The Highlands (Louisville)
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The Highlands is an area of Louisville, Kentucky which contains a high density of night clubs, eclectic businesses, and many upscale and fast food restaurants. It is centered along a three mile stretch of Bardstown Road and Baxter Avenue (US 31E/US 150) and is so-named because it sits atop a ridge between the middle and south forks of Beargrass Creek. The commercial area extends from the intersection of Bardstown Road and Taylorsville Road/Trevillian Way in the south, to the intersection of Baxter Ave and Lexington Road in the north, a length of 3.2 miles. A 1/2 mile section of nearby Barrett Avenue also contains many similar businesses. The residential area is separated from other adjacent areas like Germantown or Crescent Hill by the south and north forks of Beargrass Creek. The middle fork runs through Cherokee Park, and the south fork divides off Germantown from Tyler Park, then past several cemeteries and undeveloped forests into Joe Creason Park. Due to its large collection of night clubs and restaurants, and its "anything goes" attitude, The Highlands has been nicknamed "Restaurant Row", "The Strip", and "Venice Beach East".
In 2000, The Highlands had a population of about 24,000.
History
The Highlands was the last area near downtown Louisville to be urbanized, since its steep 60 foot incline above the flood plain made travel difficult, although several notable families did own plantations there, spurred by the 1819 Louisville and Bardstown Turnpike (today's Bardstown Road). Residential development didn't begin on the hill until a streetcar line extended to the area near the present day intersection of Bardstown and Baxter in the 1890s. The nearby Cave Hill Cemetery (which doubled as park) and Cherokee Park provided recreation for the new residences. Many businesses formed along the turnpike, which became public in 1901, with residential develpoment back off the main road. The growth would creep down Bardstown Road as the streetcar lines continued to extended. By the 1930s, the entire area today called The Highlands had been developed. Many of its first residents were Germans, which gave the area its nickname, New Hamburg.The area would continue to thrive until the 1960s, when some of the upper class residents left for the suburbs. However, the area would begin to rebound in the 1980s as antique shops and other "oddity" stores moved to Bardstown Road for the many vacant store fronts which were located right off the street, and the area's elegant architecture. Many young professionals were also attracted to the area for its location near downtown and amenities such as Cherokee Park and pedestrian friendly shopping. By the early 1990s the area had become the city's main nightclub and upscale restaurant district, as well as the cultural center for the city's music and gay scene. Today many of its neighborhoods have among the highest percentage of college graduates and average income in Louisville. Neighborhood income and education levels are highest in the furthest out areas, and gradually decrease heading towards downtown. The Highlands gentrification has also had a "rub off" effect on adjacent areas such as Butchertown and Clifton, as they developed their own upscale club and shopping districts.
In the 2000s The Highlands has continued to thrive, with several new mixed use developments and more restaurants opening up. An area of contention with some residents is that there is too great a density of bars and nightclubs, particuarily in the 900 block of Baxter Avenue. In 2004, some residents of the Original Highlands threatened a wet-dry vote to prevent more bars (specifically "The Monkey Wrench") from opening along Barrett Avenue, and to get stricter enforcement of rules reguarding the percent of revenue made from alcoholic sales; which is designed to prevent a high density of bars in a given area. This was done after complaints of vandalism and crime, and also that many of the patrons were parking on residential streets. After increased police patrols, the problems ceased and talk of the vote ended. There has also been some talk of building a parking garage and banning nonresident street parking, though both are still in the talking stages.
See also
Neighborhoods in The Highlands
- Original Highlands
- Phoenix Hill (The eastern 1/3)
- Irish Hill
- Cherokee Triangle
- Tyler Park
- Deer Park
- Bonnycastle
- Douglass Loop
- Belknap
External links
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