Idle Hour
About Idle Hour
Idle Hour is a post-World War II neighborhood about 3 miles southeast of downtown along Richmond Road. The neighborhood was developed in the 1950s and early 1960s by William Blackerby, owner of Realty Mortgage Company, who bought the land in 1948. Blackerby gave the streets a memorable naming convention: he named them after members of his own family with the "Saint" prefix attached, so the neighborhood is laid out with street names like St. Phillip, St. Ann, St. Margaret, and St. William. The neighborhood is bounded by the Idle Hour Country Club to the north, CSX railroad tracks to the east, New Circle Road to the south, and Richmond Road to the west, covering roughly a third of a square mile. Idle Hour was a mixed-use neighborhood ahead of its time, with homes positioned alongside retail and restaurants. The Idle Hour Shopping Center on Richmond Road has long been the commercial anchor. The Idle Hour Country Club, a private 18-hole golf course on the north edge of the neighborhood, has operated since 1946. Side note: the country club is named after Colonel Edward R. Bradley's Idle Hour Stock Farm, a famous thoroughbred breeding farm Bradley founded in 1906 on Old Frankfort Pike (across town). The Stock Farm and the neighborhood share a name but are different things.
What's Nearby
The Idle Hour Shopping Center at 2051 Richmond Road sits right at the edge of the neighborhood and has been an anchor for decades. It's home to O'Neill's Irish Pub, which I've written about in my best fish and chips guide. The pub does a solid Irish menu, live music several nights a week, and is a popular UK game-watching spot. The neighborhood also has its own 23-acre Idle Hour Park, and the Lexington Senior Center (opened 2016) sits within the neighborhood, offering programs for residents over 60. Idle Hour is on Richmond Road, which provides a straight shot to downtown about 3 miles north. It's also bounded by New Circle Road, which serves as a city beltway with quick access to Baptist Health, UK HealthCare, and Blue Grass Airport (about 13 miles west).
Highlights
- Post-WWII mixed-use neighborhood (1950s-60s)
- "Saint" street naming convention (St. Phillip, St. Ann, etc.)
- Idle Hour Country Club access
- Idle Hour Shopping Center
- Walking distance to Idle Hour Park and Lexington Senior Center
Amenities
Cost of Living
Idle Hour homes are primarily mid-century ranches and compact single-family houses with some small apartment buildings mixed in. As of 2026, single-family homes typically run $200,000 to $400,000 depending on size, condition, and proximity to the country club. Homes backing up to the golf course tend to fetch a premium. Rentals are available in the small apartment buildings scattered throughout the neighborhood. For context, Idle Hour sits in a similar mid-range price band to Masterson Station on the other side of Lexington, and well below the Ashland Park and Chevy Chase historic districts to the north.
Schools
Most Idle Hour addresses are zoned for Breckinridge Elementary School, Morton Middle School, and Henry Clay High School. School zoning can vary block by block, so verify your specific address with the Fayette County Public Schools boundary locator.