Today took me to a small neighborhood near Liberty and Henry Clay that featured mostly modest mid-century frame houses, with some more recent home built along the southern stretch of Courtney.

This seems like a nice area, similar to the stretch in Kenwick from Day 17 in that it is perhaps more affordable than some of the areas around it but still has some of the features that generally demand a premium (well kept, tree-lined streets; nearby shops).  I think this nicely encapsulates one thing I really like about Lexington, which is that its small scale seems to have allowed (somewhat) economically diverse neighborhoods to exist close together.  Whereas larger cities deal with Balkanization, one doesn’t necessarily have to pay up in order to have access to nice things, especially at the interfaces between neighborhoods.

This neighborhood also replicates (on a smaller scale) the parklet in a cul-de-sac concept seen in Chevy Chase on Day 33.  But I think this highlights a problem, too.  This neighborhood is very far from anything resembling a public park.  As in other neighborhoods in park deserts, the difference has been made up in street play and home playgrounds.

I find the difference between neighborhoods with similar home prices to be interesting.  This neighborhood seems very well kept compared to other areas with similar home prices.  It feels like this is in part due to the sum total of effort put into the homes and yards, something that newer neighborhoods (with plain grass lawns and default landscaping) can’t possibly compete with based on their newness.

What works: Streets are pleasantly walkable, with lots of visual interest.

What doesn’t: Streets aren’t walkable in a utilitarian way.