Idle Hour
Updated October 2026
Idle Hour at a Glance
- Trash and recycling day
- Tuesday. Look up your address on the trash pickup map.
- Council district
- District 5, represented by Liz Sheehan. Find your exact district by address.
- Zip code
- 40502
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; its plats were approved from 1953 to 1961. Blackerby named the streets 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 about half a square mile. Blackerby also developed the Idle Hour Shopping Center on Richmond Road, which has long been the commercial anchor. The Idle Hour Country Club, a private club on the north edge of the neighborhood, was founded on November 19, 1946, and its 18-hole course dates to a 1924 Donald Ross design. Blackerby named the subdivision after the club, which was there first.
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 Idle Hour Park, about 24 acres, which Blackerby donated to the city, and the Lexington Senior Center sits in it, a $13 million, 33,000-square-foot building that opened on September 15, 2016. Idle Hour is on Richmond Road, which provides a straight shot to downtown about 3 miles northwest. 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 9 miles west).
Annual Events
Idle Hour doesn't host a festival of its own. These are the ones within a few minutes' drive.
Big Band & Jazz at Ecton Park
Tuesdays 7 to 8:30 pm, July through mid-August (2026 ran Jul 7 through Aug 11)
Ecton Park, 956 Turkey Foot Rd, about six or seven minutes away
Regional big bands and jazz combos on the lawn, in what the city calls one of Lexington's longest-running concert series. Free, bring a chair.
Event detailsFriday Flicks at Jacobson Park
Three Fridays in June plus one in August, activities at 7, movie at dark (2026 ran Jun 5, 12, 26, Aug 7)
Jacobson Park, 4001 Athens-Boonesboro Rd, about eight minutes out Richmond Rd
Free outdoor family movies with pre-show activities.
Event detailsAshland's events
The Lawn Party each summer, Living History on the last Saturday of September (2025 ran Sep 27), Parktoberfest (2026 ran Sat Oct 3), and Ashland Illumination (Saturday, December 5, 2026)
Ashland, The Henry Clay Estate, 120 Sycamore Rd, about four minutes up Richmond Rd
A summer fundraiser on the lawn, a reenactment day, an Oktoberfest on the lawn, and a candlelit tree lighting at the Henry Clay Estate.
See the Ashland Park guideThe late-summer festival run to the west
Woodland Art Fair (third weekend of August), Chevy Chase Street Fair (late August), Christ the King Oktoberfest (third weekend of September)
Woodland Park, Euclid Ave, and Colony Blvd, five to seven minutes via Fontaine Rd
Three neighborhood festivals in five weeks, all a short drive. The art fair alone draws more than 70,000 visitors.
See the Chevy Chase guideYappy Hour at Jacobson Park
One evening a year, usually late May (2026 ran May 27)
Jacobson Park dog park, 4001 Athens-Boonesboro Rd
The city's rotating dog-park social with food trucks and live music lands at Jacobson once a year. Free.
Event details
Dates are the most recent published as of September 2026; check the organizer before you go.
Where we've eaten in Idle Hour
- O'Neill's, reviewed in our fish and chips roundup
Highlights
- Post-WWII neighborhood with its own shopping center (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's homes range from expansive ranches backing up to the golf course to more compact houses and small apartment buildings, which is where the rentals are. Redfin put the median sale price at about $270,000 for the three months ending September 2026, with homes selling in a median of 12 days, but on very few sales, four in September. Its recently sold list shows three Idle Hour sales from July to September 2026, from about $256,000 to $331,000.
Schools
Per a census of all 899 city address points, every Idle Hour address is zoned for Breckinridge Elementary School, Morton Middle School, and Henry Clay High School. You can check any address with our Lexington school zone lookup, which also shows whether the elementary assignment changes in fall 2027. Zones can change with rezoning, so confirm your exact schools with the FCPS SchoolSite Locator.
Idle Hour FAQ
Why are the streets in Idle Hour named after saints?
The developer, William Blackerby, named them after members of his own family with the word Saint attached. That is how the neighborhood ended up laid out with St. Phillip, St. Ann, St. Margaret and St. William.
Where is Idle Hour?
About 3 miles southeast of downtown Lexington along Richmond Road, 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. It covers about half a square mile.
What zip code is Idle Hour in Lexington, KY?
40502.
Is the Idle Hour Country Club open to the public?
No. It is a private club on the north edge of the neighborhood, founded on November 19, 1946, with an 18-hole course that dates to a 1924 Donald Ross design. The neighborhood took its name from the club.
What is in the Idle Hour Shopping Center?
The center at 2051 Richmond Road has anchored the neighborhood for decades, and O'Neill's Irish Pub is one of its tenants. The neighborhood also has its own Idle Hour Park, about 24 acres, and the Lexington Senior Center, which opened there on September 15, 2016.
Which schools serve Idle Hour?
Every address is zoned for Breckinridge Elementary School, Morton Middle School and Henry Clay High School, per a census of all 899 address points in the Idle Hour Neighbors Alliance boundary. Zones can change with rezoning, so check an exact address with the FCPS SchoolSite Locator.