2 0 2 Guide to the 1 Bluegrass KY 50 Best Places to TravelTRAVEL + LEISURE 2021 www.CommerceLexington.com Contents COVID Response 4 Commerce Lexington Inc. Community Resources 330 East Main Street, Suite 100 6 Lexington, KY 40507 Health Care www.CommerceLexington.com www.LocateinLexington.com 7 This edition of Guide to the Bluegrass is published by COVID Vaccines/Testing Commerce Lexington Inc. All information was accurate 8 at the time of printing. Dates and times of any events Living in the Bluegrass listed can change, so be sure to contact the specific or- 9 ganization to verify an event or program. 2021 Commerce Lexington Inc. Board Chair Business & Industry Ray Daniels, President 12 Equity Solutions Group Education Commerce Lexington Inc. President & CEO 13 Robert L. Quick, CCE Child Care 18 Design/Editing: Mark Turner, Commerce Lexington Inc. Higher Education Printing: Post Printing, 1033 Trotwood Drive, Lexington, 19 KY 40511, (859) 254-7714, www.postprinting.com What to Experience Additional copies of thisCopies: publication are available to pick 20 up at no charge at the Commerce Lexington Inc. offices Where to Stay (330 East Main Street, Suite 100, Lexington, KY 40507). 22 A shipping cost is assessed for any copies being mailed. Shopping & Dining To order a copy, call (859) 254-4447. 23 This publication highlights active business members of Commerce Lexington Inc. – the Greater Lexington (Ky.) Getting Around Chamber of Commerce as of early 2021. New members 24 who joined after January 2021 may not be included in Recreation this piece. The most up-to-date list of members appears 25 on-line at http://web.commercelexington.com/search. Arts & Culture 26 Bluegrass/CentralOn The Cover: Kentucky scenery (Photo from Senior Living Shutterstock.com). Lexington was recently listed among Travel + Leisure magazine’s 50 Best Places to Travel in 27 2021. Coming in at #22, the magazine said of Lexington, Newcomers’ Guide “A handful of pilgrimage-worthy culinary and cultural developments will draw travelers to the Bluegrass 28 State’s second-largest city in 2021.” 2 2021 Guide to the Bluegrass | CommerceLexington.com Lexington, Kentucky (Photo by Bill Straus Photography) Welcome to the Bluegrass What makes Lexington, Kentucky, unique is its variety – the va- letHub), and economic growth potential among mid-sized cities riety of its landscape, educational opportunities, health care (#5 – Business Facilities). Whether you’re coming here to live, choices, employment options, family activities, arts and culture, work, start a business, or play, you’ll find the Bluegrass full of businesses, and economy. Our region is among the smartest, charm and hospitality. It’s an experience like none other, and you’ll most affordable, job friendly, entrepreneurial, most inspiring, and find yourself wanting to come back again and again or perhaps innovative places in America. you’ll just decide to stay. The Lexington region’s economic success comes largely from its diverse economy, which has been mentioned by multiple na- tional sources. Emsi recently ranked the Lexington MSA among the top ten “Most Diversified Metro Economies in the U.S..” Lex- ington’s economic sectors are evenly distributed among govern- Lexington’sLexington is rich in traditionHistory and history. Well-known ex- ment, education and health care, retail trade, manufacturing, plorer Daniel Boone established nearby Boonesboro, one of professional and business services, and construction. the first settlements in the state, in 1775. It helped pave the The region’s most iconic brand is its scenic beauty provided way for others to follow and settle an area known as Mc- by the many horse farms with the backdrop of historic Keeneland Connell Springs, Lexington’s birthplace. The settlers later Race Course annually attracting an international audience for Thor- named the area after the site of the opening battle of the Rev- oughbred horse sales and racing. Keeneland has also hosted the olutionary War at Lexington, Massachusetts. Fayette County Breeders’ Cup Championships twice since 2015. was named in honor of Marquis de Lafayette, France’s largest Our city’s thriving entrepreneurial ecosystem cultivates ideas supporter of the American Revolution in 1780. and opportunities by leveraging a culture of innovation and strong Once a part of Virginia, Lexington was granted 710 acres support structure that helps young companies grow. In 2020, start- by the Virginia General Assembly in 1782. Ten years later, Vir- ups created 121 new jobs, raised more than $51 million in capital ginia released Kentucky, and it assumed statehood, making funds, and generated $94.5 million in revenue. Frankfort its state capital. A lot has been happening here in recent years – from In 1812, Henry Clay, who is known as “The Great Compro- streetscape improvements to new and enhanced bike and walking miser,” built Ashland, a 400-acre estate. Lexington opened its trails to many hospital expansions to a rapidly-growing high-tech first city school in 1834. When the 1890’s rolled around, to- sector. There’s a perception among many residents here that Lex- bacco replaced hemp as the major cash crop in the Bluegrass. ington is on the move, and the city you are experiencing today is By the early 1900’s, Lexington became the world’s largest bur- far different than that of even a decade ago. The downtown area ley tobacco market. continues to see enhancements, from the ongoing expansion of Historic Keeneland Race Course opened to huge crowds Central Bank Center (convention center) and upgrades to Rupp in 1936, while planes began taking off from nearby Blue Grass Arena, to LexLive, a new 90,000-square foot entertainment com- Airport in 1942. In 1974, the city of Lexington and Fayette plex set to open in Spring 2021. County merged, creating Kentucky’s only urban county gov- Lexington has been named among the best cities for college ernment until recently, when Louisville merged its city and graduates (#2 – SmartAsset), first-time homebuyers (#4 – Wal- county governments. CommerceLexington.com | 2021 Guide to the Bluegrass 3 People Helping People No one could have imagined the damage the COVID-19 pandemic would cause to our businesses, our economies, our communities, Kentucky Distilleries Pivot Operations to and our people. However, in typical Lexington fashion, people Produce Much-Needed Hand Sanitizer: across our city came together to help anywhere they could, by do- Not long into the COVID-19 pandemic, distilleries across the state nating personal protective equipment, feeding children and fami- curtailed production of spirits and began producing hand sanitizer lies in need, checking in on neighbors, supporting local to meet a critical need across the state, including Commerce Lex- businesses, and doing good deeds for those on the frontline who ington Inc. members Alltech's Lexington Brewing & Distilling Co., are battling the virus on a daily basis. This page features a sam- Beam Suntory, Bluegrass Distillers, Buffalo Trace Distillery, and pling of efforts to help people in our community. For a more com- James E. Pepper Distilling Co. A large portion of hand sanitizer plete list, visit www.commercelexington.com/kudos-corner.html. was donated to first responders and throughout the community. Restaurant Rescue Rally: InCoronavirus March 2020, Blue ResponseGrass Community Fund: Foundation joined with the Restaurants really took it on the chin United Way of the Bluegrass to launch the Coronavirus Response during the pandemic and as of this Fund to help provide immediate support to vulnerable populations writing still haven’t gotten back to nor- impacted by the outbreak. To date, the Coronavirus Response Fund mal operations. One of our member has awarded more than $1.1 million in charitable grants to fund businesses decided they wanted to go organizations and programs in our joint service region with strong a step further to help local restaurants. experience working to provide residents with access to food, pre- St. John & Myers Antique and Custom scriptions/healthcare, childcare, education, transportation, infor- Jewelry committed to purchasing lunch mation and other basic needs. The fund is designed to complement from a local restaurant for its staff one the work of local public health, nonprofit, and government entities, day each week for five weeks and chal- and to expand local capacity to support individuals and families ex- lenged other businesses to do the same. periencing hardship because of the outbreak and related closures and disruptions. To find out more or to donate to the fund, visit www.bgcf.org/coronavirus-response/coronavirus. Local Businesses Step Up to Donate or EarlyManufacture in the pandemic PPE when Equipment: personal protective equipment was hard to find locally, many local companies and businesses (too Nourish Lexington, Lexington: a call-to-ac- many to mention here) stepped up and pivoted their operations tion collaboration between Food- to produce much-needed items like face shields and face masks, Chain, VisitLEX, Keeneland and while others made donations to the Commonwealth of Kentucky, the Murry Family Foundation, City of Lexington, and other organizations in need. was formed to prepare and dis- tribute fresh, nutritious meals to anyone in need. Over 130,000 DeNova Nurse Assistant Starts meals were provided between Movement to Help Struggling Patients: April and August 2020. This ef- DeNova nurse fort has provided meals for food assistant, Cindy insecure children and families that need immediate access to Haggan, no- meals, including hospitality industry families and vulnerable sen- ticed that some iors in affordable housing complexes. If you or someone you know of their patients needs a meal, visit https://foodchainlex.org/index.php/nourish- were really lexington or call (859) 428-8380. struggling dur- ing the pan- demic to obtain Kentucky Farm Bureau Insurance Offices basic needs, so she selflessly WithOffering many students Free doing WiFi remote to Students: learning at home this year, not began collect- everyone has decent Internet capacity for multiple devices to be ing bags of un- connected at the same time.