moving to UL. What neighborhoods? (Louisville, Bardstown: apartments, rentals, condos)

[kdelaneypa]

What neighborhoods should I start looking in??


Where you are working: University of Louisville main campus
-How much you are willing to spend on housing: I will likely rent first, then buy. Willing to spend up to $1000 or so in rent. Would prefer a 2 BR apt, house or condo
-How long of a commute you're willing to tolerate: The shorter the better! I would actually like to walk to work. Is that possible? I am willing to drive up to 20 minutes
-If you have kids: No school age kids, so no personal worry about finding a school
-What type of neighborhood environment you are looking for: Urban. An "urban neighborhood feel" would be ideal. Willing to live in a high rise, but prefer a neighborhood feeling
-Community amenities important to you- Coffee shops, restaurants/bars. I am in my early 50s enjoy food and drink. I don't mind living among younger or similar aged people . Love to be able to just walk around in a neighborhood to get my groceries, stop for a beer, etc. The less use of a car the better for me.
-Pie or cake?- Bourbon

Thank you so much? I know zilch about Louisville, so tell me the neighborhoods where I should start looking.

[Peter1948]

Originally Posted by kdelaneypa

What neighborhoods should I start looking in??


Where you are working: University of Louisville main campus
-How much you are willing to spend on housing: I will likely rent first, then buy. Willing to spend up to $1000 or so in rent. Would prefer a 2 BR apt, house or condo
-How long of a commute you're willing to tolerate: The shorter the better! I would actually like to walk to work. Is that possible? I am willing to drive up to 20 minutes
-If you have kids: No school age kids, so no personal worry about finding a school
-What type of neighborhood environment you are looking for: Urban. An "urban neighborhood feel" would be ideal. Willing to live in a high rise, but prefer a neighborhood feeling
-Community amenities important to you- Coffee shops, restaurants/bars. I am in my early 50s enjoy food and drink. I don't mind living among younger or similar aged people . Love to be able to just walk around in a neighborhood to get my groceries, stop for a beer, etc. The less use of a car the better for me.
-Pie or cake?- Bourbon

Thank you so much? I know zilch about Louisville, so tell me the neighborhoods where I should start looking.

Neighborhoods | New2Lou


The most 24/7 walkable with coffee shops, grocery, movie theatre, and clothing stores boutiques is the Highlands. Specifically, near the corner of Bardstown Rd and Eastern Parkway. My favorite street is Cherokee Rd, where I could see you finding an apartment for rent on craigslist

Old Louisville, the neighborhood just north of UofL, is walking distance to campus. While it is more dense and more urban, it also has less retail at this point.

Still your needs can and should be accomplished at UofL.

This is a small organic grocery, more like a mini farner's market, that would be cool to live near:

http://louisvillerootcellar.com

Old LOuisville has a couple very interesting bars and coffee shops. There is the high end at 610 Magnolia to a neighborhood spot like Rudyard Kipling or Amici to a hipster dive bar like Magbar or a UofL student bar like Granville. Old Louisville is an interesting, diverse, and gentrifying place.

Downtown Louisville, specifically, the area aroumnd main street and market street, is booming and becoming very walkable.

Further out, Germantown, Crescent Hill, and St Matthews will be neighborhoods for you to explore, along with Beechmont and New ALbany, In.

However your two prime candidates are Old Louisville and Highlands.

Nulu may be worth a look as well.

[Msradell]

Peter pretty well covered you generalities for you. You really shouldn't have too much of a problem finding a place within walking or least bicycle distance of UofL. There areas on most sides of the campus with rental units available most of them in older homes although there are a few actual apartment buildings. Louisville has many nice neighborhoods that are walkable which were also mentioned by Peter although I personally don't think much of the NuLu area. It's kind of a flash in the pan that has occurred in the last few years and I think there are questions about how sustainable its upsurge will be for several reasons. Zillow and Trulia are 2 good websites to use for searching apartment rentals as are several of these small local papers such as the Leo.

Good luck on your search and welcome to Louisville!

[kdelaneypa]

thank you, Peter1948 and Msradell for your helpful insights!

[MissingIndiana]

Old Louisville most closely fits all of your criteria. Urban neighborhood type feel with plenty of condos/apartments that have a lot of character in your price range. It's walkable/bikeable to UofL if the weather is decent enough. There's not a ton of restaurants and things right there, but that makes it quieter and you're only 5-10 minutes from either downtown, the Highlands, or campus. Maybe 10-15 to the NULU or Crescent Hill area. There are a few little places in Old Louisville though like Amici or 610 Magnolia (one of the foodiest/upscale places in the whole city). Central Park is pretty as is the architecture and the neighborhood is very walkable.

There is actually an Old Louisville visitors Center on 4th between Oak and Ormsby that has a lot of info and offers various walking tours. I would recommend taking one if you make a visit before moving. They are pretty good. Here's a website with some general info on the area. I lived there for a little while. Let me know if there's anything I can answer for you!

[MissingIndiana]

Whoops, here you go: http://www.oldlouisville.com/

Hate it when I do that

[kdelaneypa]

thanks MissingIndiana. Much appreciated. Do many city residents ride the public bus? Is it an extensive enough system to get around to main neighborhoods? If Louisville is more of a "driving city" do people find street parking fairly easily?

[MissingIndiana]

Originally Posted by kdelaneypa

thanks MissingIndiana. Much appreciated. Do many city residents ride the public bus? Is it an extensive enough system to get around to main neighborhoods? If Louisville is more of a "driving city" do people find street parking fairly easily?

Just from observation it's doesn't seem to be the best or worst system I've seen. I can tell you from when I lived in Old Louisville there is a bus route that runs right up and down 4th street from Downtown, through Old Louisville, and to UofL. They have trolleys downtown as well and I know there are routes up and down Bardstown Rd. I also see the buses over on the Indiana side quite a bit and have seen a handful of stops out toward the malls and parts of town farther out. Honestly, I've not really used the bus system here, but I think it would be sufficient for getting around the main parts of the city. Best to check out the TARC (Transit authority of River City) site to see for yourself if it would work for your purposes.

TARC

As for your question about street parking, for the most part it is extremely easy to find street parking. The only place you'll continually have trouble is along Bardstown Rd and the surrounding neighborhoods. Unless there is a massive event downtown, there is ample free parking or $5 lots. No problem parking in Old Louisville.

[censusdata]

I lived in Old Louisville from 2004 to 2008. It has a lot of car break ins and a few robberies here and there but overall it's a neat urban neighborhood. In general the closest to campus the safer. specially the southern part near U of L. The coolest area is around St James Court. You could afford rent anywhere in Old Louisville for $1,000 and under. I was paying $425 a month for a very nice studio apartment and that included all utilities.

[kdelaneypa]

thanks again MissingIndiana, and thanks censusdata. Very helpful information. All the folks on here are helpful! Much appreciated.