Posted: 9/9/2014 4:50:40 PM EDT
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My wife and I were both born and raised in Illinois and have worked in the northeast part of the state for close to 40 years. Our kids are both grown up, on their own and are hard working responsible adults with careers in the Chicago area. That being said, we can't wait to get away from the liberal rat race that Illinois has become. We're strongly considering western Kentucky as the area we'd like to spend our retirement years. We want to be close to I 57 or I65 so we can visit friends and family in Illinois and they can visit us conveniently (mama is going to have a hard time moving away from the kids). We're kind of thinking the Paducah to Louisville area.
We're looking for a place with a mid sized house (1500-2000 sf) and enough land that I could plant a couple food plots and have a deer stand, do a little hunting, fishing, gardening etc. Enough room for a backyard rifle range would be a huge bonus. Can anyone recommend an area that has reasonably priced homes in a rural locale but is not too far from shopping, medical facilities, etc.? |
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I can't tell you a specific place but I can tell you W KY seems to be a good retirement area. The cost of living is nothing compared to your area, there is good medical care in the area, there is lots of open/rural land, and there are good highways nearby. I am considering it for retirement as well but I still have a decade to think about it. ;-)
Paducah and Murray are probably the two more populated areas for you to explore and they are near KY and Barkley lakes for awesome bass and crappie fishing. I would not recommend Louisville because it is the largest city in KY and has all the usual stupidity associated with a metropolitan area. It would also be considerably more expensive for you to have a mini-farm as you describe. |
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I live in Henderson, KY and of course would recommend here. Henderson sits on the banks of the Ohio River (our downtown has a great view of the river).
Home prices are very reasonable here. We bought a 2300 sq foot home in the $160s last year. The Illinois border is about 45 minutes away via Hwy 60 to Hwy 56. There are several festivals throughout the year downtown. The most notable one is the W.C. Handy Blues and BBQ festival. We have a great arts and theater center, if you and your wife are into that kind of thing. Also, the city just invested a ton of money into a new river walkway that starts downtown and goes along the river. Ruralwise, there is a ton of land in Henderson County and it's pretty wide open. Henderson is the county seat and the only city in the county (there are several very small "towns" with a market and a gas station, but that's it). We're also within 15-20 minutes of Evansville, IN. Evansville is a larger metropolitan area where you'll find shopping, all the chain restuarants, etc. Most importantly, Whittaker Guns is only a 30 minute drive from Henderson. Whittakers is KY's largest gun store. Check us out! http://www.hendersonky.org/ |
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Would Somerset be too far east for you? There is a lot of land for sale around Lake Cumberland and I75 is in pretty close proximity. Short drive to Lexington, Knoxville, etc. The wife and I have a couple acres there. Maybe someday we can actually retire and build a house on it and I can do some serious fishing. Land prices are low since the water level in the lake was down for so long due to the problems with the dam but it's all fixed now and the water is looking better than ever.
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| So far, our favorite area is around Owensboro. It seems like it has everything we're looking for- good healthcare facilities, low housing costs, big enough for any shopping we might want, but with a small town atmosphere. We're still looking, though. By Thursday, we'll be in the Bowling Green area. I've heard good things about that part of the state. |
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London, KY is right off of I75, south of Lexington and Louisville about 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Smaller town but quick access to everything. I'm familiar with London. One of my old neighbors was born there and moved back when he retired from his job in the Chicago area. I think it's a little too far east for us. |
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I left Illinois eight and a half years ago and chose Bowling Green as my new home. I'm glad I did. I was looking for basically the same things that you are and found them here. Bowling Green is definitely in the running. We spent a little time there and like the area. My friend bought a beautiful home there with quite a bit of land. He's originally from Minnesota but has lived in Texas and the Chicago area and he seems to really like Bowling Green and the surrounding area. |
| Born, grew up and went to college in Illinois, and then after I graduated I never returned. I go back every year to deer hunt and see my family and that is it. What a crap hole it has turned into because of those idiots in the Chicago area. Outside of the northern part of the state it is a great place to be born and raised. Unfortunately that cesspool of Chicago (actually I really like visiting) ruins the entire state. I moved to Kentucky years ago and I have been the happiest in my entire life. |