Nine Reasons Lexington, Kentucky is the Unexpectedly Cool and Creative City

Think you know Kentucky? Yes, Lexington has world-class bourbon distilleries and horse culture – 75 percent of the Kentucky Derby champions were raised here – but there’s something unexpectedly cool about this small city located a day’s drive from most of southern Ontario. Spoiler: Lexington, the second-most populated city in the state, is poised to be the next hip American city akin to Asheville, North Carolina.

Lexington’s coolness is in large part thanks to its progressive, creative and artistic vibe, which dates back to the early 19th century when Lexington was known as the Athens of the West. Over the last two centuries, intellectuals, artists and lawmakers have honed their ideas here; and the African-American Great Migration in the early 20th century has had a major influence on the city’s music, art, cuisine and more.