"Old Louisville"

[JD984]

Thanks for the feedback. Definitely some amazing architecture in Old Louisville. Missing Indiana - I will check your prior posts as well.

[The Dissenter]

Originally Posted by JEB77

It seems like the two areas of the Louisville region that get discussed the most on this sub-forum are the Highlands area and Oldham County, courtesy of the two posters who live in those respective areas.

Can anyone provide a balanced assessment of the area that typically is referred to as "Old Louisville"? I know there are some beautiful old homes there, but don't know what the area is like in terms of safety or amenities. Schools would not be a consideration, except indirectly to the extent that poor schools might limit the resale or appreciation potential of a property there. I tried to do a search for prior posts on the area, but it didn't seem to produce results that were on-point.

Thanks much.

Safety-wise: I'd put in on par with your typical gentrifying area in DC like Columbia Heights. (I know you from the NoVA forum) You have a moderate amount of more annoying crimes like car breakins and your occasional robbery but street smarts will likely reduce your chance of being a victim.

Amenities: I found the lack of restaurants and stores extremely disappointing. When apartment hunting there, I decided on a place in St Matthews on the East End over a great unit on St James Ct since I would not have to drive or walk far for food or other groceries.

[JaxRhapsody]

Originally Posted by censusdata

It's a neighborhood located between downtown and U of L's Belknap Campus, bounded to the west by the industrial area along 7th St Rd and I-65 to the east. It was the area of choice for the city's elite from the 1870s to the flood of 1937. It has great and diverse architecture that is probably the best in the city ( a similar area is just east of New Albany near the Culbertson Mansion). It declined a lot after WWII but began to improve in the 1970s. It does have few restaurants or shopping compared to most of Louisville (including poor areas like Shively), although there are now a lot of restuarants at U of L now. Homicides are pretty rare and are usually in the northern part along Oak St, which is the worst area. My car insurance was insane ($200 a month for an old Camry and I've never had an at fault wreck) and higher than what I was paying in the Highlands.

I lived in the heart of OL from 2004 to 2008. While it had it's issues (car vandalized/ broken into once a year, one bike stolen per year, shooting a block away, terrible parking, having to leave every year for the Art Show - goodbye parking spot!) I did enjoy it. I lived behind St James Court / Belgravia Court which is just an incredible urban street to walk on with the gas lamps, each house being so ornate, the sense of community pride, etc. It's the only place i've lived in Louisville where I knew all neighbors and others throughout the neighborhood on a first name basis. Not sure if I'd move back but I have no regrets living there

As for moving there... it really depends on where, even to the block level. St James Court is great and pretty safe, Oak and 1st... not so much. In general the closer to U of L the safer, east and north is worse.

Downtown, UofL, 9th st/7th ST Rd, and Smoketown are it's boarders. It spans the width between 7th ST Rd(which is also know as 7th st, when it's actually not, though it is also 9th st, and Roy Wilkins) and to Brook st. Smoketown begins on the side of Brook that Salvation army is on. Goes as far north as Breckenridge, as south as the strip mall with all the restaurants in it across the street from the one with the laundromat. There are corner stores, few restaurants, and bars directly in the neighborhood itself. It's really a mix, a blend of different incomes, you might live next to a crackhead, and a lawyer, it's hard to really place distinctions, but closer to Smoketown, claoser to 7th st Rd could be the badder areas, bit it's still a mix and match. If I could buy a mansion, and it's carriagehouse, I'd live in Old Louisville, especially if it was not on the art show plotting grounds, I love art, I hate not being able to park at my house, or drive to it, the Marathons also pose issue.

[censusdata]

Actually Old Louisville seems safer the further you west you go. I did a ton of walking and biking there (including at night) and the western streets have less dicey areas. There are actually some really nice pedestrian residential streets off 6th St. The part of the West End OL borders is industrial and not populated. By contrast it flows right into Shelby Park, the only divide being I-65. I've heard it's improving but SP is still a bad area in my book.

[JaxRhapsody]

Originally Posted by censusdata

Actually Old Louisville seems safer the further you west you go. I did a ton of walking and biking there (including at night) and the western streets have less dicey areas. There are actually some really nice pedestrian residential streets off 6th St. The part of the West End OL borders is industrial and not populated. By contrast it flows right into Shelby Park, the only divide being I-65. I've heard it's improving but SP is still a bad area in my book.

Shelby Park is Smoketown, it doesn't seem as bad, now that Sheppard Square is gone.

[censusdata]

Shelby Park and Smoketown are technically two separate neighborhoods but are pretty identical. I am glad that Sheppard Square is gone but last time I was in that there was still a lot of abandoned houses. Remember the crime rate there is very high but total crime has gone down because the population has plummeted. I actually had a few problems with the police when I biked through that area (going from the Highlands to Old Louisville), they always checked by cargo bag. I guess the only reason a White guy would be in that area is to buy drugs lol.

I could see rapid improvement at some point in those areas (great store fronts along E Broadway, Hospital hub nearby, between two nice neighborhoods) but I would not live in either as of now.

[MissingIndiana]

Home of the Week | Tour the Old Louisville home of Mitch and Cindee Quake-Rapp

A little overdone on the decorations for my taste, but a beautiful Old Louisville home nonetheless.

[censusdata]

BTW I do like Old Louisville and don't want to steer people away. But people need to understand what it is or you'll get someone moving there who isn't a good fit. In some ways it's great (educated population, dense with great architecture, very tolerant) in other ways it's lacking (crime - other than homicide which is quite low, lack of restaurants, air pollution too).

[censusdata]

Originally Posted by The Dissenter

Safety-wise: I'd put in on par with your typical gentrifying area in DC like Columbia Heights. (I know you from the NoVA forum) You have a moderate amount of more annoying crimes like car breakins and your occasional robbery but street smarts will likely reduce your chance of being a victim.

Amenities: I found the lack of restaurants and stores extremely disappointing. When apartment hunting there, I decided on a place in St Matthews on the East End over a great unit on St James Ct since I would not have to drive or walk far for food or other groceries.

I went to DC a month ago and sadly didn't venture into most urban neighborhoods. I had really wanted to see Georgetown or Alexandria VA (well I drove there. Better place not to drive lol). I stayed way out in College Park because the motels were insanely cheap - $65 a night - and took the subway (called the Metro) into downtown. The Metro had a stop for Columbia Heights that it went through. Truth be told I think my favorite trip memory was riding the Metro. It was a lot faster and not as smooth as I expected, but I came to think of it as a roller coaster that take you places