Winchester

Seventeen miles from Lexington and 7 from the smaller city of Winchester, Becknerville is an unincorporated rural community offering proximity to urban amenities. "Becknerville is one of the best places to live in Clark County," says Clark County Property Valuation Administrator (PVA) Jada Brady. "It gives you the best of both worlds because it's very close and convenient to both Winchester and Lexington, and it has some of the prettiest countryside you'll see in central Kentucky." Brady prefers Clark County to other places she's lived because of the sense of community she's found here and encourages new residents to become involved in any way they can. "Even before I was PVA, I still knew I could get in touch with the people who ran the county and be able to participate and feel like I was heard," she says. "I've lived all over the country, and if I had my choice, I would live here. It feels like home."<br>Residential real estate in Becknerville is a mix of single-family homes in subdivision developments and homes on large, multiacre properties. The neighborhood's northeast corner has some rapidly growing subdivisions with recently built and to-be-built new traditional brick and stone homes. "Clark County's population has remained pretty steady, but it's growing now," Brady says. "We're seeing some growth at this point." In terms of land mass, most of Becknerville is taken up by larger lots. "Four acres and up is typical, but there are some huge farms out that way, too," Brady says. People move here because they're looking for a rural vibe close to both Winchester and Lexington and to pay less property taxes than they would in the city. "Fayette County's property taxes are a bit higher than ours, but the counties bordering us to the east are a bit lower," Brady says. "We're right about in the middle." Because of the range of listing types in Becknerville, prices vary greatly. An undeveloped acre typically lists around $100,000, while single-family homes in subdivisions can range from $200,000 to $800,000, primarily depending on the home's size and age. Multiacre properties with large homes built on them can run from $1 to $2 million.<br>Students in Becknerville attend Clark County Public Schools. Those living on the north end of the neighborhood start at Strode Station Elementary School, which has a B-plus grade and ranks fourth on Niche's list of standout elementary schools in the Lexington area. Students on the neighborhood's south end start at the B-minus-rated Shearer Elementary School. All students continue to the B-rated Baker Intermediate School for fifth and sixth grade, the B-minus-rated Robert D. Campbell Jr. High School for seventh and eighth and the B-rated George Rogers Clark High School for ninth through twelfth. George Rogers Clark High School provides students opportunities to earn college credits while in high school through in-school and off-campus classes with Morehead State University, Eastern Kentucky University and Bluegrass Community and Technical College.<br>Becknerville is a car-dependent neighborhood 7 miles southwest of Winchester and 17 miles southeast of Lexington. "A lot of people work in Lexington or Winchester, or at Toyota in Georgetown or the Nestle factory in Mount Sterling," Brady says. The Toyota Georgetown Assembly Plant is 30 miles northwest via Interstate 75 and Winchester Road, and Nestle is 27 miles northeast via Interstate 64. Becknerville's nearest hospital is the Clark Regional Medical Center, 7 miles north in Winchester. The Blue Grass Airport is 23 miles west.<br>Becknerville's northeast corner has a Walmart and Kroger for groceries, surrounded by local restaurants like Puerta Grande Mexican Bar & Grill and the casual Japanese restaurant Sakura Express alongside chains like Taco Bell, Golden Corral and Sonic Drive-In. On the neighborhood's east side, off Boonesboro Road, the Beech Spring Farm Market sells farm-fresh fruit and vegetables, homemade pies and artisan groceries like jellies, chicken salad and cheese every day of the week. Next door, JK's at Forest Grove is a cozy family-owned restaurant selling made-from-scratch food like mac n cheese, quiche and hot browns. To the south, Hall's on the River serves fried catfish and other Southern food on a patio overlooking the Kentucky River. Waterfront Grill and Gathering serves American fare like burgers, salmon and catfish sandwiches on its large riverside patio. On special occasions or simply to relax, residents head to the Harkness Edwards Vineyards, an old barn and farmhouse central to the neighborhood that serves wine flights with cheese and crackers on picnic tables in its backyard.<br>Six miles south, Fort Boonesborough State Park is the site of Kentucky's second settlement and was a working 18th-century fort. Today, visitors can explore Daniel Boone's original fort site and watch living historians reenact 18th-century skills and craft demonstrations in a replica fort. The park is popular for birding, with plenty of wild turkeys, pileated woodpeckers and red-tailed hawks living on the park; boating, with launch ramps available; and fishing, with bluegill, bass and catfish living in the Kentucky River. Those interested in staying for the weekend can set up at one of its 166 campsites with electricity and water hookups before exploring the park's half-mile walking trail and the Kentucky River Museum, which preserves the history of those who worked the river's locks and dams in the 1900s. Within Becknerville, the Clark County Fish & Game Club is a private club used for hunting and fishing. Six miles east, the Southwind Golf Course is a public 18-hole, par-71 course with a sports bar and restaurant.<br>Every Labor Day weekend, downtown Winchester celebrates the region's history with the Daniel Boone Pioneer Festival, a two-day event with concerts, vendor booths and a 5K walk/run. In June, residents come together for the annual Beer Cheese Festival, a celebration of a food with origins on the banks of the Kentucky River. In the late 1930s, chef Joe Allman developed the snack and served it to his customers at the Driftwood Inn to increase their appetite for beer. Every year, Kentuckians celebrate the birth of beer cheese, with thousands of patrons coming to try beer cheeses from all over the country while shopping from vendors and listening to live music.<br>Becknerville has a 2 out of 10 CAP Index crime score, below the national average of 2.

Old Pine Grove is mostly farmland with small subdivisions built into it, but its location between Lexington and Winchester uniquely sets it apart from other rural areas. It sits along Interstate 64 and U.S. Route 60, making it easy for residents to travel 14 miles west to Lexington or 6 miles east into downtown Winchester. The neighborhood's east end offers typical suburban shopping and dining with a mix of chain and local restaurants, a large flea market and a movie theater. City Commissioner and Vice Mayor Elect Kitty Strode moved to Winchester from Lexington nearly 50 years ago when she married, and despite the changes in her life, cannot imagine living anywhere else: "After I got divorced, my Lexington friends used to say, 'When are you going to move back to Lexington?' and I would say, 'Never!'" Strode says that people in Winchester look out for each other and help out when needed and that the city government is constantly committed to improving the community. "We have strong police and fire departments and great city employees," she says. "Some of them have been with us for 20 or 25 years. That speaks for itself, that people are loyal to the community." Old Pine Grove is a semi-rural community in Clark County, a nearly 40,000-person community. Homes on the neighborhood's east end often belong to subdivisions, while the rest typically sit on acre-plus lots. Most homes here were built post-1980, and construction is ongoing, with buyers having the opportunity to purchase a to-be-built home in a new subdivision. The neighborhood's architecture consists of ranch-style and new traditional homes, typically with brick siding. The average home value here is about $70,000 less than the average for the Lexington metro area, and prices usually range from $200,000 to $500,000. Old Pine Grove's market moves quickly, with homes selling after an average of 18 days, less than half the national average of 44. Students in Old Pine Grove begin their educations at Strode Station Elementary School, located on the neighborhood's east end. Niche gives Strode Station a B-plus rating and ranks it fourth on their list of standout elementary schools in the Lexington area. For fifth and sixth grade, students attend the B-rated Baker Intermediate School, which Niche ranks as the 15th best public middle school in the Lexington area. They go to seventh and eighth grade at the B-minus-rated Campbell Junior High School before attending the B-rated George Rogers Clark High School, which Niche considers the 15th best public high school in the Lexington area. George Rogers Clark students can take AP and dual credit classes and receive resources from the Purple Star Program, a support system for military-connected families. Strode notes that those seeking higher education can attend courses at Bluegrass Community & Technical College's satellite campus in Winchester. "They just bought the old Amazon building because they ran out of room, which is a great problem to have," she says. "We're right off Interstate 64, which is a great location," Strode says. Interstate 64 and U.S. Route 60 both run through Old Pine Grove, and residents can take either 14 miles west to Lexington or 6 miles east to downtown Winchester. While some residents commute to Lexington, others work in Winchester. Strode notes that the nearby industrial park is full of longstanding businesses that tend to pay their employees well: "Some of these jobs are $35 or $40 an hour jobs," she says. Other employment opportunities include the neighborhood's Clark Regional Medical Center – "We have a very strong hospital and are attracting more specialists, like heart specialists," Strode says – and Bluegrass Community & Technical College's Winchester satellite campus. The Blue Grass Airport is 21 miles west. Old Pine Grove's east end provides plenty of shopping and dining opportunities. Peddler's Mall is a massive indoor flea market with vendor booths selling vintage clothes, antique home goods, art and other collectibles. Residents can dine at Woody's Sports Bar & Grill, a local American restaurant serving hot browns and wings, or at any of the area's many fast-food options, including Frisch's Big Boy, McDonald's and Applebee's. Locals can do additional shopping at Lowe's and Tractor Supply Co. and pick up groceries from Kroger. On the west side of Old Pine Grove, Sherri's Café is a small country store with breakfast and lunch specials. To unwind, residents can catch a movie at Malco Winchester Cinema or sip wine at Hamon Haven Winery, a family-owned vineyard with a tasting room. When residents want to spend time outside, they can head to one of Winchester's several city parks. Legacy Grove Park has a fenced-in dog park, rain gardens that collect and filter stormwater and an adventure play area with a maze, shade sculpture and large play piece where children can make their own music. Wiseman Park has a playground, picnic pavilion and basketball court on a large, grassy field, and College Park has a large playground, tennis courts and a swimming pool. Cassell Creek Golf Course is a public 18-hole golf course with a driving range located in the neighborhood. In the future, the city hopes to add more family-friendly indoor activities. "We need some more things for children," Strode says. "We're working on that. We're trying to add skating or bowling or something like that." Winchester is the birthplace of beer cheese, and the city celebrates this history every year with its Beer Cheese Festival. "Beer cheese is a big thing in Kentucky," Strode says. "We have a one-day festival with commercial and amateur vendors. It attracts 10 or 12 thousand people in a day – it's a pretty good crowd and a really nice addition to our community." Residents can still indulge throughout the year by exploring the city's Beer Cheese Trail. "The Beer Cheese Trail has all the restaurants that make beer cheese, and people can come and sample all of them," Strode says. Beer cheese enthusiasts can track their progress with the city's digital cheese log and earn rewards as they check restaurants off the list. Old Pine Grove's crime score on the CAP Index is 4 out of 10, which is on par with the national average.

Wyandotte is a rural neighborhood on the west end of Winchester, a small city 15 miles east of Lexington. Many who live here work in the neighborhood's industrial park; others commute to Lexington or work in Winchester. The neighborhood offers a variety of listings, from manufactured homes to multiacre estates, with the perks of the small-town charm found in downtown Winchester and the big-city amenities in nearby Lexington. Kitty Strode, Winchester's current city commissioner who was just elected its new vice mayor, grew up in Lexington but has lived in Winchester for nearly 50 years and can't imagine leaving. "Winchester has a lot of things going for it," she says. "I raised my daughter here, and it's a great town for families. It's only 20 minutes from Lexington, and price-wise, you get a much better deal than in Lexington." Beyond its practical perks, Winchester offers what many realize is more challenging to find: a sense of support. "It's probably the most giving community I've ever known," Strode says. "Whenever there's a need, people come out of the woodwork to help out. Whether they need a refrigerator, stove, bedding, if there's been a fire, everybody rallies around the needs." Wyandotte offers a mix of land listings, manufactured homes and large single-family homes on multiacre properties. Mobile home owners can find a small lot to settle on for about $30,000, while a lot with a manufactured home already on it will go for around $80,000. Five acres of land will list for around $350,000, while a large single-family home on 5 acres will list for around $600,000. Home values in Wyandotte are high for Lexington – about $60,000 higher than the average for the metro area. "We're working on affordable housing, which we need desperately," says Strode, adding that the city has plans to add more duplexes and apartment complexes to offer more affordable alternatives to homeownership. Students in Wyandotte attend Clark County Public Schools, starting with kindergarten through fourth grade at Justice Elementary School, which receives a B-minus rating from Niche. They continue to the B-rated Baker Intermediate School for fifth and sixth grade. Niche ranks Baker as the 15th best public middle school in the Lexington area. After Baker, students go to the B-minus-rated Campbell Junior High for seventh and eighth grade and then the B-rated George Rogers Clark (GRC) High School, which Niche ranks as the 15th best public high school in the Lexington area. GRC offers AP and dual credit courses and hosts a fine arts cohort and the Purple Star Program, a national initiative that provides academic and social-emotional support for military-connected students. High school graduates can continue their studies at Winchester's Bluegrass Community & Technical College satellite campus or attend the University of Kentucky, 15 miles west in Lexington. Wyandotte is home to Winchester's growing Yeiser Industrial Park, a 44-acre development filled with warehouses, auto shops and factories. "Our industrial park is practically full, which is a great problem to have," Strode says. "We have a lot of businesses that have been there a long time." Residents often work there, commute 16 miles west to Lexington or work in Winchester – in a downtown shop, for the city, for Bluegrass Community & Technical College or the Clark Regional Medical Center. Wyandotte is a car-dependent neighborhood with no public transit. The Blue Grass Airport is 22 miles west. Most of Winchester's dining options are closer to downtown, but there are some options around Wyandotte. Sherri's is a small country store two miles south of the neighborhood. Breakfast is served until 10 a.m. and includes menu items like egg and cheese sandwiches and biscuits and gravy, while lunch until 4 p.m. offers options like cheeseburgers, chicken sandwiches and BLTs. Five miles southeast, Lexington Avenue and Bypass Road intersection has chain restaurants like McDonald's, Applebee's and Frisch's Big Boy alongside local spots like El Camino Real Mexican Bar & Grill and Woody's Sports Bar & Grill. Strode notes that the city will soon add a Chipotle and a new Mediterranean restaurant. "Anything new that comes is a boost for the community," she says. "It creates new jobs!" Kroger and Walmart are the neighborhood's nearest grocery stores, both 6 miles southeast. Hamon Haven Winery is a family-run vineyard in Wyandotte that offers tastings and tours. Five miles southeast, the Malco Winchester Cinema shows first-run movies and has a small arcade. To spend time outside, residents can head to one of Winchester's several city parks. "We put a lot of money into our parks," Strode says. "We have an indoor pool, and we're getting a splash pad in the spring. We're working all the time to improve our services." Pet owners can take their pups to the fenced-in play zone at Legacy Grove Park while children explore its 2-acre playground, which incorporates natural play features like logs, large rocks and slides going down hills. College Park has another large playground, while Wiseman Park offers expansive green space with a disc golf course and tennis and basketball courts. Three miles south, Cassell Creek Golf Course is a public 18-hole golf course with a driving range. Winchester's biggest event is its Beer Cheese Festival, held annually in June. Winchester is the birthplace of beer cheese, and its residents take pride in that, rallying once a year to try beer cheeses from a mix of amateur and commercial vendors. "Some years, 100 people will apply for the amateur spots. Last year, we had 11 or 12 commercial vendors," Strode says. "We have a people's choice vote, and we give out money to the winners." The festival attracts an estimated 10,000 to 12,000 visitors. Throughout the year, residents can explore the city's Beer Cheese Trail and keep track with the city's digital cheese log to see how many of Winchester's 15 beer cheese stops they've tried. Wyandotte's crime score on the CAP Index is 2 out of 10, which is less than the national average of 4.