Lexington, Kentucky

How is it to live in Lexington?

Lovely. We have 99% of the perks of big city loving while retaining the small town feel in a lot of places.

We have several big businesses in a variety of fields to stimulate our economy and multiple centers of learning to produce a steady flow of intellectualism and new people.

Culturally we have our famous horse industry that we are the world leaders in that field and we have the Wildcats basketball team that is in a golden age at this time. There are also several museums and a constant stream of live shows of a great diversity.

We have a wide variety of restaurants from different cultures globally, and we are within a car ride day trip of many major cities, lakes, state and national parks.

Crime is relatively low or at least it seems that way to me, I can walk most places alone at night with no fear at all.

I’m sure I could think of more given time.

How is it to live in Lexington?

Louisville is the biggest city, Frankfort is the capital, but Lexington is the heart.

Lived here 26 years, came for UK and never left.

Pros:

Beautiful parks, farms, downtown. Gateway to eastern and southern Kentucky with all its natural beauty, lakes, rivers, and mountains.

Plenty of shopping. Good cultural events with events and parades, Opera House, Rupp Arena, Keeneland, Bourbon Trail. Tons of restaurants. Very kid-friendly, very teen-friendly, very college-age friendly, very friendly overall.

Highly educated population.

Good economy and good city and county leadership.

Two interstates that don't cut into the city.

You're no more than an hour from Louisville or Cincinnati or Red River Gorge, three to Indianapolis, Nashville or Gatlinburg, five to Chicago, Cleveland, St. Louis or Atlanta, or eight to Charleston SC or Florida.

Cons:

As others have said, traffic. Infrastructure has not grown with the population, so plan for 30 minutes to get anywhere else outside your neighborhood. Lots of bypasses and shortcuts though, so you don't have to stay on New Circle or MOW during high traffic times. Lots of tourists and out of towners from smaller places. Real estate prices are reflective of quality of neighborhoods or school districts.

What is it like to live in Lexington?

Lexington, in my opinion, is just the right size (around 322,00) with low unemployment. We enjoy all four seasons, but for us, a heavy snowfall would be 6″ accumulation. Temperature fairly moderate in the winter, but can be hot and humid in July and August (85–90F). The countryside indeed boasts beautiful horse farms, and our race track, Keeneland, is one of the most, if not THE most beautiful in the country. There’s plenty of bourbon distilleries conducting tours within an hour’s drive to entertain guests who may come to visit you. Lexington has a live and let live vibe regarding minorities, LBGTQ and anyone else that might feel squeamish living in “the south”. We’ve had a gay mayor, and a woman mayor, and have just elected (Nov 2018) another woman mayor. Medical facilities are excellent with a university teaching hospital and two private hospitals. Rent varies, with “luxury” or high-end one bedroom renting for around $1000/month. A decent sized home can be had for about $200,000, both those estimates are just that. Shop around. The Lexington Center books concerts all year round, with some of the most desirable in the world: Justin Timberlake, Paul McCartney, Taylor Swift, etc, etc, etc. Our University of Kentucky men’s basketball team is, year after year, rated in the top 25, and most of the time, in the top 10. And the UK campus has had quite a building spree in the last 8 years, resulting in very modern dorms and upgraded student center. Our downtown offers more and more dining and “hang outs” every year, and an enclave called the Summit in the suburbs offers plenty of eateries.

What is your review of Lexington, KY?

I have lived in 3 cities of India, 1 of Europe, and 3 US cities. Among these, I would rate Lexington, KY as the best city I have ever lived. Let's see why?
1) It's not a small city, but surely not a huge city. This makes commuting quite easy.
2) The cost of living is relatively less, but quality of life is terrific.
3) The weather is not as nasty as the north-east, but the different seasons are differentiable.
4) There is plenty of things to do. You are history buff, go visit the Mary Todd Lincoln house, Hunt-Morgan house, several museums, etc. You want to try different cuisines, Lex offers it. You want to hit the bars, Lex has them all.
5) Regardless of your gender, orientation, religion, and race, Lexington will make you feel welcome. There is something for everyone.
6) Education is great, thanks to UK.
7) With UK being the centerpiece of Lexington, sports and recreation choices are in abundance. It's hard to stay away from basketball, if you are in Lexington.
8) Lexington is the horse capital of the world. You can hit Keeneland twice a year (March and October), and you will fall in love with it. Of course the Kentucky Horse Park is a few miles away from Lexington downtown.
9) And if you like some bourbon, along with some doze of history, look no further. All the popular distilleries producing fine bourbon are in vicinity of Lexington.
10) Finally, what makes Lexington a great place to live is the people of the city. If I was born and raised in Lexington, well such a point would have been attributed to my bias. However, I was a foreigner but always felt like home. Even strangers are super friendly in Lexington.

Pros and Cons of Living in Lexington, Kentucky