Which Louisville area is the most boring and ugliest? (Radcliff: neighborhoods, living in)

[JefferyT]

Anyway we are talking about ugly and boring suburbia in Louisville. 2/3rds of Jefferson County counts.

Preston Higway, Poplar Level, Newburg Road south of the Watterson, Outer Loop. All of SW County except the Knobs & Kenwood Hill: Ugly & Boring.

Fern Creek, Highview, J-Town: boring and ugly/bland in parts.

Lyndon: ugly AND boring.

Westport & LaGrange Roads: boring & bland (except for Anchorage which is nice).

J-Town: Sad. It could be so much more. Bluegrass Industrial Park: ugly ugly ugly.

Beuchel: Pathetic mess.

Middletown: nice, except for the Shelbyville Road bypass which is ugly & boring.

And then there is Southern Indiana, which they used to call the Sunny Side of Louisville, but is really the Slummy Side of Louisville. OK...I do like St Joe and the Indiana Knobs. And Corydon is a gem.

Bullit County: Depends.

Oldham County: Nice. Esp Pewee Valley & LaGrange town. Crestwood is sort of getting trashed.

I guess the feeling I get with suburban Louisville is a formerly nice countryside trashed by ill-planned suburbia.

[A_Gazela]

I'm a new resident and I haven't taken the time to really explore the neighborhoods, but there is one in particular I'm thinking about.

I live in Old Louisville. Sometimes I drive to the Save-a-Lot on Shelby St. and it's a huge change. Go east of Floyd St. (usually I go on Oak). Structures change from old-but-decently-kept Victorians to monotonous, vinyl-sided, too-close-together houses built I don't-know-when. There are some Victorians scattered about, but many of these are abandoned or have boarded-up windows. And more pot-holes on the streets! I don't know what this area of town is called, but I hope someone knows where I'm talking about!

[31joe]

The area you're talking about is Shelby Park, yes, but realize that area and Smoketown will only improve over time. With the Germantown resurgence and coming downtown resurgence, that'll help the other areas. Although, any neighborhood right under/immediately adjacent to 65 is never going to change much.

I'd say the most boring area is from St. Matthews on out farther east into the strip mall suburbs. The ugliest is much of the western area. Drive down Dixie Highway or 7th St and be nothing but depressed.

[missymomof3]

Originally Posted by 31joe

The area you're talking about is Shelby Park, yes, but realize that area and Smoketown will only improve over time. With the Germantown resurgence and coming downtown resurgence, that'll help the other areas. Although, any neighborhood right under/immediately adjacent to 65 is never going to change much.

I'd say the most boring area is from St. Matthews on out farther east into the strip mall suburbs. The ugliest is much of the western area. Drive down Dixie Highway or 7th St and be nothing but depressed.

Maybe I am just used to it but I don't find Dixie to be depressing but the area really needs to be built up.

[stx12499]

Originally Posted by A_Gazela

I'm a new resident and I haven't taken the time to really explore the neighborhoods, but there is one in particular I'm thinking about.

I live in Old Louisville. Sometimes I drive to the Save-a-Lot on Shelby St. and it's a huge change. Go east of Floyd St. (usually I go on Oak). Structures change from old-but-decently-kept Victorians to monotonous, vinyl-sided, too-close-together houses built I don't-know-when. There are some Victorians scattered about, but many of these are abandoned or have boarded-up windows. And more pot-holes on the streets! I don't know what this area of town is called, but I hope someone knows where I'm talking about!

That is the only "bad" area east of 7th st (9th st downtown). The area is actually known as Smoketown, a historically African American community. In its heydey and in the mid to late nineteenth century, Louisville had a fabulous amount of wealth not unlike many Midwestern cities. However, being technically in the South, there were slaves until the Civil War and then indentured servants which were essentillay paid slaves until the turn of the 20th century and even beyond. Broadway was lined with huge mansions (90% of which sadly have been razed) and the area known as Smoketown developed as an African American ghetto in the "alleys" of the rich.

Smoketown is bounded by Broadway on the north, Floyd on the West, Logan on the east, and Oak on the south. South of this area the homes get nicer historically--this area is known as Shelby Park. These are both nineteenth century neighborhoods, but both started falling in various states of disrepair first around the 1920's when various streetcar suburbs reached their peak: Parkland, Highlands, Beechmont, etc. Smoketown and Shelby Park were hit hard again when I-65 separated the area from Old Louisville, and the railroad tracks and industry that spearated the area from Germantown declined in the post industrial Cold War era. The area declined further when the Shepherd Square housing projects were built in the post WWII era and there was a general flight to the suburbs like all American cities.

The run down small vinyl houses in Smoketown you refer to are likely shotguns, the urban working class vernacular of Louisville. This housing form came up from New Orleans via the Mississippi. If the working class home in Chicago is the the three flat, this is the vernacular of Louisville.

As 31Joe notes, this area, especially Shelby Park away from the Shepherd Square projects, is moderately up and coming. There is already some infill construction planned in the area, and many urban hipsters and especially gay couples are moving in and gentrifying the area. Like East Main/Market and Butchertown, I expect it to be the next area east of downtown to gentrify, especially if the housing projects are replaced as Clarksdale was (the former mini "Cabrini Green" like projects just to the east of downtown around Hancock and Liberty.

Anyways, if you like Chicago, you'll grow to like Louisville in a weird way. I actually spent my early years in Lake County!

[UofLCardFan08]

Originally Posted by shannonKY

And in St M, you will see more men wearing those nasty CROCs! All the kids wear them too(oh can you imagine the stench of those feet?)

I do agree with Crocs are hideous looking. They're rubber Swedish shoes with holes.


IMO, the uliest place in Louisville is Dixie Highway.

[Visvaldis]

Originally Posted by UofLCardFan08

I do agree with Crocs are hideous looking. They're rubber Swedish shoes with holes.


IMO, the uliest place in Louisville is Dixie Highway.

Yes, Dixie Highway is a scourge, an eyesore. Also Cane Run Road. Closer to me is Taylor Boulevard (Boulevard!) lined with dozens of the most drab houses anyone can hope to see. Like I said earlier, a contest to see who could design the ugliest house. I wonder who won?
Another poster mentioned 7th Street. Yes, it looks like war destruction where no enthusiasm to rebuild existed. The words that come to mind are "dump", "wasteland", "depressing", etc.
Old Louisville, with the many varied houses, is interesting because each house is completely different from the next. I guess that area was built during an era when the dwellers valued architectural originality. Hopefully, that area will be preserved and well maintained.

[Visvaldis]

Originally Posted by missymomof3

Maybe I am just used to it but I don't find Dixie to be depressing but the area really needs to be built up.

I can relate to this. The area I live in is dumpy, drab, bland, etc. but I've become used to it. It's after being away for 4-5 days, then noticing how crappy the area looks upon return. But, after a day or two, I get used to it once again.

[missymomof3]

Originally Posted by Visvaldis

Yes, Dixie Highway is a scourge, an eyesore. Also Cane Run Road. Closer to me is Taylor Boulevard (Boulevard!) lined with dozens of the most drab houses anyone can hope to see. Like I said earlier, a contest to see who could design the ugliest house. I wonder who won?
Another poster mentioned 7th Street. Yes, it looks like war destruction where no enthusiasm to rebuild existed. The words that come to mind are "dump", "wasteland", "depressing", etc.
Old Louisville, with the many varied houses, is interesting because each house is completely different from the next. I guess that area was built during an era when the dwellers valued architectural originality. Hopefully, that area will be preserved and well maintained.

7th street used to be full of bourbon distillaries but then they closed and nothing else was done with them. I hope someday something will be done to clean up the area.

[Nmissi]

What a depressing thread! Someone reading this might think that the whole of Louisville is a run down mess.

For my part, I'll have to disagree. Not everything has to be the same, everywhere; it's more interesting when an area has some sort of particular flavor, or character. I can find things to enjoy and admire in pretty much every part of town. But for now, I'll confine myself to home.

There are neat things to be seen all over Louisville- even in the parts y'all have been complaining about. I live in Valley Station. The only depressing aspects of it are the big box stores and shopping centres. I love some of the "small town" feeling parts of this area; I love to walk past tiny shops with a unique look. I like Jiggs' market, I like funky little tattoo parlors and hair salons filled with little blue haired ladies. I love driving down Valley Station road- such a nice mix of designs and styles to the houses; big old farm houses, little bungalows, suburban ranch homes- plenty of eye-variety to be had.

My mother lives on the outskirts of Fairdale. There's still enough wooded area around her to make it feel like you're out in the country in some places. The big shopping centers are a drag, but there are neat things to be seen- The top of South Hill has an amazing view (though it's a shame about the ugly apartments they've built up there.) There's a neat mix of homes along New Cut between Outer Loop and Old Third as well; little ranches in the neighborhoods, shotguns and farmhouses and even a log cabin on the road proper. Then the other side of Old Third, New cut devolves into tiny shops and restaurants until you reach Iroquois Park. Anyone who doesn't appreciate the prettiness of the park is just looking for something to complain about. Turn onto Southern Parkway and the houses are just beautiful. I have always enjoyed Kenwood Hills, but I'm not too proud to appreciate the little neighborhoods around it as well. Interesting people, interesting yards. Even in places where the houses are all in similar style, everything's "old" enough to have developed individual personalities; the yards all say something different, each one stamped with impressions about the people who live there.