jewish ex vegetarian teacher! (Louisville, Frankfort: real estate, hotels, house prices)

[Naomi Manischewitz]

i recently met a friend of a friend who i was talking to about relocating out of state. i told her the cities i like, and she said louisville! she said it had a similar vibe to nashville and that i should look into it. i stopped looking into nashville because i could never afford on my salary to live in the parts i really like. until she suggested louisville, my mind was made up on austin which is probably where i will end up. still interested in hearing more about louisville though.

i just have some questions i would appreciate anyone answering
1. is there much of a jewish community in louisville? i am practicing but not that religious. it is important to me that there is a jewish community and not just be one of few jews in the area.

2. what are some school districts within 30 minutes (IN TRAFFIC) of louisville to look into for jobs? i am certified in california for special ed and school counseling.

3. whats the job outlook like for special ed and school counseling?

4. are there many vegetarian restaurants in the area? im not a vegetarian anymore, but i try to follow as much as a vegetarian diet as possible.

5. okay so the bohemian areas are in old louisville? im into places where i can walk to cafes, a movie theatre, a bookstore, etc. will bring a car, i just like being walking distance to places.


thanks

[tigerlillydownunder]

Hi there!

I think there is a respectable size Jewish population in Louisville. My family is fairly close to a Jewish family. They are practicing but not Orthodox, and they attend services at Temple Shalom.

Here is a site that may provide you with a little more info:
Stats about all US cities - real estate, relocation info, house prices, home value estimator, recent sales, cost of living, crime, race, income, photos, education, maps, weather, houses, schools, neighborhoods, and more

In regard to vegetarianism/psuedo-vegetarianism pretty much any good quality restaurant should offer vegetarian & vegan dishes, although many may be salad based. As an omnivore, I have never looked for specifically vegetarian restaurants but have noticed a lot of menu's at various places that have vegie sections/selections.

Not sure about the job prospects in the school system at the moment; my mom is a special ed tachers assistant. I don't think there are ever enough teachers or teaching assistants period, much less for special education. Can anyone else give her some tips?

And last but not least, I would suggest the Highlands and eastern Bardstown Road areas, but others here will be able to provide you with vastly more detailed ideas than I--I don't live in Louisville anymore!

Good luck!

[missymomof3]

The Highlands is definately for you!

[tomocox]

Louisville has a huge Jewish community with several synagogues and other Jewish sponsored/endorsed assets. Jewish Hospital is huge! Jewish Community Center plays a huge role in community health, mental, and social welfare.

I would not plan on being "car-less" in Louisville. While there is a small movie theater in the Highlands, you'll find most of Louisville a very diverse market with groceries, shopping, and entertainment venues spread across the entire county.

[Naomi Manischewitz]

thanks for all the tips! my friend and i are going on a 2 week road trip from austin to nashville starting sept 3. unfortunately, all our hotels are booked. my friend's friend (the one who lived in nashville, but grew up in southern indiana so she knows louisville well), said that if i get sick of nashville, we should just leave early and take a daytrip out to louisville since it isnt that far. what would be some must do's in louisville if you only have 1 day?

[tomocox]

Well, normally I would say, you must visit the Derby Museum, but with the flood damage it received last week... out until Jan probably. Slugger Museum is a winner. I would check out the Speed Art Museum, too. For history bluffs, Fraizer International, and the Patton Museum at Ft. Knox. For lunch, wow, there's a toss-up as there is not that quaint little tea room type place that I know of. Other's might know of some for sure, however.

[JefferyT]

Check out Carmichaels Bookstore (& the next door coffeshop) on Bardstown Road, and Ear X Tacy (if you are a music fan). You will also be near Cherokee Park...a nice pleasure drive is through the park and along the park boundary to look at the nice big old houses, then down Eastern Parkway to University of Louisville and the Speed Museum.

After the Speed be sure to take a quick walking tour of St James Court, Belgravia Court and Central Park in Old Louisville, which are nearby. You can use one of those online mapping features to find it. It's best to see this neighborhood on foot, as it will introduce you to the "courts", the pedestrian streets found scattered through the old parts of Louisville.

You mentioned the Jews. As has been said Louisville has large Jewish community. In fact the current mayor is Jewish.

For food, consult Louisville HotBytes. The host, Robin Garr, runs a nice little forum on site that could give you some advice.

[JefferyT]

Speaking of Jewish things...playing at the Derby City Espresso, downtown coffeehouse:

[Peter1948]

Excellent advice here. Frankly, I find Louisville to me much more hip and and unique than Nashville. Nashville is not very urban and although it is higher growth, its residents have a higher opinion of that area than what it is.

In Louisville, make sure you visit Bardstown Road between I-264 and Highland Ave, Baxter and Barret Avenue from Breckenridge to Eastern Parkway.

Also drive roads like Cherokee Road and Willow Avenue to get a feel for the city in addition to where Jeff mentioned.

Also drive Frankfort avenue and some of its cross streets like Peterson.

Austin is one of my dream cities. In many ways, it is better than Louisville. It has a nicer downtown and better weather, and a bigger and better college. Still, much of what made Austin cool in the 1990's also has brought it down lately. It suffers from intense traffic and sprawl and outside downtown and the college areas, the city is one big immigrant area. It still has an intense hipster and original vibe, with an outstanding economy and growth, but some of that growth has made it lose its original charm.

Louisville has yet to be "discovered," so it does not deal with as much sprawl or congestion or prices or being "played out." It is a very unique city in many regards, combining northern and southern culture, architecture, and people.


more websites:

www.brokensidewalk.com
www.backseatsandbar.com
www.leoweekly.com
www.metromix.com
www.consuminglouisville.com
www.thehighlandsoflouisville.com
www.keeplouisvilleweird.com


The two must eat restaurants right now:

www.proofonmain.com
www.732social.com

As said, go to the forum on www.louisvillehotbytes.com

You can't do the city justice in just one day. If you are truly considering it as a relocation option, split your time between there and Nashville and see what you think.

[Naomi Manischewitz]

thanks for the tips. i might just pay extra and fly there then on my own for a few days. i checked out the kentucky education website on the tests i would need. they have a lot of requirements for those that want to be school counselors. that was a bit annoying. texas was much more laidback on it. i dont know. we will see. whats the main difference between the highlands and old lousville?