Best area for ppl in 20's (Lexington, Louisville: 2010, apartment complex, for rent)

[boilermaker_07]

I am moving from Purdue to Louisville and I was just wondering about some areas that would be good for nightlife, restaurants, and just a lot to do...i've heard the eastside and bardstown road are good areas but just wanted to get others input.
Also any good apartment names in these areas would help me out to. Thanks

[stx12499]

Originally Posted by boilermaker_07

I am moving from Purdue to Louisville and I was just wondering about some areas that would be good for nightlife, restaurants, and just a lot to do...i've heard the eastside and bardstown road are good areas but just wanted to get others input.
Also any good apartment names in these areas would help me out to. Thanks

the east side/east end/east suburbs are boring suburbs full of families and old people. If you are in your 20's and single, you'll want to be close to downtown, and I personally would never steer any young person to live outside the I-264 (Watterson Expressway). therefore, you'll want to be inside 264, and I would look at downtown, Old Louisville, Butchertown, Highlands, Crescent Hill, Clifton, and St Matthews. keep in mind that often the best way to find a cool apartment in Louisville is to drive around and call the "for rent" signs you see out front. Find some streets and areas you like and call the for rent signs. Dont be afraid to get lost or ask questions. craigslist is also a good source. If you are looking at older buildings, call and ask if they have been rehabbed recently, etc. You may have to look at several before you find the right one, but you well be much happier in the end. If you use things like apartmentfinder, they will steer you towards some overpriced suburban mecca.

If you type each hood I mentioned into wikipedia, it should have some pretty good descriptions. There are 3 main bar "strips." One is 4th street downtown. This is sort of like the corporate chain club area but I have to admit several clubs are high end and nice. The other is the 900 block of Baxter ave and continuing on down Bardstown, which has a high concentration of cool stuff. The bar scene here centers on pubs, and the restaurants and shops range from bike stores, to gyros, to sushi. The third main strip occurs in what has become known as the "heart of St Matthews." This area is where Frankfort Ave, Lexington Road, and Shelbyville road all meet, and functions as a sort of "downtown" for the inner ring suburb known as St Matthews. This area has a high concentration of young professionals and is definitely not your grandmas suburb. This location puts you closer to the chain retail that the center city currently lacks (for now at least, but see the www.ironquarter.com listing below). The entire area around the heart of St matthews has some cool little shops and stores, and several good bars.

Of course, there are hundreds of other bars and music venues scattered throughout the city, and it really depends on your "scene." There is also a large 24 hour casino in the Indiana suburbs 20 minutes from downtown. Downtown, Bardstown Rd, Frankfort ave all have the best concentrations of indie shops and restuarants. or perhaps you prefer to mix up your scene? If you are buying, you will want to keep in mind the following projects downtown that will be completed by 2010-- www.ironquarter.com
www.museumplaza.net www.riverparkplace.net and www.arenaauthority.com
its an exciting time here, and were glad you can join us. please PM me with specific questions.

[boilermaker_07]

Thanks for the info...I have been only able to look online at like apartments or rent.com. How good of an area is the highlands? The company I will be working for reccommended this area and also about how long of a drive is it from st. matthews to downtown? Thanks.

[stx12499]

Originally Posted by boilermaker_07

Thanks for the info...I have been only able to look online at like apartments or rent.com. How good of an area is the highlands? The company I will be working for reccommended this area and also about how long of a drive is it from st. matthews to downtown? Thanks.

IMO, the Highlands is one of the Midwest's/Upper South's premiere urban areas (outside Chicago of course, but it most reminds me of a "mini" Clark in Chicago). The Highlands is very expensive and upper class in many parts near Cherokee Park and Seneca Park, however prices generally go down the closer you get to downtown. You can find a nice renovated 1 BR for under 650 in this area, and you will be much closer to nightlife, 24 hour cafes, and downtown. You won't find any listings on rent.com from this area. As I noted, those apartment finder websites steer you towards crappy, corporate owned apartment complexes in the suburbs. This is the same way TV adds lead you to believe Outback has the best steaks (which they may in some small towns), but ultimately the best steaks are usually at some local upscale place or even whole in the wall. If you don't know anyone, you will feel isolated in these suburban parking lotted complexes. You'll feel like you are living in your college town, with a major difference being that many of the residents won't be college age and you won't have class with them. That said, if you I insist you want a "complex," I can provide you names of the better ones with more young people around. So, you really are going to have to come to the city and drive around and explore. If you want to do that, I can send you a detailed map with the cool areas to explore, and those which have the highest concentration of young people and young professionals. For now, I would search craiglslist.org for apartment listings in the areas I mentioned. The good listings will have pictures. Many listings are renovated old houses. Some are nicer than others, you just have to look.

St Matthews is an inner ring suburb that itself is about the size of your college town, so I am sure you can realize your commute will vary depending on where you live in St Matthews. The eastern end of St Matthews has big malls and stores that probably do not look too different from the areas of Purdue where it meets I-65. To me, that is boring, but it may be your thing. If you must choose St Matthews, google a bar named "brendan's" and try and live within a mile radius of there. That bar is in the older "downtownish" part of St Mathews which is more pedestrian friendly, has a cooler housing stock, and more unique restuarants, nightlife, and boutiques.

Now, if your commute route takes you on I-64 from St matthews to downtown, this road can be quite a mess during rush hours, especially if you are not used to living in a large city. If you have lived in a large city like Chicago, the commute here will be a piece of cake most days and you will laugh at Lville traffic. However, you will notice people in Louisville wreck alot, and I-64 is not a wide freeway--it is only 2 lanes in each direction. So, I would say the average person could get downtown and in their office from St Matthews in 10-15 minutes with no traffic. Not bad at all. If there is a wreck or traffic is bad, you can expect that time to double though, and that is where it gets irritating. if you want to deal with all that traffic, you might as well live in a mega city with more amenities like LA. The advantage to Louisville is that it offers city amenties but has lighter traffic, cheaper prices, and friendlier people.

Sorry for the long winded response, but yeah, let me know if you are interested in coming down for a couple days and looking at properties. I can then provide you with a map that provides you a synopsis of the good areas, the ghetto areas, and the areas that are the most fun and have the most young people.

Finally, just so you don't rule out the immediate downtown area, here are some listings for it that I found, although many are condos:
http://www.lca-inc.org/lca/dtliving/default.htm (broken link)

[stuckinkentucky]

Unless it's the Highlands in Louisville, there are none. Move to Texas, Atlanta, Nashville, or Raleigh.

[boilermaker_07]

Thanks for all the info you have provided, I will be coming into the area this weekend and was wondering if you could send me a map of some good apartment complexes as well as areas with a younger crowd.

I have also looked at barington place and crescent centre apartments in downtown...I was just wondering what your take on these places are...or if its better to live outside the city for cheaper prices. I live on campus now and like being close to everything and walking to bars so i'm looking for an area that doesn't shut down around 10pm lol. Thanks for your help.

[stx12499]

Originally Posted by boilermaker_07

Thanks for all the info you have provided, I will be coming into the area this weekend and was wondering if you could send me a map of some good apartment complexes as well as areas with a younger crowd.

I have also looked at barington place and crescent centre apartments in downtown...I was just wondering what your take on these places are...or if its better to live outside the city for cheaper prices. I live on campus now and like being close to everything and walking to bars so i'm looking for an area that doesn't shut down around 10pm lol. Thanks for your help.

I would check out those two. Also check out St. Francis downtown. As I said before, your best bet is classifieds and craigslist for an area around bardstown road or frankfort ave. I would stray away from large corporate owned apartment complexes as most are located in boring suburbia where yes, it shuts down at 10 PM. Highlands, Crescent Hill/Clifton/Butchertown, Old Louisville/Germantown, and Downtown have the most young people. St. Matthews is your best bet if you want suburban like apartment complexes, and the ones to look at are Mallard Crossing and Camden Oxmoor.

The only "suburban like" complex close to downtown is Phoenix place, which you will definitely want to check out on the east side of downtown. Some people also like River Hill, which is located near Zorn and 71.

But, I cannot emphasize enough that Louisville is much cooler if you live in an old house or apartment building in the Highlands that you find on craigslist or by driving around calling for rent signs.

[Muffin]

if you want good nitelife get out of kentucky!!!!!!!

[stx12499]

Originally Posted by Muffin

if you want good nitelife get out of kentucky!!!!!!!

Not true at ALL! Its no NYC, but may I ask where you have been out on Louisville?

[boilermaker_07]

Ok, well I have found an apartment complex that is located along brownsboro road...I tried looking in old downtown and in the highlands, but I was only down in the area for a day and needed to find something. I was just wondering how this area is for living and at least restaurants and such. I figure i'll have to go to downtown if I want my night life. Thanks for any help.