Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Thank you for your replies.
Mr In Between, we have no problem with a mixture of people with different backgrounds and views. However, as a conservative family I feel it is possible that we would have trouble fitting in a very liberal community (which I understand you're saying is not the case here). We have family in the Morehead, KY area and have just come to love the state. Coming from flat SC, we are looking for mountain views and changing topography. Also, KY is a big step up as far as crime rating compared to SC.
Then you should have no problem at all, politically. Most liberals in Kentucky just live and let live; you're not going to see any of those stories about people getting punched for wearing a Trump hat here, I guarantee it. You just don't see that kind of open hostility between political opposites here. As long as you don't mind being around them, nobody here is ever going to notice one more Trump hat - or care about it. I spend a lot of time in Berea, and mostly hang with liberals, so I can absolutely assure you, there is no undercurrent of resentment or nastiness here. I'd have picked up on it if were there, because other liberals would have confided in me as one of their own. It's liberal compared to the rest of Kentucky but you'll never have to worry about forgetting that it's Kentucky.
Funny you mention Morehead - that wasn't on your list, so I didn't mention it, but if you like Morehead, you'll love Berea. I have a lot of good friends who live "uphill" in the mountains to the east of Morehead, and have to go through there on my way up and back. Great little town, but I would still pick Berea, hands down. The only reason I moved here was to get married, and my wife happened to live in Danville. I've never, ever liked it. Berea is one of about 5 towns in this state that every time we go there, I tell my wife "Why couldn't you have lived here instead of Danville?" It's just a great, great little town. I can't say enough great things about it. I'm speaking as someone who does NOT want to be living in Kentucky, but if I love it this much... well, that should tell you something.
Plus, Morehead is twice as far from Lexington, so it didn't make your list on that criteria.
Quote:
Originally Posted by kydc
Does the actual Berea area fit all criteria? Or would we need to be farther out in Madison Co or even a surrounding county? We do need to keep land costs low as we are looking for a larger piece on a smaller budget. Estill or Powell Co?
I don't know enough about the surrounding counties to have an opinion on land prices or availability; when I go there, it's strictly as a tourist, and I don't have an eye peeled for that. But I [i]can[/i say that the Berea area absolutely ticks off every box you listed.
We own property in the Louisville area, and in Mercer County (near Danville), and I imagine it works the same way in the Berea area - there's a wide range of options available, with a wide range of prices, and no matter what you're looking for, you'll find someone who can sell it to you. If you can, I'd suggest coming here and renting for a while so you can get to know the area and make friends. As you get to know people, there'll always be someone who knows someone whose brother is thinking of selling the farm, or whatever. Keep in mind, too, that the economy is bad in that area. That drives prices down, and also helps fuel a steady flow of owners looking to sell their property and try their luck somewhere else. I'm not suggesting that people should take advantage of those folks, but it is what it is. It's a buyer's market, for the most part.
And if your guy is a carpenter, he'll quickly get to know a lot of people in the building trades. Maybe rent a place for a year while you find the right property, and then build your own house. Just an idea.
But yeah, Berea is a great place. Maybe some other people will chime in with other ideas, but for me, Berea is one of about 4 or 5 towns that I always recommend to people. It's pretty hard to beat.
I wish @Hogsrus was on this thread. He knows that part of the state like his own backyard (probably because it pretty much is, i guess) and he might have some other suggestions. @Miss Blue is another, I think. Maybe they'll wander in and chip in some ideas.
Actually, I like Berea a lot, for the reasons cited by others plus a few more, but I also like Danville, too!
Danville has a rich history, Centre College, and is a short drive from Herrington Lake and the Palisades of the Kentucky River, where several nature preserves offer ample hiking. For that matter, the Knobs are within sight of Danville, and if you drive an easy five miles south on US 127 to Junction City, turn right on whatever state highway it is that parallels Rolling Fork and continue on to Junction City, you will see some beautiful "baby mountain" scenery, especially in the fall - and if you ask property owners along Rolling Fork nicely, they'll probably be happy to let you and your family collect geodes and Indian relics from the stream.
Back in Danville, there's an excellent public library with a great children's department, no doubt important to home schoolers, plus a downtown park filled with historic log cabins (the Wilderness Road went right through both Berea and Danville), a museum house that is a shrine to the doctor who first performed abdominal surgery - successfully - Burke's Bakery, with fabulous treats, right across from the park, and the Great American Dollhouse Museum, which is not just for little girls by any means.
There's also the Pioneer Playhouse, with live theater and dinners, plus the Great American Brass Band Festival in early summer. Centre College has a fine array of concerts, lectures, plays and other presentations which are open to the public (for a reasonable ticket price).
So come visit and check out the possibilities. As others have noted, people are tolerant here unless you want to get into deep discussions of controversial topics with those who don't share your views, and even then, most will listen politely though they'll let you know if and why they may not share those views. We're heading into a lively gubernatorial primary, and no doubt that race will heat up immediately afterwards, and for good reason (you can figure out my own views from that clue, most likely). But things are generally quite civil in Kentucky, though you'll see yard signs and bumper stickers representing both Republicans and Democrats. We don't have too many extremists of either stripe, however. Or if we do, they keep a low profile.
Then you should have no problem at all, politically. Most liberals in Kentucky just live and let live; you're not going to see any of those stories about people getting punched for wearing a Trump hat here, I guarantee it. You just don't see that kind of open hostility between political opposites here. As long as you don't mind being around them, nobody here is ever going to notice one more Trump hat - or care about it. I spend a lot of time in Berea, and mostly hang with liberals, so I can absolutely assure you, there is no undercurrent of resentment or nastiness here. I'd have picked up on it if were there, because other liberals would have confided in me as one of their own. It's liberal compared to the rest of Kentucky but you'll never have to worry about forgetting that it's Kentucky.
Funny you mention Morehead - that wasn't on your list, so I didn't mention it, but if you like Morehead, you'll love Berea. I have a lot of good friends who live "uphill" in the mountains to the east of Morehead, and have to go through there on my way up and back. Great little town, but I would still pick Berea, hands down. The only reason I moved here was to get married, and my wife happened to live in Danville. I've never, ever liked it. Berea is one of about 5 towns in this state that every time we go there, I tell my wife "Why couldn't you have lived here instead of Danville?" It's just a great, great little town. I can't say enough great things about it. I'm speaking as someone who does NOT want to be living in Kentucky, but if I love it this much... well, that should tell you something.
Plus, Morehead is twice as far from Lexington, so it didn't make your list on that criteria.
I don't know enough about the surrounding counties to have an opinion on land prices or availability; when I go there, it's strictly as a tourist, and I don't have an eye peeled for that. But I [i]can[/i say that the Berea area absolutely ticks off every box you listed.
We own property in the Louisville area, and in Mercer County (near Danville), and I imagine it works the same way in the Berea area - there's a wide range of options available, with a wide range of prices, and no matter what you're looking for, you'll find someone who can sell it to you. If you can, I'd suggest coming here and renting for a while so you can get to know the area and make friends. As you get to know people, there'll always be someone who knows someone whose brother is thinking of selling the farm, or whatever. Keep in mind, too, that the economy is bad in that area. That drives prices down, and also helps fuel a steady flow of owners looking to sell their property and try their luck somewhere else. I'm not suggesting that people should take advantage of those folks, but it is what it is. It's a buyer's market, for the most part.
And if your guy is a carpenter, he'll quickly get to know a lot of people in the building trades. Maybe rent a place for a year while you find the right property, and then build your own house. Just an idea.
But yeah, Berea is a great place. Maybe some other people will chime in with other ideas, but for me, Berea is one of about 4 or 5 towns that I always recommend to people. It's pretty hard to beat.
I wish @Hogsrus was on this thread. He knows that part of the state like his own backyard (probably because it pretty much is, i guess) and he might have some other suggestions. @Miss Blue is another, I think. Maybe they'll wander in and chip in some ideas.
I'm here Mr. In-Between, have been since the beginning. Enjoying it quite a lot actually. The OP is looking for mountains and, everyone knows Mountains in Kentucky are only in Eastern Kentucky. I love watching everyone tippytoeing around suggesting everything but Eastern Kentucky. But, if I did suggest anywhere in Eastern Kentucky I'm sure there would be posters miraculously show up from california to new york with all the usual statics, proving me wrong. You know, I wonder about those statistics sometimes. The way I figure it, if you got enough money you can buy anything, for instance, a degree from one of the most prestigious Universities in the Nation or even throw a horse race, to putting other people down to feather their own hat. As we say around here "that paper will lay there and let ye put anything on it". Besides, the OP has ruled out Eastern Kentucky anyway because it's "too Isolated" and the "economy is bad"....I wonder where they heard that? Probably from some statistic somewhere. Carry on.....this one will probably get deleted anyway.
Oh, on a side note I seen an article on fakebook today written by prestigious publishing company, that Glasgow Ky. was the poorest town in the State. (I wonder how much that cost) Damn were those people pissed....they even suggested they should have looked in Eastern Kentucky instead of Glasgow. Rather than discussing why they thought Glasgow wasn't the poorest town in the State they threw their brothers to the East under the bus. Leave it to family...they'll screw ye every time.
Thank you for your replies.
Hogsrus, I have not ruled out eastern KY, but just said I am less drawn to it. Family in Morehead complain of the economy and the isolation. We do need to be somewhere my children can find jobs and opportunities as they grow. Still, I entertain the possibility of that area. Just thought somewhere (a little) west of Rowan Co. may offer the same pros for us with less of our cons.
Thank you for your replies.
Hogsrus, I have not ruled out eastern KY, but just said I am less drawn to it. Family in Morehead complain of the economy and the isolation. We do need to be somewhere my children can find jobs and opportunities as they grow. Still, I entertain the possibility of that area. Just thought somewhere (a little) west of Rowan Co. may offer the same pros for us with less of our cons.
Thank you for your replies.
Hogsrus, I have not ruled out eastern KY, but just said I am less drawn to it. Family in Morehead complain of the economy and the isolation. We do need to be somewhere my children can find jobs and opportunities as they grow. Still, I entertain the possibility of that area. Just thought somewhere (a little) west of Rowan Co. may offer the same pros for us with less of our cons.
That's some smart thinking, but I think you have to start getting pretty close to Lexington before you really start to escape the economic black hole of Eastern Kentucky. You start to get better opportunities somewhere between Mount Sterling and Winchester, but at that point you may as well have just moved to Berea.
The fact is, even though Kentucky has a lot of the things you seem to rank highly, "jobs and opportunities" will never be a strong point here, no matter where you live. The closer you are to a city, the more things open up, but not really by a lot. This is one of the poorest and most poorly educated states in the country, and you're never going to get past that. It's a lot harder for kids to move up the economic ladder here than most other states.
If the other reasons for coming here are important enough, then come, and work hard to balance out the lack of opportunities - make sure the kids get the best education possible; once you get 'em into college, anything can happen. If college isn't for them, strongly encourage them to learn skills that will be in demand. If they do something that other people will pay them well to do, and do it better than anyone else, it doesn't matter what part of the state you live in - they'll always do better than the kids who sit around on their asses clowning their lives away. Teach them work ethic, teach them to keep their word, teach them to be reliable, teach them how to earn trust and respect from their elders, keep 'em away from drugs and the people who use drugs, and Kentucky will take care of them.
When someone's looking for a kid to work at their auto parts store, they'll remember the kid who mowed their lawn and always went the extra mile. When that store needs a new assistant manager, they'll remember the kid who was always on time and always made good decisions. When the guy who owns the storage facility or the trailer park is getting ready to retire, and wants to sell his business, he'll remember the young man who never broke a promise and wasn't afraid of 14-hour days. And he'll carry the note for that young man. That's how a lot of jobs get "got" around here; there's always a place for the kids who stand out among their crowd, no matter what part of Kentucky you're in. In a small town, the people who own the businesses always know which kids are going to make their mark in the world and which kids don't give a damn. I know it sounds old-fashioned, but it's still the way the world works. If they're good kids, they'll always do better than the kids who ere raised differently.
Yesterday's Lexington "Herald-Leader"'s headline was about the 60-acre greenhouse soon to be under construction by AppHarvest in Morehead. It will grow tomatoes and cucumbers, and AppHarvest expects to add 385 full-time jobs once the huge greenhouse is complete. The ground for this project is being cleared and leveled now.
If the other reasons for coming here are important enough, then come, and work hard to balance out the lack of opportunities - make sure the kids get the best education possible; once you get 'em into college, anything can happen. If college isn't for them, strongly encourage them to learn skills that will be in demand. If they do something that other people will pay them well to do, and do it better than anyone else, it doesn't matter what part of the state you live in - they'll always do better than the kids who sit around on their asses clowning their lives away. Teach them work ethic, teach them to keep their word, teach them to be reliable, teach them how to earn trust and respect from their elders, keep 'em away from drugs and the people who use drugs, and Kentucky will take care of them.
When someone's looking for a kid to work at their auto parts store, they'll remember the kid who mowed their lawn and always went the extra mile. When that store needs a new assistant manager, they'll remember the kid who was always on time and always made good decisions. When the guy who owns the storage facility or the trailer park is getting ready to retire, and wants to sell his business, he'll remember the young man who never broke a promise and wasn't afraid of 14-hour days. And he'll carry the note for that young man. That's how a lot of jobs get "got" around here; there's always a place for the kids who stand out among their crowd, no matter what part of Kentucky you're in. In a small town, the people who own the businesses always know which kids are going to make their mark in the world and which kids don't give a damn. I know it sounds old-fashioned, but it's still the way the world works. If they're good kids, they'll always do better than the kids who ere raised differently.
We used to live in Louisville so I like to follow the C-D threads on the KY forum. The above advice is the best description/advice for raising kids I've ever read on C-D. Can't agree more. It's how we brought our kids up and they are doing great in life. Major kudos to Mr. I-B.
There's a lot of rural, small towns near Lexington, like Harrodsburg. I'd locate somewhere like that so you can get to Lexington if you need to for everything a small city provides.
We think we are pretty well narrowed down to:
Morehead
Mount Sterling
Irvine
Stanton
Berea
We are planning a trip within the next few months, but can only see so much in a week. Is there one of these areas we could eliminate (lack of jobs, drug issues, lack of mountains(Mt.Sterling?), high cost of living (Berea?) We are thinking a few days in Berea and a few days in Stanton. Are we on the right track?
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
) Damn were those people pissed....they even suggested they should have looked in Eastern Kentucky instead of Glasgow. Rather than discussing why they thought Glasgow wasn't the poorest town in the State they threw their brothers to the East under the bus. Leave it to family...they'll screw ye every time. 
Great Advice!
