Louisville, Kentucky

While outsiders may best know Louisville as March Madness heaven, Louisville is low-key a foodie town. While the tourists are 100% going to be downtown on the main drag, you’ll find a crapload of amazing restaurants and drink spots even just off the downtown center. Nulu, or “New Louisville” is best known for its growing number of local restaurants. Or if Farmer’s Markets are your thing, hit up Douglass Loop on a Saturday with friends!

Unless you live in “walker’s paradise,” AKA the central business district, you’ll need a car. Almost all residents in Louisville rely on their own transportation, and parking downtown for a night out can be expensive and a headache to find on a busy night.

Louisville is often described as a dense suburb and for valid reasons in regards to both the good and the bad. A plethora of parks, the aforementioned emphasis on local restaurants and bars as centers of social life, and moderate politics are also representative of that suburban atmosphere. Sprawl is a downside, and so is the fact that there’s not too much to do socially in addition to those restaurants and bars. While the weather is notorious for oscillating between 90 and humid and 36 and rainy, people in Louisville are generally regarded as friendly and hospitable.

In addition to these staples of suburbia, Louisville has a number of amenities that living in a normal suburb does not afford. Louisville is the home of iconic world sports sites like the famous Kentucky Derby, the Louisville Slugger Museum and Factory, and is where March Madness has been historically held. Louisville is also known for its live music, and, of course, it's bourbon. Be sure to hit up a festival and try some of Kentucky’s favorite whiskey if you do ever move in or are simply passing through.

If you're interested in seeing what locals get up to in Louisville check out the calendar of events.

The Louisville area is home to a surprising number of large companies that you probably didn’t know were located there if you aren’t from Louisville. Texas Roadhouse and Yum! Brands (which operates brands such as KFC, Taco Bell and Pizza Hut) are both headquartered in the area, and Papa Johns is just a quick hop over the Ohio River in Jefferson, Indiana. If you can’t see yourself working in big food, that’s alright, because large healthcare companies like Humana and Kindred Healthcare, as well as a wide variety of new companies popping up downtown provide a diverse range of options for Louisvillians. Most people in the Louisville area work in person and commute via car. Housing prices are well under the national average, so families and young professionals alike tend to live in larger and more comfortable situations than they would be able to in larger metropolitan areas.