Hamburg

About Hamburg

Hamburg is one of Lexington's largest and busiest mixed-use areas, sitting in southeastern Lexington along the I-75 corridor. What's now a sprawling commercial and residential district was, for over a century, one of the most famous thoroughbred breeding farms in the country. The name Hamburg comes from a single horse. The history is genuinely remarkable. In 1896, John E. Madden bought a yearling colt named Hamburg for $1,200. The horse won 12 of 16 races in his first year and Madden sold him a year later for $40,001. Madden used that money to buy the 1,300 acres of land that became Hamburg Place farm in 1898. Over the next century, Hamburg Place became one of the country's most successful horse breeding operations. Five Kentucky Derby winners and five Belmont Stakes winners were bred there. Sir Barton, the first Triple Crown winner, came from Hamburg Place in 1919. The Madden family bred a Triple Crown winner, won the Belmont, and bred eight years of leading-stallion championships from this one farm. The Madden family owned the property for over 100 years. When the Interstate was completed and the commercial possibilities of the land became clear, Anita Madden (Preston Madden's wife) personally named the streets of the new commercial development after the famous horses bred on the farm. Sir Barton Way. Plaudit Place. Alysheba Way. Driving through Hamburg today, every major road is named after a thoroughbred legend. The Hamburg Place Horse Cemetery still sits in a small park among the big-box stores. Sir Barton, Plaudit (1898 Kentucky Derby winner), and a handful of other legendary horses are buried there. It's free to visit and a small piece of horse country history hiding in plain sight. Today Hamburg is a bustling shopping destination for visitors and locals. Housing and development have exploded. Off the top of my head I can think of at least 9 prominent subdivisions there. And I am sure there are more. My sister lives in the Prestwick subdivision in Hamburg, I visit often. One thing I notice that Masterson Station doesn't have that hers has is it's a tight knit neighborhood. There is a cohesive bond there between neighbors that I have not seen in a long time. Neighbors will bring their kids over to play with my sister's kids, we can use the neighbor's driveway, and people who always walk down the sidewalk always stop and say "hi" or to talk. It's kind of refreshing for this modern fast paced life. When I am not visiting my sister I like to go to Liquor Barn and look around their humidor for a nice cigar, then head over to the gazebo and smoke it while I people watch. That is my desired pattern, but my wife sometimes has other plans for us. Hey, happy wife happy life, right? What we usually do is head over to Barnes and Noble and look at books, then head to Target and look around, then go to Bonefish Grill for a nice dinner.

What's Nearby

Hamburg's whole identity is shopping and dining. The area centers on Hamburg Pavilion, which opened in 1997 and has 75 stores across nearly a million square feet of retail. You'll find Costco, Target, Meijer, Walmart, Lowe's, Sam's Club, HomeGoods, Hobby Lobby, Barnes and Noble, and PetSmart in or near the Pavilion. The dining options run from chain anchors to local favorites. Some are the same chains you'll find near Andover (Carrabba's, Bonefish Grill, Johnny Carino's, all reviewed in detail on the Andover neighborhood page). Hamburg has more on top: Malone's Steakhouse, Vinaigrette Salad Kitchen, Smashing Tomato, Joella's Hot Chicken, Gold Star Chili, Culver's, The Local Taco, and Pasta Garage Italian Café. Bonefish Grill is one of my favorite restaurants in town. If you are in Hamburg, I highly recommend this place for dinner. For healthcare, Hamburg has become a major medical hub. Baptist Health Hamburg opened in spring 2024 on Polo Club Boulevard. A new UK HealthCare outpatient medical campus is being built nearby. These two facilities have made Hamburg a destination for patients and medical staff from across central Kentucky. The biggest development happening in Hamburg right now is Hamburg East, a 44-acre mixed-use project by Cowgill Inc. that broke ground in early 2024. The site sits at the corner of I-75 and US-60 (Winchester Road), adjacent to the new UK HealthCare campus. Plans include apartments, a hotel, restaurants, retail, and offices, all wrapped with bike trails, walking trails, and green spaces. The infrastructure was completed in summer 2025. Apartments are proposed for late 2025 with anticipated opening in 2028. This matters beyond the immediate development. According to the developer, the Hamburg East site is the last corner of the Fayette County interstate system available for development inside the urban services area. After Hamburg East, the easy commercial land on Lexington's east side is essentially built out.

Highlights

• Historic Hamburg Place thoroughbred horse farm
• Hamburg Pavilion shopping center (1997)
• Major healthcare hub (Baptist Health, UK HealthCare)
• Hamburg East mixed-use development underway
• Easy I-75 and I-64 access