Some observations:

 

1) The growth in Louisville and the growth in NKY are two totally different animals. NKY has benefitted, in part, from their proximity to Cincinnati. Once spurred, they have generated more money and funded many of their own projects. However, the "destination market" that NKY benefits from is Cincinnati, in terms of things like convention business. In the beginning hotels, et al, were built to capitalize on the overflow from the Cincinnati market. Over time, with revenue generated from that, they've been able to build themselves up, and create their own niche. In Louisville, it began with the state funded KFEC. Then the KICC, then the expansion and renovations of each. But Louisville did not start with the advantage of having a Cincinnati across the river. The created their niche. NOT A KNOCK ON NKY. Just pointing out that the situations are different. Now, Louisville definitely has great independent sources of revenue.

 

2) Why hasn't something been done to develop EKY more as a tourist market? Do the residents not want that area to become a tourist market? I can understand that. But, the reality is, if you want the jobs, and you want the money, then some pain will occur. Some sacrifices will be made. In terms of manufacturing, what can be done to spur that growth? I know relatively little about the politics of EKY. Enlighten me.

 

Rockmom, I can agree with you on many of your points, as I was in the Hospitality industry for over twenty five years, mostly in NKy, but and this is the big but, most living in Cincinnati still today, look down at us.

 

 

There is a joke that the Ohio River is one mile wide from NKy to Cincinnati, but ten miles wide from Cincinnati to NKy. My own dear old now deceased father-in-law, who I loved as much as my own Father, couldn't believe back in 1970 when I took his daughter as my bride, and we moved to Boone County. He just couldn't understand why I would move so far away, yet I lived only three miles farther in distance from Fountain Square (downtown Cincinnati) than what he did in Norwood!

Too late...post #16.

Hadn't gotten that far.

Please. Northern Kentucky has benefited from being a transportation crossroads for 200 years. Same with Louisville, same with Lex. I wouldn't necessarily owe that to anything but good forethought (and perhaps some luck) on the part of the city fathers in terms of site selection.

NKY has gotten where it is because of the hard work of its people and the cooperative spirit of its elected officials. It has nothing to do with luck, it has nothing to do with geography, and it certainly has nothing to do with getting anything from EKY. :irked:

I have a solution...someone make EKY into the next Smokey Mountains Resort area! :dancingpa

That would take "effort."

But Louisville did not start with the advantage of having a Cincinnati across the river. They created their niche.

Louisville is a different animal because they have the downtown core. They are the city. We are just a suburb. So, it's not really that we had any kind of advantage in that respect.

Louisville is a different animal because they have the downtown core. They are the city. We are just a suburb. So, it's not really that we had any kind of advantage in that respect.

 

 

Louisville developed where it did on account of the Falls of the Ohio. The fossil beds in the river caused what is more accurately described as rapids that were difficult and dangerous to navigate. Thus the area that became Louisville was a natural stopping point.

 

On account of that it became a trade hub with goods being transported overland to waiting ships on the other side of the falls to be taken further down the Ohio. Provided of course that they didn't bring on a local pilot to navigate the boats past the falls which was not an easy task.

 

That is a reason why Louisvlle became so important and was the site of a Southern Exposition in the late 1800's, where the houses in Central Park and Louisville got their lovely Victorian style. In fact at one point it was bigger than Atlanta and was predicted to become one of the largest, most prominent cities in the south. That did not end up happening but it was still an important crossroads.

 

It still is today with I-64, I-65 and I-71 crossing our fair city along with the Ohio River and the Canal. Not to mention the prominence of the rail lines running through here as well (not to the same extent as before obviously).

 

We have 3 bridges crossing the ohio, we need 5 to facilitate proper travel and avoid the quagmire and overuse that has occurred over the last 20-30 years. 1 downtown and 1 to connect the disparate sections of 265 in Kentucky and Indiana. Hence our frustration at our inability to get funds, especially when we have funded the majority of our own projects.

Rockmom, I can agree with you on many of your points, as I was in the Hospitality industry for over twenty five years, mostly in NKy, but and this is the big but, most living in Cincinnati still today, look down at us.

 

 

There is a joke that the Ohio River is one mile wide from NKy to Cincinnati, but ten miles wide from Cincinnati to NKy. My own dear old now deceased father-in-law, who I loved as much as my own Father, couldn't believe back in 1970 when I took his daughter as my bride, and we moved to Boone County. He just couldn't understand why I would move so far away, yet I lived only three miles farther in distance from Fountain Square (downtown Cincinnati) than what he did in Norwood!

 

I understand what you're saying about the "looking down on you" part...we kinda treat So Indiana the same way!

 

BUT, that does not take away the fact that you capitalized on an opportunity. You've built NKY into a thriving tri-county area.

 

Louisville is a different animal because they have the downtown core. They are the city. We are just a suburb. So, it's not really that we had any kind of advantage in that respect.

 

You had the advantage of being Cincinnati's suburb. Regardless of the fact that we have a downtown, we don't draw overflow business from Clarksville, Jeffersonville or New Albany! :lol: Southern Indiana is this area's NKY area 20 years ago. :lol:

Pep - I knew I shouldn't have chosen "Fourth Grade History." :irked:

NKY has gotten where it is because of the hard work of its people and the cooperative spirit of its elected officials. It has nothing to do with luck, it has nothing to do with geography, and it certainly has nothing to do with getting anything from EKY. :irked:

 

That's hogwash and you know it. You can't discount the importance of favorable terrain and easy access to natural and later man-made transportation routes. Sure, the people worked hard. But they haven't worked any harder than the folks down in the mines.

 

What is it the business folks always say is the key to success? Location ... location ... location?

Also, just so I'm not misunderstood, I was specifically adressing Jim Shue's point about tourist dollars generated in the two communities. Not how the areas became what they are today in entirety.

You had the advantage of being Cincinnati's suburb. Regardless of the fact that we have a downtown, we don't draw overflow business from Clarksville, Jeffersonville or New Albany!

That's what I'm saying. You have a thriving metropolitan downtown built in. We had to live in the glow of somebody else's.

 

What helped us so much is having the airport, and being able to work together for common goals. Go back 25-30 years, you wouldn't be able to tell any of our cities from any other small town in the state.

That's hogwash and you know it. You can't discount the importance of favorable terrain and easy access to natural and later man-made transportation routes. Sure, the people worked hard. But they haven't worked any harder than the folks down in the mines.

Nah, just more effectively.

That's what I'm saying. You have a thriving metropolitan downtown built in. We had to live in the glow of somebody else's.

 

What helped us so much is having the airport, and being able to work together for common goals. Go back 25-30 years, you wouldn't be able to tell any of our cities from any other small town in the state.

 

 

You aren't gettin' what I'm sayin'. :lol:

You aren't gettin' what I'm sayin'. :lol:

 

Uh huh! :banana:

Gee, and I thought that old Daniel Boone forged his way into Kentucky through a gap in the Mountains through Eastern Kentucky. Guess it only works in NKy, that is, being a crossroad for over 200 years.

 

My guess is maybe we did more with ours, than what they did with theirs!

 

That might be a valid point if we still traveled by horses. With the invention of automobiles and highways, I suspect the high cost of building adequate roads through mountains and hills as opposed to relatively flat land might have played a large role.