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I know Newburyport quite well, and I don't think you will find any small town with that kind of affluence in Kentucky, if you are looking for that level of shops and restaurants....the closest thing would be something like Old Louisville as you mentioned...but not really in a small town. Danville is a nice small town and does have a cute downtown, but is not as affluent as Newburyport. You can look at street view on Google maps to see it.
ps - and Newburyport doesn't get 100 inches of snow a year, c'mon .....more like 50....maybe 60 at the most; I went to college close by there.
Danville is a lovely, safe, small town. To answer some of your questions: we do have a full time fire dept that also uses volunteers. There are I do believe several fire stations around the town and county. The police dept is full time as well.
Downtown is Main Street. It's about 6 blocks long. There aren't hardly any clothing shops "downtown" but there a few cute little boutiques of different sorts. There's a cafe, a pub, and a few other locally owned eateries. Our downtown has in recent years gotten a much needed facelift without taking away from the small town feel.
There are quite a few neighborhoods in walking distance of downtown. Some of which are historical districts. I'm not sure of the property taxes but you'd be surprised at what types of houses you can find for a really small amount of money. Especially compared to larger cities.
Danville, the town itself holds 2 festivals. But there are also a lot of other festivals that go on in the county of Boyle and surrounding counties. There's the Constitution Square Festival that's held in September. It's held at our local state park, The Constitution Square. But the festival the Danville is best known for is The Great American Brass Band Festival that's held the second weekend in June. Both festivals are free and family friendly. Check out our local newspaper's website, [url=http://www.amnews.com]amnews.com - The Advocate-Messenger in Danville, KY[/url], and you'll find pictures of the festivities. You'll also be able to check out some of downtown. The Brass Band Festival is held on Centre College's campus. Centre is one of the top liberal arts colleges in the country.
Most of the shopping is done on the south side of town. That is where you'll find most of your fast food restaurants, sit down restaurants, Wal-Mart, Kroger, and liquor stores. Danville recently went wet. There is a small used bookstore in the shopping center, as well as clothing stores. But if any of the stores Danville has aren't to your liking it's just a 35 min drive to Lexington that has pretty much whatever you may need.
I hope this helps. If you have any more questions about Danville please feel free to ask. If you decide to make a visit down here make sure to contact that Danville Chamber of Commerce and they will be able to help you out with anything that you may need.
Oh and I'm not sure of the crime rate percentage but most of the crime is petty stuff. You don't really hear of major crimes going on around here. But that's all in the local newspaper
Danville also includes Constitution Square State Historic Park, where Kentucky's first (and only) constitution was created. The shady park is a square city block and includes historic log and brick structures: a pioneer log school, an early tavern, brick row houses (used by the local art community for studios and sales), etc., along with a very nice gift shop with lots of Kentucky arts and crafts. Picnickers are welcome.
Right across the street is the historic Ephraim McDowell House, also a state shrine. An pioneer physician, Dr. McDowell performed the first successful (i.e., the patient survived and was cured) abdominal surgery (and got the hospital named in his honor many years later).
Across Main Street from Constitution Square is Burke's Bakery - delicious and inexpensive goodies, plus made-to-order sandwiches. This area is at one end of the Main Street shopping area - Centre College is at the other end. Attractive older homes are within easy walking distance -a block or two - just north of Main Street (check out Lexington Avenue).
A variety of antique shops and antique malls are located in Danville, and the Highway 127 World's Longest Yardsale passes through town each August.
There's also the Pioneer Playhouse, which performs summer stock, and the newish dollhouse museum, fascinating for both adults and children.
Just south of Danville is tiny Junction City, on the edge of "The Knobs", a wooded and hilly area where beautiful crystal and/or chalcedony geodes are commonly found in both fields and creeks.
Other nearby places of interest would include the restored Shaker village, Shakertown at Pleasant Hill, and Harrodsburg.
Cincinnati is considerably more than one hour from Danville, unless you burn the wind. Please don't drive that fast; you will endanger other travellers if you do! Downtown Lexington is almost an hour from downtown Danville, if you obey the speed limits. Of course it is less from Danville's suburbs to Lexington's suburbs. The highway is a divided four lane from the outskirts of Lexington to the Kentucky River and is presently is being widened beyond this point, but you can't make good time on the existing two-lane portion, so just relax and enjoy the scenery instead. This part of the river is lined by the ruggedly beautiful Palisades, btw, and several nature preserves are located near Camp Nelson, a Civil War historic site just north of the Kentucky River.
Lots to see and do in the Danville area and slightly beyond, with large cities Louisville and Cincinnati well-within daytrip range.
Danville is a great small town. The Great American Brass Band Festival, which someone mentioned above, draws bands from all over the United States and sometimes from other countries. Norton Center for the Arts, on the campus of Centre College, attracts big-name performing groups on a regular basis. Just last evening, the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra performed there, in conjunction with the World Equestrian Games currently taking place in Lexington. The performance in Danville last night was the first time that the Vienna Philharmonic has performed in the United States outside of Lincoln Center in New York City.
A few miles northwest of Danville is the historic town of Harrodsburg. One of the well-known historic landmarks there is the Beaumont Inn, a hotel with several nice restaurants. "Bourbon and Brass," an event of the Great American Brass Band Festival occurs at the Beaumont Inn on Thursday evening to kick off the festival.
When you go to check out Danville and Lexington, I would also urge you to check out Harrodsburg.
I'm not really sure why Danville is considered dangerous to walk around by some posters, the downtown area is perfectly pedestrian friendly. Centre College students walk all over the campus area and downtown. I haven't heard of students being mowed down. Danville is a great little town, but it isn't going to have the density and walkability of Newburyport. There are a few things in the charming little downtown including a great coffee shop. The downtown area is surrounded by beautiful old, historic neighborhoods with big mature trees. Centre has a big impact on the cultural amenities of the town. Keep in mind, Danville is "moist" I believe. You can get a drink at a restaurant but you have to drive 20 minutes or so to buy any alcohol at a package store.
Bardstown is another town to consider. It is a little bit bigger with a more walkable town center. Bardstown has a bit of a tourism industry, so the downtown has a number of shops and more walkability. It is about 45min from Louisville and 1hr from Lexington.
Keep in mind, Danville is "moist" I believe. You can get a drink at a restaurant but you have to drive 20 minutes or so to buy any alcohol at a package store.
Good news: Danville had a wet/dry vote a few weeks ago, and a majority voted to go wet. There is now a wine/beer store downtown and another liquor store south of downtown.
I know I'm way late to the conversation, but it really sounds like Danville has everything you're looking for, and possibly more.
There is an Edward Jones office downtown, if you might be interested in working for them. Otherwise, there are several banks in town, and there's always Lexington.
Boyle county is full of history - Perryville Battlefield just down the road from Danville. Dr. Ephraim McDowell lived in Danville, and was the first doctor to perform a successful abdominal surgery.
I response to another poster's comment, as of March 3, 2010 Boyle county is no longer dry. You can buy packaged liquor 7 days/week.
Does Danville have a hospital? Yes. Ephraim McDowell Regional Medical Center is in downtown Danville, and has a presence throughout the region. It is one of the largest employers in the region.
Are "outsiders" welcome? Absolutely. Danville is a college town, and a medical center for the region so people from all over the country and world have made Danville their home.
Is it a walkable community? This, with most cities/towns all depends on where you live. Most of Danville is walkable, but as someone pointed out, there is a fair amount of sprawl. Nothing you won't find anywhere else - strip malls and "rural subdivisions". Danville has a walk score of 41. I don't know where you are in MA, but Newburyport has about the same population as Danville, but has a walk score of 54 - to give you comparison.
Does it have a "real" downtown? I'm not exactly sure what you mean by "real", but there are shops and restaurants downtown, a library, parks, and even a museum. Centre College is downtown, which is home to the Norton Center for the Arts. There are plays and concerts there constantly, including national acts and Broadway shows (off-Broadway?).
What kind of shopping/restaurants are in town? There are all kinds of restaurants. There are the chains (the " 's " restaurants) - O'Charley's, Applebee's, Zaxby's, McDonald's, Arby's, etc. Then there are quite a few independent restaurants including, contrary to another poster's remark, a Japanese steakhouse/sushi bar (opening soon). Danville has a Peebles, J.C. Penny, Lowe's, Wal-Mart, Office Depot, and lots of independently owned shops.
Is a commute to Lexington (for work) doable? There are two main ways to get to Lexington from Danville. The first is straight up 127 to Bluegrass Parkway to Lexington. That route is all highway, 47 miles, and takes 40-60 minutes. The second is to take US-27 from Danville right into Lexington. That route is mostly curvy, two-lane road, 35 miles, and depending on how comfortable you are driving it, 45 minutes to over an hour.
What is the property tax rate? The property tax rate is 1.143 per $100 of assessed value.
Is there a grocery store? There are three large grocery stores - Kroger, Food Lion, and Save-A-Lot. The closest thing you would have to Kroger up there is Big Y.
Is there a bookstore? The only bookstore I'm aware of downtown is the Centre College bookstore. There are at least two others in the shopping centers.
Is there a library? Yes. The library is downtown, and has just been remodeled and added on to. (Boyle County Public Library)
Are there things going on - festivals, etc.? There are two big festivals in Danville every year - Constitution Square Arts Fest and Great American Brass Band Festival. More info here: Constitution Square Arts Fest (http://www.constitutionsquareartsfest.org/index.html - broken link) and The Great American Brass Band Festival
Would it be possible to find a house where we could walk to town? There are quite a few houses for sale now that are within a few minutes walk to the library, restaurants and shops downtown. I don't know what your budget is, but here are a few listings (all within walking distance to downtown) to give you a feel of what's out there:
MLS 3BR, 2.5 baths, 2520 sq ft $159,900 MLS 5BR, 2 baths, 2900 sq ft $179,900 MLS 5BR, 2 baths, 2575 sq ft $215,000 MLS 4BR, 2 full 2 half baths, 4200 sq ft $289,000 MLS 4BR, 2 baths, 2661 sq ft $234,900 MLS 5BR, 3.5 baths, 3728 sq ft $475,000
I know I'm way late to the conversation, but it really sounds like Danville has everything you're looking for, and possibly more.
There is an Edward Jones office downtown, if you might be interested in working for them. Otherwise, there are several banks in town, and there's always Lexington.
Boyle county is full of history - Perryville Battlefield just down the road from Danville. Dr. Ephraim McDowell lived in Danville, and was the first doctor to perform a successful abdominal surgery.
I response to another poster's comment, as of March 3, 2010 Boyle county is no longer dry. You can buy packaged liquor 7 days/week.
Does Danville have a hospital? Yes. Ephraim McDowell Regional Medical Center is in downtown Danville, and has a presence throughout the region. It is one of the largest employers in the region.
Are "outsiders" welcome? Absolutely. Danville is a college town, and a medical center for the region so people from all over the country and world have made Danville their home.
Is it a walkable community? This, with most cities/towns all depends on where you live. Most of Danville is walkable, but as someone pointed out, there is a fair amount of sprawl. Nothing you won't find anywhere else - strip malls and "rural subdivisions". Danville has a walk score of 41. I don't know where you are in MA, but Newburyport has about the same population as Danville, but has a walk score of 54 - to give you comparison.
Does it have a "real" downtown? I'm not exactly sure what you mean by "real", but there are shops and restaurants downtown, a library, parks, and even a museum. Centre College is downtown, which is home to the Norton Center for the Arts. There are plays and concerts there constantly, including national acts and Broadway shows (off-Broadway?).
What kind of shopping/restaurants are in town? There are all kinds of restaurants. There are the chains (the " 's " restaurants) - O'Charley's, Applebee's, Zaxby's, McDonald's, Arby's, etc. Then there are quite a few independent restaurants including, contrary to another poster's remark, a Japanese steakhouse/sushi bar (opening soon). Danville has a Peebles, J.C. Penny, Lowe's, Wal-Mart, Office Depot, and lots of independently owned shops.
Is a commute to Lexington (for work) doable? There are two main ways to get to Lexington from Danville. The first is straight up 127 to Bluegrass Parkway to Lexington. That route is all highway, 47 miles, and takes 40-60 minutes. The second is to take US-27 from Danville right into Lexington. That route is mostly curvy, two-lane road, 35 miles, and depending on how comfortable you are driving it, 45 minutes to over an hour.
What is the property tax rate? The property tax rate is 1.143 per $100 of assessed value.
Is there a grocery store? There are three large grocery stores - Kroger, Food Lion, and Save-A-Lot. The closest thing you would have to Kroger up there is Big Y.
Is there a bookstore? The only bookstore I'm aware of downtown is the Centre College bookstore. There are at least two others in the shopping centers.
Is there a library? Yes. The library is downtown, and has just been remodeled and added on to. (Boyle County Public Library)
Are there things going on - festivals, etc.? There are two big festivals in Danville every year - Constitution Square Arts Fest and Great American Brass Band Festival. More info here: Constitution Square Arts Fest (http://www.constitutionsquareartsfest.org/index.html - broken link) and The Great American Brass Band Festival
Would it be possible to find a house where we could walk to town? There are quite a few houses for sale now that are within a few minutes walk to the library, restaurants and shops downtown. I don't know what your budget is, but here are a few listings (all within walking distance to downtown) to give you a feel of what's out there:
MLS 3BR, 2.5 baths, 2520 sq ft $159,900 MLS 5BR, 2 baths, 2900 sq ft $179,900 MLS 5BR, 2 baths, 2575 sq ft $215,000 MLS 4BR, 2 full 2 half baths, 4200 sq ft $289,000 MLS 4BR, 2 baths, 2661 sq ft $234,900 MLS 5BR, 3.5 baths, 3728 sq ft $475,000
Is there any craft shows throughout the year in Danville, ky.....church bazaars, etc.
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.....more like 50....maybe 60 at the most; I went to college close by there.
