Paris

Hutchinson-Monterey is a rural neighborhood between Lexington and Paris, a small town of about 10,000 people amidst Kentucky horse country. People often move here to escape the city and spread out on more land, like Paris’ EMS Major Jason Taylor III did 10 years ago. He and his wife moved from Lexington in search of more space with a specific request: a property where both they and his in-laws could live. “We found a property where someone before us had the same thought and had built a smaller house for their aging parents on the property,” he says. “I knew it was a good community when I went to the grocery store, and everyone and their brother asked if I was the person who bought the Walters’ place. Everyone here knows each other.” He iterates that he’s enjoyed having his family close and integrating into the community despite being a transplant and that since his move, more of his friends and family have followed. “After we moved here, my wife’s best friend moved down, and then her aunt did, and then my aunt did. They’re all staying, and so are we,” he says. “That says a lot about a community when people come to visit and decide they want to move out there.” Four miles north, downtown Paris has several parks, including Bourbon County Park and American Legion Park. Bourbon County Park has a playground and paved walking paths, and American Legion Park has the same amenities, plus a dog park. Paris’ only 18-hole golf course is Houston Oaks, which is public but offers memberships and is considered one of Kentucky’s top five golf courses by Golf Advisor. Hutchinson-Monterey is true Kentucky horse country, with many horse farms in the neighborhood. “A lot of the people around the area spend their time either farming or on horseback,” says Realtor Donna Thwaites. Residents can keep their horses at Hickory Manor Farm’s stables and develop their riding skills at the Concord Equestrian Center. Nearby, Claiborne is one of Kentucky’s most famous Thoroughbred breeding farms. Visitors can book tours to learn more about the state’s history of horse breeding and racing and view the burial site of the legendary Triple Crown winner Secretariat. Real estate listings in Hutchinson-Monterey vary greatly. A quarter-acre lot lists for around $50,000, while 10 acres may list for $500,000. “Land alone is a big thing around here,” Thwaites says. “Many people want to build their own home and have space for horse farms and big yards.” Those looking for an already developed property can sometimes find a ranch-style or new traditional home on less than an acre for $250,000 to $450,000. Most of the neighborhood’s listings, however, are large new traditional or farmhouse homes on 10 or more acres. Prices for these homes start around $1 million and can get as high as $3 million. Students in Hutchinson-Monterey attend Bourbon County Schools. “We’re pretty proud of our school system,” Taylor says. “I’ve been impressed with it. They have a special needs system through the county that takes care of kids that other districts would turn away. They go above and beyond in that sense.” Parents can enroll their children in Bourbon County Preschool Head Start. Afterward, they attend Cane Ridge Elementary, Bourbon Central Elementary or North Middletown Elementary. Cane Ridge and Bourbon Central receive C-plus grades from Niche, and North Middletown gets a C. Students then continue to the C-rated Bourbon County Middle School and the B-minus-rated Bourbon County High School. On the 2023-2024 Kentucky Summative Assessment, Bourbon County High School scored above the state average for student performance in science, social studies and combined writing; quality of school climate and safety; and postsecondary readiness. “Hutchinson-Monterey is conveniently located,” Thwaites says. “Winchester, Lexington and Paris are all maybe 10 to 15 minutes away.” Residents can take Kentucky 627 south for 20 miles to get to Winchester, Interstate 68 south for 20 miles to Lexington, and Interstate 68 north for 4 miles to downtown Paris. There is no public transportation in Hutchinson-Monterey, and the neighborhood is not walkable: residents rely on cars to get around. The nearest medical center is the Bourbon Community Hospital, 7 miles north. The Blue Grass Airport is 25 miles southwest. Each June, the Bourbon County Fair and Horse Show is a weeklong celebration with live music, family-friendly parties, livestock shows, tractor pulls and more. Throughout the year, the 1956-founded Bourbon Drive-In plays first-run movies on weekends. “The drive-in is pretty popular,” Taylor says. “It was nice during COVID - if you wanted to go to the movies, it’s the perfect way to do it. People will sit in their cars or pull chairs out. It’s a big community event.” He notes that aside from Caronero’s Cigar & Bourbon Bar in downtown Paris, there isn’t much nightlife in the area, and even that – ironically, owned by the chief of police – doesn’t get too crazy. “They joke around here that they roll up the sidewalks at 10 p.m.,” he says. “There’s not much nightlife, but where it’s located, you can be in Lexington in half an hour, so you get the best of both worlds. It’s far enough away to where it’s quiet where you’re at.” Windy Corner Market welcomes visitors into horse country as they travel north out of Lexington. This market and corner store uses ingredients from Kentucky farmers to craft American fare, including their specialty Po-Boy sandwiches and other seafood dishes. The store also sells fresh baked goods, soft-serve ice cream and wine and beer from local producers. To the north, Jerry’s Family Restaurant is a 1961-founded franchise-turned-family-owned restaurant serving country-style breakfast, lunch and dinner. In downtown Paris, “There’s a large Walmart, some mom-and-pop grocery stores and some smaller local businesses,” says Taylor. We have about 10 Mexican restaurants. Most are smaller, family-owned and very authentic.” He elaborates on the dining scene: “We have a few restaurants that are almost always busy. One’s in a converted old train station – it’s called Trackside. I go there once a month at least. They have really good fried chicken and a Kentucky hot brown, which you have to have in Kentucky.” Hutchinson-Monterey has a 1 out of 10 CAP Index crime score, below the national average of 4.