Well, would you look at this...

My little town has been in the news of late...

CNNMoney.com just did a story on the best places in the US to retire... and it turns out, Lexington comes in third. Here's what they had to say:

3. Lexington, KY

Population: 291,201
% over 50: 29%
Median home price: $144,200
State income tax: 6%*
Where to take classes: University of Kentucky

Downtown Lexington boasts plenty of entertainment options for retirees, including the circa-1922 Kentucky Theatre -- which shows independent and classic films -- the Lexington Farmers Market, dozens of restaurants, and the Rupp Arena, home to the university's storied basketball program. Plus, for the equestrian minded, the city isn't far from Kentucky's famed horse country and is just 90 minutes from Churchill Downs and the Kentucky Derby.

In addition to a deep-seated horse and bourbon tradition, the city also has strong roots in life-long learning. In 1964, before retirees became regular fixtures on college campuses, the University of Kentucky invited them to take up empty seats in classrooms. Today, the school continues the tradition, offering locals 65 and up free access to university classes that have open space.

While most fellows choose to audit courses, many have pursued degrees. A sister program for area residents 50 and over organizes about 100 classes a year on topics ranging from painting to U.S. history.

Very flattering, isn't it... although, I wonder how they came about their median housing cost... seems a bit low to me. (The links in the story were added by me.) The lovely photo that they used with the story is one of Calumet Farm... one of our most beautiful and most recognized horse farms.

I would also add, had I been writing the story, that we have a host of historic homes, including Ashland, the Henry Clay Estate, the Mary Todd Lincoln House, the Hunt-Morgan House, Waveland, to name only a few of the many historic sites town, and that doesn't even touch the areas within a few miles. And, in October, we will be adding another theatre opening. The Lyric Theatre, is scheduled to open again on October 27th. It has been a long and hard fight battle to restore this African-American cultural icon.

We also have an abundance of natural beauty here and near... McConnell Springs and Red River Gorge stand out and we have a man made lake just an hour away. Cave Run was created by the US Army Corps of Engineers. The construction began in 1965, and it was filled in 1973. I grew up in the area, and still remember standing on a hill with my grandfather, looking over at a white farm house and its orchard near by. He was explaining to me that, soon, all of that farm land would be gone, covered by a lake. I'm not sure if he thought it was a good idea or not, but it was inevitable. Now, it is a gorgeous lake, really not well known except to the locals...

There's a downside though... the October issue of Men's Health Magazine ranks Lexington in 100th place in their sexual satisfaction survey (out of 100 cities), the article touts "America's hotbeds of sex" and apparently Lexington isn't one of them. I'd give you the link to their to their site, but try as I might, I cannot find it. (It was featured on one of our local news shows on Friday.) I know they used condom sales, birth rate, and sex toy purchases as some of their criteria in measuring sexual satisfaction... but I can't recall the rest of the criteria... On the other hand, over in Texas, they are having lots of sex... they have 7 cities in the top 15.

I guess you can't have everything...