so the wife and i did ironman Ky a few weeks ago and had a great time there. one of the reasons we went other than to do the race was to check out the city. my wife might have a job there in the next year or so…question for the triathletes already there?
best place to live for cycling? we can live 20 or so miles out of downtown, dont want to live near big buildings
cost of living? seeems very affordable and very comparable to where we are now (the woodlands,tx…30 miles north of houston)
access to pools?
the area that the ironman course goes seems very nice. is that the best side of town to live in?
cost of houses is a big deal on where we would live…300k range is our limit
thanks in advance!
I’m afraid that I don’t have any practical knowledge for you, but I have spent quite a bit of time there. Unfortunately, the people I stayed with were a surgeon and his wife. They live in the country (right on the course, actually), and have an incredible home. He’s a pretty avid cyclist - riding out there is wonderful… but you knew that.
I’m not a triathlete (yet…), but live in Louisville, so here goes:
Somewhere east of downtown. I believe a lot of rides start from Waterfront Park (where IMLou started) or St. Matthews. If you want to be a little further away from “big buildings,” try looking at Oldham County, which is 20-30 minutes away from downtown Louisville via I-71.
Louisville is very affordable. I don’t know the cost of living in TX, but I wouldn’t imagine it is any cheaper than in KY.
There are plenty of gyms with lap pools. If you knew what part of town you were going to be looking at, I could probably give you a good idea of how far you would be from a decent gym.
Yes. I would avoid living in the southern and western the city/county. They aren’t unsafe areas, but I would expect that those aren’t areas you’ll find yourself heading to often.
For $300,000, you’ll have no problem finding a house. Most homes seem to be in the $100-$150 per sq. ft. range.
Louisville is extremely affordable. I lived there for 2 years and if you can take ‘The Kentucky Crud’ you might like it. The ‘Crud’ is the proverbial allergy season that has no season…it’s year around. The Ohio River Valley has some of the most insane ingredients for sinus infections. I never get sick, yet I have never been as sick as I was those 2 years…ugh.
It’s absolutely BEAUTIFUL cycling terrain and the winters are not too bad, way better than I had expected. If you have a lady with you already that is a bonus…let’s just say the local ‘wildlife’ is not much to get worked up over;) I wasn’t looking since I was attached to a girl down here already, but had I been methinks it would have been a lonely world up there. I have no idea why, but I have never been around more unfit, overweight, sedentary, boozing smokers in my life…very odd experience.
I think you could make a nice life in Louisville and the city is just big enough to give you all the attractions and social activities you could need, but not so big you feel like a sardine.
There are some BAD ASS cyclists there…I mean animals. The Papa Johns Cycling team has some guys that will make you think your break pads are stuck. It’s hilly and these cats will make you better regardless of where you are now ability wise.
I’ve lived here for the majority of my life- spent some time elsewhere and always wanted to return adn did so 10 years ago. I love it here. Very livable community- lots of things larger cities have w/out much of the bad. Cost of living is very reasonable. Places east of downtown are the most desirable- St. Matthews (where I live), the Highlands and Frankfort Ave/Cresent Hill area. Don’t know how much home you need but you can find something in those parts of town for under 300K. These areas are also close to some parks that are great for running and riding , as well as close to the best pool, Mary T Meagher Aquatic Center. You can easily and quickly get from these areas out to the rural areas for riding, and I dont mean the IMlou course- there are much better routes to ride than that. For a city it’s size, L’ville has a lot of awesome locally owned restrauants. You’ll love it here.
there, I’ve done my part for the Chamber of Commerce
Personally, I would live in the Highlands, Crescent Hill (where we live) or St. Matthews. All have easy access to the better parks, and you can in about 20-25 mins ride be outside the city and into the areas like the bike course. I hardly ever ride anymore, but my Masters team swims at a pool less than a mile from our house, it is a 15 minute or less run from my door to Seneca/Cherokee parks, which have good road and trail running/mountain biking. And we can walk to bars/restaurants/shops/wine & beer store.
Feel free to PM me for more. $300K could easily be within the price range.
so the wife and i did ironman Ky a few weeks ago and had a great time there. one of the reasons we went other than to do the race was to check out the city. my wife might have a job there in the next year or so…question for the triathletes already there?
best place to live for cycling? we can live 20 or so miles out of downtown, dont want to live near big buildings
cost of living? seeems very affordable and very comparable to where we are now (the woodlands,tx…30 miles north of houston)
access to pools?
the area that the ironman course goes seems very nice. is that the best side of town to live in?
cost of houses is a big deal on where we would live…300k range is our limit
thanks in advance!
jethro
oldham county is really good for rolling hills and good rides. we have a lot of rides that start from bluegrass bicycle in crestwood
cost of living is very affordable. i moved here from D.C./NoVA area and things were noticeably cheaper.
plenty of pools. oldham county has an outdoor aquatic center that is very nice in the summer, along with a very nice Y with lap pool. tom sawyer park also has an indoor pool i believe. but plenty of pools around the city.
majority of the ironman bike course is in oldham county, north of I-71. oldham county is a bedroom community of louisville, has excellent schools(many people move to OC for the public schools), low traffic/crime and plenty of available land. downtown is an easy 25 minute drive, and if you need to hit cinci its 60 to 75 minutes north. easy access to SDF airport (35 minutes) and CVG airport (60 minutes) if you travel a lot.
you can buy a fantastic home in oldham county, with an acre or 2 of land for 300k, and in fact get a deal right now. if you need a realtor, let me know and ill give you contact info for a great agent that knows OC very well.
The best cycling roads are in the southeast areas of Louisville (Jefferson County). Country roads that are very well maintained, not congested with traffic, and some of the longest, steepest hills in the area. Fantastic training roads. To bad the Ironman course does not utilize these roads. And for what it is worth, unless you like crowded, older houses, stay away from the Highlands & St. Matthews areas. There are plenty of new subdivisions in the suburbs to choose from as well, most with houses in the $150 to $300,000 range. And there is nothing wrong at all with the southern suburbs! Plenty of swimming options as well. Numerous YMCA branches and other well maintained health clubs. Btw, the best bike shop in Louisville is Bicycle Sport!
thanks for all the info. guys…our move prob wont be for a few years, but it could happen anytime…being close to the airport would be good, wife will be working out there(when i say close i mean 20 miles or so)…it seems that any area east of the city is best.def seems like a pretty area. where we live north of houston, our community is nice, actually has tree’s. houston in general though is one of the ugliest cities ive ever seen. you go down the interstate and its nothing but strip malls and there are no seasons here… any of y’all know any personal trainer’s in and around louisville?
You got some good advice in this thread. To help you think about the city you want to live east of I65 and probably north of I64. The farther you move out (I264, then I265) the more $$$ you’re looking at.
If it were me I’d buy a house in the Highlands. $300K will get you a pretty nice house and it’s an incredible place to life between the shopping, eating and living close to Cherokee/Seneca parks.
Nancy McElwain would be a great coach. Google her name.
I absolutely love living here in Louisville. I live in Crescent Hill and it is under a mile for me to Seneca Park, Cherokee Park and Mary T. Maegher. I agree with the others on the general places to live: Highlands, Crescent hill, St. Matthews. Oldham county may be a nice option for you, there school system is generally considered better than Jefferson Co., if that is of importance.
1 - Anywhere around seneca or cherokee park
2 - low
3 - Mary T. is the best training pool although it can be crowded
4 - Oldham county is very nice (the area around the turnaround)
5 - There are certain areas where $300k won’t get you a great amount - some areas of the Highlands & St. Matthews & Anchorage are quite pricey.
Depending on the size of your family, Anchorage may be a great option. It’s expensive but very beautiful and you can easily access Oldham County on good roads via bike. Anchorage schools are outstanding.
I have no idea why, but I have never been around more unfit, overweight, sedentary, boozing smokers in my life…very odd experience.
Lets see … it’s a city whose economy grew up on hard liquor, tobacco and horse racing and where there’s a White Castle (home of SLIDERS!) on almost every corner. Gee … I wonder how it got that way.
