Community, Attractions & Recreation
Lexington's legacy is built on the backs of horses, the beautiful and majestic animals this area of beautiful Kentucky is known for. Also known for its landscape filled with nature, the city is surrounded by a greenbelt between it and the surrounding towns. It is more akin to European and Canadian cities and less like other American cities of similar size.
This has been done in an effort to preserve the area's horse farms and Bluegrass landscape, which brings millions of dollars to the city both in the horse industry and tourism. Urban growth is strictly controlled here and in the surrounding counties, with the only areas allowed for development being inside the limits of existing cities. Fayette County, where Lexington is, and all of the surrounding counties have minimum lot size requirements to prevent “rural subdivisions” from eating up the surrounding landscape.
Most of Lexington's growth has occurred south of downtown since the farmland there was composed of tobacco farms and not home to the region's treasured horse farms.
More than 70 percent of the population lives south of Highway 60 and most of the growth is downtown along Interstate 75, where growth is consistently the highest.
Downtown Lexington has seen a recent building and revitalization boom. Most of the new projects are built on the sites of former tobacco warehouses. Examples are 500's on the Main, new residential condos and commercial properties along Main Street; the Fairmont on Main; the Lofts at Gratz Park; Center Court; South Hill Crossing; the Blackhorse at Gratz Park; and the Woodlands.
Some of the sites to see here include the obvious: horse farm tours where visitors are able to meet past and future Kentucky Derby winners and get a behind-the-scenes look at the multi-billion dollar thoroughbred industry on personalized horse farm tours.
Kentucky Horse Park is a 1,200-acre farm complex which includes a museum with films and interactive exhibits, a working farm tour and a daily parade of breeds, horse drawn carriage tours and horse rides.
Some other notable sites include Lexington Walk and Bluegrass Country Drive where tourists can explore historic downtown and Lexington's scenic byways.
Museums include the International Museum of the Horse, the Headley-Whitney Museum, basketball at the new University of Kentucky Basketball Museum and the Aviation Museum.
Additionally, there are bourbon distilleries including the makers of Wild Turkey; restaurants featuring Bluegrass fare country foods and Derby Pie; bed and breakfasts; Civil War sites, Appalachian arts and crafts; some of the nation’s most prolific hand-weaving studios; historic worship sites including 230 churches, synagogues and mosques; historic homes of Lexington; Jazz, Blues and Folk performances at the downtown favorite, Cheapside Bar & Grill.
Oscar's Piano Bar is a great place to spend a relaxing evening listening to some jazz and Natasha's downtown on Esplanade is becoming a spot for jazz.
Outdoor recreation offers more than 3,000 acres in Fayette County designated as parks. The four largest are Jacobson Park, Masterson Station Park, Shillito Park and Woodland Park. The area also offers 15 public and semi-private golf courses including the Pete Dye designed championship-caliber Kearney Hill Links. There’s also bird watching at Raven Run Nature Sanctuary or the Daniel Boone National Forest, perfect for fishing, canoeing or boating.
Lexington has a plethora of performing arts for a city of its size including a professional orchestra, the Lexington Philharmonic and numerous theater groups. The Actors Guild of Lexington has a long history of providing compelling contemporary theatre. Both Lexington Ballet and Kentucky Ballet Theatre offer full seasons of dance. Lexington Children's Theatre, Kentucky's official state children's theatre, has been staging productions since 1938. Touring groups present Broadway shows and musicals at the restored Lexington Opera House.
In late summer, Shakespeare in the Park presents outdoor performances at the Arboretum.
Rupp Arena often hosts large concerts of country, pop and rock acts throughout the year. The Festival of the Bluegrass, held annually at the Kentucky Horse Park Campgrounds, is the largest of its kind in the world.
Lexington is the home to the Lexington Legends, Class A minor league affiliate of the Houston Astros; Lexington Horsemen, indoor football; the University of Kentucky fields 22 varsity sports teams, of which the most famous is the men's basketball team.
Also, Lexington has been selected to be the site of the 2010 World Equestrian Games.
Demographics
As of 2000, the estimated population of Lexington/Fayette County area was 260,512.
The median income for a household in the city is $39,813, and the median income for a family is $58,677.
Men have a median income of $36,166 versus $26,964 for women.