It says something that the biggest celebrity in Lexington is a horse named Cigar. The champ lives at one of the town’s major tourist attractions, Kentucky Horse Park, along with some three dozen other breeds. It also says something that the luxurious mansions of this rolling landscape are put to shame by the thoroughbred barns. Lexington is the very center of what’s called the Inner Bluegrass, a swath of emerald green crisscrossed with immaculate fences and towering trees. But don’t be fooled by its stately, country-club appearance, because the culture is diverse and vibrant: Lexington has two ballet companies, an active LGBT community, and the University of Kentucky men’s basketball team (and its rabid fans). It all adds up to a place that’s big enough to feel like a metropolis—and small enough to still get a wave instead of a honk.