Throughout the past decade, Louisville’s downtown scene has experienced a resurgence of activity and commerce. Not too long ago, the downtown sidewalks rolled up at 5:00 and you’d be hard-pressed to find a restaurant or shop open after the briefcase-carrying crowd headed home for the evening. Today, downtown buzzes with activity at all hours, as restaurants, bars, and residential properties have boomed onto the scene in recent years. With many apartments, lofts, and condos springing up, you’re certain to find something that appeals to the urban settler in you. Plenty of entertainment options are within walking distance or any downtown habitat, and the downtown TARC circulator (including the new ZeroBus) can help you get from one end of the neighborhood to the other quickly and easily. Waterfront Park is an easy stroll, so there’s no reason you should ever miss a sunset on the river.
Perfect For:
- All the urban glamor without the astronomical living expense of other cities
- Walking to work downtown
- Cyclists, joggers, pedestrians
- Singletons
- Young couples without kids
Entertainment/Nightlife
- KFC Yum! Center
- Kentucky Center
- Stevie Ray’s Blues Bar
- Actor’s Theater
- Louisville Palace
- Waterfront Park
- Big Four Bridge
- 8Up Elevated Drinkery & Kitchen
- Corner Bar at Aloft
- Meta Bar
- Fourth Street Live!
The Trade-off
The lack of grocery and retail is a bummer, but there are several grocery stores within a short drive (see links below in Insider Tips). Downtown tends to be more expensive than the surrounding neighborhoods, but as mentioned earlier, less expensive than other metropolitan cities.
Bonus
Easy access to Thunder Over Louisville, WorldFest, Forecastle, and other fun annual events that take place downtown. If you work downtown, you can walk to work and if you don’t, you’ll be traveling in the opposite direction of traffic, win-win.
Neighborhood Connections:
- Meet your neighbors at the Louisville Downtown Residents Association. Best way to reach them is through their Facebook page.
- Network with other businesses and community organizations at the Main Street Association.
- Maps, walking tours, and Louisville merchandise are all available at the downtown Visitors Centers
- The Public Library offers lots of great free public events, such as the Authors at the Library Series, book discussion groups, computer classes, and so much more.
- There are two downtown post offices: 1) Downtown Post Office and 2) 4th Street Postal Store.
- Waterfront Park is the largest park downtown and hosts a lot of fun events throughout the year. There are also a lot of small pocket parks scattered throughout the city. For a list and map of park locations, check out the Metro Parks.
Insider Tips:
- PARC offers ½ price parking for downtown residents
- PARC recently upgraded their on-street parking meters to SmartMeters, which are solar-powered and conveniently accept both coins and credit cards. Download the app so you add more time to the meter from your phone.
- The TARC ZeroBus is free to ride and runs along the 4th Street and main/market street corridors
- Use the Louie Link (downtown skywalk) on cold and/or rainy days, offers protection from the elements. Download the Louie Link map.
- Closest recommended grocery stores are Kroger on Brownsboro Rd or Value Market on Bardstown Road (which also offers delivery service). And you can always venture further out on the weekend and go to Whole Foods, Trader Joes, Fresh Market or Rainbow Blossom (local natural food store).
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