University of Kentucky, class of 2012

[jd2012]

Does anyone know the best place to live near campus?

[SwampFox]

There are very few bad parts of town, but one of them is unfortunately not too far from the university.  A few questions:
1) How close do you want to live?  Within walking distance, a couple of miles away (bike ride), a fifteen minute drive?
2) What kind of place do you want to live in?  Rented house?  Cheap old apartment?  House converted to apt.?  Well-furnished complex?
3) What kind of part of town do you like?  Right near campus?  Near lots of shopping & entertainment?  Downtown?  "Bohemian?"  Rural area?
Pretty much anywhere in town is cheap, compared to big cities (though it looks like your a KY boy, already, so you know about that).

[SwampFox]

(though it looks like your a KY boy, already, so you know about that).

Sorry about that...I clicked on the wrong person's profile.

[jd2012]

No I'm actually making a long distance move. I want to live within walking distance to campus and would rather live in a standard apartment.

[Top Cat]

Speaking of apartments, my wife and I have found some pretty awesome apartments about 4 miles away from campus.  They are called The Village Apartments, and really seem very nice for the price.  Not exactly within walking distance, but they are worth checking out.

[drakewing]

Out of curiosity, is there really a "bohemian" part of town?

I'm interested in living someplace close to a coffee shop, maybe downtown. It can be in an older building but the neighborhood has to be safe. Any ideas?

[SwampFox]

No I'm actually making a long distance move. I want to live within walking distance to campus and would rather live in a standard apartment.

If by "standard apt.," you mean something in a complex, that might be difficult to get right next to campus.  There are a zillion apts. that are right next to the university, but they're all old houses converted into rental property.  You'd have to call a referral service or look in the paper to contact someone.  I'm racking my brain to think of a complex with a pool (there has to be one), but I can't think of any right now.

Speaking of apartments, my wife and I have found some pretty awesome apartments about 4 miles away from campus.  They are called The Village Apartments, and really seem very nice for the price.  Not exactly within walking distance, but they are worth checking out.

Wow!  I lived in the Village a few years ago.  You'll love it.  It was the nicest apt. I've ever had, and it's a super convenient location; pretty much anything you'd want (movies, restaurants, shops) is within a quarter of a mile of there.

Out of curiosity, is there really a "bohemian" part of town?

I'm interested in living someplace close to a coffee shop, maybe downtown. It can be in an older building but the neighborhood has to be safe. Any ideas?

Believe it or not, Lexington, Kentucky does have a "bohemian" part of town (or two).  The best such place, in my opinion, is the "Ashland" district, which roughly consists of the area located within a half-mile of the intersection of Ashland and Euclid.  This includes Ashland, Clay, Old Vine, Woodland, and parts of Rose streets.  Transylvania Park (not Trans. University) is sometimes lumped into that, though I disagree.  It has lots of downtown charm, there are loads of apartments, it's fairly close to the university, has shops you can walk or bike to, has at least two coffee shops (I recommend Common Grounds on East High), and has lots of students, professors, and artists living there.  Several of my friends have lived in that area, and it's fairly safe.  I'm not a bohemian by any stretch, but I think it's a charming part of town.

In general, the east side of town (Richmond Road/Main, Tates Creek, and the east side of Man O' War) is much cheaper to live in, not to mention much easier to get around.  The traffic on Nicholasville Road and Harrodsburg Road are AWFUL; there's a reason Nicholasville Road has eight lanes or something at one stretch.  The north side of town tends to be more older areas, located near heavy industry.

[jd2012]

Sorry sbout that, I said " standard apt" out of a lack of better words. Are their any apartments that you would recommend that are within 1 mile from the campus. When I read the reviews on apartmentratings.com, they all seem like dumps.

[drakewing]

Believe it or not, Lexington, Kentucky does have a "bohemian" part of town (or two).  The best such place, in my opinion, is the "Ashland" district, which roughly consists of the area located within a half-mile of the intersection of Ashland and Euclid.  This includes Ashland, Clay, Old Vine, Woodland, and parts of Rose streets.  Transylvania Park (not Trans. University) is sometimes lumped into that, though I disagree.  It has lots of downtown charm, there are loads of apartments, it's fairly close to the university, has shops you can walk or bike to, has at least two coffee shops (I recommend Common Grounds on East High), and has lots of students, professors, and artists living there.  Several of my friends have lived in that area, and it's fairly safe.  I'm not a bohemian by any stretch, but I think it's a charming part of town.

In general, the east side of town (Richmond Road/Main, Tates Creek, and the east side of Man O' War) is much cheaper to live in, not to mention much easier to get around.  The traffic on Nicholasville Road and Harrodsburg Road are AWFUL; there's a reason Nicholasville Road has eight lanes or something at one stretch.  The north side of town tends to be more older areas, located near heavy industry.

Thank you - this is the most useful info I've been able to get about Lexington so far. I've seen Common Grounds online and hoped the neighborhood around it would be cool. I'll be checking out this area first chance I get.

[SwampFox]

Sorry sbout that, I said " standard apt" out of a lack of better words. Are their any apartments that you would recommend that are within 1 mile from the campus. When I read the reviews on apartmentratings.com, they all seem like dumps.

My suggestion would be to start with some of the apartments on Red Mile Road, which is about a mile from the campus.  All the apartments there are relatively new, safe, and don't attract riff-raff.  They are very popular with grad./professional students and young professionals.  The only downside is that it's not too far from some old industrial areas, but several of my friends loved living there.

There are quite a few nice places on Limestone and Waller Avenue, but Limestone is just a nightmare to get in and out of (I've had friends live there, so I know).  Many of the apartments right smack next to  campus are old buildings that have been turned into apartments, and you just have to check them out to be sure.

I'll try to remember to ask my friends if anyone has any other suggestions.