Richmond/Berea (Lexington, Somerset, London: fit in, lease, waterpark) - Kentucky (KY) -Fayette County - City-Data Forum

BennettJ · 04-10-2011, 06:40 PM

Okay, we found a house to rent in this area. It's really a nice house for a great price. However, we'll have to lease out our beautiful house in the midwest. Am I going to love it in KY? Will my kids fit in at the high school? I have so many doubts, but yet I think it could be the right move for us. EKU and UK seem like great colleges, and we'd want our kids to commute there in a few years. Please someone tell me how great this area is, and I won't miss Illinois. Thanks!

CraigCreek · 04-11-2011, 01:34 PM

Is your new house in Richmond, Berea, or somewhere in between? The two communities have very different vibes. Both are college towns, but Berea, located on the very scenic westernmost slope of the Appalachian Mountains twelve miles to the south of Richmond, is also something of an artists' colony, with lots of great craft shops and several arts and crafts fairs each year, and is a tourist destination. It is also a nationally recognized center for traditional music and dance, much of which is sponsored by Berea College.

Berea College, which plays a major role in the small town of Berea, is private and has a very well-defined mission towards education of mountain youth. Its admissions policy is quite selective, and it is higher ranked academically than is Eastern State University in Richmond, which is larger but less distinctive in character than Berea College. Berea's pretty, treed campus is centrally located in the town and adds much to its scenic character. Nearby is Boone Tavern, operated by Berea College and known for its fine food and elegant hospitality.

You'll find more opportunities for "regular" shopping in Richmond, which boasts a mall on the bypass, whereas Berea has a super-sized Wal-Mart, grocery stores, drugstores, restaurants, and lots of antique and crafts shops for unique items. However, you may find yourself driving twelve miles up the road for more ordinary large purchases. Both towns have decent hospitals, with Lexington just up the road for more serious concerns.

I cannot comment on opportunities for teens in Richmond, but Berea has a vibrant youth (and child and adult) tradtitional music and dance scene, with the middle and high school-aged Festival Dancers being internationally traveled and recognized. Both towns also have the usual opportunities for high school sports, drama, etc. There are swimming pools in both towns.

The Civil War Battle of Richmond site is located between these two towns, and is well-preserved, with a small museum plus other period buildings. Various programs and an annual reenactment take place here. Indian Fort Mountain Forest, owned by Berea College and with several miles of good trails, is located on the outskirts of town and is open to the public at no charge for hiking, picnicing, etc. except for craft fair weekends. Pristine Anglin Falls Preserve is located about a twenty minute drive south of Berea, and is open at no charge for hiking, etc.

Lexington, in the center of the Bluegrass country, is half an hour north of Richmond and 45 minutes away from Berea, and offers many additional amenities and opportunities. The scenic Kentucky River forms the boundary between Lexington's Fayette County and Madison County, which includes both Richmond, the county seat, and Berea. The Kentucky River is bounded by 200-300 foot tall limestone Palisades and is popular for boating. Daniel Boone's Boonesboro is just a few miles up the river, and is now a state park with a reconstructed fort which offers various programs. Whitehall, the restored home of abolitionist and Berea College founder Cassius Marcellus Clay, is located at Clay's Ferry near the river and is a state historic park. Lots of history in this part of the world...

Hope this helps give you a feel for this area. I think you can tell I love it!

BennettJ · 04-11-2011, 07:00 PM

Thank you CraigCreek. The house has an address of Berea, but it's very close to southern Richmond (off 421, I believe). It's just difficult for me to leave my house (rented to someone else) and move so far away. I'm sure once we're all there, I'll adjust. Change is difficult for me, but I'm sure my kids will do fine. Thanks, again.

Roythe13th · 04-12-2011, 01:49 PM

I actually live in Richmond and work in Lexington. Including going to school, I've lived in Madison county since 1994. What are some of your concerns about moving to Kentucky (besides renting your home in Illinois)? What would you like to find or experience in Kentucky and in the Berea/Richmond area? I will help how I can.

I'm actually looking to leave the area but for my own personal reasons. One person's paradise is another person's hell.

BennettJ · 04-12-2011, 03:57 PM

I don't want to sound like a snob (even though I know it comes across that way), but I've always lived in the North (PA and then IL, with a brief stay in MO). I just want to be sure my kids will have great opportunities at school. I know for a fact that the school we're looking at doesn't have the same choice of classes as their current high school offers (even though they're the same size - approx 1,000 students). I don't want to travel 30 minutes to go grocery shopping, yet I want more than a 7500 sq foot yard. (I know, I'm spoiled too.) I know I'll miss being by the ocean (in IL, we have Lake Michigan and to a lesser extent Lake Geneva in WI; in PA, we had the Jersey shore). It's just the uncertainty of a move - not knowing folks and getting use to an area. We're moving so our kids can eventually commute to EKU and be in-state tuition. We're not close to a college here. Thanks for any input you can provide.

InLondon · 04-12-2011, 07:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BennettJ

I don't want to sound like a snob (even though I know it comes across that way), but I've always lived in the North (PA and then IL, with a brief stay in MO). I just want to be sure my kids will have great opportunities at school. I know for a fact that the school we're looking at doesn't have the same choice of classes as their current high school offers (even though they're the same size - approx 1,000 students). I don't want to travel 30 minutes to go grocery shopping, yet I want more than a 7500 sq foot yard. (I know, I'm spoiled too.) I know I'll miss being by the ocean (in IL, we have Lake Michigan and to a lesser extent Lake Geneva in WI; in PA, we had the Jersey shore). It's just the uncertainty of a move - not knowing folks and getting use to an area. We're moving so our kids can eventually commute to EKU and be in-state tuition. We're not close to a college here. Thanks for any input you can provide.

So you're from Illinois? You said you'll miss being by the ocean. I'm slightly confused.

Roythe13th · 04-13-2011, 12:17 AM

I don't think you are a snob. It can be very hard to move to an area where you don't know anyone. I am facing that now since I am applying for jobs across the country. Hoping to get a job where i can support myself in Los Angeles where I do have some friends but I have applied for many jobs in cities where I know no one. And I am single. You will at least have your family. And I can drive to Chicago in about 6 hours from Richmond so you aren't terribly, terribly far away from most parts of Illinois.

I can't help you with the high school part. I don't have any kids myself or know anyone who has high school aged kids. But I do know that EKU is not a very strict school in terms of high school transcripts and courses that were taken. Obviously many kids in the area go to local high schools and then go to EKU. If you are in the south Richmond area but address is Berea and on 421, sounds like you are near the Bluegrass Depot. You should be able to get to a grocery store in under 30 minutes, unless it is typical rush hour times. Besides the interstate, 421 is the biggest connector between Richmond and Berea. Berea doesn't have many large grocery stores besides Walmart. Richmond has a Walmart and a Meijer. You are probably about 15 minutes or so from Kroger in Richmond though which is a good size. All three are 24 hours. Also keep in mind, Richmond is the only place to buy liquor/wine/beer between Lexington and the Tennessee border. Boones Tavern in Berea may have a liquor license but I can't remember. It's a great restaurant to check out regardless.

Madison County is quite far from the ocean or something the size of Lake Michigan but there is Lake Cumberland about an hour south of Richmond. It is a large lake with lots of recreational activities. It also has Cumberland Falls which has the "moonbow" which apparently is a very rare phenomenon. Richmond has a small lake, Lake Reba. No swimming allowed but popular for fishing and picnics. I think people do boat there too. And there is a small waterpark and miniature golf course there too which could make for a fun day out not far from home. You are also about a hour away from Natural Bridge State park if you are into hiking and/or camping. Lots of people from Richmond go there for a day trip or weekend. And in Berea there is the Pinnacles where tons of college students go hiking and enjoy the views.

I wish you the best. I know it's scary but hopefully it works out. Living between Richmond and Berea, you have the opportunity to get involved in both communities. I think people in the area are overall quite friendly and I'm sure you will settle in within no time. Feel free to post or write to me if you have any other questions.

BennettJ · 04-13-2011, 11:37 AM

InLondon - we don't have an ocean in Northern Illinois, but we do have Lake Michigan, which is awesome and quite large. KY seems so landlocked to me, at least the part we are looking to move to.

BennettJ · 04-13-2011, 11:39 AM

Roythe13 - thank you. Good luck to you in your move. I've lived in 3 different states but will always consider PA to be home. I guess I'm looking for that - home and all the familiarity that goes with that feeling.

InLondon · 04-13-2011, 05:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BennettJ

InLondon - we don't have an ocean in Northern Illinois, but we do have Lake Michigan, which is awesome and quite large. KY seems so landlocked to me, at least the part we are looking to move to.

You have to check out Lake Cumberland in Somerset (about 45 min. south of Richmond.)