Saturday, February 15, 2014

What's So Great About Louisville? A Whole Bunch of Stuff


I lived in Louisville for nine years and may live there again. Compared to Chicago, where I live now, Louisville has an excellent quality-of-life to cost-of-living ratio. No, it doesn't have everything Chicago has, but it's a lot cheaper. Plus, the bourbon is plentiful and winter is shorter by about four weeks.

I love Louisville.

I'm not alone. Louisville.com, a boostering web site, has compiled a list of the city's recent accomplishments. They range from being named one of CNNMoney’s 2014 breakout cities, in part for the music and food truck scenes, to being placed among the top 20 American cities with 'economic momentum,' based on GDP growth, job growth, median household income growth, and unemployment, according to NewGeography.

AARP says Louisville is one of the top 10 best low-cost U.S. cities in which to retire.

The article doesn't mention how, in July and August, a thermal inversion produces high temperatures, high humidity, and pollution like Los Angeles. My doctor in Louisville called seasonal allergies "the price we pay for living in the Ohio Valley."

But now I'm just being picky.

Louisville has a lot going for it, especially among the city's younger citizens. Among the ruling elite there is still an irritating tendency to talk big but think small, as I mused about (too obliquely for some) a few days ago.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Other than being smaller, how does Lexington compare?

sam k said...

Spent time in Louisville last summer and was blown away by the beauty, diversity, and the hospitality. I'll return as soon as I get the chance!

Gary Gillman said...

I know both as a visitor and would say there is no comparison. Lexington is very spread out with a head-to-discrern centre. Lexington has more of a suburban/rural character. Louisville has a definable center, the Bardstown Road area with its interesting shops and trends, it is much more a business centre than Lexington and the distilling industry, sports scene and Kentucky Derby activities, combined with a reasonably diverse economy, make it an important regional centre, the Chicago of its region. Lexington, and I know people who live there, is a pleasant, active metropolis but comparing the two is apples and oranges, IMO.

Gary

Anonymous said...

Gary, thank you for the response.