Home to the Kentucky Derby and baseball bats, Louisville, Ky., was my first adult home outside of Georgia. It’s a mix of old money and new riches, traditional charm and contemporary tastes, and classic design and modern appeal. And, if you want to say it like a local, say it with me now – Loo-uh-vul.
Favorite Louisville Places
Bardstown Road
A stretch of road lies in this Southern town that feels like it’s been plucked right out of the most Bohemian of neighborhoods. From the vintage boutiques to hipster pubs, it’s the lifeblood of The Highlands area. I spent many weekends at one of the many local coffee shops or browsing the classics at the now-sadly-closed ear-X-tacy independent record store or taking a stroll through Cave Hill Cemetery where the legendary KFC Col. Sanders is buried.
Whenever I’m back in town, I usually meet friends for drinks at Molly Malone’s in this wonderful neighborhood. At the beginning of Bardstown Road you can find the oldest nightclub in town, the Phoenix Hill Tavern. If you’re looking for a more laid-back nightlife scene, be sure to check out the bars here over the more touristy 4th Street Live complex.
Churchill Downs
In the spring of 2007, Chris and I joined all the drunk and crazy University of Louisville students and others in the infield who couldn’t afford the good seats at Churchill Downs to catch a glimpse of Street Sense take the roses. A classic tradition, the track and its surrounding glamour offer even the most uninitiated horse racing enthusiast a chance to get up-close-and-personal with the posh side of the sport. The museum on the grounds and the guided tours are especially interesting, focusing on the traditions and lives of famous horses and jockeys.
Louisville Slugger Museum & Factory
If you go to Louisville and neglect to have your photo taken with the six-story-high replica of Babe Ruth’s bat, you’re just insulting the city. At the Louisville Slugger Museum & Factory you can tour where these famous baseball bats come from and learn the preferences of the heavy hitters of MLB history. As a complimentary souvenir, you’ll receive a miniature Louisville Slugger. Just be sure that you put this little bat into your checked baggage as the TSA at the Louisville International Airport display a case of the confiscated ones at the security check.
Down the street from the museum and factory, you’ll find the Louisville Slugger Field where the Louisville Bats, the Triple A team for the Cincinnati Reds, take on regional challengers each spring.
Muhammad Ali Center
Growing up in Louisville, Cassius Clay (which, you’ll find many varied streets in the city named for the beloved son) began his boxing career at a local gym. Going on to become The Great Muhammad Ali of the sport, the legend and his family opened the Muhammad Ali Center in 2005. With a mission to encourage multicultural learning and inspire others to live the core principles the boxing great has dedicated his life to, the Center offers interesting exhibits and programs in a great space.
The Ohio River
Founded on the industry of a river town, Louisville owes its existence to the Ohio River whose banks it sits upon. Be sure to take a dinner cruise on the famous Belle of Louisville or cross the bridge into Indiana to check out the millions-of-years-old fossil beds of the Falls of the Ohio River.
Louisville Eats
If you want to go the traditional route, try a Kentucky Hot Brown at the historic Brown Hotel in downtown Louisville. If you want a regional specialty, check out a Skyline Chili in The Highlands. Great brunch places can be found on Market Street, such as Toast on Market.
If you want soul, check out my old neighborhood’s Chicken King, a favorite staple of mine. It’s off East Broadway, but, be warned, I didn’t necessarily live in the best neighborhood in the city. The guys on my street that looked uncannily like actors who portrayed shady characters on Law and Order always waved at me on my way to work, though.
Working in Louisville
With a varied landscape of industries, from tourism to shipping (home of UPS), there are many work opportunities in Louisville. For a closer look at working in The ‘Ville, I asked my former co-worker, Carol Labashosky, from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Louisville District Public Affairs Office to give us some insight.
Working in the Derby City for the past 13 years, Carol applauds Louisville for its “big small city” feel. “Louisville is easy to get around, logistically and personally. The people are friendly, and connecting here is much easier than in major markets,” she says.
When she’s not fielding questions from the media about public works or military construction projects, Carol spends time in her Barking Dog Enterprises art studio where she invented Scrapboarding, a fine-art technique where she takes painting, photographs or memorabilia and affixes them to boards or canvas. Carol says “the art community in Louisville is thriving. Art events like outdoor sales, walks, shows and festivals are happening on a regular basis. With spaces like the Mellwood Art Center, Louisville has really become an artist destination.”
On the weekends, Carol takes her beloved Sheltie, Frosted Mugs, to the many lovely parks, like Iroquois Park. She also recommends checking out the many bourbon distilleries in the nearby area, like Four Roses, or taking in an outdoor concert.
I give Louisville a 7+. As Louisville is known for the Kentucky Derby, what’s your favorite city known especially for a special event?
-Monica
