Fernweh, An Ache for Distant Places

The North Limestone District, called NoLi for short, is a segment of North Limestone Street that connects at Main Street on its southern end, and extends north up to Loudon Avenue and beyond.

North Limestone Street was originally called Mulberry Street when the area was settled, and it was one of two streets heading northeast from downtown as far back as the 1780s.

Skip ahead several decades and North Limestone was heavily veined by an electric streetcar system from downtown up to Loudon Avenue, bringing in visitors and tourists to support the local businesses.

I was told that the former Greyhound building where the Julietta Market is in now, was once the main Lexington Trolley building.

Most of the smaller manufacturing plants of early Lexington were in this area including hubs for the hemp, textiles, and railroad industries, and the Luigart-Harting Malt Factory. Remember that name.

Over time North Limestone Street became a one-way street, when personal automobiles became favoured over streetcar transportation.

In the 1950s, the city undertook several urban renewal projects that developed areas outside of downtown and North Limestone. Factories relocated, locals fled to nicer neighbourhoods in newer homes, and the ones left behind fell into disrepair.

You all know what happened next. Decades went by and then locals banded together to rebuild, restore, and renew. It was not until the early 2000s that NoLi had its moment, and thankfully it finally came.

Local residents have collaborated with various neighbourhood associations and non-profits to bring NoLi back to its lively old self with new businesses, community gardens, public art projects, historic preservation, and attempts to maintain affordable housing.

The affordable housing bit has been the most difficult.

The North Limestone Community Development Corporation (NoLi CDC) has been a major player in making this happen. They are behind the Julietta Market and the LuigART Makers Spaces, named after Malt Magnate Joseph Luigart I mentioned above, who is credited for helping NoLi thrive in the late 1800s-1900s when he lived and ran his factory there.

The purpose of the LuigART Makers Spaces is to convert old dilapidated homes into artist-owned housing.

NoLi CDC also runs other programs like the Night Market pop-up to foster community engagement and support local artists and makers.

Members of NoLi CDC have had their share of public struggles between its BIPOC and white members, learning to understand each other, unlearn various obstacles, and get on track to make some real changes.

NoLi has many creative organizations  like Institute 193, the Living Arts and Science Center, the Lexington Art League in the historic Castlewood Loudoun Mansion, and some smaller grassroots collectives, working together to make NoLi one of the most vibrant and art-filled neighbourhoods in town.

North Lime Coffee & Donuts, Broomwagon Bikes + Cafe, and Lussi Brown Coffee are all great options for coffee, tea, and light fare, and pastries, but the most visually enticing is Third Street Stuff.

You can see the brightly painted building and whimsical gardens from three blocks away, so you can not miss it.

More than just another coffee house, Third Street Stuff serves as a community resource center and takes an active role in supporting members of this community, especially those who are marginalized.

The decor may seem fun and silly but in combination with its Social Activism Library and various events it hosts, it is clear they play a serious and legitimate role in practicing what they preach.

We had one of their lox bagels and a homemade Poptart with our lattes, and all of it was delicious.

For dinner, drinks, and desserts, there are several locally-owned options to choose from like Minton’s, Sorella Gelateria, Thrive Kombucha, Doodles, Al’s Bar, Arcadium, Sam’s Hot Dog Stand, Molly Brooke’s Irish Bar, and Corto Lima.

NoLi has dozens of unique boutiques and shops like Kentucky for Kentucky, Vintage Creations, Constitution Rare & Antique Books Forage Garden Center, Lex Tee Ton, and Lord John Vintage.

Lord John Vintage was a lot of fun, and I really loved their Zodiac-themed selections of costume pasties.

Lex Tee Ton has a huge variety of local art and gifts.

Mulberry & Lime Gifts is named as a nod to Limestreet’s former name as Mulberry Street. They have jewelry, accessories, and more upscale decor and furniture, and I love the building they are set up in.

I have been warned countless times that the neighbourhood takes a rough turn beyond Loudon Avenue with open drug usage, frequent robberies, violent gun crime, and prostitution running rampant. Typical big city downtown stuff, so be just as cautious as you would be anywhere else.

We did not venture beyond Loudon Avenue primarily due to time limitations, and because at that point it is mostly residential homes, and we wanted to keep shopping and checking out art and historic sites.

Further east of the NoLi, across MLK Blvd, is Lexington’s East End neighbourhood. Locals typically agree that East End is definted as east of the Jefferson District, north of Main Street, and also framed by Midland Avenue and Broadway.

East End began as a community where freed, formerly enslaved African Americans could live and own their own homes after the Civil War ended, and is currently gaining traction on being restored to its historic vitality.

The historic Lyric Theatre was the centerpiece of East End between 1948 to 1963, serving as the African American community’s film house and live music venue where acts like Count Basie, B. B. King, Ray Charles, and Duke Ellington’s son Mercer Ellington filled every seat.

Other black-owned businesses followed suite and truly thrived in this community around the Lyric Theatre. It closed in 1963 but is sometimes used for private events, and still stands on the corner of Third Avenue and Elm Tree Lane.

Elm Tree Lane has a gorgeous Louis Armstrong mural on the right before you reach Tee Dee’s Lounge.

Thoroughbred Park is one of the main modern attractions in East End, but be sure to stop by Art House Kentucky, Chocolate Holler, Mirror Twin Brewing, and Ashland, the historic Henry Clay Estate.

We had lunch at Big Kahuna Hawaiian BBQ.

Everything was spot on from the creaminess of the rice, the texture of the tofu and the pulled park, the perfectly grilled pineapple, and spicy sauces.

We had been running around wearing goofy rubber horse heads all weekend, heehawing and having a good old time, and there is a pretty high chance that a Polaroid photo of us is still  hanging on their wall.

Also I can not fathom anyone not wanting to share a meal before this Samuel L. Jackson mural.

If you feel like venturing about seven minutes further southeast of downtown, Arirang Korean BBQ has the most delicious Pajeon, a crisp scallion and kimchi pancake.

You can add seafood to it if you like but we think it is perfect the way it comes.

My friend bravely tried one of their special Korean Corndogs. It is described on the menu has containing a mozzarella and beef sausage, but I am 99% certain it was a plain old Vienna sausage that only took up half the length of the corndog.

I can appreciate the panko-crusted coating but then they roll it in a thick carpet of sugar, and buddy, it was absolutely not my thing.

To see more of Lexington, check out the East End Walking Tour or the Lexington Legacy Trail for walking or biking. It runs from downtown and the East End all the way over to the Kentucky Horse Park by I-75.

In the area for a while? Follow me to Lexington’s Distillery District and Jefferson District.

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