Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
I no longer live in Lexington (moved to Nashville for a job), but I loved Lexington and if we ever left Nashville then Lexington would be on the short list of places to relocate. It's affordable, surprisingly well cultured for a city its size, and has some fairly unique attributes culturally. Lexington is unique because of horses, bourbon, and basketball. Those three things are more important here than anywhere else in the US and it gives Lexington a unique feel. There are certainly other things in Lexington that drive the economy as well, but unique attributes of a city are always interesting.
I'll focus on the airport a little. Bluegrass Airport is really nice. It's not massive by any means, but it is very efficient, clean, and relatively affordable. There are good dining options and easy parking. You can arrive in the parking lot an hour before your flight leaves and still have plenty of time to stop and get something to eat before going to your gate most days. It's got direct flights to essentially every east coast, Midwest, and Southern hub there is. You won't be able to fly nonstop to LA or SF, but there are numerous options on multiple airlines that can get you there with one stop. Coming out of Lexington you have nonstop flights to: Minneapolis, Chicago O'hare, Detroit, Washington DC, New York - La Guardia, Dallas-Forth Worth, Houston, Philadelphia, Charlotte, and Atlanta. Allegiant Airlines also flies to Myrtle Beach, Ft Myers, Ft Lauderdale, Orlando, and Tampa but targets primarily vacationers. It is served primarily by moderate sized regional jets, although Delta did fly mainline 737s to and from Atlanta on certain flights. Louisville and Cincinnati are also an hour or so away, but to be honest it usually isn't worth it driving to those places to fly out by the time you count driving costs.
Sadly, we don't seem to have a direct flight to or from Lexington to or from Dallas-Fort Worth anymore, although the airport's website still lists this connection. I just checked into this on behalf of a friend who will soon be visiting here from Dallas. I'll be meeting her in Louisville instead, which will cost her half the amount of flying into Lexington (from Dallas, necessarily connecting in Atlanta or Charlotte). Half the price of a Lexington ticket buys a lot of gas for the car, so picking her up in Louisville makes economic sense, though time-wise, Lexington obviously would be preferable. At least she'll get to see more of Kentucky on this, her first visit.
I just came back to SLC from Lexington, and I had to take a direct flight to DFW to transfer to SLC. It was a 4:05 pm flight from American Airlines on Saturday. Hope that helps too!
Thanks - any idea about flights to LEX from DFW?? My friend is going to Michigan from here, but will fly out of Louisville, as direct flights from Lexington to Detroit cost $100 more.
Oh, well, my friend will get to see a bit more of Kentucky this way. Just hope we don't get caught in the terrible traffic back-ups caused by narrowing lanes on I-64 west of Simpsonville. Other friends and I sat there for three hours last Saturday - had there been any warning signs, we would have turned off onto US 60 and not been three hours late for our meeting in southern Indiana. Actually, I plan to turn off onto US 60 at Shelbyville to make certain I avoid any similar delays en route to the airport.
Sorry for the off-topic post(s). OP, I expect Lexington and the surrounding area would suit you well.
American Airlines has 10:20 am, 12:10 pm, 8:30 pm direct flights from DFW to LEX.
Also I read somewhere that apartments in Lexington are completely negotiable (in terms of lease period, rates, deposit, etc). How true is this? And any advice? Living in California and Salt Lake City, negotiable rent on apartments is foreign to me.
I know it's been a while since you posted, but some extra answers won't hurt.
-What is the culture?
I always tell people that Lexington is very much a college town (if you have a serious beef with UK you won't like it here) but it is still homey enough that people stay here after they graduate and I think it is very kid and family friendly. While I think most people in Lexington mind their own business, we have a lot of art fairs and festivals and other things that bring a lot of people together. Whether you like horses or not, they permeate the culture in Lexington, and even if you know nothing about racing Keeneland is something you should probably experience at least once. Overall I'd say Lexington is rather laid back.
-How are the people? Friendly, approachable, or usually all part of cliques? This encompasses making friends as well as dating.
I think the cliques could only be a problem in college. If you are graduating, don't worry about it. Could possibly be something you could see at bars, but most people are less shy at bars and I find it easy to talk to others when I'm out. I rarely come across rude strangers in Lexington if I'm asking for assistance or working with others. You get the occasional weirdo downtown or someone with a case of road rage, but I think Lexington still holds enough southern hospitality.
-Is it super religious? As much as I loved the outdoors of Utah, the heavy religious influence hanging over the city bothered me a bit. I have nothing against religion, but I don't want people to constantly try to convert me or change the way I think. Also lots of places are closed on Sundays here, which is kind of boring.
Not super religious. We have a couple really large churches that can sometimes be in your face, but they don't go knocking door to door to get you to join. The campus will sometimes have people on corners handing out little New Testament books. But to be honest, again, I think most people keep to themselves. Lexington and Louisville are the most liberal parts of the state, but it's still Kentucky, so keep that in mind.
-What's the lifestyle?
Too broad a question.
-How's the global cultural scene? Lots of ethnic foods, events?
I think that Lexington does a decent job of trying to do some cultural events. The Latino Festival is awesome, they put on some great shows and exhibits and have great food. There are not a lot of ethnic food restaurants but the ones we have are very good. Got some good Mexican restaurants and some great Indian if you know where to go. There's a Cuban place that is tasty and a great Greek place that is a local favorite. There is another place downtown that serves West African food that people love. Excellent Cajun place downtown as well. There are a lot of food trucks and smaller joints popping up as well, including Korean bbq, authentic Mexican places, etc.
-I also hate bringing up ethnicity but sadly not every community views it the same way. Is it considerably more difficult being asian-american in Lexington or is it not a big deal at all? I can definitely say there was a big difference moving from San Francisco to Salt Lake City.
I say it's not big deal, but I'm white, so what do I really know about it? I feel like the university does bring a lot of different ethnicities to the city that we would not have otherwise. Please don't take this the wrong way, but my friend attends UK Medical school and she is part-Filipino, and she has met a lot of Asian people through her college. Another Asian friend of mine (part Filipino, part Japanese) says that she doesn't like to go to some bars downtown on some nights because the Asians travel in groups and it bothers her! :[ I grew up with Asian children all through grade school as well, so it's not as if they aren't here at all.
-How is driving there? I really enjoy driving.
Some people believe Lexington has some of the worst drivers in the state. Traffic is awful, roads built poorly, long commutes in a city that really isn't that big. However, we have a lot of nice country roads that are pleasant to drive on sunny days.
-I am still young and don't have a family yet, but thinking about the future, is it a good family city?
Yes, good schools, lots of parks, good recreation through sports and other things.
-How is the nature scene there? Lots of beautiful hiking trails? National parks? State parks?
Would never live in a big city solely because I have been spoiled by Lexington. There are some hiking trails/walking paths in Lexington - McConnell Springs, Arboretum, Legacy Trail, Raven Run (just outside). And day trips for hiking and exploring could include Red River Gorge, the Pinnacles in Berea, Cumberland Falls/Park, Mammoth Cave etc.....
-How is the airport? I enjoy traveling, so is the airport one that has direct flights to most cities in a reasonable radius or does it require tons of transfers to get anywhere?
The airport is small and is rarely crowded (at least when I've been out there). I have only flown to Charlotte on the times I have flown, as we have opted for flights out of Cincinnati or Louisville instead.
-I also really enjoy practicing yoga (particularly of the hot variety), are there lots of good studios there?
Yoga scene is small but pleasant. I think the place most people go for Bikram hot yoga is a place called Sterling Hot Yoga Works. The place I prefer is called Barefoot Works and is in a "treehouse." Pleasant, really nice place to do yoga.
-How is the weekend/night life?
Thursdays are a big night in Lexington partially due to Thursday Night Live in the summer (April-October) and partially because of Thirsty Thursdays at Two Keys. Two Keys is a college bar though and you'd need a student ID on Thursdays. But many people go out to other places on Thursdays. Saturday is most popular night. Many places also do trivia nights throughout the week. I think it just depends on what kind of experience you're looking for.
I know it's been a while since you posted, but some extra answers won't hurt.
-What is the culture?
I always tell people that Lexington is very much a college town (if you have a serious beef with UK you won't like it here) but it is still homey enough that people stay here after they graduate and I think it is very kid and family friendly. While I think most people in Lexington mind their own business, we have a lot of art fairs and festivals and other things that bring a lot of people together. Whether you like horses or not, they permeate the culture in Lexington, and even if you know nothing about racing Keeneland is something you should probably experience at least once. Overall I'd say Lexington is rather laid back.
-How are the people? Friendly, approachable, or usually all part of cliques? This encompasses making friends as well as dating.
I think the cliques could only be a problem in college. If you are graduating, don't worry about it. Could possibly be something you could see at bars, but most people are less shy at bars and I find it easy to talk to others when I'm out. I rarely come across rude strangers in Lexington if I'm asking for assistance or working with others. You get the occasional weirdo downtown or someone with a case of road rage, but I think Lexington still holds enough southern hospitality.
-Is it super religious? As much as I loved the outdoors of Utah, the heavy religious influence hanging over the city bothered me a bit. I have nothing against religion, but I don't want people to constantly try to convert me or change the way I think. Also lots of places are closed on Sundays here, which is kind of boring.
Not super religious. We have a couple really large churches that can sometimes be in your face, but they don't go knocking door to door to get you to join. The campus will sometimes have people on corners handing out little New Testament books. But to be honest, again, I think most people keep to themselves. Lexington and Louisville are the most liberal parts of the state, but it's still Kentucky, so keep that in mind.
-What's the lifestyle?
Too broad a question.
-How's the global cultural scene? Lots of ethnic foods, events?
I think that Lexington does a decent job of trying to do some cultural events. The Latino Festival is awesome, they put on some great shows and exhibits and have great food. There are not a lot of ethnic food restaurants but the ones we have are very good. Got some good Mexican restaurants and some great Indian if you know where to go. There's a Cuban place that is tasty and a great Greek place that is a local favorite. There is another place downtown that serves West African food that people love. Excellent Cajun place downtown as well. There are a lot of food trucks and smaller joints popping up as well, including Korean bbq, authentic Mexican places, etc.
-I also hate bringing up ethnicity but sadly not every community views it the same way. Is it considerably more difficult being asian-american in Lexington or is it not a big deal at all? I can definitely say there was a big difference moving from San Francisco to Salt Lake City.
I say it's not big deal, but I'm white, so what do I really know about it? I feel like the university does bring a lot of different ethnicities to the city that we would not have otherwise. Please don't take this the wrong way, but my friend attends UK Medical school and she is part-Filipino, and she has met a lot of Asian people through her college. Another Asian friend of mine (part Filipino, part Japanese) says that she doesn't like to go to some bars downtown on some nights because the Asians travel in groups and it bothers her! :[ I grew up with Asian children all through grade school as well, so it's not as if they aren't here at all.
-How is driving there? I really enjoy driving.
Some people believe Lexington has some of the worst drivers in the state. Traffic is awful, roads built poorly, long commutes in a city that really isn't that big. However, we have a lot of nice country roads that are pleasant to drive on sunny days.
-I am still young and don't have a family yet, but thinking about the future, is it a good family city?
Yes, good schools, lots of parks, good recreation through sports and other things.
-How is the nature scene there? Lots of beautiful hiking trails? National parks? State parks?
Would never live in a big city solely because I have been spoiled by Lexington. There are some hiking trails/walking paths in Lexington - McConnell Springs, Arboretum, Legacy Trail, Raven Run (just outside). And day trips for hiking and exploring could include Red River Gorge, the Pinnacles in Berea, Cumberland Falls/Park, Mammoth Cave etc.....
-How is the airport? I enjoy traveling, so is the airport one that has direct flights to most cities in a reasonable radius or does it require tons of transfers to get anywhere?
The airport is small and is rarely crowded (at least when I've been out there). I have only flown to Charlotte on the times I have flown, as we have opted for flights out of Cincinnati or Louisville instead.
-I also really enjoy practicing yoga (particularly of the hot variety), are there lots of good studios there?
Yoga scene is small but pleasant. I think the place most people go for Bikram hot yoga is a place called Sterling Hot Yoga Works. The place I prefer is called Barefoot Works and is in a "treehouse." Pleasant, really nice place to do yoga.
-How is the weekend/night life?
Thursdays are a big night in Lexington partially due to Thursday Night Live in the summer (April-October) and partially because of Thirsty Thursdays at Two Keys. Two Keys is a college bar though and you'd need a student ID on Thursdays. But many people go out to other places on Thursdays. Saturday is most popular night. Many places also do trivia nights throughout the week. I think it just depends on what kind of experience you're looking for.
Hope this helps and good luck with the job.
Thanks for the response! Very helpful. Yea, when I went there this past weekend, I wasn't too thrilled about the city planning of roadways haha. Also I noticed it was near impossible to pay near UK or downtown without paying. Is this always the case or are there workarounds? Thanks!
I checked out the Barefoot Works site, looks cool. If I move there maybe you'll see me
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
