After our visit to Cairo, stopping in Paducah was a radical change in surroundings. The westernmost metropolitan area in Kentucky, the city has managed to revitalize its downtown and build a successful tourism industry.

Paducah itself is not huge, with only an estimated population of around 26,000 in 2022, which is actually smaller than Cape Girardeau, and only slightly larger than Cairo at its highest.

But Paducah chose not to self-destruct, like its Illinois neighbor just a 45 minute drive away to the west. It has embraced its historic architecture, particularly along Broadway Street, which we first looked at west of 4th Street, though there are unfortunately far too many blocks that were clear-cut for parking lots.

I hope that as the obvious tax revenue benefits of the renovated buildings will show, that many of these probably city-owned lots were be sold for in-fill redevelopment, as leaders discover that needing parking for Christmas shopping in the 1950s is no longer relevant in downtown.

As can be seen is happening, redevelopment is slowly finding its way up the numbered streets off Broadway Street.

And the emphasis on the historic architecture, such as the bank building below, is paying off; it is not a burden but rather an asset.

What Paducah has and should emphasize on its eastern portion of Broadway Street is its rich heritage of Italianate building stock, such as what you see below.