Moving to Louisville; love city living (Frankfort, Bardstown: real estate, rentals, car insurance)

[pamplemousse5]

My husband is in the process of accepting a good job offer in Louisville, and we are making plans to move. Neither of us know anyone there, so this is a bit daunting. I’m hoping you can give some advice for neighborhoods and activities to get involved in.

Some background: we’re are moving from suburban Dallas, where he has lived for 20 years. I joined him here 2 years ago, when we married. We are both in our early 50s. I don’t have children and he has 2 adult children, so schools and family-oriented activities aren’t an issue for us. I like city life, and he has always lived in suburbs, but has agreed to urban living. For background: I lived in Chicago in my 20s and 30s, in different northside neighborhoods, and really liked it. In my 40s, I lived in South East Asia, teaching English and liked that, too. I like old houses, neighborhood festivals and museums. I like participating in book groups, wine events, and going out to local independent restaurants. I’d like to have these types of things in Louisville. Is Louisville generally welcoming to new people? Or is it a place where most people have known each other since high school? (Of course, I’m hoping it’s more the former!) I’m open to your advice! Thank you.

[censusdata]

Most similar area to Northside Chicago would be East Louisville urban neighborhoods along Bardstown Rd and Shelbyville Rd / Frankfort Ave inside I-264. Old Louisville area between downtown and U of Louisville has great residential architecture but not as many restaurants or shopping but worth a look.

[pamplemousse5]

Thanks, censusdata, that confirmed something that I was wondering. I love the architecture of Old Louisville (at least what I can tell from photos and StreetView; haven't been in-person yet.) BUT... I was wondering about restaurants / pubs / shopping there. It does seem gorgeous!

[Peter1948]

Originally Posted by pamplemousse5

Thanks, censusdata, that confirmed something that I was wondering. I love the architecture of Old Louisville (at least what I can tell from photos and StreetView; haven't been in-person yet.) BUT... I was wondering about restaurants / pubs / shopping there. It does seem gorgeous!

Most vibrant and best area for you is Highlands. It really feels like a sort of southern version of an urban chicago neighborhood. The best home values are close to Cherokee Park.

The Highlands of Louisville, KY USA home page

Clifton and Crescent Hill are another option:

Frankfort Avenue Business Association


Downtown, Old Louisville, and Nulu are rapidly developing and very vibrant but not quite there yet with 24/7 activity.

Downtown is no slouch though!

https://www.gotolouisville.com/neighborhoods/downtown/

Nulu feels the most like Chicago but right now not quite as residential:

https://www.gotolouisville.com/neighborhoods/nulu/

Butchertown is also underrated:

https://www.gotolouisville.com/neigh...s/butchertown/

Old Louisville:

Old Louisville | New2Lou


Other options are heart of St Matthews centered around the area around the Vogue Theatre building, downtown New Albany, IN, and downtown Jeffersonville, IN. Beechmont is an underrated ethnic area.

However I place you in Cherokee Triangle, closest feel to Chicago, and even a few midrises and highrises. Here is a transformational development planned near there but meeting some resistance:
https://www.wdrb.com/news/business/d...73cff0d84.html


Overall, Louisville will pleasantly surprise you....frankly it offers just as much as Dallas for someone with your interests with much less traffic and much more compact. Lots and lots of festivals and this is not all:

https://www.gotolouisville.com/event...annual-events/


Louisville can seem a bit clicky at first....yes people may ask what HS you went to initially in some areas, but that has really rapidly changed for the better as Louisville is now growing at its fasted rate in decades (which is really about average) and after a year or two, you will find your group. You will need to get on meetup.com, volunteer, join a church, go to theatre, go to coffee shops, get involved. This isn't some small town like some want you to believe.

Welcome to a hidden gem! Oh, did I mention several direct flights to Chicago, Dallas, and 33 other nonstop destinations (Allegiant and Frontier have helped) so our airport has really improved but is small and easily accessible (ask about $8 day cell phone lot credit card parking). Finally have a direct flight to LA too.

Finally, you may want to rent for a few months. I hear they are doing some short term rentals here:
http://theresidencesatomni.com/

Frankly Louisville's neighborhoods are much more vibrant than downtown for now, but that is rapidly changing as downtown is adding restaurants and nightlife very quickly, and has added several thousand hotel rooms and has several thousand residents with about 2000 more expected in 2 years.


Billions in development in the city but here are three of the more transformational and exciting projects:

http://ediblelouisville.ediblecommun...et-improvement

https://waterfrontgardens.org/

https://hollenbach-oakley.com/butche...dium-district/

[pamplemousse5]

Thanks, Peter1948. That was very helpful! "More compact" sounds good. Dallas is very sprawling. We will definitely be renting at first, at least for a couple months.

[phalanx]

Originally Posted by pamplemousse5

My husband is in the process of accepting a good job offer in Louisville, and we are making plans to move. Neither of us know anyone there, so this is a bit daunting. I’m hoping you can give some advice for neighborhoods and activities to get involved in.

Some background: we’re are moving from suburban Dallas, where he has lived for 20 years. I joined him here 2 years ago, when we married. We are both in our early 50s. I don’t have children and he has 2 adult children, so schools and family-oriented activities aren’t an issue for us. I like city life, and he has always lived in suburbs, but has agreed to urban living. For background: I lived in Chicago in my 20s and 30s, in different northside neighborhoods, and really liked it. In my 40s, I lived in South East Asia, teaching English and liked that, too. I like old houses, neighborhood festivals and museums. I like participating in book groups, wine events, and going out to local independent restaurants. I’d like to have these types of things in Louisville. Is Louisville generally welcoming to new people? Or is it a place where most people have known each other since high school? (Of course, I’m hoping it’s more the former!) I’m open to your advice! Thank you.

From what you described Highlands will be your best bet. The Highlands of Louisville, KY USA home page It has many many blocks of restaurants that you can just walk to, still very close to to downtown (5-10 Minutes) depending on what part of the Highlands you live in and it is filled with beautiful old homes, and not to mention home to the best park in Louisville "Cherokee Park".

There are some that enjoy the lower St. Mathews area (Clifton, Crescent Hill) areas. These are all very close to downtown. I personally would not want to live in the downtown. There are more stuff to do in the highlands and it is safer. The rule of thumb when I visit Louisville - Anything East of the city is best.

Louisville is a very friendly place which still has some southern charm, you will have np meeting new people, and most are very nice. Home prices are very good, and the price of living low. They have all taxes but a very low property tax unlike Dallas which can be very high.

A map of the Highlands.


Highlands houses.
https://www.instantstreetview.com/@3...08h,-23.13p,0z

[ServoMiff]

Louisville is a super friendly city - however, I think it's next to impossible to make friends if you're not from there (unless you specifically seek out those who aren't from there originally). Strangers will talk to you in public all over the place, but it's a surface level friendliness not unlike the same you get in southern towns. It's kind and genuine but they generally don't want to add friends to their group.

EDIT - someone replied to me and used the term "insular and limited in their world views" to describe native Louisvillians and I 1000% agree with this. You'll find very few natives who have explored anywhere outside of Florida or Myrtle Beach. My landlord was a perfect example of this - refused to fly and only drove down to Destin for vacations.

I even grew up in Louisville, but left for college and returned 20 years later and it was impossible for us to find other couples that fit our personalities. If you're a church-goer and have kids then you'll be in better shape than we were. We left Louisville again in October and haven't looked back.

This is not at all to say that Louisville is a bad town. It's not.

It's a great sports town despite no pro teams. It is a fantastic food town compared to others its size. It's not nearly as sprawled as the bigger cities so when it's not rush hour you can really get to anything you want within 25 minutes.

The state has some absolutely stunning parks and recreation which can be done on day trips.

Downtown Louisville has come up a LOT since I was a child, but it's not all that vibrant during the week. There is ALWAYS something going on in the city every weekend, so there's plenty of options when it's not snowing out.

If I have a complaint about Louisville it's that people can't drive to save their lives. Our car insurance doubled moving back there from San Francsico. You heard that right... There's a wreck pretty much every work day during one portion of the commute that snarls traffic, and even more in the evenings because the city is so tied to cars and because of the liquor culture (home of bourbon).

I would really appreciate once you've moved in for 6 months to come back here and provide your opinion on the city to help out.

The Highlands and St Matthews are great options as others have mentioned.

[pamplemousse5]

ServoMiff, your first paragraph is a little of what I'm afraid of! (impossible to make friends if you're not from Louisville; people not really interested in adding to their friends group) I don't have kids; my 2 step-sons are 20 and 23 and not moving with us.

However, I'm glad you wrote what you did, so that I can be prepared, and know that I'll need to make an extra effort. The move is definitely proceeding! My husband will be there in 3 weeks, and I'll follow a week or two after that.

I was actually coming back to this thread to report that I just joined several MeetUp groups in Louisville, and was excited to see how many activities there are. Of course, it doesn't mean I'll make deep friendships from that, I realize. But it's just nice to have scheduled activities to go to.
I do appreciate the continued advice, and I'll be sure to report back, once I'm in Louisville. Thanks!

[Ry00]

I'm 25, moved here three years ago, and not had the same life experience as ServoMiff at all, but I'm at a different stage in my life. Granted most of the younger people are inside the Watterson, and I've honestly never met anyone who was a church-go'er. It's tough making new friends after thirty no matter where you go, there are people who aren't in that 'forming' stage in their life and new friends and experiences seem scary and alienating. You also get a lot of people have solidified thoughts about places they've grown up that aren't necessarily true. Granted no one's personal experience should be less a truth, but there's many lived experiences of a place that I'd say isn't his.

Many cities you'll see this, locals who remember when such and such was just empty storefronts and everyone was insular, and that molds their ability to create new experiences in a new place, ironically reinforcing insularity. I'd go in with an open mind, and realize that a city like Louisville is large enough to hold people of all types, but you're not going to find much of that in the far East End.

[KY_Transplant]

ServoMiff is correct, that in some cases, it can be hard to form good friendships with locals in Louisville and much of Kentucky for that matter. Kentucky is very insular, although Louisville will be the least insular portion of the Commonwealth. Folks are friendly, polite, will make small talk with you at the store, but to actually form a friendship, takes some work. Cincinnati, OH is similar in a lot of ways, I think it is an Ohio river thing.

Louisville is a small city, and at times, it seems everyone knows everyone. I only lived in Louisville for about 3 years, but I was ready to leave and I was a transplant to the city.

On the other hand, Louisville does offer a lot. Louisville has a growing Downtown, a nice Waterfront Park, fairly cheap real estate, decent weather and is within close proximity to a lot of Cities in the Lower Midwest and Upper South.