Grad Student moving to Louisville next month... (Frankfort, Bardstown: apartments, rent)

[tobinw]

Hey everyone! I'm moving to Louisville this fall to start graduate study at the University of Louisville Health Sciences Center. This being my first post, I'm obviously a new poster, but have been browsing city-data forums for quite awhile. I've gone back several pages in the archives to help with my search, but I have a few specific questions, especially about places to live. Forgive me if this type of thing has been asked before.

I don't have a place to stay yet, but I know I want to live near the Med School, in Old Louisville, or near the Belknap campus (a couple of my classes will be there, and I enjoy the college environment). Right now, I'm considering the Medical-Dental Apartments, the Province Apartments, and some smaller places in Old Louisville. I'm trying to find a place in the $450-$750/month range. Do y'all have any advice on any of those places, or have any other recommendations on where I should look? If you have any specific apartments you could tell me about, that would be awesome.

The Highlands/Bardstown Rd. and Crescent Hill/Frankfort Ave. both seem like places, but are a bit far from the main U of L campus for my liking, though I wouldn't mind living there if I could find a good enough deal. Maybe I just took the long way around and they're closer than I remembered...could you walk from the Highlands to campus in a reasonable amount of time?

If any of this matters: I would like to live in a safe area, though I don't want to be in gated suburbia; I'd like to be within walking distance of either the med school, the Belknap campus, or both; I will have a car, but would prefer to walk or take a bus as often as possible; I'm not big into the club or bar scene; big fan of ethnic restaurants/diverse communities; single, straight, no kids; love sports (both spectator--such as Slugger Field or Papa John's--and recreation--such as Waterfront Park); know absolutely no one in the city.

I've visited the city three times now and I think I'm really going to enjoy living there. It will be a nice transition from the rural life I've grown up in to the urban life I'd like to live in once I get out of school. The whole "small-town big city" aura of Louisville is one thing that really attracted me in the first place. I was offered a really nice fellowship by U of L, so I won't have a ton of money, but I think I'll be just a little better off financially speaking than most students my age.

I'm coming from Arkansas (a town of 30,000 along the foothills of the Ozarks, northernmost edge of the Little Rock metro). I've held summer jobs in Oklahoma City, D.C., Berkeley, and Boston, and did study abroad in Cambridge, UK, but this will be the first time I've ever lived outside of Arkansas on a semi-permanent basis. I'm excited to be part of your city in a few weeks!

[missymomof3]

I can't help you much but welcome to Louisville!

[lou_slugger]

tobin,
i want to welcome you also....one specific complex is park chateau it is near belknap campus and i know a few uofl students live there. I would consider it walking distance, also walkng distance to central park, the main library is also nearby..andi'm certain it is within your price range. Personally, I would opt for Old Lou over Med Schl area it just seems safer. Liberty Green is a rehabilitated housing development nearby...they are really nice and i believe some are based on income, but i have heard that crime is bcourse this can happen anywhere, but it would be walking distance to health sci campus (practically across the street). This area has high pop. of homeless as well. slugger field/waterfront park are nearby and would be less than a mile walk or u could drive or take the bus with no problem...med ctr area is closer to where new arena will be so that's a plus...but again old lou is only a short drive away..Papa johns is at the edge of belknap campus so it is closer to old lou, baseball stadium is also near belknap....freedom hall where uofl b'ball team plays is not far from belknap about 5-10 minute drive.....for diversity try the highlands or frankfort ave. rent is higher but you could find something decent near the high end of your range..Holly Hills is one complex I know of off Frankfort AVe...had a friend that lived there, really nice apartments and within your range...Neither of these however are in walking distance to campus, but if you are ok with publ transp, both campuses are easily and highly accessible since they are in downtown area...When going to Belknap I would recommend walking or bus, parking passes are outrageou$$, there are some shuttle options that may be less expensive (park at papa johns and ride shuttle to campus)...I worked at Health Sci Campus and usually parked on the meter right on Chestnut St...but student parking lot is nearby FYI..health sci campus is across st. from corrections center on the chestnut st. side, guys will whistle and yell expletives at you from time to time, may startle you at first (it did me!!) but guards are nearby, so just ignore.. .b'town/highlands is more lively but i believe frankfort ave has more diversity as far as ethnic restaurants....another area to try is the 3rd st/southern pkwy neighborhoods, it is also not far from campus and on the busline..it is walking distance to churchill downs and papa johns and I would deem it safer than old lou or med sch area..the houses are historic and beautiful and many of them have been made into apartments that would fall in your range...people are always walking or biking in this area...the farther south u travel on 3rd st the more ethnic it becomes...I believe there is a vietnamese restaurant and grocery, several chinese places, and I think a Thai rest...sorry so long winded..lol hope this helps