I Was Raised Here.
I’ve lived in Berea, Kentucky my entire life.
I grew up in Apple Grove Park, close to Memorial Park, the skating rink, Berea Community Park, and the places where kids in Berea spent their afternoons and summer days.
Back then, life was a little slower.
We sometimes walked to the park after school. We walked to the pool during the summer. We had the classic “come home when the street lights come on” rule.
Friday and Saturday nights meant going to Club Arena to skate. When it was time to leave, we’d walk across the park before the rink closed so we didn’t have to suffer the embarrassment of having our parents pick us up right in front of everybody.
I also remember spending time at the Boys & Girls Club after school, right next to where Goodwill is currently located, where I met people I still know today.
That’s the Berea I grew up in.
But Berea isn’t just the place where I grew up.
It’s home.
Berea Runs Through My Family
My connection to Berea goes back well beyond my own lifetime.
My Papaw, Johnny Todd, is one of those people who seems to know—and be known by—everyone.
His family originally owned Todd’s Grocery Store on Highway 25 South toward Mount Vernon. Eventually, my papaw took over the family business before he and my grandma, Mary Lee, opened Todd’s Antique Mall.
I’m the third generation of my family to build a business here.
My kids are the fourth generation of my Todd family line growing up here in Berea.
And I have no plans on leaving.
I’ve heard stories about my papaw helping people in the community long before I was born. He delivered groceries on foot to people who needed them, even walking through the snow, and helped feed people who were hungry.
But the part that really stuck with me came from watching him at the antique mall when I was growing up.
The antique mall is close to the interstate, and I would sometimes get off the bus there and wait until my mom could come pick me up.
I saw people walk through the door or pull into the parking lot asking for things most businesses probably wouldn’t consider their problem.
Someone needed to use the phone.
Someone needed to sell something because they needed gas money.
Someone needed a ride across town.
And my papaw helped.
He didn’t ask a lot of questions. He just helped.
That mentality has always felt like Berea to me.
The Berea You Can’t Find Online
Berea is known for a lot of things.
We’re an arts and crafts community. We’re home to Berea College. We have the Pinnacles, Owsley Fork Reservoir, local festivals, restaurants, shops, galleries, and plenty of things that bring visitors from outside the area. All of that is real.
But there’s another side of Berea that you can’t really see from a Google search.
It’s the feeling of home.
We’re a tourist town, but we’re also a small town.
And those are two very different things.
You can go to Walmart and see how long it takes before someone stops me to talk.
Or we could drive from one end of Berea to the other and see how long it takes before I recognize somebody walking down the street or driving by.
It won’t take long.
That’s just how Berea works.
My dad is the youngest of ten kids, so for me, there’s an especially good chance that the person I run into isn’t just somebody I know.
They’re probably family.
A Community That Still Looks Out for Its Own
One of the things I love most about Berea is how quickly people step up when someone needs help.
A lot of that happens online now.
Someone will post:
“Does anyone know where I can find…”
And before long, the comments are full of recommendations, resources, phone numbers, and people offering to help.
When a local business is struggling, people don’t just talk about it.
They’ll flood social media with information and tell everyone to go support that business.
I’ve experienced this community mentality firsthand.
I’ve had people contact me about someone who needs help finding a place to live, even when that person wasn’t a real estate client.
Just recently, a friend called me because she was trying to help someone who was struggling financially and looking for an affordable rental.
She didn’t know someone had already given him my information—and that I’d already spent an hour on the phone with him trying to help.
That’s Berea.
People know people.
People look out for people.
And sometimes, people call me simply because they know I’ll know somebody who can help.
Places That Feel Like Berea to Me
Some places immediately bring Berea to mind.
Todd’s Antique Mall.
Something Olde Antique Mall.
Near New Auto and the big bull out front.
Papalenos.
Boone Tavern.
The Pinnacles.
Owsley Fork Reservoir.
Old Town Artisan Village.
And there are plenty of places I still enjoy visiting today.
I love walking around Old Town and the Artisan Village.
Papalenos is one of my favorites, but you’ll also find me at places like Night Jar, Native Bagel, and Dinner Bell.
And if someone is visiting Berea for the first time, one of my first recommendations is simple:
Stop by Tourism and tell them I sent you.
Then go explore.
Drive out to Owsley Fork.
Walk around Old Town.
See what the local artists are creating.
Get something to eat.
Don’t just drive through Berea.
Experience it.
The Berea I Remember
Growing up here also means remembering the places that aren’t here anymore.
I miss going to Sweet Betty’s with my Nanny.
For me, it was social hour.
I was a picky eater as a kid, so I mostly loved grabbing handfuls of the buttery crackers that came with the salads.
Sweet Betty’s is gone now. The building is a now locally owned pawn shop.
I remember Piggly Wiggly, which is now a mini mall.
I remember another small grocery store that has also been replaced by a mini mall.
And I remember the giant rocking chair on South Broadway, made by local woodworker and artist Doug Haley.
Those things might seem insignificant to someone who didn’t grow up here.
To me, they’re pieces of home.
Berea Has Always Been a Place to Get Outside
Today, I get to experience Berea’s outdoors a little differently.
Instead of walking to the park with my friends, I’m taking my kids.
Instead of simply spending the summer at the pool, I’m watching my kids play baseball at the park.
We hike the Pinnacles.
We walk Brushy Fork Trail.
We enjoy Silver Creek Bike Park.
We spend time at the parks and find something to do around town.
And that’s one of the things I love about Berea:
There’s something to do for just about everybody.
If you want to hike, you can hike.
If you want to bike, you can bike.
If you want arts and crafts, we’ve got them.
If you want local restaurants, we’ve got them.
If you want community events, there’s always something going on.
And if you think there’s nothing to do in a small town?
It’s rarely dead around here.
Berea College & Our Community
Berea College is obviously a major part of our community.
But to me, Berea College isn’t just an institution sitting inside the city limits.
It’s part of the identity of Berea.
The college, the arts community, local businesses, tourism, outdoor recreation, families, students, and longtime residents all contribute to what makes this town what it is.
It’s one of the reasons Berea doesn’t feel like just another small Kentucky town.
The Arts Are Part of Who We Are
You can’t talk about Berea without talking about arts and crafts.
Our Artisan Village, local galleries, makers, woodworkers, artists, and craft traditions are a huge part of our identity.
But what I appreciate is that the arts aren’t simply something created for tourists.
They’re part of the community.
They’re part of our history.
They’re part of the businesses and families that have called Berea home for generations.
That’s something worth preserving.
Why I Built My Real Estate Business Here
People sometimes ask why I focus so heavily on Berea.
The answer is pretty simple.
It’s my home.
I know the area.
I know the people.
I know the roads.
I know the neighborhoods.
I know the businesses.
I know the routines.
I know where traffic backs up when school lets out.
I know which roads are busy and when.
I know where the speed traps are.
I know how long it actually takes to get from one side of town to the other.
I’ve lived in different parts of Berea and, even when I didn’t live somewhere, I was running around this town constantly.
I’ve known this place my entire life.
So when someone is buying a home here, I’m not just looking at the house.
I’m thinking about what it’s actually like to live here.
And that’s a different kind of local knowledge.
I could have built my real estate business anywhere.
I’ve always been happy to help people buy and sell homes wherever they needed me.
But Berea is my expertise.
This is the community I know best.
I’ve Been Part of This Community Long Before Real Estate
My involvement in Berea didn’t only start when I became a REALTOR® in 2019.
I served as a Berea Chamber of Commerce volunteer and board member from 2021–2024 and served as president in 2024.
I’ve volunteered with community organizations, served on the board of Mike’s Kids Education Foundation, and graduated from Leadership Madison County.
I was also recognized as a Top 20 Leadership Madison County participant and received the Unsung Hero Award in the Community Division from the Richmond Register.
In 2025, I collected donations and helped make sure every nursing home resident received a Christmas goody bag filled with personal care items.
Those things matter to me because they’re not about building a real estate brand.
They’re about being part of the place where I live.
Raising the Next Generation Here
The most meaningful part of all of this for me is that I’m watching my own kids experience Berea.
They’re the fourth generation of my Todd family line growing up here.
They’re going to the parks.
They’re playing baseball.
They’re experiencing local events.
They’re growing up knowing the people around them.
And hopefully, when they’re older, they’ll remember Berea the way I remember it.
Not just by its attractions.
Not just by its businesses.
But by the people they knew.
What I Hope Never Changes
I don’t want Berea to become the new Lexington.
I don’t want us to lose the slower, quieter lifestyle that makes this place feel different.
I know Berea will change.
Businesses will come and go.
New houses will be built.
People will move here.
People will move away.
That’s normal.
But I hope we never lose the things that make Berea feel like Berea.
I hope people still know their neighbors.
I hope people still support local businesses.
I hope people still step up when someone needs help.
I hope my kids can still walk through town and recognize people.
I hope twenty years from now, Berea still feels like home.
So, Why Berea?
Because it’s home.
It’s the place where I grew up.
It’s where my family built businesses.
Where I’ve built my business.
It’s where my kids are growing up.
It’s where I’ve built my career.
It’s where I’ve watched generations of people come and go.
It’s where I know the roads, the neighborhoods, the businesses, the traditions, the shortcuts, the traffic patterns, the events, and—most importantly—the people.
I’m sometimes jokingly called the unofficial Berea spokesperson.
And honestly?
I kind of dig it.
I get random calls from people all the time asking what’s going on around town or whether I know about something.
Sometimes it’s clients.
Sometimes it’s other REALTORS®.
Sometimes it’s just random people who live here.
And usually, I’ll either know the answer…
or I’ll know somebody who does.
That’s what being from Berea means to me.
It’s knowing people.
It’s helping people.
It’s showing up.
It’s taking care of your own.
And after all these years, I still wouldn’t want to call anywhere else home.
Thinking About Calling Berea Your New Home?
You don’t have to be ready to buy a house.
Start by getting to know the community.
Explore the places locals love. Find a restaurant. Check out an event. Visit the parks. Walk around Old Town. Talk to people.
And if you’re considering making Berea your home, talk to someone who has spent a lifetime here.
I’m Devin, a lifelong Berea, KY resident who just so happens to sell real estate while also serving Berea, Richmond, and Madison County. I’m locally known & most importantly, locally trusted.
