Where would you live with young family? Ashland, Pinnacle or Andover (cul-de-sac, club)

[timelesschild]

There are plenty of families in Ashland Park. It's a 100-year-old neighborhood so it's done the flip several times, and is now really well-mixed in ages of residents.

Another nice thing about it is that you are close to Christ the King, which will be ideal for your Catholic school plans.

As for where people swim, I would look at Woodland Park - there is a good parks and rec swimming pool there with a good swim team. If you prefer a private pool, there are plenty of clubs - Spindletop is my favorite, but there are lots of others.

[teebird1012]

Definitely Ashland. It's closer to much more of the city than Andover and Pinnacle so convenience is a plus. The homes here are older, but generally well kept. I'm slightly biased though as I grew up here.

[LEXpert]

I wish we could give people advice without the bias. If you listened to most of the people on this forum the only places worth living are 40502 or out Clays Mill Rd. Shoot, according to our moderator we should all move to Louisville. Every place else in Lexington is either unsafe or served by horrible schools ;-)

[ttyl1979]

I would pick Andover hands down!! Ashland is old. If you like older homes, then it's the place for you. If you like newer homes, more of a sprawl then I would pick Andover.

[timelesschild]

Lexpert, I understand what you are saying. We can only share the experiences we each actually have. In my case, I have tons of family history in Ashland Park, and find it to be safe, calming, beautiful and serene. I do not care for new suburbs at all, and actually do not usually have much in common with the kind of people who do like them. That is my experience. Yours will be different, because your life and whatever are different. Here is an opinion: I actually actively DISlike both Andover and Pinnacle... and here is a hard fact: neither of them is going to be as close to a Catholic school as Ashland Park.

There is almost no Lexington area which is actually dangerous. As I've said in the past, the ones which are, are both obvious and avoidable. However, when someone asks specifically for great schools, how would they feel to be told Tates Creek High School (for example) is OK, then move to Lexington only to find that the general consensus in the city is that it is 4th out of 5? Not the great school they were trying for. OTOH, if they are looking at a house they love in that area and asking if the school is adequate and sorta safe, then yes, it is. The greatschools score for Tates Creek HS is 8/10. Hardly a war zone.

I agree with you that our moderator's idea of sending people to Louisville for everything is unreasonable and irresponsible.

[LEXpert]

I guess the school thing boils down to what you think contributes the most to an education. I think my kids would get the same education at any decent school in Lexington because my wife and I are involved. The schools that test the best are the ones that have the most parent participation. I see this everyday (except now, since it is summer) at Maxwell.

My wife graduated validictorian from Harlan High School, which is a place that probably makes Tates Creek look like Dunbar on your website. She came up here to UK and was better educated than most of the other students. She is the smartest person I know and is a pharmacist. My point is just that statistically, she shouldn't have done so well. So, was it the school that made her turn out so good or was it something she had??

My only point was that I wish we had a broader source of views to share with future Lexingtonians since most of the posters seem to share the same view. I just wish we had more people from different parts of town and different socioeconomic groups. I would say the same thing even if everybody on here loved Andover as much as I did.

[timelesschild]

I understand, Lexpert. I was a Merit Scholar (National Merit finalist) who came from a rural Kentucky high school which scores 5/10 on the greatschools website. The difference certainly lies in the home I came from. But guess what? I didn't enjoy attending a substandard school. Usually high-functioning students enjoy high-functioning schools.

So I understand your wife's story very well. It is absolutely possible that GREAT students can emerge from substandard schools. Should we, then, send people to Harlan County when they ask for a great school? I ask tongue-in-cheek, because of course the answer is "no". Clearly it was something that came from within her, and she is to be lauded for her intelligence and hard work.

Tates Creek, Lafayette, and Henry Clay all three score 8/10 on the greatschools website. Dunbar scores a 9/10. I don't think there's enough difference to be terribly concerned about - but if someone asks about local perception of the various high schools, well, what can we do but answer honestly?

That low-income housing development near Tates Creek High School did a number on that neighborhood. I remember when Tates Creek was the "it" high school. It isn't anymore. Things change.

Lafayette's arts and engineering magnets are really excellent assets. It draws a very diverse student body from downtown all the way out Clays Mill Road. Moreover, it has a lot of history as Lexington's oldest still-existent high school.

Henry Clay draws from a higher-income community, which will tend to have more-involved parents and extended families.

Dunbar is still shiny and new, and is off to a good start. The math and science magnet is a nice touch, but doesn't affect very many students. The jury is still out as to how Dunbar will perform over time. My guess is that it could go either way.

[LEXpert]

Tates Creek, Lafayette, and Henry Clay all three score 8/10 on the greatschools website. Dunbar scores a 9/10. I don't think there's enough difference to be terribly concerned about

Exactly!! Now, you can be the person on here who says Dunbar, and I can be the one says they are all good schools and to pick the one that fits your housing/financial/transportation/special needs the best. Then, people will get both of our views and everyone will be happy :-)

[timelesschild]

Originally Posted by LEXpert

Exactly!! Now, you can be the person on here who says Dunbar, and I can be the one says they are all good schools and to pick the one that fits your housing/financial/transportation/special needs the best. Then, people will get both of our views and everyone will be happy :-)

Ah, I think not. Nice try though. I hardly ever direct people to Dunbar (or any school) with any sort of blanket recommendation like that. I listen to what they are asking for, and if I know of a part of Lexington which fits their stated objectives, I recommend it to them. You might notice that when people are asking about whether they should choose Veterans Park over Copperfield or whatever, I have no opinion and keep my mouth shut. Reason? It isn't my field of expertise. Mine is downtown and inside-the-circle.

[piniw]

Thanks for all the replies. What about Hartland? I have heard great things about that area as well especially if you might consider private school.