The Highlands, Louisville facts for kids
The Highlands is a lively area in Louisville, Kentucky. It's known for having many fun places like nightclubs, unique shops, and lots of restaurants. You can find everything from fancy places to quick fast-food spots.
This area stretches about three miles along Bardstown Road and Baxter Avenue. It's called "The Highlands" because it sits on a ridge. This ridge is between two parts of Beargrass Creek. The main shopping and dining area goes from Bardstown Road and Taylorsville Road in the south to Baxter Avenue and Lexington Road in the north. A nearby street, Barret Avenue, also has many similar businesses.
The neighborhoods in The Highlands are separated from other areas like Germantown by the creeks. Because it has so many restaurants and places to eat, people in Louisville often call it "Restaurant Row." The streets around Bardstown Road are mostly homes. These range from simple houses to some of the most expensive streets in Louisville. In 2000, nearly 33,000 people lived in The Highlands.
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Exploring the History of The Highlands
The Highlands was one of the last areas near downtown Louisville to become a city. This was because its steep hill made travel hard. Not much was built here until just before the Civil War. Some important families owned large farms, called plantations, in this area. This growth was helped by the Louisville and Bardstown Turnpike, which is now Bardstown Road.
This road was first planned in 1784. But building it was delayed until 1832. Bardstown Road was originally a turnpike. This meant people had to pay a small fee, called a toll, to use it. Tolls were collected at special gates along the road. As Louisville grew, the first toll gate moved further away from the city center.
Many of the first people to live here were German families. This gave the area the nickname "New Hamburg." A lot of homes started to be built here in the 1890s. This happened when a streetcar line was extended to the area. Nearby Cave Hill Cemetery and Cherokee Park offered fun places for new residents.
Many businesses opened along the turnpike. Homes were built on the streets off the main road. The area continued to grow as the streetcar lines were extended. By the 1930s, all of The Highlands had been developed. The streetcars stopped running in 1947 and were replaced by buses.
The Highlands in Recent Times
The Highlands kept doing well until the 1960s. Then, some wealthier residents moved to the suburbs. The main shopping area along Bardstown Road faced problems. People were worried about its condition in 1974. The Mid-City Mall was a big concern. There were complaints about its poor look and safety issues.
Four neighborhood groups decided to stop shopping at the mall in 1975. This helped lead to changes. The mall was improved a lot in the years that followed. This teamwork showed the community could make positive changes. Many old buildings had been torn down for new fast-food places. People worried that the area's history would be lost. This led to the creation of the Highlands Commerce Guild in 1977.
The Highlands started to get better in the 1980s. Antique shops and unique stores moved to Bardstown Road. They liked the empty storefronts and the area's beautiful buildings. Many young professionals also moved here. They liked being close to downtown and having places like Cherokee Park. They also enjoyed the easy-to-walk shopping areas.
By the early 1990s, The Highlands became the city's main area for nightclubs and nice restaurants. It also became a center for music and culture. Today, many of its neighborhoods have a high number of college graduates. They also have some of the highest average incomes in Louisville. The areas further from the city center tend to have higher incomes and education levels. The improvements in The Highlands also helped nearby areas like Butchertown and Clifton. These areas also started to develop their own fun shopping and club districts.
In the 2000s, The Highlands has continued to grow. Many new buildings with homes and shops have been built. More restaurants have also opened. Some residents have worried about having too many bars and nightclubs. Especially on the 900 block of Baxter Avenue. In 2004, some residents of the Original Highlands wanted to vote on rules for bars. They wanted to prevent more bars from opening. They also wanted stricter rules about how much money businesses made from selling drinks. This was to prevent too many bars in one spot. These concerns came after complaints about more damage to property and safety issues. People also complained about cars parking on residential streets. After more police patrols, these problems stopped.
Fun Things to Do in The Highlands
The Highlands area had about 14,236 people in 2010. Most of the people living here are between 20 and 39 years old. The area has many places that appeal to this age group. The Highlands includes Bardstown Road all the way to Baxter Avenue. You can find a wide variety of restaurants and places to get a drink. Some popular spots include Baxter's, Highland Tap Room, Akikos, and Nowhere Bar.
Streetcar Routes in the Past
The Bardstown Road streetcar line ran until 1947. It was slowly extended further out as the neighborhoods grew. The busiest shopping areas in The Highlands were located along these streetcar stops. However, many of the old buildings at these stops have been torn down. So, the busy feel is not as strong today. Here are some of the main stops:
- Highland and Baxter Avenue
- Grinstead and Bardstown Road
- Eastern Parkway and Bardstown
- Bonnycastle and Bardstown (the streetcar loop went through what is now a parking garage)
- Douglass and Bardstown (known as the Douglass Loop)
- Taylorsville and Bardstown
Theaters of The Highlands
Before large multiplex movie theaters existed, small single-screen theaters were common. Several of these were located along Bardstown Road. They were popular entertainment spots in The Highlands for many years.
- Baxter (later called the Airway). Located at 1055 Bardstown Road.
- The Cherokee. Located at 1591 Bardstown Road. Now it's the Bombay International Grocery.
- Bard. Located at 2470 Bardstown Road. This building was torn down.
- Highland (later called Shibboleth Hall). Located at 1014-1016 Bardstown Road. This building was torn down.
- Highland Amusement Co. (later called The Gem). Located at 919 Baxter Avenue. This building was torn down.
- Savoy Airdome. Located at 1014 Bardstown Road. This building was torn down.
- Uptown. Located at 1508 Bardstown Road. This was part of the Schuster Building, which is still standing. Much of the theater part was torn down for a parking lot. But part of the theater's front, including the ticket window, can still be seen at the Qdoba restaurant.
Today, The Highlands has an 8-screen movie theater called Baxter Avenue Filmworks. It's located in Mid-City Mall. This theater opened in 1996.
Neighborhoods in The Highlands
The Highlands is made up of several distinct neighborhoods:
- Original Highlands
- Phoenix Hill (the eastern part)
- Irish Hill
- Cherokee Triangle
- Tyler Park
- Deer Park
- Bonnycastle
- Highlands-Douglass
- Belknap
Upper Highlands Area
Several small towns further southwest on Bardstown Road are known as the Upper Highlands. These towns used to have a special city status in Kentucky.
Local News and Media
- The Highlander Neighborhood Monthly—a monthly newspaper published from 2006 to 2014.
