Would Like To Hear From South End Residents (Louisville, Valley Station: for sale, apartments)

[glamdais]

There are some lovely homes available right now in the South End. However, I keep hearing conflicting information (I'm not very familiar with the area). I've heard it's a nice area with little crime and good neighborhoods. Then I've heard crime is increasing and going from the bad areas into the good ones. Being in a safe neighborhood is the #1 priority on my list in buying a home. I know no neighborhood is completely safe, but is the South End worth looking at? If you live there, why do you like it or why don't you? Any areas to concentrate on or avoid (I've heard not to go north of the Watterson). Thanks in advance!

[stx12499]

Originally Posted by glamdais

There are some lovely homes available right now in the South End. However, I keep hearing conflicting information (I'm not very familiar with the area). I've heard it's a nice area with little crime and good neighborhoods. Then I've heard crime is increasing and going from the bad areas into the good ones. Being in a safe neighborhood is the #1 priority on my list in buying a home. I know no neighborhood is completely safe, but is the South End worth looking at? If you live there, why do you like it or why don't you? Any areas to concentrate on or avoid (I've heard not to go north of the Watterson). Thanks in advance!

The "south end" is such a generic colloquial term. I hate it. What specific addresses or hoods u looking at?

[glamdais]

Streets listed are W. Tenny Ave., Inverness Ave, Roberts Ave., Ashbury Rd., Vista John Dr. and Southside Court. I'm basically looking at home around $110,000 or less. I guess some that are listed for more could come down depending on how long they've been on the market.

I also meant to ask about airport noise. That area looks very close to the airport on the map. Thanks so much!

[missymomof3]

Originally Posted by glamdais

Streets listed are W. Tenny Ave., Inverness Ave, Roberts Ave., Ashbury Rd., Vista John Dr. and Southside Court. I'm basically looking at home around $110,000 or less. I guess some that are listed for more could come down depending on how long they've been on the market.

I also meant to ask about airport noise. That area looks very close to the airport on the map. Thanks so much!

The area I live in is very quiet and we have good neighbors. I live off of Dover road in the 40216 area code and there are a few houses for sale in your price range I am sure. Most of the neighborhoods around here are just fine and I feel very safe here.

[censusdata]

Originally Posted by glamdais

Streets listed are W. Tenny Ave., Inverness Ave, Roberts Ave., Ashbury Rd., Vista John Dr. and Southside Court. I'm basically looking at home around $110,000 or less. I guess some that are listed for more could come down depending on how long they've been on the market.

I also meant to ask about airport noise. That area looks very close to the airport on the map. Thanks so much!

That area is the heart of Louisville's immigrant community, especially the Vietnamese - I'd say those streets are at least 50% Asian. There are some problems every now and then at the apartments off Southside Dr, but it tends to be domestic violence. The area to really avoid is ANYWHERE along the Watterson btw 7th Street Road & Taylor Blvd - lots of drug and gang related murders there. March Blvd & Bicknell Ave area streets I don't feel safe on in the daytime

[JefferyT]

Vista John is behind Iroquois Park, off Manslick, near Palatka and Manslick intersection. I think this is somewhat OK..seems to be 1950s era suburbia back there.

The rest of these places are closer in, sort of the Kenwood/Beechmont area off of S Third and Southside Drive.

Ashbury and Inverness are 1940s era housing. This used to be a respectable blue collar area (we knew people who lived on Inverness), but it soungs like its becoming a respectable immigrant area, too, from what census says. Very close to shopping at Iroquois Manor. Tenny is in the same neighborhood but a bit closer in towards Beechmont. I'm not sure how old the houses are but you might be seeing some bungalows.

I dont want to give you advice too much as I dont live in Louisville anymore. I recall this area was always pretty basic, but always well-maintained. The fancier more upscale things were up on the slopes of Kenwood Hill.

[Nmissi]

I grew up here in the South End, and I'm raising my sons here. Just like every "side" of town, there are good locales and bad ones. I didn't enjoy living near Churchill Downs, due to the awful traffic and congestion during Derby. If you rent over on Tenny, Ashbury, or Inverness, that congestion will reach out to you as well. But Tenny is a nice enough area the rest of the year. The surrounding neighborhoods are very diverse, ethnically. There are a lot of myths about "immigrant areas," but in my experience, immigrants make for good neighbors.

Vista John is a quiet street, a good area, with pleasant neighborhoods, and very near to Iroquois Park. The houses are a tad boring, though. Lots of midsixties ranch homes that share the same basic layout. But for some reason, folks who live around the park go all out on their yards, so, lots of pretty landscaping.

I have to say that if you chose to live here in the south end, you're always going to have to deal with some snobs who assume you're ignorant and poor if you don't live in their end of town. I've met a lot of East End folks who NEVER set foot out here if they can help it. Too many pickup trucks and people who say, "Y'all," perhaps.

You'll also find that the south end often gets the short end of the stick, funding-wise, and is slow to attract big stores and suchlike. We lack for giant malls and loads of megachains. But I wouldn't trade living here for anything. We can get to anywhere in Louisville in a reasonable amount of time from hereabouts. There are very distinct neighborhood "flavors" in the south end, and the kind of people who choose to live out here tend to be very friendly, neighborly sorts.

I live in Valley Station, my mother lives near Fairdale, and I've owned houses near Strawberry Lane, off Preston Highway, and near Churchill downs. Many years ago, I rented apartments first on St. Andrews Church Road, and then on Meyers Lane off Dixie highway. I went to school in PRP and spent a good bit of time in that area, and for some years I worked in Shively. I would feel perfectly safe in any of those areas, even walking down the street long after dark. The south end is a nice place to live.

[honesty1022]

I agree.

I live near Dixie Hwy. and Greenwood Avenue, and my area is a very nice neighborhood. Granted, I just moved here last Thursday, but it is quiet. My street is a busy one, but the people I have met so far seem very nice.

[Nmissi]

honesty1022, hello and welcome to the "neighborhood." We need a smilie-icon that comes bearing a cyber-fruitbasket for new neighbors!

[tomocox]

This is one time for sure that no one has better knowledge than Missymomof3. She lives the area, she breathes the area, she knows the area.

One of the most important symptoms of high crime=high rentals. The greater an area's home ownership the lower the crime rate. If you are 40-60 years old, don't move into an area where the typical home owner is 70 plus. That area's gonna change, maybe for the better, but odds are not good. If you are 40-60 and the area is full of 20 somethings... probably not gonna work either.

I would try to find that area that has people 7-10 years younger or older than you are. 90% or greater owner-occupancy is important too.