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The Highlands of Louisville - A World of Variety and a Variety of Worlds
If you haven't yet visited the historic Highlands area of Louisville, you're definitely in for a treat. Beginning in the Phoenix Hill neighborhood on Baxter Avenue, continuing on as Baxter turns into Bardstown Road right down to the Watterson Expressway, and including the "original Highlands" on Barret Avenue, the Highlands encompasses a total of 15 neighborhood associations. From Cave Hill Cemetery (resting place of such notables as explorer George Rogers Clark and KFC founder Colonel Harland Sanders) to the Louisville Zoo, the Highlands is home to an incredible array of parks, sight-seeing, and recreational facilities.
Due to the mix of restaurants, bars, nightclubs, and shops along Bardstown Road, the Highlands is often called "The Strip" or "Restaurant Row." The intersection of Baxter Avenue and Bardstown Road has Louisville’s target concentration of bars and restaurants.
If you're looking for fun in the form of food and drink, The Highlands literally has something for everyone from popular upscale steakhouses like Jack Fry's or Southern-influenced fare served at Avalon. When your sweet tooth is craving satisfaction, stop by Kizito Cookies for some of the tastiest treats in town. While you're there, say "hello" to owner Elizabeth Kizito. If you're after a relaxing meal in the most unique surroundings in town, you'll want to go to Lynn's Paradise Cafe on Barret Avenue. Whether it's a comforting bowl of oatmeal for breakfast or a dinner feast you're seeking, you'll find it at Lynn's. Bars also offer a unique neighborhood flavor both in atmosphere and in their wide variety of burgers, wings, fine Kentucky bourbon, and locally brewed beer.
Shoppers can find an endless variety of goods in the Highlands. Everything from antiques to comic books to specialty gifts for every occasion and taste can be found, all on Bardstown Road and most within easy walking distance of one another. Check out The Shops at Deer Park Avenue, then wander over to The Leatherhead, enjoying plenty of window-shopping on the way.
Because it was the last area near downtown Louisville to be urbanized, serious residential development didn't begin in the area until a streetcar line extended to the area in the 1890s. The area was home to Louisville’s local elite until the 1960’s, when many residents moved to the suburbs.Remaining homeowners watched the neighborhood deteriorate, but several neighborhood associations arose to stem the tide of decay and shape commercial developments in the area.
By 1980, the unique architecture of the strip attracted unique shops and new eateries. Within 10 years, the Highlands was Louisville’s center for nightlife, upscale restaurants, music and alternative lifestyles and a magnet for young professionals drawn to the Bardstown Road scene, the shopping within walking distance, and the nearby parks. The Highlands still features some of the most expensive streets in Louisville. One of Louisville’s most famous Derby Day Parties takes place on exclusive Spring Drive, the home of the Wrigley's Doublemint Twins Cyb and Patricia Barnstable.
Designed by Frederick Law Olmsted and located in Beargrass Creek Park, Cherokee Park is one of the best and most popular parks in Louisville and one of the 50 most-visited parks in the United States. Each year, over 500,000 people visit the 2.4-mile scenic loop, two dog parks, a bird sanctuary, and Frisbee Field, where people come to picnic and play games. There are even tennis courts, a fishing lake, walking and hiking trails, and a golf course on site.
Today, the Highlands area is home to the highest percentage of individuals in the Louisville community with higher-education degrees and above-average incomes. The average home value in the area as of March 2010 was about $160,000. In 2000, the median household income was $52,000; today the median resident age is 41. With a wide array of schools including specialty kindergartens, private and public middle schools and high schools, the Highlands area is extremely family-friendly. Higher education opportunities abound at both Bellarmine University and Sullivan University, including the latter institution's world-renowned Culinary Arts Institute, as well as a variety of other schools. Learning at any age is within easy reach of Highlands residents.
Whether your tastes run to the traditional or the eclectic, you're sure to find people and places to satisfy those tastes in the Highlands. Come and enjoy one of Louisville's most unique and completely delightful areas – the Highlands!
Highlands Louisville Picture Tour