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We just moved to Lexington this fall. (We love it so far, btw...) After some months of living in a rental that we are having a hard time with, we are looking to move.
What is the southland area like? I use the co-op there so I am familiar with the businesses, but how is the residential part? Who lives there? What are neighbors like? Is it students or older folks or who?
If we are a few blocks south of southland, and equally in between nicholasville and harrodsburg, how is the noise, night and day? how is the traffic? i know nickville is a busy road...does it affect that area?
in case you need the required Q&A answers:
Quote:
Where you are working: UK
How much you are willing to spend on housing:<200,000
How long of a commute you're willing to tolerate: i like walking or biking to campus or bus if possible. far is ok if there is a nice reason to be far, like a lake or something pretty.
If you have kids: Private school or public school? no kids.
What type of neighborhood environment you are looking for: small town feeling? small city excitement? suburbia delight? i've lived in both rural areas and downtown city atmospheres, i like both just fine. i like being close to the city-things to do, and if i can escape to a tree-y place like a big park, that's a huge plus. However, I am done with big city noise... so if the area i mentioned is right under airplanes or a planned overpass, lemme know!
Community amenities important to you: we're GLBT (the forum won't let me write q**r?) so don't want to live by haters. (though i have had no problems in lex so far...) Trees, birds, good groceries... i like to be able to walk or bike to the places i go to daily or weekly.
It is a good area. You get older, younger, families, etc over there. Just a good mix of people. I would live there. I love the trees!
There are so many ways to get in and out of that area that I don't see Nicholasville Road causing any trouble at all....especially for noise. There is the train track that runs right though the area. That is probably where most of the noise would come from.
We are moving to harrodsburg area and have been looking online for surrounding areas in which to live. We currently live in small town near bigger city with older kids. We would like to stay at least 30 minutes from Harrodsburg which is worksite. Looked at Wilmore, Nicholasville, Danville areas need direction. Say Southland where exactly is that?
We're renting a house in the Southland area (not sure it qualifies, but just north of Rosemont Garden). This neighborhood is a mix of renters like us, young families, and long-term older homeowners. Even though we're near Lafayette High School, it's relatively quiet. And I feel safe. My kids and I can ride our bikes to Hill n Dale park to shoot baskets or kick a soccer ball, and we can shop easily at Good Foods or Kroger.
That being said, I don't know what buying a home here would get you in terms of investment. It kind of sucked that The Morris Bookstore moved to Chevy Chase just as we moved in here--it sent a signal that businesses may not be as viable here as in other parts of the city. But what do I know. I'm a complete newby to Lexington.
Southland is great. Houses are mostly well-maintained three and four-bedroomed 1950s ranches or Cape Cods, usually brick or stone. Most have hardwood floors and fireplaces. Yards tend to be large and mature trees are plentiful. Both public and private schools are plentiful and good, while Southland Park provides ample opportunity for sports, swimming, walking, and play.
There are many churches along Clays Mill Road, many (not all) of them rather conservative. The Southland area precincts tend to vote conservatively. Most people in this area are friendly, pleasant folks who take good care of their property and who make good neighbors. Shopping and health care are nearby and buses run along the main arteries. Southland is a convenient and pleasant part of town.
House values are rising in Southland, though prices remain very affordable compared to areas with similar amenities, such as Chevy Chase.
We live in Southland and absolutely LOVE it. It's an affordable neighborhood that has unsurpassed convenience with actual character. I would say its 80-90% homeowner housing and 10-20% rentals (that's just a rough estimate). In general I think it will become a younger neighborhood over the next seveal years. In fact, it has seemed to become much younger in the short time my we have lived here. The homes were built in the 50s and 60s for the most part, so the original homeowners are largely passing away or moving to assisted living facilities. It's sad, but it's the inevitable lifecycle of a neighborhood. Our part of Southland seems very active. Lots of walkers and runners. Lots of dog walking and strollers as well. In general people have respect for each other. For example, I've never seen someone not pick up their dog's mess while walking them.
It's close to retail. You're an easy 5 minute drive to Fayette Mall. We have Sav-A-Lot for basic food items and a nearby Kroger for more comprehensive groceries. We have Good Foods for the organic market. We have a very good farmer's market on Sundays in the summer. The Southland shops are really starting to pick up. Morris Book Shop left, but we've had several new stores move into the neighborhood in the last year or two as well. We have neighborhood restaurants (Winchell's, Crossroad, the Soup Kitchen, Marrika's, The Ketch) and the obligatory fast food chains.
In general the area is solidly middle class, and generally well educated. Lots of UK employees, nurses, teachers, etc. You can easily get to UK. If you wanted to walk you could (I generally walk to UK football games), several people I know ride bikes to work, and we have a bus route that runs to downtown and through UK and the hospitals.
Because of the convenience prices have remained very stable, if not appreciated some, while the real estate market in general has been flat to down.
Southland is one of Lexington's nicer areas without being all "nouveau richey" like parts of SE Lexington. If I were to live in Lexington, I would consider the Southland area. Look into Chevy Chase, also.
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