Lexington, KY - I asked some friends and colleagues recently to share their thoughts about the strengths and challenges of downtown Lexington. The outpouring of responses helped cement a notion I had long suspected: downtown is the heart of Lexington
and it's an issue about which Lexingtonians feel strongly and care deeply. Below are excerpts of some of the responses.
Courtney Ham, 28, a Kentucky native and Berea College graduate, moved to San Francisco in 2007, though Lexington still holds a special place in her heart. These are some of her thoughts about Lexington, a town she still considers home:
Communities are about people: the faces that sit in the rows of chairs, drinking beer, watching basketball games; the hipster kids standing on the corner deciding which bar to haunt; the coffee shops that know what you'd like to drink before you even ask - - this is part of small town life. It's rare that a big city coffee barista is going to remember that you like poppyseed bagels and just a little foam.
Lexington has this essence of community; what it doesn't have is the incentive to hold it together.
... San Francisco is a great city to live in, but when I think of home, it's Lexington. And if I return, I want to know what I'm coming home for and to. On my last visit, I visited the new spots that had been recommended, mostly bars. Everyone who has lived in Lexington had a few nights out knows the difficulties of getting from one spot to the other without getting behind the wheel intoxicated. The worst part about my last visit was the fact that I couldn't move around, bars were spread apart, my friends were at one end or the other, and with no public transportation to move around, it was frustrating.
Like it or not, the drinking culture of Lexington is alive and well and one way to support a city and its residents is to give them a way to get from one place or another safely and without asking them to make a choice of whether they can or cannot drive. Everyone knows the impact of drunk driving; what is not discussed is the frequency in which it happens, putting at risk the very community that will support Lexington's future: the creative class.
That all being said, Lexington is thriving creatively and its residents pulled new spots seemingly out of thin air. The impact of Al's bar on the culture of north side and the impact that local foods, local brews and young people who have planted roots can have on their community have been amazing to watch. It's all there. However, since not all of us can work at our favorite bar or even make a living off of our art (whatever form it may take), what is left economically for young people?
This is the question for Lexington, and as tempted, emotionally, as I've been to return, I don't feel I could support my life as well in Lexington as I can in San Francisco. I pay double the rent; it's rare that I know anyone when I walk down the street; my favorite coffee shop changes monthly, but I know that here as a young person, my opinion matters as does my future.
John Buckman, 24, has been active in the Lexington music scene as a musician and DJ since he was 13. His thoughts on the entertainment options for young people in Lexington:
The removing of "the block" seemed like a huge blow at the time, and for a short while it was: "where do we go?"
However, it forced people to expand to other places, half of which opened in the wake of the Block's destruction. Over time I think this resulted in the Dame crowd revisiting bars they had forgotten since their "college" days and trying out the new ones. Al's Bar, the Void Skateshop, Lower 48, Brooklyn Pizza, Fishtank, DeVassa, and now Green Lantern became the only places to hear live music and I saw new faces at all of them and the genres kind of melded more than they used to. ... DJs at the Fishtank? Punk Rock at Brooklyn? The Swells at DeVassa? DJs at DeVassa? Bluegrass at Lower 48?
Socially I think "the incident" was positive, as the "micro" scenes melded more now (as they should have always). New friends were made. People kind of united under this common bond that they would not stop enjoying and performing local music and arts. All the "new" venues were a lot smaller and there wasn't this disconnect between band and crowd either.
Fast forward a few months and I would have to say that the impact of the block is creeping back up again. Once the excitement of new places settled down it is still very apparent how important location is to downtown bar's success. This is no more obvious than in the opening of the "new" Dame. Its position alone is killing it slowly every day. They will likely struggle to get people to drive (walk?) or bike those extra four blocks to "check it out". There's no peeping in the window, no dropping in, no leaving for a bit. In a downtown scene as small as Lexington's, this just isn't working.
Do I have fun in Lexington? Yes. Do I think we have a community more accepting, fun, sociable and diverse than anything you can find in Louisville? Yes (I lived there for 3 years). ... However, I know the city inside and out; I know the right nights to go the right bars. I know almost everything that is going on, and I manage to end up with a couple choices, especially on weekends if I want to see entertainment.
But what about the visitor? The new kids from elsewhere? What about the shy ones? How do they enjoy themselves in Lexington? How do they find out where the fun places are to go? How do they even know who's playing where? Without becoming a part of the scene, its hard to even know where to look for it. I hate to say it but Lexington has nothing up front to offer the creative class. A huge chunk of artists my age have left Lexington to go to other cities, and these are kids who still have (and had) strong friendships in Lexington. Most who stick around here, do so for the cheap rent and the community they have been a part of for so long. The friends, the connections, their band mates etc. But what is there to entice someone new to come here?
...In a nutshell: When I say I love Lexington I am referring to my friends. Not the city, not the government, not downtown, not the bars. And as more and more of my friends avoid dead ends and move to more promising locations, Lexington becomes less like an inspiration and more like a fond memory.
Brian Connors Manke, 38, works as a writer for the University of Kentucky Arts & Sciences program. His thoughts on downtown Lexington:
For people who have an active stake in the community and a passion for getting involved, downtown has much to offer. The Kentucky Theater is an amazing establishment ...The art scene is strong - both on a commercial and underground level ... The theater, yep - dance, yep. Plenty of places for live music - - sure, the 1-2 combo of the Dame and Busters is tough to say goodbye to for the atmosphere (created mostly by the people - - it's not like it was the most awe-inspiring corner to hang out on for architecture). Plenty of smaller places have filled that niche, especially if we consider Al's Bar and C.P.R. an extension of downtown.
... I'm down with Lexington looking at other places for city planning and studying trends and ideas but it annoys me when we want to be the next Austin or Nashville. Does Limestone have potential to become immensely stronger connecting campus all the way to the north side? Of course. But to think it's gonna resemble anything in those other towns is ridiculous for so many reasons. Not that the reasons have to be negatives toward Lexington at all - - Lexington is Lexington. Figure that out first - - figure what that means and what that means it can grow into. Borrow ideas and strategies, but incorporate them in a Lexington plan - - not a "well, if we wanna compete with Nashville plan." Also have our own innovative plans that grow out of what the city has to offer - - Legacy and Town Branch Trails are great examples. We're a horse town. We have a horse park. Connect downtown to the horse park - - ta daaaaaa! That's how you work within the parameters of what you structurally already have in place.
The views expressed are unique to the individuals and do not necessarily represent the views of Business Lexington staff.