I'm considering a move to Ashland for a good job opportunity. I'm 24, my girlfriend of multiple years would likely be joining me, and my job will consume most of my time. I'm aware that Ashland is far from being a bustling metropolis and I think I'm fine with that. With this in mind, I would really appreciate some feedback from those with experience in Ashland and the surrounding areas. What is it like? Cost of living? Positives? Negatives? Thanks, everyone.
Ashland, Ky
- Thread starter jaw4ukcats
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opcorn:
Ashland is great, they have a TGIFriday's AND O'Charlies. Even if you're not a gastronome, they have hills and a rad refinery. Lucky bastard.
What it lacks in culture, it makes up in proximity to West Virginia.
Ashland is pretty much like any other area of Eastern Kentucky it's mostly a rundown economically depressed area. It has limited cultural, dining, and shopping opportunities. It is what you make of it though, you can always find something to do, somewhere to eat, or whatever. It's close enough for travel Lexington, Cincy, and Charleston if you really want to find something to do. The people in Ashland those who aren't on pills are generally good hardworking people who want to live there life and succeed just like people anywhere else. Violent crime is fairly low, most crime is limited to theft and drug activity. There aren't any decent bars in Ashalnd, so you would have to travel to Huntington to find a halfway decent one if that's your thing, Other then that it's like I said like most other area's of Kentucky it's what you make of it based on the way you live your life
Appreciate the info, Ashland Cat. I suppose this is about what I expected. Are there any nice residential areas in Ashland?
There are decent areas of Ashland yes, generally around the Elementary schools. You should consider looking in Bellfonte or Russell though for a home those are right outside of Ashland within a 5/10 min drive of most places.
There are several hotels on Winchester ( what you refer to as Main St. I think) most of them are nothing more then drug dealing and prostitution locations.
Haven't been there for 15 years, but that would explain why I had so much fun there.
Smells like a bottle rocket
Tell us more about this girlfriend. Pics would be great. Since you will be spending "most of your time" at work would you be needing a sitter for her?
Where do you live currently? Ashland would be a step up from like Hazard or Manchester.
Is your gf pretty wild and uncontrollable? Do you think you might need two sitters? Or more? We can bring a gang of sitters.
A couple of weeks ago went to Ashland. I had not been there for about 15 years. As soon as I got there, I noticed the horrible smell....like sulphur. Lots of little, half full strip malls. I used to live/work in eastern Ky. One of the worst things about it was that I felt like I was completely cut off from Kentucky. The TV stations were all Huntington stations....3rd rate, mostly like wtvq. Hardly ever heard anything about the Bluegrass area, Frankfort, etc.... Overload of info about W Va, and Marshall sports. UK does not dominate.
As far as quality of people, there are no better people in the world than in E Ky....in fact, when I moved back here to take a job, my grand father reminded me that people here weren't the same as they were in E Ky. Not a friendly, person/people oriented. That was 30 years ago. He was right.
As far as quality of people, there are no better people in the world than in E Ky....in fact, when I moved back here to take a job, my grand father reminded me that people here weren't the same as they were in E Ky. Not a friendly, person/people oriented. That was 30 years ago. He was right.
Look at the bright side, it's a step up from living on the rim of a volcanic vent on the bottom of the sea floor as a single celled wad of bacteria. Heck, in a couple more million years you'll be qualified to live as good as plankton floating around in a kelp bed in and amongst water spiders. You're going places, kid.
Don't knock living on a the rim of a volcanic vent at the bottom of the sea if you haven't tried it.
Great. Now were gonna have overweight, diabetic wads of bacteria that we'll have to support.
I grew up in Ashland. It has been through some tough times since its industrial base disappeared. In answer to the question, there's a decent hotel downtown on Winchester Ave., the main drag, the Ashland Plaza Hotel. No restaurant or bar there anymore, though. There are some decent neighborhoods -- nice homes around Central Park in downtown. And in South Ashland. Also, Midland Heights off 13th Street. The big business in town is now the hospital. For reasons that I don't understand, it has seen huge growth. Would I move back there? No, I could think of a bunch of comparably sized towns or even smaller that have more charm and vitality. None of them are within the border of I-64 and I-75.
In the "What restaurants do you refuse to eat at" thread I added Golden Corral because of the customers. The trip involved bare hand in the Wonderfall and bare, pillhead breast in the dining area. This was, of course, at the aforementioned Ashland franchise.
I will say this about Ashland: I end up there for a couple of days, during the holidays, every year. We spend as much time in town as possible, because the alternative is spending time with family and that is it's own story. We have done this for nearly 20 years and I honestly think the worst has passed. I can absolutely attest to the fact that drug abuse and job loss have raped the place, but since I just see kind of an annual snapshot of it, it seems to be significantly better as far as the people go. No nice way to put it, so, I see less bums, crackheads, and whores.
Many years ago I drove through some small town in California on my way to check out Death Valley (which is a really neat place to visit so long as it isn't summer) and I drove through this Godforsaken little mining town called Trona that had like a big salt mine or something right in the middle of it and virtually the entire place was covered in whatever that was. It permeated the place. I've never been to Ashland but that's the mental picture I get of it. The kind of place you wind up at. The last stop on a bitter failed life. Like a human flytrap. Sorry.
I know Trona very well. A relative of mine lived there. When we drive through run-down areas, we usually say: "Well, at least it's not as bad as Trona." Numerous movies, including Star Trek, filmed there as a backdrop for alien planets. Old stomping grounds for the Manson Family.
To this day, one of the worst hotels ive ever stayed in. My last stay was about 4 years ago. Hopefully its been renovated, but I highly doubt it.
The only good thing, it close to Huntington; which isnt even all that great.
If your slogan is "Hey, we're close to HUNTINGTON!" or "At least we're not Trona!" then you're in trouble.