Is Louisville running down??? (Lexington, Frankfort: appointed, apartment, for rent)

[hlruns]

Alright guys - I finally made it up to Louisville to look at homes. I was pleasantly confused overwhelmed with the VARIETY of places to choose from and was quite pleased to find so much so close to the city - subdivisions, parks, etc. The river is beautiful, and the parks, too.

However, I was disappointed to see what I felt like was a run-down city. I was very surprised that on Main Street there were buildings with broken and boarded-up windows. In fact, this seemed to be a city-wide epidemic. Is Louisville currently in the process of "fixing up"? Or is this a constant state of things in the city?

I have spent my fair share of time in big cities, and was surprised at the amount of buildings downtown that appeared in need of repair. Typically in the more commercial, "touristy" areas of cities are well kept. This makes sense, as it attracts both new business and new residents. So what is going on in Louisville?

I love the age of the city and was also pleased with the older homes in the area, but was also surprised by all of the bars on doors and windows. I went from St. Matthews to Iroquois Park and there was not a single neighborhood that was "bar-free". Another sight that I am unaccustomed to.

I guess my question is, how did Louisville get this way? Is it an indication of other negatives about the city? Though I am still moving there, I was disappointed by both the run-down buildings and the bars. Does anyone have any insight they can share? Also, why is there so little development along the river? I felt that area has great potential and am hoping that eventually there will be more places than the crabshack to enjoy the view from.

[Peter1948]

Originally Posted by hlruns

Alright guys - I finally made it up to Louisville to look at homes. I was pleasantly confused overwhelmed with the VARIETY of places to choose from and was quite pleased to find so much so close to the city - subdivisions, parks, etc. The river is beautiful, and the parks, too.

However, I was disappointed to see what I felt like was a run-down city. I was very surprised that on Main Street there were buildings with broken and boarded-up windows. In fact, this seemed to be a city-wide epidemic. Is Louisville currently in the process of "fixing up"? Or is this a constant state of things in the city?

I have spent my fair share of time in big cities, and was surprised at the amount of buildings downtown that appeared in need of repair. Typically in the more commercial, "touristy" areas of cities are well kept. This makes sense, as it attracts both new business and new residents. So what is going on in Louisville?

I love the age of the city and was also pleased with the older homes in the area, but was also surprised by all of the bars on doors and windows. I went from St. Matthews to Iroquois Park and there was not a single neighborhood that was "bar-free". Another sight that I am unaccustomed to.

I guess my question is, how did Louisville get this way? Is it an indication of other negatives about the city? Though I am still moving there, I was disappointed by both the run-down buildings and the bars. Does anyone have any insight they can share? Also, why is there so little development along the river? I felt that area has great potential and am hoping that eventually there will be more places than the crabshack to enjoy the view from.

so, you made one trip down a few streets and confirmed the city was run down? May i ask how many major cities you have been to? Bc Louisville is certainly not run down compared to the big cities of the north and east. with the exception of one block (which has a plan to become an upscale lifestyle retail center), there are no "run down" boarded up buildings on main street downtown. the only other boarded up things on that street are things that are currently under renovation on west main street. No development on the river? What do you mean? Its virtually impossible to build certain things due to it being a river that FLOODS. That said, there are some major projects under way. Feel free to PM me with questions bc I am not sure what you saw! here is a post i made for a young person relocating here, and it only touches the "tip" of the iceberg when it comes to development, even downtown:

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.

[hlruns]

Thanks for the info. It's good to know that there are new constructions in the works and that the ground I was able to cover in a week is not indicative of the whole.

As far as cities I've visited, my wanderings have been all over - Charleston, Savannah, St. Petersburg, Tampa, Knoxville, Austin, San Fran, Seattle, New Orleans (pre and post Katrina)... except the Northeast, which I haven't visited recently enough to comment on. I typically spent most of my time in those cities in the more "touristy" areas which are generally better maintained.

Once again, thanks for the info! I'm excited about the move!!