Stanford

I do not like Stanford all that much. I've only been there a few times, though my first visit was more than 20 years ago. Perhaps it was because I was a younger man and more interested in having a good time than finding a normal, safe place to live, but I was bored out of my mind with Stanford. In my subsequent visits I've never been impressed or happy with Stanford, and my initial feeling has been reinforced.

For food, there's very little to enjoy. The Kentucky Depot is fine, though it's boring and lacks both unique options and exceptional quality to separate it from much of what other Kentucky towns have to offer. Other than that there are a few basic pizza joints, but nothing else of much note. I've never been happy with the dining options in Stanford.

If the food seems scarce, the nightlife is worse. There's nothing to do at night in Stanford but sit at home and watch TV. Not a happening place at all. If you're single expect to struggle to find fun.

The one thing I'll give Stanford is that it's safe. Quiet as heck, but safe. You might get bored, but you'll get bored safely, and that helps quite a bit. Otherwise don't expect to love it here.

Stanford is a nice little town without a lot of amenities but a pleasant enough vibe. It's a ways south of Lexington, and that's probably one of the bigger downfalls. I looked into Stanford once upon a time, to see if I could live there, and there was too little for me to do. I don't mind a quieter town, but I like to be closer to some other towns, especially a bigger town when I start to get tired of the quiet I only need excitement on occasion, and you'll have a hard time finding it in Stanford. It's fairly isolated.

So what's good about Stanford? Well, it's super safe and very cheap. You can find a place here for a reasonable price. You won't be paying through the nose for a place here. That's a huge plus. I looked up the rental rate, and the median was $449. That's lower than the Kentucky average by a bit, and it's very nice to see. Most houses cost somewhere in the vicinity of $100,000, which is also not half bad.

On the negative side, the homes are cheap because people don't make a ton of money here. There aren't a ton of job opportunities, and that's tough. In addition to the lack of restaurants (I'm not a chef, so I'd either live on frozen dinners or starve here), the lack of employment opportunities was a challenge.

You're definitely safe though, and I believe most residents like that quite a bit. The schools may be a bit below average, but at least your kids will be safe. Definitely a huge plus.

I don't like being so negative about Stanford. It's a nice place and you can certainly make a good home here, but I think you'll need to have already found your significant other, and you'll have to be a homebody to really make the most of it here.