Do you agree or disagree that Louisville is the country's most livable city?

Abramson to accept award Saturday at U.S. Conference of Mayors

LOUISVILLE (June 19, 2008) –Louisville’s outstanding quality of life has earned a national award – the U.S. Conference of Mayors awarded Louisville First Place in the City Livability Awards.  Louisville won the large-city category, besting competition that included Las Vegas, Seattle and Orlando.  Mayor Jerry Abramson will accept the award at the USCM convention this weekend in Miami.

“This award reinforces what we’ve known all along – that Louisville is a great place to live, work and raise a family,” Abramson said.  “The U.S. Conference of Mayors was particularly impressed with the city-sponsored programs through the Healthy Hometown Movement that encourage our citizens to get moving and get healthy.”

Louisville has twice won Outstanding Achievement designation in Livable City awards, but this is the first time the city has won the overall prize. 

The Livability Awards recognize work in improving the overall quality of life in a city, and Louisville’s entry explained the impact of the Mayor’s Healthy Hometown Movement (MHHM).  The program, launched in September 2004, was designed to address the health status of the community.  The MHHM focuses on the benefits of physical activity and nutrition, providing information and examples that demonstrate how to implement physical activity and incorporate nutrition choices as part of daily life. 

The MHHM has launched a number of popular programs – including the Mayor’s Hike and Bikes which attract thousands of bicyclists downtown twice a year.   The program also sponsors worksite wellness programs and has awarded nearly $250,000 to churches, neighborhood groups and community organizations to create their own health and nutrition programs.

“Winning this designation as the country’s Most Livable City shows that not only are we meeting the needs of our citizens today, but that we are also looking to the future needs of our community and planning accordingly,” Abramson said. 

After moving a number of times in my youth I decided on Louisville as my final destination. It's a wonderful city. Four years ago I choose Louisville for the level of personal choice and freedom I experienced here. But, like many larger cities in America Louisville is slowly losing the attributes that made it so appealing to me just a short time ago. The irony is that the city won this award for the behavioral modification work is has done recently, which is in direct conflict with choice and freedom. On money is not going towards needed services. Our money is being spent to tell us to be more healthy. The result of which has been the message of please don't smoke, but don't forget to bring drink yourself into a coma at 4th Street Live.

I used to think so... but our Mayor cares nothing for this towns' people. He keeps pushing all the good jobs out of here. All the jobs he's claims to bring in are in the poverty pay class.

Kentuckiana on the Indiana side is great to raise a family. Southern Indiana is welcoming, warm, beautiful and the people are great.

the reason being is cause it does not have that much people to be the most livable city in America maybe
one of the best mid-size city.

Louisville IS nice...and there is a lot of positive to look at here. However, "the most livable"? I doubt it. I've lived here my entire life, and I have visited major cities all over the world. Crime, sure we have less crime on average than any other major city. But do I (as a woman) feel safe going anywhere on my own? No. My concern is that the tax money is going to such inane garbage that there isn't any left for important things. My area of town has volunteer fire fighters that are complaining they can't afford the gas to go out on calls. So if my house is on fire, I'm SOL, huh? I dread putting my children into school because I know for a fact that my neighborhood elementary school does nothing about violent children in the classroom. (And who can afford private school with the price of gas and groceries skyrocektting daily?)
Yes, Louisville is fairly clean. And crime is "relatively" low. And the cost of living is low as compared to a lot of places. It is a nice place to live, but.....
But then, look at who gave out this award...a big group of mayors that probably just take turns holding the plaque. LOL

I lived in Louisville for 40 years. There are a lot of better places to live.

I think the people that are hating Louisville so much should leave and go somewhere else. Move to Indiana, we don't care! If you don't LOVE LOUISVILLE, then LEAVE! Nobody is stopping you. Enough of your whining and complaining unless you are actively working to make Louisville a BETTER place. Frankly, I've lived here all my life and never want to leave.

While I cannot say with certainty that louisville is most livable I can say that it is all around far superior to many cities of similar size and demographics at least. I've spent the last 15 years roughly(since my late teen years) traveling and living around the planet and the US specifically and I promise those suburbanites and disenfranchised folk complaining about the crime,politics,whatnot that you live a charmed life there In Jefferson County. In all of my traveling and research Louisville is consistently above average and frequently missed by my wife and I. Jeeze, Just jaunt down I-65 and get a taste of Nashville if you really want to whine about schools, violence, or bureaucracy in a mid sized mid American city.

I believe that Louisville could be a great city. Unfortunately, the mayor and the small power base have been content being the big fish in a little pond for too long. The pond is turning over and all the fish (good jobs) are dying. What will the big fish eat? There will be increased pressure to increase the already unreasonable tax burden on those that are making a reasonable income in Louisville. At this point it will be unbearable. The priorities in this backward town are a joke (4th Street Live, The Arena, the Mohammed (I don't know what I am center) and the list goes on. What about education, new economy business headquarters and an airport hub with some direct flights, building bridges that should have been built over 30 years ago?

louisville has let most of all the high paying jobs leave this city.now we have jobs paying 8-12 dollars per hr. compared to the ones that paided 25-30 dollars

...CANNOT SPELL OR WRITE GRAMMATICALLY CORRECT? I couldn't pass this up. It's grammatically incorrect. It should be, "Cannot spell...correctly."

Although I think Louisville is a lovely city I do not believe it is the country's most livable city. The school system is a joke, our tax money is used for inane projects (ex. the Arena) when it could be better spent on hiring more teachers, building more schools, upgrading the police force, building bridges, etc.
It could be the country's most livable city if we elected new leadership. I think we need a fresh approach to what could make Louisville a great city to live.

We have the same problems as any other city.
If the truth be known we have just the same amount of crime , rape ,corruption,
murders, etc as any other place. Some things are best not told. Go down town and the chances of
you getting beat-up and robbed , would be WELL...
The Mayor and Police chief tells you what they only want you to know . No more , No less.

Things to love about Louisville:
Ear-X-Tacy
Lynn's Paradise Cafe
Slint
Cumberland Brews
Frankfort Avenue
Bardstown Rd.
Wick's
Hunter S. Thompson
My Morning Jacket
MANY great coffee houses
I miss Hawley Cooke and Twice Told Books though...Louisville is a good place,if you're in the right part of town. Just my opinion.

I moved to Louisville 8 years ago from Ireland and I've had nothing but positive experiences. The people I've met have been wonderful and welcoming, and very generous. Since I've moved here the downtown and has become a thriving scene, it's a fun and exciting place for family and friends. The concert at 4th Street Live Friday night brought out all ages. The Highlands are great with a lot of original stores, restaurants and pubs. Many areas of this city have so much to offer.
I'm not so naive as to overlook some problem areas, but problems exist in all major cities.
Public transport is very poor in comparison to major cities in America and around the world. A lot could be done to improve this. Improving the quality of Education is something all cities are striving to do. Quality homelife, quality teachers and quality facilities are what is needed.
Crime unfortunately is everywhere and Louisville has it's far share. As for jobs leaving the area that will happen given the economic climate. These things are cyclical. You can't have a Ford plant if no one is going to buy the cars and trucks especially with the rise in gas prices, which won't fall. And local government has to come up with ways of attracting businesses that will stay in the area.
Louisville has great community spirit, and given all the local colleges and Universities an educated workforce. I agree we need to combat the problems but we should delight in the good. Life is short and if there is a problem do something about it instead of complaining. Work in kitchens feeding the homeless join Big Brother programs get involved with youth so as to break patterns of poor eduaction and violence. We are the ones who make this city what is. So make the most of it.

How so if we're losing so many good jobs. Our major companies are closing down or laying off (Ford, Philip Morris, GE, Lear Seating, etc). So how is that livable

CHUCK NORRIS WOULD LIVE HERE SO IT'S A GOOD CITY TO LIVE IN WITHOUT A DOUBT

Louisville is the perfect-sized city to live in and raise a family. It's not too big or too small.

It is the only major US city without a complete loop around it! Built the East End bridge NOW.

downtown louisville does have alot to offer. but my family and i won't go down their because of all the crime. we rather stick to our own part of town. not everwhere is safe but downtown seems to have alot more crime.

What do you think?