VERY attractive option now and in the future for these transplants as not every one wants the shiny new sunbelt cities like Atlanta, Nashville, or Dallas.

Louisville feels MUCH MUCH more familiar to someone from Philly or Boston than does Nashville. The urban nodes, red brick, grit, even graffiti is all part of the feel. The architecture, food scene, and arts are all familiar, on a smaller scale, to an urbanite. Louisville was really set up to do something special and I still say is on the verge of a very big decade. I believe it is contingent on the governor investing in the city and a dynamic new mayor in 2022.


let me add this....the urbanization of New Albany, Jeff, and now starting in Clarksville, is nothing short of IMPRESSIVE. This will be a thing to watch by 2030.

[TedH71]

If you were living in Texas, you would've gotten your car tags/new tag/etc done after an inspection by a certified inspector. I have no idea whether Kentucky does this.

[eblawler]

Louisville love here. Born and raised. I've briefly lived elsewhere. I am very curious to hear genuine criticisms but bad restaurants? bad drivers?? crime? (other than protests since March) oh boy no, got the wrong place.

[Peter1948]

Originally Posted by eblawler

Louisville love here. Born and raised. I've briefly lived elsewhere. I am very curious to hear genuine criticisms but bad restaurants? bad drivers?? crime? (other than protests since March) oh boy no, got the wrong place.

welcome! Great post. Could not agree more. People love to bash on Louisville.

[ServoMiff]

Originally Posted by Peter1948

welcome! Great post. Could not agree more. People love to bash on Louisville.

Because people have actually spent significant time elsewhere. Louisville isn't awful and we've beaten this horse quite a bit - but it has some significant challenges, primarily in the economic sector. If Humana left, there would be a gaping hole in the city. There's a lack of high quality white collar jobs. Quality of specialized healthcare doctors was below par from my experience between there and Orlando, SF and Seattle.

BUT! Low cost of living if you can earn enough and keep a steady job, or now if you have a remote job from elsewhere that pays better. Friendly people for the most part, and there's lots of natural wonders within a short drive.

The opinions of people who have been born and raised in the same place (and maybe boomeranged back after a short while) are meaningless. Where the rubber meets the road is from people who have been many places (and I know you have Peter, but yours is a minority opinion from the average) and spent decent time living elsewhere.

I really love the beauty of the Pacific Northwest. I'm not loving the people out here, but the tradeoff for the beauty and great jobs and good coworkers I have now is worth the high cost-of-living, because when you make a higher income, you can actually save more of it by not playing the "keep up with the Jones'" game that most Louisvillians who actually earn a decent salary fall into. I refuse to pay $800k for a 3/2 with 2,500 sq ft, so we'll rent here instead. No big deal.

If I want the Louisville life when I am ready to retire in 10-ish years, then I'll probably look at Huntsville, Alabama instead, if we decide to stay in the country at all.

[Peter1948]

Originally Posted by ServoMiff

Because people have actually spent significant time elsewhere. Louisville isn't awful and we've beaten this horse quite a bit - but it has some significant challenges, primarily in the economic sector. If Humana left, there would be a gaping hole in the city. There's a lack of high quality white collar jobs. Quality of specialized healthcare doctors was below par from my experience between there and Orlando, SF and Seattle.

BUT! Low cost of living if you can earn enough and keep a steady job, or now if you have a remote job from elsewhere that pays better. Friendly people for the most part, and there's lots of natural wonders within a short drive.

The opinions of people who have been born and raised in the same place (and maybe boomeranged back after a short while) are meaningless. Where the rubber meets the road is from people who have been many places (and I know you have Peter, but yours is a minority opinion from the average) and spent decent time living elsewhere.

I really love the beauty of the Pacific Northwest. I'm not loving the people out here, but the tradeoff for the beauty and great jobs and good coworkers I have now is worth the high cost-of-living, because when you make a higher income, you can actually save more of it by not playing the "keep up with the Jones'" game that most Louisvillians who actually earn a decent salary fall into. I refuse to pay $800k for a 3/2 with 2,500 sq ft, so we'll rent here instead. No big deal.

If I want the Louisville life when I am ready to retire in 10-ish years, then I'll probably look at Huntsville, Alabama instead, if we decide to stay in the country at all.

I can flat guarantee I have spent more time elsewhere than you. I find it unfortunate that Louisville expatriots are its biggest critics. You are entitled to your opinion and me to mine. I have lived full time in 7 cities. I have traveled to every single one in the top 100 MSA now...some several times.

Renting is no big deal? I have gained 150,000 in equity in three years...yes in Louisville. And you already mentioned the people. Is the Pacific NW beautiful? Of course! But so is Louisville in a different way. Personally, I prefer the architecture here. And our civil unrest here is candyland compared to Portland and your Seattle country of Chaz. No thanks!

I am in the healthcare field. We lived in Chicago and Orlando and docs in both those cities misdiagnosed my wife. Even the Cleveland clinic. It took a doctor in "lil old" Crestwood Ky to figure out what she had. You know, one who didn't see my wife as a dollar sign and spent the long visits with her to figure out what she had. That people thing is big! It's no doubt there are great docs in the big cities...but Louisville is no small town as the 35th largest CSA.

Louisville has AMAZING food, little to no traffic, an easily laid out road system, everything is affordable, and people even stop to let you pull out from a parking lot. Does it have problems? Well yes, quite a few. But so does everywhere. Personally, I see no better city under 3 M, definitely not anywhere in AL (I recently considered relocation to Birmingham and spent lots of time in Huntsville).

Louisville by the way is adding AMAZING amenities rapidly in the last few years....a beautiful outlet mall on par with many we experienced in Fl, an amazing indoor food market and hall, a bustling new botanical garden which will be beautiful when complete, and a multimillion pro soccer stadium with Tier One women's pro team and likely soon to be Tier One men's club. And lot's more where that came from. Brand new urban districts are popping up everywhere...places like Paristown would be a preeminent neighborhood in Huntsville, AL....it's currently an afterthought in Louisville.

Keeping up with Jones? Come on Servo, that goes on everywhere. I live in an exclusive area and see none of that. People buy whatever they want because they can.

https://www.businessinsider.com/stat...andemic-2020-8

Ky has alot of problems but if they can get some laws right, few states may prosper more from Covid fall out. As you can see, preliminary data shows KY one of the fastest growing states when it comes to moves in the last few months.

[sheena12]

Originally Posted by eblawler

Louisville love here. Born and raised. I've briefly lived elsewhere. I am very curious to hear genuine criticisms but bad restaurants? bad drivers?? crime? (other than protests since March) oh boy no, got the wrong place.

I've visited Louisville a few times. I think it's a pretty city. I am originally from the NYC area and eat out quite a bit - or did before COVID. Every restaurant we dined at was excellent, sophisticated, with trendy foods and local color and ingredients.

People are friendly, too.

Louisville is a nice place.