Living & Nursing in Lexington, Kentucky

Experience Lexington: Horse Capital of the World

If you’ve never been to Lexington, imagine traveling on rural roads through covered bridges over gently rolling countryside lined by white, wooden fences, home to some of the world’s greatest and most well known Thoroughbred horses. While the city is billed as “The Horse Capital of the World” and boasts the likes of Keeneland

Race Course, The Red Mile, and numerous horse farms, it is also known for a diverse economy, a strong workforce, a quality education system, great healthcare, a wide range of higher education options, and of course - big-time college basketball.

The true charm of Lexington lies in the fact that it has all the amenities of a big city, while maintaining that special small-town feel. In mere minutes, motorists can drive past horse farms, through downtown and back to rolling countryside. While many cities insist on saying it, Lexington truly offers something for everyone.

SHOPPING LEXINGTON

Lexington is home to the state’s second-largest mall in Fayette Mall (Nicholasville Road), as well as Kentucky’s largest shopping, convention and sports arena complex with The Shops at Lexington Center – recently renovated in the heart of downtown. One block from Lexington Center is Victorian Square, which features a variety of shops and restaurants and is home to the Lexington Children’s Museum. If you enjoy antiques, there’s no better place than Lexington to find a multitude of treasures. With over 200 antique shops in the surrounding area featuring cabinetry, quilts, Shaker furniture, Depression glass and a wide range of collectibles unique to Kentucky, Lexington has become an antique lover’s paradise. In fact, a Bluegrass antiquing tour will take you on a worthwhile scenic tour of the rural countryside at the same time.

UNIQUE TO LEXINGTON

Long before the Kentucky Derby existed in Louisville, Thoroughbreds were bred and trained in Lexington. While Churchill Downs may host the main event for racing,

Lexington is where the horses are loved, cared for, and celebrated—and where you can catch a glimpse of a current or future winner. Most of the living Kentucky Derby winners are stabled at the beautiful farms surrounding Lexington.

The Kentucky Horse Park is a 1,200- acre farm complex that includes a museum with films and interactive exhibits, a working farm tour and a daily parade of breeds. Take a horse drawn carriage tour or saddle up yourself.

Thoroughbred Park in Downtown Lexington is a photo op year-round where life-size bronze horses are perpetually racing towards the finish. It’s a fitting tribute to the legendary horses and jockeys that have made this city famous.

SAFE NEIGHBORHOODS

Lexington’s crime consistently ranks below the national average. In addition to foot and car patrols, the Lexington-Fayette Urban County Police Department operates two highly visible units that have proven to be effective crime deterrents. The Lexington Mounted Police Unit and Mountain Bike Unit patrol the downtown area on horseback and bicycles to help assure community safety.

REGIONAL HEALTHCARE

Over the years, the health care sector has been one of the driving forces of growth in the Lexington economy. The Millennium Edition of Places Rated Almanac ranked Lexington’s health care supply the eighth best in North America, and the industry’s constant expansion is evident in hospital and clinic construction and renovation projects throughout the city.

Because of its central location in the Commonwealth, Lexington has become the hub for health care services in Central and Eastern Kentucky. In fact, 52 percent of patients admitted to hospitals in Fayette County are from outside the six-county metropolitan area.

FIND YOUR PLACE

Located in the heart of the Bluegrass region, Lexington is an urban center with a cityscape peppered with skyscrapers. But distinguishing itself from other metropolitan areas, scenic farmlands form beautiful boundaries and preserve its natural heritage. Experience this wonderful dichotomy while working in a healthcare environment that is second to none.

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Information for this article courtesy of the Lexington Chamber of Commerce and the Lexington Convention and Visitors Bureau, www.visitlex.com.

Major Medical Institutions

St. Joseph Hospital 859-278-3436

University of Kentucky Hospital 859-323-5000

Central Baptist Hospital 859-260-6100

Samaritan Hospital 859-226-7000

Clark Regional Medical Center 859-745-3500

Lexington Fun Facts
• Abraham Lincoln’s wife, Mary Todd, was born to a prominent Lexington family in 1818. The Mary Todd Lincoln House is open for tours.

• Lexington is within 175 miles of five major cities: Cincinnati, Louisville, Knoxville, Nashville, and Indianapolis.

• The movies Seabiscuit and Dreamer were shot in Lexington.

• The 2007 Kentucky thoroughbred Farm Directory listed 482 farms in the four county areas surrounding Lexington.

Average Lexington temperatures:

Spring: 34-74º F

Summer: 61-86º F

Fall: 36-79º F

Winter: 23-54º F

Annual precipitation is 45.68 inches.