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Would anyone have experience in the commute from the south into Lex on route 68? How far south has Lexington suburb spread? Lots of traffic in the am?-John
route 68, or Harrodsburg Road, is dangerous. I enjoy the drive, but I also enjoy driving in the mountains in West Virginia, which are also very dangerous. the road has been widened to two lanes each way going South of Lexington just into Jessemine County, but after that it is still winding, narrow-laned road. paving has been kept up with in recent years, but there is little to no shoulder most of the way with forest directly beside the road on both sides. Lexington neighborhoods have expanded all the way to the Jessemine border, which are very nice neighborhoods, by the way. if you are coming from Nicholasville, I'd recommend taking Nicholasville Road or the bypass to get into Lexington, and if you are coming from Harrodsburg, you may choose to take the interstate instead. the traffic does get backed up in the morning, due to the roads that cross over from 68 into Nicholasville. if you're used to driving on country roads, it isn't so scary, but I recommend driving 68 during the day in good weather to get used to it if you want to go that way.
Many thanks for your informative reply, I'm actually thinking of coming from Lebanon, is that a rediculous commute? and by the interstate do you mean rt 64 the bl gr parkway? from Lebanon it seems like a long way round to go over to Bardstown and then up. There's a house I kove in Lebanon and I will be working in Lex. What about over to Danville and up 27? thanks johnnybc
sorry about the vague "interstate." I think the way my friends go from Harrodsburg to Lex is 127 bypass, or maybe the short 33 cut-over but I'm not sure. so often the way directions are given here. that, or going West to Bardstown wouldn't serve you well, no.
I'm more familiar with 68 from Harrodsburg to Lexington, and I can see on a map how it's a direct route to and from Lebanon. yes, I was referring to 27 as Nicholasville Road and you can go that way, but I'm not sure traffic in Danville won't hold you up. another way you can go that might even be faster if not shorter, is to take 55 > 555 N to Bluegrass Pkwy and that will bring you into Lexington from the West. you'll only want to avoid the BG during Keeneland as the entrance there always gets backed up.
in any case, 68 isn't a total no-go. if you're comfortable and careful driving on it, you should be fine. I drive to Wilmore on occasion and there's no other way to get there save 68.
it also depends on where you're working in Lexington. if it's near the South or East end, you won't want to come in from BG Pwky or driving across town could greatly lenghthen your commute. however if you're aiming for the West or North end, this way would definitely be shorter for you time-wise.
this isn't an "insane" commute but I'd allow over an hour to an hour and a half to get to work in the morning to allow for traffic and such. sticking to the highways will certainly increase your gas mileage; even though the speed limit is 50 or so along 68, there are many twists and turns and you have to drive at varying speeds.
wherever you're headed, luckily most of Kentucky is driveable these days.
Hwy 68 into Lexington from the south isn't all that bad. Like many commutes, it all depends on what time of day you are traveling. In most of Lexington, no matter which area you come into town from, you stand a good chance of some backup getting onto / past New Circle Road. I live about 15 minutes west of Harrodsburg, go north on 127 to the Bluegrass (Martha Layne Collins) parkway, and can be on the other side of Lexington in under an hour. Into a downtown parking lot in around 50 minutes, all while observing posted speeds.
68 is pretty, I take it home many days. It is fewer miles but more minutes, good for rewinding after work.
The mention of Versailles Rd. and Keeneland traffic (you must take this to get to Lexington from the BG Parkway) is really valid only during race season (May and October) and even then, only in the afternoon, as the first race does not go off until something like 12:25 p.m. So the morning commute is a non-issue.
Lebanon is a bit of a hike though, and the other poster is correct, 555 up to the parkway will be your best bet. You will have to weigh whether the advantages of small-town living are worth the trade of the commute. For us, the quality of life, lower property taxes and housing affordability in the outlying counties made this a no-brainer.
hey, thanks, Bobcatfarm. Are there bobcats in KY? I'm trying to move from Mass. where I have four acres with woods and people say they have tracked bobcat here, though I haven't seen one, though we have lost a couple of cats, either fishers or cayotes or bobcats. I want to live somewhere between Lexington and Louisville, so I can play music in both towns. Louisv. sounds more calm but not as much happening in the club scene. We are coming for a visit in April, and will check out both, maybe end up in Bardstown? johnnybc
hey, thanks, Bobcatfarm. Are there bobcats in KY? I'm trying to move from Mass. where I have four acres with woods and people say they have tracked bobcat here, though I haven't seen one, though we have lost a couple of cats, either fishers or cayotes or bobcats. I want to live somewhere between Lexington and Louisville, so I can play music in both towns. Louisv. sounds more calm but not as much happening in the club scene. We are coming for a visit in April, and will check out both, maybe end up in Bardstown? johnnybc
Just wondering who told you that? Louisville is 3 times the size of Lexington. The bars are open later, are more sophisticated, etc. There is really no comparison between nightlife in the two cities. Lexington, being much smaller, cannot compare in any aspect of nightlife. You probably need to come see for yourself. You may PM me to let me know what sort of restuarants, bars, and arts you are interested in.
There are actually no bobcats around here that I am aware of; the farm name is a sort of play on our first names.
Now on to other things: Louisville will most defiinitely offer you more in terms of night life than Lexington. Lexington trys pretty hard but Louisville is definitely far ahead in that regard. We get pretty good concerts of most types (check rupparena.com for more info); my husband used to play with both the Lexington Symphony and Philharmonic; there is a strong arts community.
You'll find that many of the smaller outlying towns may well have the "homey" feel that you are looking for: beware removing yourself from the pizza delivery area! For people who are used to take-out being right around the corner, this aspect of small-town life can be quite a shock.
One more thing, I must correct an earlier post -- Keeneland Race Track runs in APRIL and October, not May (no thunder, pun intended, to be stolen from Louisville's First Saturday in May Kentucky Derby). Keeneland runs simulcasting when they are not hosting race meets.
Hey thanks for the info, I did mean Louisville not Lex probobly had more nightlife. Sorry I mixed them up in my last post. My wife and I have a jazz/funk quartet that plays around New England but are looking for a warmer climate and slower pace life than Boston or NYC, both of which we've played quite a bit. Maybe we will live somewhere in between, my wife teaches piano so somewhere where there are community music schools and private students. I sell BMWs, which store is better, Louisv. or Lexington?? Johnnybc
I'd say Louisville is the better bet because the Beamer Dealership in Louisville has a much larger population base who can afford them. We own a towing company and most of the BMW's we tow end up going to Sam Swope BMW in Louisville.
If you want to live in between Louisville and Lexington you should try Frankfort. It's just about in the center between the two cities off I-64. There are a lot of people who live in this area and commute to both cities. The housing market here is good as far as decent pricing compared to the larger towns. However if your wife is going to teach piano she may have a larger group of children available to teach in the Louisville area.
Keep in mind which ever area you finally choose there are several publications which are free to the public where she can advertise her skills. Those are very good sources for people to use when they relocate to a new city. Most of the major grocery stores carry these papers and have them near the exit door. Grab a few and check them out!
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nightlife & cars
