GEORGETOWN, Ky. — It’s a Kentucky treasure that’s getting some national recognition.
Dylan Marson with Scott County Tourism can’t say enough about Georgetown.
He said, “Georgetown is just an awesome location. You’re right in between a lot of awesome places, whether that’s Cincinnati or Louisville, Lexington. You’re in the heart of central Kentucky. We’re like right in the middle of horse country.”
Fortune.com recently ranked Georgetown as 32 in its list of the top 100 places to live and raise a family in the United States.
“We are a great hidden gem of the Central Kentucky area. We have a great downtown that is just flourishing with businesses that have welcoming owners that are usually there and greet you on your way in, give you a good old smile and know exactly what you want.” said Bailey Gilkerson with Scott County Tourism.
With a population of nearly 37,000, Georgetown in Scott County is in the heart of Kentucky’s horse country. Nearby places like The Kentucky Horse Park and Old Friends Thoroughbred Retirement are just two locations that help bring Georgetown’s small-town vibes and equestrian ties together.
Michael Blowen is president of Old Friends Farm, where thoroughbreds go to live out their lives after they are done racing. It’s a popular place for visitors.
Blowen said, “What these horses mean to Georgetown is that we have green space that’s really putting all this green space to good use. I come here and I look at it and I go. This is living in the middle of a national park. And the reason is, is because of the horses.”
For lifelong resident Robert Conway, being ranked in the top 100 places to live and raise a family is no big surprise.
He said, “Basically, it just solidifies what I’ve known my whole life. It is a wonderful place to live. It’s very historical. We embrace the past, but we also are always looking towards the future. And it’s a great community to live in.”
Other factors in Georgetown’s ranking included dozens of buildings and homes featured on the National Registry of Historic Places, including Ward Hall, Cardome and the largest Toyota manufacturing plant in the world that covers 1,300-acres and employs over 8,000 people.
Marson added, “You’ve got horses and horsepower just right next to each other, co-mingling. It’s kind of an interesting little blend of those two worlds.”
Two worlds that have come together to make Georgetown a Kentucky Treasure and earn it a spot on the top 100 best places to live and raise a family.