9 Reasons Young Professionals are Calling Bowling Green, KY Home

March 07, 2023 in Afni News

Just one hour from Nashville (“Music City, USA”) and less than two hours from bustling Louisville lies a mid-size town with lots of charm and lots to love.

9 Reasons Young Professionals are Calling Bowling Green, KY Home — *(Leah Kelley / pexels)*

Young professionals in the South often gravitate toward Bowling Green because of the quality of life it provides and the many job opportunities pouring in as it continues to grow and thrive. In 2020, Bowling Green landed on Livability’s list of top 100 places to live in the US. If that doesn’t convince you that Bowling Green is a great place to live and grow in your career, here are nine more reasons.

1. Location

Bowling Green appeals to many because of its proximity to popular surrounding areas. With a population of 73,529, it’s a mid-sized city with everything you need but doesn’t feel overcrowded and congested.

It’s conveniently close to highway I-65, which you only have to stay on for an hour to reach Nashville. This famous city launched many giants in music, including Dolly Parton, Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, and Taylor Swift.

Nashville has always been a popular site for music lovers. It is filled with dense history, famous country faces, and the Grand Ole Opry, America’s longest-running radio show. Nashville is a great city getaway with a handful of historical sites.

If staying within state lines is more your speed, then luckily, you’re less than two hours from Louisville, the largest city in Kentucky with a population of around 630,000. Louisville sits on the beautiful Ohio River along the Indiana border and is a busy city with tall buildings, lots of food, and things to do around the clock.

On the flip side, for those who would like to live in a small town outside of Bowling Green, Elizabethtown is only one hour away, with a population closer to 30 000. It’s beautiful, serene, and charming.

2. Lots to do

Those looking to set roots with their young families will love all the activities that Bowling Green has to offer. Greenwood Mall offers excellent shopping, with 100 stores and 17 places to grab a bite. There are three department stores: Dillard’s, Belk, and JCPenney.

You’ll find what you need and enjoy the temperate, indoor mall space on bad-weather days. A mall that is still hopping is an excellent indication that the area as a whole is thriving.

For those more excellent weather months and summer vacations, Barren River Lake is a quick 20-minute drive to some of the state’s best camping, hiking, and fishing. It’s perfect for long weekends. Other in-town activities include:

Lost River Cave and Boat Tour
The Kentucky Museum
Chaney’s Dairy Barn
Riverview at Hobson Grove

3. Central Time Zone

Being in the central time zone is excellent for those working remotely with people across different time zones. Being two hours ahead of the Pacific time zone makes it easy to get a head start on work, and you’re only an hour different from the Eastern time zone, so EST meetings won’t be extra early or late for you. Whether schedules are based on Pacific, Mountain, or Eastern, being right in the middle in the Central time zone is always a safe bet.

4. Continual Job Growth

Bowling Green is continually growing with a strong employment scene. Local businesses and chains thrive in Bowling Green, providing various job opportunities and a strong economy. Bowling Green houses headquarters to major corporations such as Fruit of the Loom, General Motors Corporation (GM), BG Metalforming (Magna), Union Underwear Co., and many battery plants. Whether you’re looking for part-time or full-time jobs in Bowling Green, KY, you can find your niche.

Western Kentucky University also provides many career and education opportunities, and it is an easy commute as it sits right in the heart of Bowling Green. It offers over 170 undergraduate programs and more than 125 graduate programs.

5. Southern Hospitality

You may have heard of sweet southern hospitality, and the rumors are true: many people in the South greatly emphasize friendliness. Bowling Green is a southern Kentucky town with a healthy population of people who wave and smile at each other and deem eye contact essential.

Kentuckians adopt a “come as you are” mentality as people of all backgrounds move to Bowling Green from around the US for jobs and schooling. You won’t find this type of hospitality everywhere, but you’ll find it in Bowling Green as a warm and welcoming launching pad for your career.

6. Corvette Heaven

Car enthusiasts, listen up. Did you know that every Corvette in the US is made in Bowling Green? Just driving down the street, you’ll come across a handful of locals driving snazzy Vettes.

If you want to learn everything there is to know about those fancy race cars, then you’ll be delighted to take a visit to the National Corvette Museum, where “adrenaline meets tradition.” There’s a raceway where, for a few hours, you can make your race car driving dreams come to life.

The car scene in Bowling Green is simply incredible. Car shows are plentiful, and chances are, if you’re waiting in a long line at the grocery store, there’s a local around you who will be able to spout Corvette facts.

7. Breweries

Bowling Green has some of the best breweries in all of Kentucky. Two of the best ones are White Squirrel Brewery and Blue Hollar. White Squirrel offers small-batch beers brewed in a small kitchen, only about 450 square feet.

Whatever is on tap that day depends on the brew master’s current mood, and the food options are unique such as the pb&j burger or bacon in a cup with blueberry pecan syrup on top. Blue Hollar is also a craft beer bar with 20 beers on tap, seven brewed in-house. Relax at one of the breweries after work or on weekends and unwind.

8. Community Liveliness

Bowling Green stays alive with lots of activity all year round. There’s no shortage of summer festivals and taco truck nights with live music, Christmas parades, and other community activities to participate in and enjoy.

All the activities in town make it easy to make friends in Bowling Green and feel a part of the community. Bowling Green is big on community unity and pride, and it’s one of the most welcoming places in the US.

9. Various Food Options

Bowling Green has fantastic local and chain restaurants. A fabulous special occasion restaurant is Hickory and Oak, and for a more laid-back and casual meal, Novo or Local Taco are affordable and delicious food options.

Local Taco offers cheap, delicious tacos and high-quality margaritas with good tequila. Beat Box offers healthy takeout meals or dine-in eating with health-conscious food, drinks, and juices. Food delivery services are easy to come by in Bowling Green, and we all learned during the pandemic that food delivery is convenient and awesome.

Bowling Green is a beautiful city in south-central Kentucky with lots to offer. It checks many boxes for young professionals, and even has a Chamber of Commerce initiative called Bowling Green Young Professionals. It’s “a group (ages 21-40) that encourages young talent in our community by engaging and empowering our next generation of business and community leaders to actively shape our region.”

The University dramatically contributes to its growing job market and economic growth and is a pillar in the community. Bowling Green continues to blossom. It’s great for young professionals looking to grow their careers, young families looking to plant roots, and college students looking for an excellent college education. If you want to know about up-and-coming job openings in Bowling Green, KY, Afni Careers can help you find the best in office jobs or work-from-home options.

About the Author

Samantha is the Recruitment Marketing Manager for Afni and brings a wealth of knowledge and tips for job seekers. She holds a bachelor's degree in public relations and marketing from Mount Saint Vincent University as well as a masters degree in digital marketing and advertising from Liberty University.