Perceptions of Louisville

Tell all that to the mayor....Only thing on his mind is grow grow grow and grow....plus promise but do not keep......

Speaking of loom houses Barb, were you as heartbroken to see Churchill weavers close? I know it's not Louisville related but it was very Kentucky-ish.

Tell all that to the mayor....Only thing on his mind is grow grow grow and grow....plus promise but do not keep......

Dave Armstrong isn't Mayor anymore. Abramson is far from grow, grow, grow. He is the master of status quo. Don't rock the boat, don't take any chances, don't offend anyone, don't do anything.

He had no problem offending the smokers.

A few years ago, when the smoking ban was brought up, my mom was downtown, outside, smoking. He walked by, and she very politely said "I voted for you, and I'm very angry by this ban." To which he replied to her "So don't vote for me next time, I don't really need your vote anyway."

True story, and her face turns beet red every time she tells it. She is quitting, but this STILL pisses her off. I can't blame her. I voted for Abramson last time, but will not do so again.

I think smoking is a nasty habit, and I support the ban, but anyone who is so cocky and arrogant that he thinks a single vote is unimportant, doesn't deserve my support.

He had no problem offending the smokers.

A few years ago, when the smoking ban was brought up, my mom was downtown, outside, smoking. He walked by, and she very politely said "I voted for you, and I'm very angry by this ban." To which he replied to her "So don't vote for me next time, I don't really need your vote anyway."

True story, and her face turns beet red every time she tells it. She is quitting, but this STILL pisses her off. I can't blame her. I voted for Abramson last time, but will not do so again.

I think smoking is a nasty habit, and I support the ban, but anyone who is so cocky and arrogant that he thinks a single vote is unimportant, doesn't deserve my support.

There's nothing about that story that would stop me from voting for Jerry. If the rap on him is that he doesn't want to offend anyone, here he is speaking the truth. I think it is refreshing when a candidate says, "then don't vote for me . . . [this is what I stand for.]" I'd respect it even if I disagreed with the stand. The next election could be more difficult for Jerry given current unrest, but the guy won the last election in a landslide, and I can't picture a current city Republican coming close in the next election.

For the record, I wasn't trying to keep anyone from voting for Jerry, just relaying a story.

It's not the "don't vote for me" part I have a problem with. It's the "I don't really need your vote anyway" part that annoys me.

I meet government officials quite often as part of my job. I've found many of them, both republican and democrat to be very polite and charming, and they usually try to (or feign very well), listen to their constituents.

I'm just saying, every vote should matter, otherwise, why bother voting? Isn't that why so many people don't vote now, because they feel that ONE vote won't make a difference?

I hear people on both sides of the coin griping because voter turnout is so low. The 2004 election was so close that a few single votes could have made a difference in who won the election. You can't have it both ways. Either every vote should matter, or none of them should.

Just my 2 cents.

I'm not trying to come across as nasty, I'm just really sick of the sniping and fighting. On both sides. Politics and lawsuits are tearing this country into shreds, and I'm just tired of it. It makes me very sad.

Democracy is such a messy thing, ain't it?

I didn't know the Mayor had that kind of chutzpah. Good on him!

Something that I find curious is the sheer number of people who, learning of our moving from New Orleans to Louisville, say something to the effect of "Really? You chose Louisville?" I don't know if it's an inferiority complex or what, but the city does have a lot going for it and maybe some don't really see what's happening. Sure, there are some aspects that seem to be really lowest common denominator, but I would daresay that things are moving in an opposite direction. Just hazarding a really rough guess, I would say by 2010 in Louisville...1/3 of the population would just as easily be happy living in Jeffersonville or wherever in the midwest, 1/3 moved back or came here from somewhere else for the various attributes of the city, and 1/3 are long-timers who love the city and wouldn't want to be anywhere else. Even with my speculative numbers, the second group is the key one because the first group comes and goes and third one will be here regardless. People like us are moving here, particularly as first-time homebuyers, because Chicago and many other cities are too expensive, climate is fairly even and nicely seasonal, and there is a nice low-key cultural feel.

Something that I find curious is the sheer number of people who, learning of our moving from New Orleans to Louisville, say something to the effect of "Really? You chose Louisville?" I don't know if it's an inferiority complex or what, but the city does have a lot going for it and maybe some don't really see what's happening. Sure, there are some aspects that seem to be really lowest common denominator, but I would daresay that things are moving in an opposite direction. Just hazarding a really rough guess, I would say by 2010 in Louisville...1/3 of the population would just as easily be happy living in Jeffersonville or wherever in the midwest, 1/3 moved back or came here from somewhere else for the various attributes of the city, and 1/3 are long-timers who love the city and wouldn't want to be anywhere else. Even with my speculative numbers, the second group is the key one because the first group comes and goes and third one will be here regardless. People like us are moving here, particularly as first-time homebuyers, because Chicago and many other cities are too expensive, climate is fairly even and nicely seasonal, and there is a nice low-key cultural feel.

Michael I fing the same attitude when I mention that I came here for a more pleasant life. I am always asked about my amout of cultural shock.

When I decided to leave NY I had a list of 5 or 6 places I thought I might want to move to. Louisville offers the best value by far, IMHO. I am paying a mere fraction of what I paid for housing in NY, needless to say- but I am astounded by the low cost of food in the groceries here.

The arts are very important to me and I continue to be impressed by the level, not only in the performing arts but also in the visual arts. There is a vibrancy and optimism to the arts scene here that is hard to find in bigger cities. Not that larger cities lack the arts, by any means, but Louisville's affordability seems to give artists more leaway to be creative and take bigger risks. Perhaps I am generalizing, but that is my perception.

I've also been surprised and pleased by the restaurant and food scene here. When I lived here in my teens and early twenties there were few interesting places to eat. I remember Kunz's (though not how to spell it) and Grisanti's and, well, not much else. Maybe Por Que Nos for Mexican and Lentini's for Italian. Now I have a hard time making it to all the places I want to eat.

Of course there are things I would like to see change. I miss neighborhood diversity- people seem to live in enclaves here. And I could do without 4th Street Live- and I do. But I'm glad that Louisville now has a vibrant downtown whether I choose to participate or not. As for the fireworks and airshow- I got a lifetime's fill of military aircraft zooming by my windows after 9/11. Thunder gives me the perfect excuse every year to get out of town and explore other parts of KY- Berea one year and Cumberland Falls the next.

I'm very happy I chose this town, I look forward to seeing it blossom even more in the years to come.

This place has been home to me for 20 years. I love it here, and would be happy to stay here forever.

It's big enough that there are plenty of things to do, but small enough where it still kinda has that small town feel. Plus, I can get anywhere in Louisville in 10 minutes or less from my house.

I think this city has a HUGE inferiority complex. In many cases, if you are a "native", I think it takes leaving to realize how many great attributes our hometown has.

"Welcome to Louisville! Nobody thinks we suck as much as we do!"

(this forum excluded of course....)

The arts are very important to me and I continue to be impressed by the level, not only in the performing arts but also in the visual arts. There is a vibrancy and optimism to the arts scene here that is hard to find in bigger cities. Not that larger cities lack the arts, by any means, but Louisville's affordability seems to give artists more leaway to be creative and take bigger risks. Perhaps I am generalizing, but that is my perception.

Thanks for that perspective, Gary. I hear that sort of commentary from transplanted Louisvillians than I do from residents. And, I believe you are generally very correct in your view. Of course, I agree with you ...

Hey people, if you haven't checked this blog out, you must.

Consuming Louisville - very good things to do, eat & buy in the River City

Michelle Jones does an excellent job at keeping up with local events.

If anyone thinks nothing much is going on in Louisville, go to this blog and get your mind changed, quick.

I think this city has a HUGE inferiority complex. In many cases, if you are a "native", I think it takes leaving to realize how many great attributes our hometown has.

"Welcome to Louisville! Nobody thinks we suck as much as we do!"

(this forum excluded of course....)

Too funny.

We were surprised to find so many natives around here who seem to think Louisville sucks. We're still asked by local merchants and restaurant staff where we're from, whether we're visiting, because I guess we sound funny, and when we tell them we're from Chicago they just cannot understand why we'd want to move from Chicago to Louisville, which, according to them, or many of them, sucks. The first time we heard that we were truly startled as it had never occurred to us the natives would think that. To us, Louisville's always been one of the most desirable places to live. It's the best of both worlds, city and rural so closely related here. Although, we don't actually even live in Louisville but across the river into southern Indiana. But we consider Louisville our home because we spend so much of our time and life in it. It takes about 25 minutes to get downtown, and for us that's a breeze.

In Chicago it took at least that long to get anywhere, and usually way longer. For so much of Chicagoans getting to and from work is an ordeal and takes a huge chunk of time out of every day, and even basic stuff like getting groceries. It's one reason we sat down one day and asked ourselves where we'd rather live because the city had become inhospitable in so many ways, not to mention having animals, dogs and horses, is supremely difficult in a place like Chicago.

And so when we say we've actually settled in the boonies in southern Indiana we're met with utter disbelief. What's there to do? people wonder. Why would you leave Chicago where there're so many opportunities to do so many wonderful things. And while that's true, it turns out most of us don't take advantage of all those opportunities when we live right in the middle of them because like everybody else we're busy working and doing so many other things. I like living in the boonies surrounded by trees and space and being able to wake up to my horses grazing in the pasture behind the house instead of driving an hour each way to visit them at an affordable stable. I like being able to open the back door and let the dogs out to take care of themselves in the dead of winter or the pouring rain instead of having to take them out on a leash down a city street to do their stuff. I love being able to drive from the boonies so quickly and easily (especially now the nightmare of highway construction is done) to Louisville to wonderful restaurants and all the rest. I think it might be true that to really appreciate Louisville, many of the natives would have to live somewhere else for a while.

I still love Chicago. I love to visit. But even visiting has changed considerably over the years, and the traffic is so overwhelmingly challenging and congested we get frustrated all over again when we're there. And the landscape changes so fast and it just grows by leaps and bounds.