Sunday, November 28, 2010

Loving Lexington

December will mark the twenty-third year that we have lived in lovely Lexington. We moved here by choice because we thought it was beautiful. That's right.....We sold the Dutch Colonial home we had built, uprooted our kids from school, quit my teaching job, and relocated my husband's office because we thought it was pretty. We didn't know anyone, nor did I have a job lined up. We simply thought it was pretty. Case closed.

Any regrets? Not one. We love it more now than we did then, and we still think it is beautiful and the absolute best place to raise a family.

After being here so long, it is easy to come up with my ten favorite things about Lexington.

1. Horses - not just horses but everything associated with them. I love the horse farms and cycling past them on a spring day when the foals are nursing. I love Keeneland, and the Three -Day Event, the Kentucky Horse Park, the Keeneland sales, the Derby and all of its festivities, and frankly, I love the way horses smell.

2. University of Kentucky - It's great to live in a town that offers top-quality NCAA Division 1 sports, world- reknown guest speakers, the opportunity to continue and upgrade your education, a great teaching hospital, a beautiful campus, and a world-class opera program.

3. The Arboretum - Started by a group of volunteers, the Arboretum is the best place to take a walk and get away from traffic while enjoying whatever is in bloom or in season at the time.

4. The Kentucky Theater - Walking into the Kentucky is like walking back in time, in a good way. The theater offers a great selection of independent and big-budget films, and the Summer Classics series is still going strong. And, you can get in the door for just $5.00!

5. The Opera House - Even though we might have to wait a few years after making their debuts on Broadway, popular plays and musicals come through here every year to mostly sold-out audiences.

6. The Carnegie Center - We moved here the year that the "new" public library opened on Main Street. But, without missing a beat, the former Carnegie Library became a learning center offering a full range of classes - from beginning reading to advanced French - and all at affordable prices so anyone who wants to take a class can do so.

7. July 4th - Does any town anywhere do the Fourth of July better than Lexington? From the pie baking contest, ice cream social, Philharmonic concert, parade, vendors, race, fireworks, and top country music recording artist concert, the city officials have it planned and orchestrated perfectly. Plus, all of the events are free.

8. Philharmonic Orchestra - We are very lucky in Lexington to have such a gifted orchestra and conductor who offer a variety of concerts both here and in outreaching areas while still operating in the black. Many orchestras around the nation are constantly fighting the bottom line, but not here.

9. Farmers' Market - Once again, this is an endeavor that was just getting started when we moved here. But, it is still going strong and has a new venue and a new shot of energy. The Farmers' Market offered an alternative to farmers who no longer could make a living while growing tobacco, and it offered a dependable venue to farmers who were already produce growers. And those of us who eat food benefit from it three times a week April to November.

10. The People - Last but certainly not least, one of my top ten favorite things about my town is the people. They are friendly, energetic, creative, artistic, athletic, empathetic, sympathic, hard-working, community-minded, forward-thinking, opinionated, polite, diverse, and wonderful.

Thank you Lexington for being all that we hoped you would be. You are our home.

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