It is a blend of old and new in a central location near downtown that make the Bell Court/Kenwick area an increasingly attractive prospect. Tightly situated, the neighborhood contains historic Victorian, Queen Anne, and Arts and Crafts-style homes, built at the turn of the 20th century and fronted by big porches. While many houses have been rehabbed, an increasingly small portion haven’t, leaving home sale prices to run the gamut.
The once-industrial/warehouse section of the area is being brought back not just to life but to a level of vibrancy that’s attracting a new wave of younger people. As new business and shops are filling the corridors along National/Walton/North Ashland avenues, the area has found itself in more demand not only as a place to live in close proximity to downtown, but as a place to dine, work out, shop or play. Pilates, Barre or aerial yoga classes can be followed by pastries or coffee at the nearby Lexington institution Magee’s, or beers and grub at the new brewpub Mirror Twin. Dinner on the trendy and casual rooftop patio at Local’s or shrimp and grits from the classic upscale Julep Cup are other alluring options in the vicinity, and the local music venue Cosmic Charlie's is slated to relocate to National Avenue at the end of this month.
The two neighborhoods that flank Walton are known for being very neighborly – as the houses are close together, so are the people who live there, often hosting block parties or collaborating in the Kenwick Community Garden.
The area also has its share of landmarks, including the Bell House; built in the 1800s, the historic home and its carriage house provide senior citizens an activity center and park-like property during the weekdays and a wedding venue/playhouse at other times.
Kenwick / Bell Court Residential Real Estate by the Numbers:
Total single family residences: 1,289
Number of homes sold last year*: 78
Percentage of homes sold last year: 6.05%
Number of homes sold this year**: 68
Percentage of homes sold this year: 5.28%
Median sale price: $206,400
Median sale price percentage increase/decrease from last year to this year: -0.53%
* For the sake of this article, “last year” refers to the period between July 1, 2014 and June 30, 2015
** ”This year” refers to the period between July 1, 2015 and June 30, 2016
