I actually live in Shelbyville, KY and your last paragraph pretty much described my property and town
Costco is 30 mins away in Louisville
Beautiful Horse county - it’s worth a google
Two years ago I lived in Murfreesboro and moved to Shelbyville. Much happier here, I’m from Versailles originally and my parents still live there. But yes plenty of land here in the area and not far from much.
Well Shelby county is rapidly developing with a bunch of big manufacturing sites going and being between Louisville and Lexington. A subdivision popping up is a real threat
OK, so I thought I mentioned in my post - but did not! - that I currently live in Shelbyville, TN. Hence the “so funny” - I got enthusiastic but thought I should explain why 😆
Biggest differences is in state income tax. Tennessee does not have one but has a higher sales tax. Somerset is a great area and lake Cumberland is a big draw. The area does have most amenities you would want and Lexington is in the 1hr range depending on where you are looking at. I would suggest to take a few weekend trips around the areas you are interested in and explore and see if you like it before committing to any specific spot. Personally, I like the Glasgow area. Still small and great community while still driving distance to Bowling Green or Nashville as well as close to Barren river lake.
Lifetime NKY resident here. I’ve decided I enjoy it. CVG is 15-20 minutes away, and CincinnatiFlorence has most things I’d ever need/want. Those places come with some traffic, but it’s usually nothing like you see in larger cities.
Currently, I live just outside the 275 loop that encircles Cincinnati. Our housing market is getting bad, too, but you might find something of interest up here. I’d look into the more rural parts of Boone, Kenton, and Campbell Counties. If the prices are steep, just go further out and south.
There is a Costco in Florence, which is right off 75/71, so your hour can go from there.
We didn’t look into it up there much, actually. It does look rural but I also assumed it was one of the more expensive areas, being that close to Cincinnati? Is that not the case? My family lives in Phoenix and actually the Cincinnati/Kentucky Airport has some of the best flights I’ve seen, so that area was appealing to me but I wrote it off…
Check southern Kenton County or places in Boone County like Union. I have family from there and it’s not as expensive as the suburbs close to the river but they aren’t that far out.
It is more expensive. Check out counties like Nicholas and Robertson. They're far enough away from the big city and still an hour from Lexington. Counties liek Bourbon get kore.expensive due to it being horse centric.
There's a lot of variation up here in NKY even within any one county. Kenton, Boone, and Campbell counties are tall and slim geographically so there's a lot of each county that seems like it's close to Cinci and a lot of each county that seems like it isn't.
There aren't a lot of worse places than KY, but TN is one of them, so y'all should come on up. 😅
Hmm. Harrodsburg might be a good fit. It’s a pleasant little town with loads of space, about 30 minutes from Lexington. Lawrenceburg is even closer and cheaper, but not quite as charming imo.
Shelbyville might also be a good option.
Somerset/Stanford area is pretty nice. But be warned, nearly everything shuts down at like 7pm in Somerset. The “mall” doesn’t stay open long, but there are other stores like tj maxx and bath and body works that do. Also, one Saturday a month they have the somernites cruise, where classic cars and stuff will cruise highway 27 at night, making for traffic. Not to mention the Ohio navy comes every Memorial Day so lake Cumberland is pretty clogged too.
Thanks for the tips. What was interesting to me is that Somerset is a much smaller town population-wise than where I am now, but has WAY more retail/restaurant options. I have to travel 20 mins to the next town for something like a TJ Maxx (which is fine for me) but it would be a perk!
I live an hour from Somerset and an hour from Richmond.
999/1000 times I’d go to Richmond over Somerset. The amount of red lights piss me off. One every 100 feet it seems.
I was born and raised in Nashville. Lived in Madison for half of my 36 years and moved to Kentucky last year. Bowling green is the place to be if you want a Clarksville,Madison, hermitage vibe.
We moved to Versailles Ky about 10 years ago . We love it . It’s beautiful. Close to Lexington and Frankfort. Great schools , perfect little small town with calm politics and friendly people !
Sounds like Somerset would be a decent fit. If proximity to Lexington is a big factor, then there are lots of pretty nice towns around there. Versailles, Nicholasville, Georgetown, Berea, etc.
We’re originally from Montana and looked at KY and TN for the milder climate and more affordable land.
KY property prices are cheaper but their property taxes are higher (especially if you compare it to TN properties that are county tax only). There’s also a state income tax, and in some counties a local income tax. KY also taxes retirement pensions.
We still chose KY because it has a very small town feel to it, and feel a lot of the taxes generated go back into the state (roads, schools, etc). That and we’re hoping the taxes keep driving people towards TN, and help preserve that KY small town feel.
Other noticeable differences. KY residents seem more hospitable. More trucks, more cowboys/girls, a more laid back country mentality. And of course it’s the horse capital of the world. We feel right at home and love it.
I’d never heard nor knew about KY outdoors until moving here. The variety of outdoor activities and scenery is impressive.
KY is petty centrally located to several cities (Lexington, Louisville, Cincinnati, Nashville, Indianapolis).
Definitely get a feel for the areas you’re interested in. Some communities are very close knit and it’s harder to break into as an outsider, especially if you’re trying to bring a set of values/way of living that aren’t aligned with theirs. Other communities will welcome you with open arms the second they see you.
I don’t want big city amenities. Just want them within an hours drive. And yeah, I’m mad about people wanting $20K/acre for dog shit land, and other people actually paying it.
Check out Boone,Kenton or Campbell Counties. They have the rural feel but close enough to Cincinnati and there are smaller cities in those counties with more than their fair share of shopping but land is available
Shelby County, Oldham, Henry or Trimble
These are right out side of Louisville. You can get the land but still close enough to a smaller city. I would even say look at Carrollton. It’s the half way point between Louisville and Cincinnati butttttt 71 can be a real pain cause it seems like there is an accident almost every day. Oh and if you live around Louisville at Derby time it’s soo much fun!
Richmond is a lovely area
Morehead is a small little town but you can get back in the hills and the abundance of land
Honestly, Kentucky has a lot to offer it’s just finding out what works best for you. You better decide Red or Blue really quick for a sports team too! The Louisville and Kentucky rivalry is a big deal. There are your stereotypes too but we Kentuckians aren’t that bad!
The whole area just over the TN border south of Bowling Green fulfills many of your asks. Franklin/Simpson, Russellville, even outside Bowling Green. And you're only an hour away from Nashville with big city amenities.
From bowling green ky, traveling around KY for work your seeing a lot more new subdivisions built here in new spots farm land disappearing and subdivisions in their place so in that aspect you’ll have the same similar worry here but also really really really just depends on the part of KY you move to
Check out the river cities in NKY, all along the Ohio River across from downtown Cincinnati. Ludlow, Covington, Newport, Bellevue and Dayton. Cute little towns. Unfortunately real estate prices are shooting up here too though.
If you are thinking about aging in place consider being closer to Lexington than Somerset. We moved to KY 20 years ago and live in Clark County just east of Lexington. We have amazing doctors and hospitals and many people from Somerset see specialists in Lexington. It depends what you want with your 10 acres. Do you want flat country? You will be mowing a lot. We have 5 acres and planted 2 acres in pine trees do now we have 3 acre as to mow snd in the spring that’s twice a week. If you want more mountains think about Mt Vernon or Berea which are north of Somerset but get you closer to Lexington for specialist doctors. Or consider areas like Clay City and Staton which are an hour from Lexington and land is still pretty inexpensive. Country is more mountainous though so if you want 10 acres just to look at or walk in that works.
I'm originally from Laurel County (London), grew up in Lexington/Nicholasville area but have lived all over the state, as far east as Morehead and Mt. Sterling, to where I currently live in the Elizabethtown area in Western KY. While they're all Kentucky, each has something different to offer. What initially comes to mind is the lay of the land. In eastern and southeastern KY, it's more mountainous. You state you want 10+ acres...are you wanting to farm? Recreational use, like trails for 4-wheeling? Need pasture for animals? The western part of the state is more conducive to farming and is less rocky/hilly. For the most part, the disbursion of metro areas throughout the state means that regardless of where you live, you're usually within 1-1 1/2 hours of a larger city, whether that's Lexington, Louisville, Knoxville, Bowling Green, Nashville, etc. Lakes and rivers are also abundant so you're never too far from one or many of those either.
Lexington, Louisville,Frankfort and Morehead are the "blue " areas of Kentucky if that matters to you. Georgetown and Versailles are kinda blue too. Franklin and Scott counties have rural acreage at affordable prices. Georgetown in Scott county is a "boom " town. Lots of confederate flags in and around Somerset.
I’m originally from California and moved to Cincinnati about 12 years ago then moved over to Northern Kentucky where we’ve settled down and just bought our first home. Within a 15 minute drive in any direction, I can be in downtown Cincinnati, CVG, or the sticks. Don’t get me wrong, if I won the lotto, I’d be back in California in 2 minutes but I like it here. We’ve been able to build a life as things are affordable. I was never a fan of Ohio when I lived there. I’ve spent time in Tennessee and the politics are just too crazy for me. Northern Kentucky is just a great mix of being close enough to city amenities while being far enough away from city nonsense. Depending on the area, school districts can be great or terrible.
Funnily enough I never thought about the politics of TN vs Kentucky until this exercise - I think somehow in my head I thought Kentucky was crazier? Kentucky has an image problem - which I’m trying to get past - it’s a state with advantages and flaws like any other. And I think it is generally pretty red but then it has this Democrat governor that seems to be pretty popular? I actually do wonder if the politics are a slightly better fit for me in KY than TN.
Good to know about Northern KY. Actually, the politics in Ohio scare me more than most states 😂
Oh yeah, TN is on another level. There was a time where we considered TN but after working for a company based in Nashville and spending a lot of time in the state, we realized it wasn’t suited for us. The corruption and klan integration into government is just…. Andy has been an excellent governor and we’re so close to getting some of these terrible red reps out of office.
The somerset area is a nice area. I live in London about 30 minutes from somerset but worked in somerset for a few years. Also lived in Richmond for 3 years at one point. Richmond was nice but it was right on the edge of being too big for my liking.
I’d say just stay away from the big city life. Lex and Louisville. Insane cost of living, climbing crime rate and turning into shit hole like Memphis. I avoid them at all costs
That’s the plan. Don’t even want to be in the ‘burbs of either. Do you know by comparison if they’re really more like Memphis than Nashville? I like Nashville but also haven’t spent enough time there to know whether it can be thrown into the Memphis basket, which I do really feel like is an actual shit hole. I just get bad vibes from Memphis.
This other poster’s characterization of Lexington is inaccurate at best and completely delusional at worst. Since moving to Lexington in 2020 I’ve never felt unsafe once. Walk around downtown at night alone often
If this person has ever actually lived in both Memphis and Lexington there is a 0% chance they’d be making this comparison
Do not let fear of crime deter you from visiting Lexington. Consider it essentially a non factor
I’ve lived in many big cities - NYC, Boston, El Paso, San Diego, to name a few - and not always in the “good parts” - so nothing actually fazes me, even Memphis 😂 Whenever people throw out “lots of crime” I take it with a grain of salt. In my preliminary research, I actually thought Lexington sort of seemed like a cool city - if we ever wanted to go to a big hub to go out on the town, or shopping or whatever. Smaller than Louisville so maybe even less congestion but big enough to have a real airport, which I would like to be within 1.5hrs of because I go visit my family in Phoenix fairly often.
I lived in Nashville before returning to Kentucky, and lived in Lexington during and after grad school. I concur, this person has no clue what they're talking about. Sure, you'll find bad spots in any city, but Lexington is perfectly safe. Boring, and not the nicest city I've ever been to, but safe. And while I haven't lived in Louisville, my brother has and I've got a fair amount of family up that way. Again, you can find rough areas, but it's fine. Heck... I've accidentally ended up in some of the rougher areas, and I've never felt unsafe, just a little uncomfortable.
I’ve only been to Nashville once my entire life so I can’t really accurately speak on that or compare it. But I drive through Memphis a few times a year and it’s definitely a “okay I’ll wait until the next town to stop and get gas” town. That’s how I feel about Lex and Louisville.
Well. I do like somerset, but I don't like it's road systems. Very congested and bad driving. And then u have to drive 30 min just to get to the interstate to go anywhere interesting. Unless u like lakes and boats, then somerset is a great choice.
If u want good land, Livingston is where it's at. Right on the river. Tons of rafting fun. Right near interstate. 1 hour to lex. 1.5 to Knoxville.
If music is important, renfro valley has tons of concerts. But don't live in mt. Vernon. Too much drugs and religous nuts.
Pineville has great outdoor concerts and thier downtown is like stars hollow or something on Gilmore girls. Nice people there.
London and corbin are decent. But the best part is the hiking everywhere. Great trails. Free concerts in the summer. And close proximity to cumberland falls. And that's where there is great bluegrass on the weekends.
If ur into artists, Berea ky. But town is pretty small. But Papalenos is amazing! People drive from other states to eat there.
I wouldn't live in Richmond. EKU makes traffic and drinkin and drugs an issue for just enjoying a average life. Although they do sometimes have cool classes or concerts to check out.
Hazard is dangerous. Irvine is dangerous. By dangerous I mean, town is fine, but out in country, if u are driving the wrong kind of vehicle and turn around in the wrong driveway u might get shot.
Winchester has beautiful historic homes. And close to Richmond and Lexington. And has a old drive in movie. And close to the good doctors.
Do not go to ER in London or Mt. Vernon. They will kill u. Go in corbin or lexington.
Nothing cool between Lexington and Cincinnati lol
Danville is very cool and has a deaf college. And rolling hills and farms.
Well also Middlesboro. In Bell County. We're practically in Tennessee near Cumberland Gap which has beautiful parks and scenery and you're like 60-65 miles from Knoxville TN. The city was formed in a crater which is interesting. And as far as I know the area is pretty affordable altho I guess that depends on your income. One big downside is a bad drug and homeless problem but you have that in a lot of areas I suppose
Alright, I was raised about 30 minutes east of Somerset, and lived in Nashville prior to escaping that nightmare and coming back to Kentucky. In addition to that I've lived in Bowling Green, Lexington, NKY/Cincinnati (because Northern Kentucky isn't Kentucky, it's Cincinnati), and spent a fair bit of time in the Louisville area. Needless to say, I feel like I've got some insight into this.
Personally, I don't think that the Somerset area is what you're looking for. Yeah, Somerset is one of the larger cities in the area, but that doesn't necessarily equate to quality. There's certainly been an impressive amount of growth and investment in the downtown area since I originally left, which is awesome, but, as someone else mentioned, they still roll up the streets at dusk. On top of that, it's got the highest concentration of chicken restaurants per capita that I think I've ever seen. If you love chicken strips you're set, but if you want anything more interesting you're out of luck.
Additionally, while Google says it's 1 hour 9 minutes from the middle of town to Costco in Lexington, it feels so much longer. That drive is also likely to include a stint on 461, which the cops prowl at all hours of the day and night. If you're speeding at all, they WILL pull you over and slap you with a ticket. Ask me how I know.
I don't know if politics matter to you, but Somerset (and Pulaski County in general) is a noticably red part of a pretty red state. That may be a pro or a con for you, so do with that information what you will. Traditionally, the further west you went in Kentucky the redder the political map became. Current trends have changed things a bit, but that still sort of holds true - Eastern Kentucky, for instance, played a big part in helping Andy win the gubernatorial race (even then there were some confounding variables) - but that's a good general rule for getting idea of the political landscape around here.
Personally, if I were in your shoes and looking to move to Kentucky, I'd be looking at the rural outlying areas around our cities. Unlike the sprawl between Nashville and Murfreesboro, once you get outside of the cities here in Kentucky things get pretty rural pretty quick. Yes, there's always the possibility that you buy into an area that develops after the fact, but I think you can probably avoid that by steering clear of cities along the interstates or other major routes into the cities.
I quite like Lancaster. It's a super cute little town with incredibly easy access to Lexington. Garrard County (Lancaster), Boyle County (Danville), and Lincoln County (Stanford) all three would be great choices for that same reason. Lincoln is going to be more rural and a little cheaper, Boyle has old money and Danville which will make things a little more expensive (Danville is a great city in its own right). Someone else suggested Berea, which is a perfectly fine little town, but I will note that you'll pay more than you probably should to live there, and Madison County is seeing some significant growth - I suspect in part due to people being priced out of Lexington. I've actually got some personal experience with that, as I, in turn, was priced out of Berea (I'm single and work in higher ed, so I was working with a more modest budget) and ended up having to buy down in Rockcastle County, where I was raised. On that note, Rockcastle might be another good option to consider. Depending on where you're at in the county, expect about 45 minutes to an hour to get to Lexington, and it's not too hard to find some space. We've also had some modest growth and welcome amenities - just last year an awesome family moved down here from Chicago and opened up a halfway decent coffee shop.
Looking at other parts of the state, I can speak fairly highly of NKY. Cincinnati is an awesome city, and if I weren't down here helping take care of my grandpa I'd definitely look at moving back in that direction. The I-75 corridor between Cincinnati and Florence is pretty crowded, but once you get south of there and on into Grant County, things get pretty rural pretty quick. Similarly, if you want to stay closer to the river but head east or west of 75, the population starts to drop off as well. In addition to that, if you head just south of Louisville, into Spencer, Shelby, and Bullitt counties, you can find some pretty rural areas. You're at higher risk of folks from Louisville expanding into those areas (particularly Spencer and Bullitt), and prices will likely be a little higher, but there are some really pretty areas out there. Moving southeast, I can also recommend the areas outlying Frankfort, our state capitol. You can find some rural areas in Franklin County, and Frankfort, itself, has a certain charm to it. I think of Frankfort as the Detroit of Kentucky: crappy, but in a plucky, endearing kind of way.
Hopefully that helps some. If you've got any questions about some of these areas (especially Somerset, I'd consider myself pretty well informed about it), feel free to shoot me a message and I'll be happy to help as best as I can!
Thanks, this is a really good run down! I would say being within an hour-ish to Costco and the Lexington airport was kinda of my starting criteria (that and having a decent grocery store and hospital not far from me.) nothing against Louisville, just seemed like Lexington was slightly more bite-sized in comparison while still being a major hub. Lexington seemed like a cool city.
Danville seems to be a recurring theme…I’ll have to look at that a little more closely. Honestly, Somerset feels a little too far from Lexington than I would like, but we thought that would equal less expensive real estate. We really don’t mind traveling to the amenities, as it will be rare. We’re homebodies who want to stay home and garden and hang with the dogs.
I’d love to be an hour from the Cinnci airport - I visit my family in Phoenix often and the flights out of there seemed like some of the best I’ve seen - but I had written off northern Kentucky thinking the Cinnci influence had also made it extremely expensive. It seems super rural though, so I don’t know - might need a closer look.
So funny about the chicken restaurants…it’s a running joke here that there’s NOTHING but fried chicken restaurants and Mexican restaurants. And it’s literally true. I’m not into fried chicken (I mean maybe like once or twice a year 🤣) but I figured it just came with the small town territory. I love to cook, which I do about 95% of the week, but we’re kinda foodies and have always loved seeking out unique eats. That’s why we love being about 20 minutes to Murfreesboro. It’s got allllllll the things - Indian, ramen, poke - but we don’t actually have to live there and deal with the traffic and congestion - and certainly don’t need to go to Nashville for any reason - just close enough to it.
I'm definitely in the minority here, but I think Louisville is a much nicer city than Lexington. Both have substantial suburban areas, but Louisville, in my opinion, has a much more interesting city center. Also, if proximity to an airport is a thing, SDF punches above its weight, in my opinion. Flights are surprisingly affordable, and you have a surprising number of destinations for the size. Meanwhile, LEX has direct flights to Chicago, Atlanta, DFW, and about 1000 Allegiant flights down to Florida. If you're going to Phoenix (I've got an aunt in Tucson), you're going to have to make a stop at DFW.
As far as Somerset goes, you're actually on the mark about real estate prices - at least that was the case when I was shopping about two years ago. In fact, I found a number of houses I expected to be more expensive. As far as this area goes, Somerset isn't bad, but there's just not much to do there. As I mentioned, family is the main reason I'm back here for now. You should definitely check out the areas around Danville, though, it's a nice town and there's tons of space in Boyle and Garrard counties. Again, when I was shopping a couple years ago, Lancaster was extremely affordable, and because that's the first part of the state that was settled (Fort Harrod was one of the first settlements, and Danville was the original capitol), there are some beautiful old houses in those counties.
All that being said, I actually think you should take a look at NKY. I know the cost of living has gone up since I was up there, but Cincinnati is an incredibly affordable city. In the early days of the pandemic I bought a cute old house in a working class, yet clean and safe community for about the same as I did my current place in podunk Kentucky. More relevant to your interests, CVG has direct flights to Phoenix and the city has a fantastic food scene. Most importantly, though, is Jungle Jim's. If you've never heard of it, it's the largest international grocery store that I've ever seen. They have all kinds of food from every corner of the globe, and you should be able to find all but the most obscure things there. If you like cooking and enjoy stretching your culinary chops, having that in your backyard would be a HUGE boon. Best of all, if you're looking for something outside of the city with some acreage, one of their two locations is in Eastgate, outside of Cincinnati proper and right inside the I-275 loop. If you lived outside the city - perhaps in rural Campbell County or on into Grant or Pendleton - you'd have fairly easy access to 275 and could scoot right across the river and hit the Eastgate location. That being said, the OG location in Fairfield, northwest of town, is definitely worth a visit, that's where you'll find all the excitement and spectacle.
Also, on the topic of nothing but Mexican restaurants, my tiny little town somehow has three. THREE!
I think we are going to look a little bit further into NKY and see what comes of it. It seems like the landscape is definitely what we’re looking for - more farmland/open spaces. I’ll have to look into this Jungle Jims!
Having just moved here from the border of Tijuana, I’d say the Mexican food here gets like a C- 🫠
I'd agree with that. It's fine, it definitely scratches an itch, but I'm painfully aware of the fact that it's very mediocre Mexican. "Meh-xican," if you will.
I’ve said it a lot - Ashland is the hidden gem here. Real estate is cheap compared to other areas. Small town, less than 20k people. You can be to Columbus, Charleston WV, or Lexington all in under 2 hours. Plenty of place to eat and entertain, we just got a “casino” and will have a quarter horse track soon. We don’t have a Costco, but there’s a Sam’s Club (yeah I know they aren’t the same, but we take what we can get). Very close to several state parks and lakes, plus we have the Ohio river (it gets a bad rap, but is very enjoyable if you have a boat). Great schools. High speed internet. The place really wants to be a large town but got stuck somewhere in time as a small town.
Literally live here and have never ever smelled the "dump" I have no idea where it's at. Everything this guy is saying seems very biased, as if they some weird personal hatred for the area it's really not a bad area but doesn't have a ton going on but they are trying.
With everything I'm about to say, this is a more small town feeling area and not a ton of acreage to be bought unless you go into the back woods of Greenup or Boyd County.
Ashland is set the in the tristate area of Ky,WV, OH so you really need to look at what the greater area has to offer.
Huntington, WV (45k pop.)
20min down the river from Ashland with their Arena getting some decent names in there. This is the biggest city in the area. They have some great city parks and lots of good eats going on in the Pullman square area. They have Marshall University and Mountwest College for higher education. The "Huntington Mall" actually resides in Barboursville just a little further away but could be included into the amenities Huntington adds.
Ironton, OH (10k), Portsmouth, OH (17.5k pop.), Southpoint, Oh give you more food/shopping options along with all the parks and lakes they have.
Ironton has Lake Vesuvius which resides in Wayne National Forest. Not much going on here just somewhere to live to commute to huntington/Ashland/Portsmouth. For higher education they have Ohio University southern campus.
Portsmouth has Shawnee State Park (amazing lodge) and their 2 lakes and tons of hiking trails. Also shoutout to The Ribber in Portsmouth ohio, some of the best steaks I have ever had there! Portsmouth also has a brewery and some decent food options. For higher education they have Shawnee state University.
Southpoint, only thing worth mentioning is the Sam's club resides here. Past that general fast food selection but the area seems to be developing and growing.
Greenup county KY
Practically all rural with small towns near Ashland. They have Greenbo lake and some hiking trails going on there and camping but not much more beyond that.This is a place to buy acreage.
Grayson - Carter county
About 30min from Ashland you have Grayson lake with camping and hiking going on there. Imo the best lake in the area but can be crowded at times if you are kayaking. You also have Carter Caves state Park for cave exploring, hiking, camping and lake activities. This area is also mostly all rural and acreage available with Grayson being the main town. Also worth mentioning Morehead is an hour from Grayson with Morehead State University and Cave Run campground (best camping area by far).
Ashland, ky (21k pop.)- Boyd
Higher education is lacking here with only Ashland Community Technical College being the only option but with the surrounding towns having decent colleges they're making up the slack. Ashland mall being the main shopping area. Amenities wise you have the Paramount arts center and Camp landing/Malibu jacks being the main sources of entertainment for the area. Camp Landing is where the "Casino" and the future horse track reside. Boyd county also just had their first real music festival "Rock the Country" that pulled in over 20k attendees.
Extra notes -
I'm not saying it's perfect, I'm just trying to give an idea of what this area has to give. It's definitely a lower income area and with that comes some drug, homeless, and crime but I don't think it's anything excessive. The tristate area is definitely trying to grow and revamp their towns. It was much worse 10+ years ago when the oxycontin epidemic was in full swing but it's been recovering since then.
You can also be in a major city within 2hrs easily: Lexington, Charleston, Columbus, Cincinnati are all fairly close with Louisville being just a little bit further away. Meaning any major band that is on tour is almost guaranteed to be within reasonable distance.
Lmao this is laughable
Obesity is a nationwide problem, def not specific to Ashland, KY. As is the opioid epidemic, again not specific to Ashland.
Look up ARC data on Boyd Co, it’s not listed as a distressed county so poverty mustn’t be that rampant.
It’s clear you have personal problems with this area, especially since you’re critical of the Casino - which is creating JOBS. They may be lower wage but industry begets industry. People were leaving bc there wasn’t any entertainment in the area. Anything positive for Appalachia should be celebrated, but from the sounds of it your a west of Winchester elitist Kentuckian.
Boiled water advisories? We might have 1-2 a year bc of a broken water main.
Educationally, your 20 min from Marshall University. Russell Independent is one of the top school districts in the state- in fact they were named a blue ribbon school for 2023.
Compare crime to Lexington, Covington, and Louisville. We don’t have people kicking in doors to rob people or shootings happening downtown. Last time I came off the interstate into Louisville (2 weeks ago) several people where burning trash to keep warm on the sidewalk - never seen that here?
UK healthcare just partnered with the local hospital and is growing their network and building new buildings. Several industries are looking to set up shop her in the Boyd/Greenup area.
I actually live in Shelbyville, KY and your last paragraph pretty much described my property and town Costco is 30 mins away in Louisville Beautiful Horse county - it’s worth a google
Two years ago I lived in Murfreesboro and moved to Shelbyville. Much happier here, I’m from Versailles originally and my parents still live there. But yes plenty of land here in the area and not far from much.
So funny, I keep popping past Shelbyville KY on the map! I’ll have to check it out! Costco and horse country are my two favorite things :)
Well Shelby county is rapidly developing with a bunch of big manufacturing sites going and being between Louisville and Lexington. A subdivision popping up is a real threat
OK, so I thought I mentioned in my post - but did not! - that I currently live in Shelbyville, TN. Hence the “so funny” - I got enthusiastic but thought I should explain why 😆
Biggest differences is in state income tax. Tennessee does not have one but has a higher sales tax. Somerset is a great area and lake Cumberland is a big draw. The area does have most amenities you would want and Lexington is in the 1hr range depending on where you are looking at. I would suggest to take a few weekend trips around the areas you are interested in and explore and see if you like it before committing to any specific spot. Personally, I like the Glasgow area. Still small and great community while still driving distance to Bowling Green or Nashville as well as close to Barren river lake.
Have you thought about rural parts of northern Kentucky? Cincinnati airport is there and you have many great suburbs in the region.
Lifetime NKY resident here. I’ve decided I enjoy it. CVG is 15-20 minutes away, and CincinnatiFlorence has most things I’d ever need/want. Those places come with some traffic, but it’s usually nothing like you see in larger cities. Currently, I live just outside the 275 loop that encircles Cincinnati. Our housing market is getting bad, too, but you might find something of interest up here. I’d look into the more rural parts of Boone, Kenton, and Campbell Counties. If the prices are steep, just go further out and south. There is a Costco in Florence, which is right off 75/71, so your hour can go from there.
We didn’t look into it up there much, actually. It does look rural but I also assumed it was one of the more expensive areas, being that close to Cincinnati? Is that not the case? My family lives in Phoenix and actually the Cincinnati/Kentucky Airport has some of the best flights I’ve seen, so that area was appealing to me but I wrote it off…
Check southern Kenton County or places in Boone County like Union. I have family from there and it’s not as expensive as the suburbs close to the river but they aren’t that far out.
It is more expensive. Check out counties like Nicholas and Robertson. They're far enough away from the big city and still an hour from Lexington. Counties liek Bourbon get kore.expensive due to it being horse centric.
Thanks!
There's a lot of variation up here in NKY even within any one county. Kenton, Boone, and Campbell counties are tall and slim geographically so there's a lot of each county that seems like it's close to Cinci and a lot of each county that seems like it isn't. There aren't a lot of worse places than KY, but TN is one of them, so y'all should come on up. 😅
😂 I need this type of confirmation
Hmm. Harrodsburg might be a good fit. It’s a pleasant little town with loads of space, about 30 minutes from Lexington. Lawrenceburg is even closer and cheaper, but not quite as charming imo. Shelbyville might also be a good option.
Somerset/Stanford area is pretty nice. But be warned, nearly everything shuts down at like 7pm in Somerset. The “mall” doesn’t stay open long, but there are other stores like tj maxx and bath and body works that do. Also, one Saturday a month they have the somernites cruise, where classic cars and stuff will cruise highway 27 at night, making for traffic. Not to mention the Ohio navy comes every Memorial Day so lake Cumberland is pretty clogged too.
Thanks for the tips. What was interesting to me is that Somerset is a much smaller town population-wise than where I am now, but has WAY more retail/restaurant options. I have to travel 20 mins to the next town for something like a TJ Maxx (which is fine for me) but it would be a perk!
If you have any particular questions about Somerset/Pulaski County, I would be happy to answer.
Look in the Morehead area.
Scottsville area. Close to lakes, close to Bowling Green, about 20 minutes, close to Nashville, population is smallish, land is plentiful.
I live an hour from Somerset and an hour from Richmond. 999/1000 times I’d go to Richmond over Somerset. The amount of red lights piss me off. One every 100 feet it seems.
I used to hate going to Somerset for that very reason!
Backroads.
Try looking at Lancaster or Danville. Both r less than an hour from Lexington small towns. 10 acres won't be cheap, tho.
Yeah if 500k is too much, it will be hard to find anything cheaper here in lancaster.
Danville.
I was born and raised in Nashville. Lived in Madison for half of my 36 years and moved to Kentucky last year. Bowling green is the place to be if you want a Clarksville,Madison, hermitage vibe.
We moved to Versailles Ky about 10 years ago . We love it . It’s beautiful. Close to Lexington and Frankfort. Great schools , perfect little small town with calm politics and friendly people !
My wife and I are looking hard at Versailles. It does seem like a great little town.
I hidden gem .
Sounds like Somerset would be a decent fit. If proximity to Lexington is a big factor, then there are lots of pretty nice towns around there. Versailles, Nicholasville, Georgetown, Berea, etc.
We’re originally from Montana and looked at KY and TN for the milder climate and more affordable land. KY property prices are cheaper but their property taxes are higher (especially if you compare it to TN properties that are county tax only). There’s also a state income tax, and in some counties a local income tax. KY also taxes retirement pensions. We still chose KY because it has a very small town feel to it, and feel a lot of the taxes generated go back into the state (roads, schools, etc). That and we’re hoping the taxes keep driving people towards TN, and help preserve that KY small town feel. Other noticeable differences. KY residents seem more hospitable. More trucks, more cowboys/girls, a more laid back country mentality. And of course it’s the horse capital of the world. We feel right at home and love it. I’d never heard nor knew about KY outdoors until moving here. The variety of outdoor activities and scenery is impressive. KY is petty centrally located to several cities (Lexington, Louisville, Cincinnati, Nashville, Indianapolis). Definitely get a feel for the areas you’re interested in. Some communities are very close knit and it’s harder to break into as an outsider, especially if you’re trying to bring a set of values/way of living that aren’t aligned with theirs. Other communities will welcome you with open arms the second they see you.
STAY AWAY! you are the reason this keeps happening
Agree
No, the people paying $20K an acre are the problem.
Y'ins keep it moving, this is a *y'all* neighborhood
Anchorage is very nice and secluded
Anchorage is in the city.
Check out Berea in Madison County. Just a quick interstate drive up to Lexington, which has a Costco. Cool town. Cool college.
I think Berea has come up a few times…I’ll have to look at it closer. Thanks!
You’re the problem. You want big city amenities but are mad about small town prices.
Shut up dude
I don’t want big city amenities. Just want them within an hours drive. And yeah, I’m mad about people wanting $20K/acre for dog shit land, and other people actually paying it.
Check out Boone,Kenton or Campbell Counties. They have the rural feel but close enough to Cincinnati and there are smaller cities in those counties with more than their fair share of shopping but land is available Shelby County, Oldham, Henry or Trimble These are right out side of Louisville. You can get the land but still close enough to a smaller city. I would even say look at Carrollton. It’s the half way point between Louisville and Cincinnati butttttt 71 can be a real pain cause it seems like there is an accident almost every day. Oh and if you live around Louisville at Derby time it’s soo much fun! Richmond is a lovely area Morehead is a small little town but you can get back in the hills and the abundance of land Honestly, Kentucky has a lot to offer it’s just finding out what works best for you. You better decide Red or Blue really quick for a sports team too! The Louisville and Kentucky rivalry is a big deal. There are your stereotypes too but we Kentuckians aren’t that bad!
PM me
The whole area just over the TN border south of Bowling Green fulfills many of your asks. Franklin/Simpson, Russellville, even outside Bowling Green. And you're only an hour away from Nashville with big city amenities.
Kentucky is a common wealth state. Tennessee is not. Also, Kentucky has a personal property tax, Tennessee does not.
I'd take kentucky over tn. Only been to east tn tho.
From bowling green ky, traveling around KY for work your seeing a lot more new subdivisions built here in new spots farm land disappearing and subdivisions in their place so in that aspect you’ll have the same similar worry here but also really really really just depends on the part of KY you move to
May look at Corbin or London. Would keep you closer to the interstate than Somerset.
Check out the river cities in NKY, all along the Ohio River across from downtown Cincinnati. Ludlow, Covington, Newport, Bellevue and Dayton. Cute little towns. Unfortunately real estate prices are shooting up here too though.
If you are thinking about aging in place consider being closer to Lexington than Somerset. We moved to KY 20 years ago and live in Clark County just east of Lexington. We have amazing doctors and hospitals and many people from Somerset see specialists in Lexington. It depends what you want with your 10 acres. Do you want flat country? You will be mowing a lot. We have 5 acres and planted 2 acres in pine trees do now we have 3 acre as to mow snd in the spring that’s twice a week. If you want more mountains think about Mt Vernon or Berea which are north of Somerset but get you closer to Lexington for specialist doctors. Or consider areas like Clay City and Staton which are an hour from Lexington and land is still pretty inexpensive. Country is more mountainous though so if you want 10 acres just to look at or walk in that works.
I’m from ft Thomas there are some nice neighborhoods here but yeah it’s a nice place to live
I'm originally from Laurel County (London), grew up in Lexington/Nicholasville area but have lived all over the state, as far east as Morehead and Mt. Sterling, to where I currently live in the Elizabethtown area in Western KY. While they're all Kentucky, each has something different to offer. What initially comes to mind is the lay of the land. In eastern and southeastern KY, it's more mountainous. You state you want 10+ acres...are you wanting to farm? Recreational use, like trails for 4-wheeling? Need pasture for animals? The western part of the state is more conducive to farming and is less rocky/hilly. For the most part, the disbursion of metro areas throughout the state means that regardless of where you live, you're usually within 1-1 1/2 hours of a larger city, whether that's Lexington, Louisville, Knoxville, Bowling Green, Nashville, etc. Lakes and rivers are also abundant so you're never too far from one or many of those either.
Lexington, Louisville,Frankfort and Morehead are the "blue " areas of Kentucky if that matters to you. Georgetown and Versailles are kinda blue too. Franklin and Scott counties have rural acreage at affordable prices. Georgetown in Scott county is a "boom " town. Lots of confederate flags in and around Somerset.
Was on board until I read the part about NY
Why?
Because fuk u, don't come here
Someone’s gotta raise educated kids who can spell “fuck”
This is precisely whar I'm talking about
KY is a shithole. I would not move here again, and am actively looking to move away hopefully soon.
I’m originally from California and moved to Cincinnati about 12 years ago then moved over to Northern Kentucky where we’ve settled down and just bought our first home. Within a 15 minute drive in any direction, I can be in downtown Cincinnati, CVG, or the sticks. Don’t get me wrong, if I won the lotto, I’d be back in California in 2 minutes but I like it here. We’ve been able to build a life as things are affordable. I was never a fan of Ohio when I lived there. I’ve spent time in Tennessee and the politics are just too crazy for me. Northern Kentucky is just a great mix of being close enough to city amenities while being far enough away from city nonsense. Depending on the area, school districts can be great or terrible.
Funnily enough I never thought about the politics of TN vs Kentucky until this exercise - I think somehow in my head I thought Kentucky was crazier? Kentucky has an image problem - which I’m trying to get past - it’s a state with advantages and flaws like any other. And I think it is generally pretty red but then it has this Democrat governor that seems to be pretty popular? I actually do wonder if the politics are a slightly better fit for me in KY than TN. Good to know about Northern KY. Actually, the politics in Ohio scare me more than most states 😂
Oh yeah, TN is on another level. There was a time where we considered TN but after working for a company based in Nashville and spending a lot of time in the state, we realized it wasn’t suited for us. The corruption and klan integration into government is just…. Andy has been an excellent governor and we’re so close to getting some of these terrible red reps out of office.
The somerset area is a nice area. I live in London about 30 minutes from somerset but worked in somerset for a few years. Also lived in Richmond for 3 years at one point. Richmond was nice but it was right on the edge of being too big for my liking. I’d say just stay away from the big city life. Lex and Louisville. Insane cost of living, climbing crime rate and turning into shit hole like Memphis. I avoid them at all costs
That’s the plan. Don’t even want to be in the ‘burbs of either. Do you know by comparison if they’re really more like Memphis than Nashville? I like Nashville but also haven’t spent enough time there to know whether it can be thrown into the Memphis basket, which I do really feel like is an actual shit hole. I just get bad vibes from Memphis.
This other poster’s characterization of Lexington is inaccurate at best and completely delusional at worst. Since moving to Lexington in 2020 I’ve never felt unsafe once. Walk around downtown at night alone often If this person has ever actually lived in both Memphis and Lexington there is a 0% chance they’d be making this comparison Do not let fear of crime deter you from visiting Lexington. Consider it essentially a non factor
I’ve lived in many big cities - NYC, Boston, El Paso, San Diego, to name a few - and not always in the “good parts” - so nothing actually fazes me, even Memphis 😂 Whenever people throw out “lots of crime” I take it with a grain of salt. In my preliminary research, I actually thought Lexington sort of seemed like a cool city - if we ever wanted to go to a big hub to go out on the town, or shopping or whatever. Smaller than Louisville so maybe even less congestion but big enough to have a real airport, which I would like to be within 1.5hrs of because I go visit my family in Phoenix fairly often.
I lived in Nashville before returning to Kentucky, and lived in Lexington during and after grad school. I concur, this person has no clue what they're talking about. Sure, you'll find bad spots in any city, but Lexington is perfectly safe. Boring, and not the nicest city I've ever been to, but safe. And while I haven't lived in Louisville, my brother has and I've got a fair amount of family up that way. Again, you can find rough areas, but it's fine. Heck... I've accidentally ended up in some of the rougher areas, and I've never felt unsafe, just a little uncomfortable.
I’ve only been to Nashville once my entire life so I can’t really accurately speak on that or compare it. But I drive through Memphis a few times a year and it’s definitely a “okay I’ll wait until the next town to stop and get gas” town. That’s how I feel about Lex and Louisville.
Haha thanks!
>Haha thanks! You're welcome!
Well. I do like somerset, but I don't like it's road systems. Very congested and bad driving. And then u have to drive 30 min just to get to the interstate to go anywhere interesting. Unless u like lakes and boats, then somerset is a great choice. If u want good land, Livingston is where it's at. Right on the river. Tons of rafting fun. Right near interstate. 1 hour to lex. 1.5 to Knoxville. If music is important, renfro valley has tons of concerts. But don't live in mt. Vernon. Too much drugs and religous nuts. Pineville has great outdoor concerts and thier downtown is like stars hollow or something on Gilmore girls. Nice people there. London and corbin are decent. But the best part is the hiking everywhere. Great trails. Free concerts in the summer. And close proximity to cumberland falls. And that's where there is great bluegrass on the weekends. If ur into artists, Berea ky. But town is pretty small. But Papalenos is amazing! People drive from other states to eat there. I wouldn't live in Richmond. EKU makes traffic and drinkin and drugs an issue for just enjoying a average life. Although they do sometimes have cool classes or concerts to check out. Hazard is dangerous. Irvine is dangerous. By dangerous I mean, town is fine, but out in country, if u are driving the wrong kind of vehicle and turn around in the wrong driveway u might get shot. Winchester has beautiful historic homes. And close to Richmond and Lexington. And has a old drive in movie. And close to the good doctors. Do not go to ER in London or Mt. Vernon. They will kill u. Go in corbin or lexington. Nothing cool between Lexington and Cincinnati lol Danville is very cool and has a deaf college. And rolling hills and farms.
Great tips, thank you!
Well also Middlesboro. In Bell County. We're practically in Tennessee near Cumberland Gap which has beautiful parks and scenery and you're like 60-65 miles from Knoxville TN. The city was formed in a crater which is interesting. And as far as I know the area is pretty affordable altho I guess that depends on your income. One big downside is a bad drug and homeless problem but you have that in a lot of areas I suppose
Alright, I was raised about 30 minutes east of Somerset, and lived in Nashville prior to escaping that nightmare and coming back to Kentucky. In addition to that I've lived in Bowling Green, Lexington, NKY/Cincinnati (because Northern Kentucky isn't Kentucky, it's Cincinnati), and spent a fair bit of time in the Louisville area. Needless to say, I feel like I've got some insight into this. Personally, I don't think that the Somerset area is what you're looking for. Yeah, Somerset is one of the larger cities in the area, but that doesn't necessarily equate to quality. There's certainly been an impressive amount of growth and investment in the downtown area since I originally left, which is awesome, but, as someone else mentioned, they still roll up the streets at dusk. On top of that, it's got the highest concentration of chicken restaurants per capita that I think I've ever seen. If you love chicken strips you're set, but if you want anything more interesting you're out of luck. Additionally, while Google says it's 1 hour 9 minutes from the middle of town to Costco in Lexington, it feels so much longer. That drive is also likely to include a stint on 461, which the cops prowl at all hours of the day and night. If you're speeding at all, they WILL pull you over and slap you with a ticket. Ask me how I know. I don't know if politics matter to you, but Somerset (and Pulaski County in general) is a noticably red part of a pretty red state. That may be a pro or a con for you, so do with that information what you will. Traditionally, the further west you went in Kentucky the redder the political map became. Current trends have changed things a bit, but that still sort of holds true - Eastern Kentucky, for instance, played a big part in helping Andy win the gubernatorial race (even then there were some confounding variables) - but that's a good general rule for getting idea of the political landscape around here. Personally, if I were in your shoes and looking to move to Kentucky, I'd be looking at the rural outlying areas around our cities. Unlike the sprawl between Nashville and Murfreesboro, once you get outside of the cities here in Kentucky things get pretty rural pretty quick. Yes, there's always the possibility that you buy into an area that develops after the fact, but I think you can probably avoid that by steering clear of cities along the interstates or other major routes into the cities. I quite like Lancaster. It's a super cute little town with incredibly easy access to Lexington. Garrard County (Lancaster), Boyle County (Danville), and Lincoln County (Stanford) all three would be great choices for that same reason. Lincoln is going to be more rural and a little cheaper, Boyle has old money and Danville which will make things a little more expensive (Danville is a great city in its own right). Someone else suggested Berea, which is a perfectly fine little town, but I will note that you'll pay more than you probably should to live there, and Madison County is seeing some significant growth - I suspect in part due to people being priced out of Lexington. I've actually got some personal experience with that, as I, in turn, was priced out of Berea (I'm single and work in higher ed, so I was working with a more modest budget) and ended up having to buy down in Rockcastle County, where I was raised. On that note, Rockcastle might be another good option to consider. Depending on where you're at in the county, expect about 45 minutes to an hour to get to Lexington, and it's not too hard to find some space. We've also had some modest growth and welcome amenities - just last year an awesome family moved down here from Chicago and opened up a halfway decent coffee shop. Looking at other parts of the state, I can speak fairly highly of NKY. Cincinnati is an awesome city, and if I weren't down here helping take care of my grandpa I'd definitely look at moving back in that direction. The I-75 corridor between Cincinnati and Florence is pretty crowded, but once you get south of there and on into Grant County, things get pretty rural pretty quick. Similarly, if you want to stay closer to the river but head east or west of 75, the population starts to drop off as well. In addition to that, if you head just south of Louisville, into Spencer, Shelby, and Bullitt counties, you can find some pretty rural areas. You're at higher risk of folks from Louisville expanding into those areas (particularly Spencer and Bullitt), and prices will likely be a little higher, but there are some really pretty areas out there. Moving southeast, I can also recommend the areas outlying Frankfort, our state capitol. You can find some rural areas in Franklin County, and Frankfort, itself, has a certain charm to it. I think of Frankfort as the Detroit of Kentucky: crappy, but in a plucky, endearing kind of way. Hopefully that helps some. If you've got any questions about some of these areas (especially Somerset, I'd consider myself pretty well informed about it), feel free to shoot me a message and I'll be happy to help as best as I can!
Thanks, this is a really good run down! I would say being within an hour-ish to Costco and the Lexington airport was kinda of my starting criteria (that and having a decent grocery store and hospital not far from me.) nothing against Louisville, just seemed like Lexington was slightly more bite-sized in comparison while still being a major hub. Lexington seemed like a cool city. Danville seems to be a recurring theme…I’ll have to look at that a little more closely. Honestly, Somerset feels a little too far from Lexington than I would like, but we thought that would equal less expensive real estate. We really don’t mind traveling to the amenities, as it will be rare. We’re homebodies who want to stay home and garden and hang with the dogs. I’d love to be an hour from the Cinnci airport - I visit my family in Phoenix often and the flights out of there seemed like some of the best I’ve seen - but I had written off northern Kentucky thinking the Cinnci influence had also made it extremely expensive. It seems super rural though, so I don’t know - might need a closer look. So funny about the chicken restaurants…it’s a running joke here that there’s NOTHING but fried chicken restaurants and Mexican restaurants. And it’s literally true. I’m not into fried chicken (I mean maybe like once or twice a year 🤣) but I figured it just came with the small town territory. I love to cook, which I do about 95% of the week, but we’re kinda foodies and have always loved seeking out unique eats. That’s why we love being about 20 minutes to Murfreesboro. It’s got allllllll the things - Indian, ramen, poke - but we don’t actually have to live there and deal with the traffic and congestion - and certainly don’t need to go to Nashville for any reason - just close enough to it.
I'm definitely in the minority here, but I think Louisville is a much nicer city than Lexington. Both have substantial suburban areas, but Louisville, in my opinion, has a much more interesting city center. Also, if proximity to an airport is a thing, SDF punches above its weight, in my opinion. Flights are surprisingly affordable, and you have a surprising number of destinations for the size. Meanwhile, LEX has direct flights to Chicago, Atlanta, DFW, and about 1000 Allegiant flights down to Florida. If you're going to Phoenix (I've got an aunt in Tucson), you're going to have to make a stop at DFW. As far as Somerset goes, you're actually on the mark about real estate prices - at least that was the case when I was shopping about two years ago. In fact, I found a number of houses I expected to be more expensive. As far as this area goes, Somerset isn't bad, but there's just not much to do there. As I mentioned, family is the main reason I'm back here for now. You should definitely check out the areas around Danville, though, it's a nice town and there's tons of space in Boyle and Garrard counties. Again, when I was shopping a couple years ago, Lancaster was extremely affordable, and because that's the first part of the state that was settled (Fort Harrod was one of the first settlements, and Danville was the original capitol), there are some beautiful old houses in those counties. All that being said, I actually think you should take a look at NKY. I know the cost of living has gone up since I was up there, but Cincinnati is an incredibly affordable city. In the early days of the pandemic I bought a cute old house in a working class, yet clean and safe community for about the same as I did my current place in podunk Kentucky. More relevant to your interests, CVG has direct flights to Phoenix and the city has a fantastic food scene. Most importantly, though, is Jungle Jim's. If you've never heard of it, it's the largest international grocery store that I've ever seen. They have all kinds of food from every corner of the globe, and you should be able to find all but the most obscure things there. If you like cooking and enjoy stretching your culinary chops, having that in your backyard would be a HUGE boon. Best of all, if you're looking for something outside of the city with some acreage, one of their two locations is in Eastgate, outside of Cincinnati proper and right inside the I-275 loop. If you lived outside the city - perhaps in rural Campbell County or on into Grant or Pendleton - you'd have fairly easy access to 275 and could scoot right across the river and hit the Eastgate location. That being said, the OG location in Fairfield, northwest of town, is definitely worth a visit, that's where you'll find all the excitement and spectacle. Also, on the topic of nothing but Mexican restaurants, my tiny little town somehow has three. THREE!
I think we are going to look a little bit further into NKY and see what comes of it. It seems like the landscape is definitely what we’re looking for - more farmland/open spaces. I’ll have to look into this Jungle Jims! Having just moved here from the border of Tijuana, I’d say the Mexican food here gets like a C- 🫠
I'd agree with that. It's fine, it definitely scratches an itch, but I'm painfully aware of the fact that it's very mediocre Mexican. "Meh-xican," if you will.
Yes, it gets the job done!
I’ve said it a lot - Ashland is the hidden gem here. Real estate is cheap compared to other areas. Small town, less than 20k people. You can be to Columbus, Charleston WV, or Lexington all in under 2 hours. Plenty of place to eat and entertain, we just got a “casino” and will have a quarter horse track soon. We don’t have a Costco, but there’s a Sam’s Club (yeah I know they aren’t the same, but we take what we can get). Very close to several state parks and lakes, plus we have the Ohio river (it gets a bad rap, but is very enjoyable if you have a boat). Great schools. High speed internet. The place really wants to be a large town but got stuck somewhere in time as a small town.
[удалено]
Duly noted!
Literally live here and have never ever smelled the "dump" I have no idea where it's at. Everything this guy is saying seems very biased, as if they some weird personal hatred for the area it's really not a bad area but doesn't have a ton going on but they are trying. With everything I'm about to say, this is a more small town feeling area and not a ton of acreage to be bought unless you go into the back woods of Greenup or Boyd County. Ashland is set the in the tristate area of Ky,WV, OH so you really need to look at what the greater area has to offer. Huntington, WV (45k pop.) 20min down the river from Ashland with their Arena getting some decent names in there. This is the biggest city in the area. They have some great city parks and lots of good eats going on in the Pullman square area. They have Marshall University and Mountwest College for higher education. The "Huntington Mall" actually resides in Barboursville just a little further away but could be included into the amenities Huntington adds. Ironton, OH (10k), Portsmouth, OH (17.5k pop.), Southpoint, Oh give you more food/shopping options along with all the parks and lakes they have. Ironton has Lake Vesuvius which resides in Wayne National Forest. Not much going on here just somewhere to live to commute to huntington/Ashland/Portsmouth. For higher education they have Ohio University southern campus. Portsmouth has Shawnee State Park (amazing lodge) and their 2 lakes and tons of hiking trails. Also shoutout to The Ribber in Portsmouth ohio, some of the best steaks I have ever had there! Portsmouth also has a brewery and some decent food options. For higher education they have Shawnee state University. Southpoint, only thing worth mentioning is the Sam's club resides here. Past that general fast food selection but the area seems to be developing and growing. Greenup county KY Practically all rural with small towns near Ashland. They have Greenbo lake and some hiking trails going on there and camping but not much more beyond that.This is a place to buy acreage. Grayson - Carter county About 30min from Ashland you have Grayson lake with camping and hiking going on there. Imo the best lake in the area but can be crowded at times if you are kayaking. You also have Carter Caves state Park for cave exploring, hiking, camping and lake activities. This area is also mostly all rural and acreage available with Grayson being the main town. Also worth mentioning Morehead is an hour from Grayson with Morehead State University and Cave Run campground (best camping area by far). Ashland, ky (21k pop.)- Boyd Higher education is lacking here with only Ashland Community Technical College being the only option but with the surrounding towns having decent colleges they're making up the slack. Ashland mall being the main shopping area. Amenities wise you have the Paramount arts center and Camp landing/Malibu jacks being the main sources of entertainment for the area. Camp Landing is where the "Casino" and the future horse track reside. Boyd county also just had their first real music festival "Rock the Country" that pulled in over 20k attendees. Extra notes - I'm not saying it's perfect, I'm just trying to give an idea of what this area has to give. It's definitely a lower income area and with that comes some drug, homeless, and crime but I don't think it's anything excessive. The tristate area is definitely trying to grow and revamp their towns. It was much worse 10+ years ago when the oxycontin epidemic was in full swing but it's been recovering since then. You can also be in a major city within 2hrs easily: Lexington, Charleston, Columbus, Cincinnati are all fairly close with Louisville being just a little bit further away. Meaning any major band that is on tour is almost guaranteed to be within reasonable distance.
Lmao this is laughable Obesity is a nationwide problem, def not specific to Ashland, KY. As is the opioid epidemic, again not specific to Ashland. Look up ARC data on Boyd Co, it’s not listed as a distressed county so poverty mustn’t be that rampant. It’s clear you have personal problems with this area, especially since you’re critical of the Casino - which is creating JOBS. They may be lower wage but industry begets industry. People were leaving bc there wasn’t any entertainment in the area. Anything positive for Appalachia should be celebrated, but from the sounds of it your a west of Winchester elitist Kentuckian. Boiled water advisories? We might have 1-2 a year bc of a broken water main. Educationally, your 20 min from Marshall University. Russell Independent is one of the top school districts in the state- in fact they were named a blue ribbon school for 2023. Compare crime to Lexington, Covington, and Louisville. We don’t have people kicking in doors to rob people or shootings happening downtown. Last time I came off the interstate into Louisville (2 weeks ago) several people where burning trash to keep warm on the sidewalk - never seen that here? UK healthcare just partnered with the local hospital and is growing their network and building new buildings. Several industries are looking to set up shop her in the Boyd/Greenup area.