Danville has a strong sense of community and affords an appealing quality of life not found in all small towns. Five neighborhoods and 120 restored historical houses are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The downtown is small, just six blocks long, but a variety of architectural styles creates an eclectic streetscape with locally-owned eateries and boutiques housed in renovated buildings.  

The lovely Community Arts Center, home to a number of galleries and rotating regional exhibits, is an enjoyable place to spend an afternoon. Elements Pottery and Crafts is a gallery that invites visitors to watch artists in action; it is housed in the Old Crow Inn, Kentucky's oldest stone manor home. Several internationally known painters and glass blowers also make their home in Danville. For book aficionados, the Boyle County Public Library has just undergone a major renovation and has a good collection, research databases, a bookmobile and 54 public computers with Internet access.

The Pioneer Playhouse Dinner Theatre is Kentucky's oldest outdoor theater, and nationally recognized Centre College's Norton Center for the Arts presents year-round programming in the performance and visual arts, including theater presentations and jazz series. The JFC Museum showcases war memorabilia, and farmers' markets, strawberry farms and wineries offering tours are also sprinkled in and around Danville. And Penn's Store, opened in 1850, is the oldest country store in America continuously occupied by the same family, the Penns.

Dining is not world-class, but residents have a fair selection of medium-priced chain restaurants, pizza places and coffee shops from which to choose, and Burke's Bakery, across the street from Constitution Square, is almost world-famous and definitely worth a visit (the butterflake rolls are delicious)! Shopping is adequate, with box stores, including a Wal-Mart and liquor stores (Danville is no longer "dry"), on the south side of town. The Antique Mall is a lot of fun and is housed in a rambling, Gothic-style Presbyterian church that was built in 1868. Still, a trip to Lexington (population 275,000), 35 miles northeast, may be necessary occasionally.

This area offers a bounty of recreation venues, and a huge draw for Danville retirees is the 3,500-acre Herrington Lake, which is just three miles outside of town. All kinds of water activities, from fishing for perch, bluegill and crappie, to swimming and sailing, give residents plenty of ways to stay busy. The well-worn, older campground of Gwinn Island Resort and Marina has floating cabins and boat rentals. Danville also has three golf courses, including Old Bridge Golf Course. This semi-private course opened in 1989 and has 18 holes, a driving range, a putting green and a bar and grill (cart and green fees range from $15 to $35). Central Kentucky Wildlife Refuge, which covers 500 acres, is just 13 miles from Danville and is a great spot for birdwatching and hiking. Centre College gives retirees a chance to watch college soccer, basketball and baseball. The lakes and river region, which includes 65,000-acre Lake Cumberland, is 50 miles south, and, of course, the annual Kentucky Derby is just 68 miles away in Louisville.

The Danville-Boyle County Senior Center is located at 569 Jean Drive and works in conjunction with the Kentucky Bluegrass Area Agency on Aging. The Center provides a number of important services, including delivering meals Monday through Friday, congregate meals three days a week, home services such as light housekeeping (fees are on a sliding scale) and transportation to and from doctors' appointments and grocery stores.

Ephraim McDowell Regional Medical Center (155 beds) provides comprehensive care and received the 100 Top Hospitals Performance Improvement Leaders Award in 2006. It is a Level III Trauma Center and home to the HealthRewards Program for those age 50 and better. For $20 a year, it entitles members to a host of services, including private room upgrades, free cafeteria meals for spouses during hospital stays, free notary services and assistance with living wills and advanced directives. EMRMC accepts both Medicare and Medicaid patients. For military vets, Lexington and Louisville both have a VA medical center.

Summers are warm, with temperatures in the 70s and 80s. Winters can be chilly with temperatures in the 20s and 30s. The area receives 4 to 5 inches of precipitation per month, some of which can be snow during colder months. On the comfort index, a combination of temperature and humidity, Danville is below the national average. The shun shines 188 days of the year. The water quality is below the national average, but the air quality is above the national average.

Life in Danville has some drawbacks. There is no public transportation, and the risk of a tornado is 78% above the national average.

And yet, Danville beckons. Surrounded by pretty horse farms and rolling hills, its sense of history runs deep, and its appreciation of traditional values remains strong. With an award-winning downtown, an outstanding local college and a rich quality of life, Danville is indeed a great place to live.