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I'm a single mother looking to relocate to the Lexington area with my 3 year old son from Michigan within the next year. I am planning on attending graduate school at one of the schools in the area, but I haven't even began to apply yet.
I need a safe area, obviously, and with good schools. I love older, vintage homes with historical appeal but am not opposed to newer construction so long as they have charm! I also would like to have a bit of privacy, so houses that are close together do not appeal to me.
Can anyone suggest a good area?
Here are my answers to the questions from the sticky:
Where you are working?
Haven't started looking, but I am a certified secondary teacher in Michigan in two content areas and hope to find a job before moving. I just don't know where to look yet!
How much you are willing to spend on housing?
Between 200 and 300k
How long of a commute you're willing to tolerate?
Up to 20 minutes one way
If you have kids: Private school or public school?
He's not old enough yet, but either as long as it is a good system
What type of neighborhood environment you are looking for: small town feeling? small city excitement? suburbia delight?
I love the small town feeling but don't want to feel completely isolated. I want to be able to visit and see my neighbors but I don't want to be able to hear them when I'm trying to sleep!
Community amenities important to you? Good schools, hospitals, shopping, cultural opportunities
Pie or cake? Depends on what kind of pie or cake!
Good school systems are hard to find in central Kentucky. Fayette and Woodford County are the best, but aren't great all-around systems. If you can afford private schools, I would consider Lexington catholic schools or Sayre. Capital Day in Frankfort may also be a viable option.
Model Lab is a great little public school in Richmond. May be hard to get a student in, though, but check it out. If you can pull it off, go for it by all means, although you may not like Richmond very much and may still be content to live in southern Fayette County.
Living in Versailles, Midway or Frankfort would place you closer to Lexington's great private schools. If you're going to do Fayette County or Woodford County Public, then live in Lexington or Versailles/Midway, respectively.
In Fayette County (Lexington), there are several areas that might be of interest to you.
Chevy Chase is a very popular area with historic homes, great schools (Cassidy elementary, Morton Middle). Mature trees, walkable neighborhoods, convenient to UK if that's where you go to school, and centrally located. The downfall is that the lots are smaller/closer together.
The Stonewall neighborhood also has a good elementary school (Stonewall El). The homes were built within the last fifty years, so not quite old enough to have that historic charm, but the neighborhood has huge lot sizes (up to 1 acre), lots of shade and mature trees, and also convenient to different areas of Lexington.
A small area that might be of interest is Tahoma Terrace. Very charming historic homes on streets that are nestled just south of campus in a quiet, park-like area. The edge of the neighborhood borders on the Arboretum, and there are walking trails that directly link to the neighborhood. Glendover, the elementary school, is solid. The nearby Glendover neighborhood is a little newer, but features good-sized yards and nice mature trees, too. It is right off of Nicholasville Rd, one of the main corridors in Lexington, which offers convenience but also can bring some traffic woes.
If you really want to be out more in the country, Woodford County is a good option. Midway is a small, charming railroad town with an historic main street that features quirky restaurants and small shops. Woodford schools are, for the most part, pretty good. It is also convenient to the interstate which would open up more possibilities for grad school (like UofL). Scott County also features some good elementary schools (particularly Western, Northern, and Anne Mason). The Georgetown area features some neighborhoods with very large lots. Several of them are new developments but the homes are still nice: 107 Thoroughbred Way Georgetown, KY 40324| Home For Sale
For a small town feel, I like Georgetown the best. Your $200-300k budget can get you into a lot of newer houses, but most of the decent older houses in neighborhoods with good schools will be more. Chevy Chase and Ashland Park are the most popular older neighborhoods in Lex, but houses in your price range tend to need a lot of work.
I would try around the Stonewall Neighborhood. My Grandparents live there and they have almost an acre with a creek running through the back yard. The houses aren't crazy close together and they are all older.
Sorry I am just getting back on here since I posted! Thank you all for your advice! I'm hoping all goes well with the job search so that I can move to KY sometime in the summer of 2011. Everyone has been so helpful on here and I truly appreciate it!
My son attended Stonewall when he was in elementary school - an excellent school.
The homes in Stonewall aren't exactly historic, but they do have large yards and privacy.
I am a Realtor in Lexington and assist buyers in all of Central Kentucky. I would love to help you with your home search. Check out my website at www.TeamHuff.com and contact me anytime!
The Southland-Twin Oaks area of Lexington has much in common with Chevy Chase, but has somewhat newer houses and is considerably less expensive. Both neighborhoods are very walkable, with shopping, churches, good schools and parks nearby. Each neighborhood has lots of trees and is well-maintained. The difference is that Southland's houses were constructed in the 1950s and are modest ranches and Cape Cods. However, they're solidly built, and often have larger yards than Chevy Chase houses, which are more architecturally diverse and date to the 1930s. Houses in both areas are likely to have hardwood floors and fireplaces, with almost all Chevy Chase houses having basements and many one-floor Southland houses having attics.
You can find very livable three-bedroom houses in Southland for around $130,000 at present. A Chevy Chase house of equal size will cost an easy $35,000 more...
It is hard to get into Chevy Chase for less than $250k. The ones I have seen around that price need lots of work too.
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