Kentucky has several significant cities that serve as busy hubs where residents and visitors can enjoy commercial attractions, large festivals, and distinct architecture. If you are interested in some of the state’s charming city options, Covington and Bowling Green are two mid-sized Kentucky cities that are excellent places to call home.
Covington
Covington is a scenic city along the Ohio and Licking rivers. With a population of just over 40,000, it isn’t the largest city, yet Covington residents enjoy access to all the big city amenities they could want. Located just across the water from Cincinnati, it takes Covington residents approximately ten minutes to commute into the heart of Cincinnati’s downtown. Many make that commute daily as they enjoy the massive Cincinnati job market, which hosts the headquarters of major companies, including Procter & Gamble and American Financial Group.
Residents of Covington benefit from the city’s scenic setting and many incredible commercial areas. Devou Park, one of the biggest hotspots in Covington, is a 700-acre park with golf courses, picnic areas, panoramic views of the Cincinnati skyline, and much more. The city is ideal for outdoor recreation, and Covington’s charming riverfront is a terrific place for hiking and biking. And the Behringer-Crawford Museum is one of its quality local museums dedicated to the area’s history.
Covington is a charming city with numerous neighborhoods to explore. These include busy commercial areas such as the Mainstrasse Village district, which houses art galleries, delicious dining destinations, and busy shops. Wallace Woods is just one of Covington’s appealing residential neighborhoods; it’s a leafy, historical area with large, stately homes, excellent schools, and a community-oriented feel.
Bowling Green
Bowling Green is Kentucky’s third-largest city, a thriving area in Southern Kentucky home to just under 75,000 residents. This historic city, founded in the late 18th century, has grown into one of the state’s most significant urban centers, and it is renowned as a major car manufacturing hub. General Motors and other leading manufacturers produce in the city, and it is where all Corvettes have been built since the 1980s.
Bowling Green is a busy city home to Western Kentucky University, one of Kentucky’s most prominent colleges. The area near campus offers many restaurants and bars, giving Bowling Green a classic college-town feel. The city’s downtown is lively with family-friendly dining destinations and scenic public parks. Circus Square Park is a 4.5-acre park downtown that hosts community events and performances throughout the year. The city also provides intriguing museums centered around the state’s history, arts, and culture, including the Kentucky Museum and the National Corvette Museum.
Despite its urban feel, Bowling Green is also a destination for nature lovers. The most famous natural attraction in the area, Lost River Cave, is an underground cave system with a river winding through it that can be explored by boat tour. Bowling Green is also near Barren River Lake State Resort Park, which stretches for over 1,000 acres and is popular for boating, fishing, hiking, and golfing.
