By BETH MUSGRAVE and CAMERON DRUMMOND
Here’s what 12 hours in one of Lexington’s most diverse neighborhoods felt like for one Cardinal Valley business owner.
There are many small business owners on Alexandria Drive in Lexington. It is known throughout the South that Tortilleria Y Taqueria Ramirez offers homestyle Mexican food made from tortillas made daily. It is hoped that two young entrepreneurs will be able to replicate this success at the other end. Six months ago, Dip and Krupa Patel opened Yogikrupa Indian Grocers in Gardenside Plaza, with ambitions to expand across the Commonwealth.
Fayette County’s growing international population can be seen in these two examples, connected by the same street.
According to the 2020 U.S. Census, more than 30% of Fayette County’s population is nonwhite.
It is estimated that 9.2% of Fayette County residents are Hispanic, up significantly from 6.2% in 2010.
Fayette County’s diversity goes beyond that, however.
Global Lex, the city’s international engagement center, tracks languages spoken through data from both the city and the Fayette County Public Schools.
It doesn’t matter what language you speak, someone in Fayette County speaks it.
Taylor said there are at least 44 languages from Asia, 27 from Africa, 19 from Europe, and 10 from Latin America.
According to city and school data, Spanish is still the most commonly spoken non-English language, followed by Swahili, Nepali, French, Japanese, Kinyarwanda (an African language), Mandarin, Korean, and Portuguese.
Census tract data shows that Cardinal Valley and Gardenside are among the most diverse neighborhoods in Fayette County. Cardinal Valley and Gardenside are part of Lexington Fayette Urban County Council District 11, which is 20% Hispanic and 17% Black.
There are a lot of Hispanics, a lot of Africans, and then there are rednecks like me, Will Anglin, who is on the Cardinal Valley Park Activity Board.
To learn more about Cardinal Valley and Gardenside, Lexington Herald-Leader staff and photographers spent 12 hours there on July 28.
In one of Lexington’s most unique neighborhoods, you’ll find the stories of some of its residents and businesses.
Reporter Cameron Drummond conducted some interviews for this project in Spanish and translated them into English.
NEW LIBRARY AND MEETING SPACE
Marksbury Family Branch Library, corner of Village Drive and Versailles Road, at 8:00 a.m.
Cardinal Valley’s Village Branch Library is its heart.
The Versailles Road library, which was founded in 2004, isn’t just a place where you can get books. In addition to providing internet and computer access to a community that lacks them, it is a favorite meeting place, a job training center, and a hangout spot for teens.
More space was needed.
Upon opening in early 2024, the Marksbury Family Branch library will serve the diverse Cardinal Valley and Gardenside communities.
Before entering the still-under-construction library, Anne Donworth, director of development, marketing and communications for the Lexington Public Library, donned a hard hat.
Conference rooms and meeting spaces will occupy almost all of the first floor of the $17.5 million library.
Using virtual reality, people will be able to take courses in electrical, plumbing, and other trades on the first floor.
Over the large staircase leading to the second floor is a large, beveled skylight, which floods the downstairs with natural light.
Donworth said, “We share one wall with the Save A Lot next door. We wanted to make sure there was plenty of natural light.”
She said neighborhood kids asked for a teen section adjacent to the children’s section on the second floor. The teen section will be at the front of the second floor, with windows overlooking the front entrance.
Several teens come here after school with their younger siblings, Donworth said. “They can sit here and keep an eye on them.”
Donworth said libraries are much more than just books.
“It’s about sharing knowledge,” she said.
FAITH LEAPS
The Yogikrupa Indian Grocery, Gardenside Plaza, Alexandria Drive, opens at 10:00 a.m.
The woman wanted a certain type of leaf used in an Indian blessing ceremony. Krupa Patel, the store’s owner, assured the woman she would have the leaf by the ceremony.
Six months ago, Krupa and Dip Patel opened Yogikrupa.
While waiting for his wife to finish talking to customers, Dip Patel explained that yogi is a religious figure in our culture and Krupa is her first name.
Krupa Patel graduated with a degree in public health in 2021. Dip Patel has worked in the grocery and retail industry for more than 10 years, working on Walmart’s e-commerce platform.
Alexandria Drive is less crowded and easier to navigate than Richmond or Nicholasville roads. Kroger is across the street. Everest, a Nepalese and Indian restaurant, is also in Gardenside Plaza.
According to Krupa Patel, many of our customers go to Kroger for basics and then come here for Indian food.
Dip Patel said that their customers are not just from Lexington.
Dip Patel said that people come from as far away as Somerset and Corbin.
DONUTS, PLAY-DOH, AND BOOKS
Village Branch Library, Gardenside Plaza, 11:00 a.m.
As Holly Brooks and Guliana Benites sang “Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes,” 19-month-old Rayan Uredy stomped his light-up shoes on the floor.
During toddler story time, Brooks started with a song in Spanish, French and Swahili. It’s deliberate, she said. Every child is welcome at Village Branch.
It was time for Play-Doh time after story time. Rayan giggled as he muddled, contorted, and molded the malleable dough into his own masterpiece.
One librarian was on the phone speaking Spanish to a man with a manila envelope full of documents who had just walked in with a manila envelope full of government documents.
The librarians at Village Branch have been a community resource since they opened in 2004. Jennifer Smith, the branch manager of the library, said that if you need assistance in completing a GED or don’t understand your child’s homework assignment, they can help. Need help navigating the internet? They can help with that too, she said.
The toddlers were busy playing with Play-Doh when a woman walked in with a box of donuts. She handed it to Brian Hocevar, assistant branch manager.
According to Hocevar, she said it was because we are always so nice to her.
EL ALAZAN WESTERN WEAR GROWS WITH THE COMMUNITY
El Alazan Western Wear, Alexandria Drive and East New Circle Road, 1:00 p.m.
Cesar Ramirez is off after steaming and reshaping his cowboy hat.
El Alazan Western Wear’s owner showcases the variety of products in his western clothing stores in all directions
El Alazan carries everything from boots and belt buckles to cowboy hats, shirts, and jeans.
Ramirez, who is from Guerrero on Mexico’s Pacific coast, opened El Alazan on Alexandria Drive in 2014.
In 2022, El Alazan will open a second location on East New Circle Road.
“I feel very proud to do what I do, because I do it with a lot of heart,” Ramirez told the Herald-Leader. “I like seeing people feel proud to be at El Alazan.”
Ramirez has outfitted multiple generations of family members in Lexington over the past decade.
Ramirez said, “I want people or young people today to continue some traditions.”.
Among Ramirez’s traditions are handmade belts made of silver, and the Mexican and Central American technique of embroidering decorative patterns onto belts.
When El Alazan first opened, Ramirez said most of his customers spoke Spanish.
Due to Ariat, a well-known apparel brand for equestrians and other work industries, he now estimates a 50-50 split between English and Spanish-speaking customers.
Near Keeneland Race Course and Red Mile, El Alazan is located on Alexandria Drive.
Cardinal Valley’s role as a Spanish-speaking hub in Lexington was one of the reasons Ramirez chose that neighborhood for El Alazan’s first location.
Adding that Cardinal Valley has grown in population over the years, Ramirez said, “Good brothers. Good parents. Good community.”
EL LOUNGE SERVES MANGONADAS AND MORE
El Lounge, at the intersection of Alexandria Drive and Devonport Drive, opens at 2:00 p.m.
El Lounge, an ice cream shop near Alexandria and Devonport drives, was busy despite high temperatures.
The Latin Lex Lounge Community Center for children was first opened in 2014 by Montzerrat Centeno and several friends just a few doors down from El Alazan’s Cardinal Valley store.
It proved difficult to make a profit with that setup, however, and by 2015, El Lounge was providing delicious Mexican sweet treats to Lexington.
Centeno’s shop sells mangonadas – a sweet and savory fusion featuring mango sorbet, chamoy sauce, and Tajin chili powder.
Apart from mangonadas, other popular items include dorilocos (a wild mix of Doritos, cucumber, Japanese peanuts, pork rinds, and chamoy sauce), and esquites (Mexican corn salad).
Centeno, however, says that the best thing at El Lounge is the yogurt, which comes in a variety of flavors and is served with fruit cocktails.
Mexican ice cream and sweets are known for their “crazy flavors,” Centeno said.
Centeno said, “We put spicy stuff on everything.”.
On Sundays after church services and during the week when soccer games are played at nearby parks, it’s particularly busy.
Ice cream is always a good idea.
The Latino community is friendly and close to us. When a Latino starts a business, we’re there to support them.
A TORTILLERIA WITH TACOS AND TORTAS
The Tortilleria Y Taqueria Ramirez, located at the intersection of Alexandria Drive and Devonport Drive, opens at 3 p.m.
With a young child, Laura Patricia Ramirez and her husband Alberto moved to the United States in 1985.
The result nearly four decades later? One of Central Kentucky’s most authentic dining experiences.
A staple of the region’s Mexican food scene, Tortilleria Y Taqueria Ramirez is located in the same shopping complex as El Alazan and El Lounge.
The Tortilleria Y Taqueria Ramirez began as a tortilla-making operation and grocery store before catering to the area’s demand for Mexican food.
“We started adding more and more (menu items) because we saw people wanting to sit down and eat something they (normally) wouldn’t eat here,” Laura, who runs the restaurant, says.
Christian, one of their sons who works at the restaurant, said, “It’s pretty nice to see what your parents did. It’s definitely stressful. But I like it.”
Everything from traditional tacos al pastor (pork) to a torta de tripa (intestine sandwich) is made from scratch using fresh tortillas.
As a hangover cure, menudo is a traditional Mexican soup made with cow’s stomach in a broth, garnished with lime, onions, and peppers.
“Cooking is something I love,” Laura said.
Behind the counter, clippings from magazines and newspapers, along with plaques, contribute to the restaurant’s popularity among Lexington’s non-Spanish speakers.
However, Tortilleria Y Taqueria Ramirez has also fostered a sense of community for Lexington’s Spanish-speaking residents.
El Lounge owner Centeno spoke glowingly (and unprompted) about how Tortilleria Y Taqueria Ramirez and other Latino-owned businesses have helped her.
“It’s kind of like living in Mexico,” Laura said of Cardinal Valley. “You go to the grocery store, you go to the bakery, you come to the tortilleria. Everything is pretty close. That’s what they call it here, ‘Mexington.'”
DRIVING LICENSE
Global Lex, 1306 Versailles Road, at 4:40 p.m.
In the back conference room of Global Lex, Gaston T. Ngandu Sankayi rummaged through some papers before his driver education class at 5 p.m.
He greets a student early as he prepares a large computer viewing screen for tonight’s class: “Bonjour.”.
The African specialist for Global Lex teaches multiple driver education classes every week. Tonight’s class is in French, a common language among African refugees.
In Lexington alone, there are over 2,000 Congolese families, but the number is likely low and inaccurate, Sankayi said.
The former Fayette County Attorney Larry Roberts encouraged Global Lex to start the driver education program after seeing many African refugees with traffic violations and in accidents.
With the assistance of the University of Kentucky and Kentucky State University, Sankayi is also working on other projects to help African refugees.
In addition to food insecurity, Sankayi noted that American foods are difficult to digest.
Five people walk into the Global Lex conference room just before 5 p.m. One holds a phone and hands it to Sankayi.
Gaston said, “Yes, they all made it here fine.”.
As explained by the person on the cell phone, the group of African refugees got lost. In the coming weeks, Sankayi will hopefully help them find their way around Lexington. They will learn the rules of the road and practice for their driver’s test, as well as learn English road signs.
Sankayi said, “The road is speaking English.”.
MOVEMENT AND A BIG RED BOX
The corner of Alexandria and Cambridge drives at 5:30 p.m.
In front of her home, Cynthia Buckner carefully stacked fresh vegetables, pre-made meals, and toiletries in the Little Red Blessing Food Box.
Buckner said that if it means more people can eat, he would do it.
After the Coronavirus pandemic, the paraeducator at Fayette County Public Schools started the Little Red Blessing Food Box to help her neighbors who lost their jobs.
Her friends helped her build the Little Red Blessing Food Box, which stands more than four feet tall. She and others in the neighborhood maintain it.
Several kids from the apartment up the street came down with a stroller and a backpack filled with food, Buckner said.
In the next few years, Buckner hopes to turn the Little Red Blessing Box into a nonprofit and expand the program.
It has already paid for itself.
An acquaintance of Buckner’s knew someone who knew someone who did gutter work in the neighborhood. He came to her house and later contacted her with an estimate.
“I’m afraid it’s going to be expensive,” he said. Buckner held her breath. “It’s free,” he replied. “You do so much for the community.”
There is crime in Cardinal Valley, Buckner said, but there are also many good, hardworking people in the area.
Buckner said, “We take care of each other.”.
PRESIDENTIAL DANCING
The Arthur Murray Dance Studio is located at Gardenside Plaza, Alexandria Drive, at 6:00 p.m.
In the past 30 years, Gardenside and Gardenside Plaza have changed a lot.
The one constant has been Hunter Lisle, franchise owner of Arthur Murray Dance Studios.
His mother took his then-introverted 15-year-old son to Arthur Murray in Gardenside Plaza decades ago when she wanted him to learn the dance.
As he continued to dance, Lisle took detours before he became a professional dancer. He loved it. After playing soccer at the University of Kentucky, Lisle traveled the world and returned to Lexington. A new dance studio opened in Gardenside Plaza. The former Arthur Murray franchise had long since closed.
In 2001, he opened in the space.
We are the largest Arthur Murray studio in the world, and it’s right here in Lexington,” Lisle said.
In his bespoke suit and tie, Lisle chatted with new customers and longtime Arthur Murray studio clients as private dance lessons began. The shy kid is gone. Dancing has taken him to television and to the White House.
In addition to teaching three presidents how to dance (but he won’t say much about it), he’s been a longtime collaborator with “Dancing with the Stars.”
Private lessons start at 6 p.m., there are multiple classes, and at 9:15 p.m. there is a practice dance party.
Ozlem Eva Davis, who attended classes at the studio 13 years ago, returned three months ago to resume her studies.
Davis said the people who come to the studio are friendly and diverse.
According to Lisle, dance provides a sense of connection and community.
“People want to feel connected,” Lisle said.
Throughout his decades-long career, Lisle has seen so many people who don’t believe they can dance.
“If you want to walk in the door, you can dance,” he said.
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