Need help comparing Louisville neighborhoods. (Frankfort, Bardstown: for sale, condos, credit)

[villian]

Hello, I'm a native Louisvillian moving back (with girlfriend in tow) to the city after 9 years away. I need a place to live so I figured I would capitalize on the $8,000 credit.

Right now we are comparing living in either...
the Clifton/Crescent Hill/St Matthews stretch along Frankfort Ave
OR
the Highlands (which we realize is actually multiple neighborhoods) along Bardstown

possibly considering Butchertown as well but still iffy on that; also open to hearing other peoples opinions on neighborhoods


So far, I think I like the Frankfort Ave areas a little more, plus money goes further on a house over there.


What are the best places in these areas to study where you can get food/coffee and perhaps wifi? Something like along the lines of Panera is what I'm thinking. It'd be nice if it was a local chain though not required. I have studying to do over the next two weeks, so I am going to use it as an excuse to walk around and check out local places along Frankfort, US60, and Bardstown. Thanks!

Additional info...

-Where you are working
me: James Brown Graham Cancer Center (S. Jackson & Muhammad Ali)
her: will be driving to different sites in the Louisville area

-How much you are willing to spend on housing
$150,000 to $290,000
kind of a wide range, I know, but we don't want to exclude the nice smaller houses from our search yet

-How long of a commute you're willing to tolerate
<25 minutes, but as short as possible; convenient expressway access is key for her

-What type of neighborhood environment you are looking for:
Ideally, we'd like to live in a place where we would be able to walk many places.


-Community amenities important to you (within walking distance)
grocery, farmers market, and/or produce stands
redbox, moviecube, etc.
recycling center?... recycling bins fill up too fast
tennis courts
quick and healthy local food chains, preferably on the less expensive side (we probably won't be doing a whole lot of cooking for ourselves in the beginning so this is key)
a good place to go to on NFL sundays with direct tv, beer, food...

I moved from a place with recycling dumpsters in just about every city park which was nice

[stx12499]

Originally Posted by villian

Hello, I'm a native Louisvillian moving back (with girlfriend in tow) to the city after 9 years away. I need a place to live so I figured I would capitalize on the $8,000 credit.

Right now we are comparing living in either...
the Clifton/Crescent Hill/St Matthews stretch along Frankfort Ave
OR
the Highlands (which we realize is actually multiple neighborhoods) along Bardstown

possibly considering Butchertown as well but still iffy on that; also open to hearing other peoples opinions on neighborhoods


So far, I think I like the Frankfort Ave areas a little more, plus money goes further on a house over there.


What are the best places in these areas to study where you can get food/coffee and perhaps wifi? Something like along the lines of Panera is what I'm thinking. It'd be nice if it was a local chain though not required. I have studying to do over the next two weeks, so I am going to use it as an excuse to walk around and check out local places along Frankfort, US60, and Bardstown. Thanks!

Additional info...

-Where you are working
me: James Brown Graham Cancer Center (S. Jackson & Muhammad Ali)
her: will be driving to different sites in the Louisville area

-How much you are willing to spend on housing
$150,000 to $290,000
kind of a wide range, I know, but we don't want to exclude the nice smaller houses from our search yet

-How long of a commute you're willing to tolerate
<25 minutes, but as short as possible; convenient expressway access is key for her

-What type of neighborhood environment you are looking for:
Ideally, we'd like to live in a place where we would be able to walk many places.


-Community amenities important to you (within walking distance)
grocery, farmers market, and/or produce stands
redbox, moviecube, etc.
recycling center?... recycling bins fill up too fast
tennis courts
quick and healthy local food chains, preferably on the less expensive side (we probably won't be doing a whole lot of cooking for ourselves in the beginning so this is key)
a good place to go to on NFL sundays with direct tv, beer, food...

I moved from a place with recycling dumpsters in just about every city park which was nice

You know what you are doing, you do not need too much of our help. I would try somewhere in the Highlands or Clifton close to the Grinstead and I-64 interchange. A very beautiful and walkable area.

However, Butccertown is certainly an option as well, and you should also explore the east side of downtown and some of the downtown condos, as it is a very up and coming area.

St Matthews is nice, but the only walkable part is around the old Vogue theatre, and it is very pricey for small square footage.

[gocards1289]

Villian-I'd definitely recommended checking out some of the side streets off of Frankfort in Crescent Hill between Stilz Ave. and Ewing Ave. (pretty much the area stx mentioned), its right along a nice stretch of shops and a few restaurants that includes a Heine Bros. Coffee shop, which would perfectly fit your criteria in terms of a good place to study. There's also a good local bookstore on that stretch called Carmichael's (I may have spelled that wrong) and its a good area to walk around in; the only possible issue would be a busy railroad track that runs right along Frankfort. Many old, large homes on these side streets (built in 1900's-1910's) that would fit you're price range, though some are nicer than others. Some of these streets include Birchwood, Bayly, Hite and Peterson Ave.
There's quite a few good local restaurants farther down Frankfort Ave more toward the Clifton area that would be in walking distance (some relatively inexpensive such as El Mundo, some rather upscale such as Volare). There's a Walgreen's at the corner of Frankfort and Ewing, right in the middle of that Frankfort Ave stretch and then a Kroger on Brownsboro Rd less than a mile from the Frankfort corridor, also a McDonald's for Redbox-you'd probably want to drive to this area though.
Also check out Clifton farther down Frankfort near where it crosses the railroad tracks and the blind school, just on the other end of the main stretch of shops/restaurants-homes are relatively similar to the area I mentioned, probably a bit smaller/cheaper. Some street names are Clifton, Haldeman, Coral, Vernon, Bellaire Ave.
Any area along Bardstown Rd. in the Highlands would be relatively similar but probably more expensive. I only prefer Crescent Hill/Clifton because the Bardstown Rd. area is a bit more hectic with more traffic (it can be crazy, especially on weekend evenings) and can be quite eclectic.

[villian]

Cool thanks, that info is very helpful.
Although I'm familiar with what these areas look like architecturally, I'm not as familiar with stores, restaurants, and other stuff as I never spent much time over there... I was relatively young at the time. Never heard of Heine Bros coffee until I moved back, but sounds like a nice place. I'll check out those streets since it sounds like Frankfort ave definitely has enough nearby for me, more than I realized when I started looking.

[lou_slugger]

Try old 3rd street/southern pkwy area....
lovely historic homes within your range tree lined streets

Central Station shopping center nearby:
Krogers
Chinese Restaurant
J Gumbos
Quiznos
Beef of Bradys for NFL beer and food

several ethnic restaurants going south on 3rd...
and tennis courts at Iroquois Park...
short commute to downtown and close accessibility to I-264

[missymomof3]

Originally Posted by lou_slugger

Try old 3rd street/southern pkwy area....
lovely historic homes within your range tree lined streets

Central Station shopping center nearby:
Krogers
Chinese Restaurant
J Gumbos
Quiznos
Beef of Bradys for NFL beer and food

several ethnic restaurants going south on 3rd...
and tennis courts at Iroquois Park...
short commute to downtown and close accessibility to I-264

Where's the J Gumobs???? I thought the one out this way closed!

[dmslapshot]

Sent you a DM with a house for sale...meets most of the criteria on your list.

[gocards1289]

Originally Posted by missymomof3

Where's the J Gumobs???? I thought the one out this way closed!

Was that the one on Dixie in that Lowe's shopping center? I know the one on Baxter closed, I remember driving by there and seeing the place empty. But there's one on 3rd at Central in the Central Station shopping center across the tracks from PJCS.
Speaking of that general area, a favorite of mine is Wagner's Pharmacy at 4th and Central...a relatively cheap restaurant that's a great lunch spot (has a pharmacy/convenient store in the back) where trainers and jockeys regularly eat.

[missymomof3]

Originally Posted by gocards1289

Was that the one on Dixie in that Lowe's shopping center? I know the one on Baxter closed, I remember driving by there and seeing the place empty. But there's one on 3rd at Central in the Central Station shopping center across the tracks from PJCS.
Speaking of that general area, a favorite of mine is Wagner's Pharmacy at 4th and Central...a relatively cheap restaurant that's a great lunch spot (has a pharmacy/convenient store in the back) where trainers and jockeys regularly eat.

Yes, the one on Dixie closed

[HatesWinter2118]

I believe there is a J Gumbo's on Frankfort near the where the railroad crosses over the street. However, it is not directly on the street like most places on Frankfort, it is set back a little bit - not as easy to see