Audubon Park and Southern Parkway areas (Louisville, Woodlawn: houses, safe neighborhood, schools)

[kyeric]

Hello!

I am looking at some possible areas for my wife and two young children to move into and we have a couple of listings near Audubon Park and another at Southern Parkway/Woodlawn Avenue. We are wanting to find a safe neighborhood for raising our kids and don't know a lot of other's real life observations and advice to moving into Louisville.

Can anyone please give us some pros and cons about these possible locales?

Thanks in advance!
Eric

[Peter1948]

Originally Posted by kyeric

Hello!

I am looking at some possible areas for my wife and two young children to move into and we have a couple of listings near Audubon Park and another at Southern Parkway/Woodlawn Avenue. We are wanting to find a safe neighborhood for raising our kids and don't know a lot of other's real life observations and advice to moving into Louisville.

Can anyone please give us some pros and cons about these possible locales?

Thanks in advance!
Eric

Those are great areas, very old and historic, but well kept with good neighbors. Audubon Park is probably a bit nicer.

[Dayton Sux]

Audubon Park proper (the 5th class city) is ...still....very nice. Not too familiar with the area, but the other neighborhoods around it are sort of small 1940s era crackerboxes and 1920s bungalows (Camp Taylor & Prestonia).

The Southern Parkway/Woodlawn area is the heart of the South End...specifically the Beechmont/Kenwood/Southern Heights. I used to know this area fairly well and still visit there.

This area is the one that seeing that immigrant population moving in, but was a mix of blue collar/middle class housing..mix of sizes, styles, ages. The houses get smaller and more iffy the closer you get to the railroad on the east (closer to what used to be Highland Park) and as you head toward Taylor Blvd to the west (Taylor Blvd is not one of my favorite areas in the South End.)

Also try to stay south of the Watterson, I-675.

Otherwise the area could be pretty nice for a reasonably priced house for living in town. There is shopping (inlcuding a Kroger) in the area, too, which makes it somewhat OK in that you dont have to drive forever to find groceries.

[kytoaz]

audubon park is a yes. while southern pkwy has beautiful homes and is in close proximity to iroquois park, It is also in close proximity to some shady areas imo. The schools around there are filled with a wide economic mix of children, including those from the iroquois housing projects.Not a horrible place, but the city offers much more desireable areas for similar costs.

p.s. just noticed that you said southern/woodlawn. I think the area is getting better, but I would not want to move my children there. My best friend bought a home there six years back and is dismayed at the kind of "ghetto" (his words) influence the area and schools have had on his son.

[kyeric]

Thank you all for the honest responses. Looks like both of the homes are in need of a bit too much initial investment and we are going to continue to look. I really did like the Audubon Park area!

Thanks again for all the input.

Eric