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Downtown Living trend?

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John N

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Downtown Living trend?

by John N » Sun Feb 12, 2012 1:37 pm

I know several people who have moved downtown recently, in the East Market District. They seem to really enjoy it.

Could you see yourself living downtown? Can anyone speak to safety concerns?
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Robin Garr

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Re: Downtown Living trend?

by Robin Garr » Sun Feb 12, 2012 2:07 pm

I know a couple of people who've moved to Nulu and love it, but they were already urbanites, they only moved from Clifton.

"Safety concerns"? I don't think anyone used to living in larger cities would even think twice about that. People who choose the suburbs currently because of perceived issues about "safety" or "sketchy" neighborhoods won't be comfortable downtown or in Nulu either. But realistically, there's no crime wave there.
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Suzi Bernert

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Re: Downtown Living trend?

by Suzi Bernert » Sun Feb 12, 2012 2:44 pm

Take from a person who worked nights for 25 years on an ambulance - the perception that downtown is dangerous and more crime-ridden is strictly media driven. I have made violent runs all over and amazingly enough the only ones that make the news consistently were identified as being downtown or westend.
We have lived in Portland, the Southend and now Shelby Park. We have not had any more problems than our friends that live the the East or Indiana. My commute is shorter and we can get to all the downtown, east, north and south venues pretty easily. :D
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John N

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Re: Downtown Living trend?

by John N » Sun Feb 12, 2012 3:04 pm

Robin Garr wrote:I know a couple of people who've moved to Nulu and love it, but they were already urbanites, they only moved from Clifton.

"Safety concerns"? I don't think anyone used to living in larger cities would even think twice about that. People who choose the suburbs currently because of perceived issues about "safety" or "sketchy" neighborhoods won't be comfortable downtown or in Nulu either. But realistically, there's no crime wave there.


Thanks for the reponse. The reason I asked about safety was because of the proximity to Sheppard's Square, which I just learned is being vacated anyway.

What area do you all think is more appealing for living---NuLu or central downtown?
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Robin Garr

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Re: Downtown Living trend?

by Robin Garr » Sun Feb 12, 2012 3:56 pm

John N wrote:What area do you all think is more appealing for living---NuLu or central downtown?

I'm still a big fan of the Frankfort Avenue and Bardstown Road corridors, but I'm thinking that Nulu at this point doesn't roll up the sidewalks after work, while to some extent downtown still does. Of course this should change as more and more permanent residents move in, but I still have to think the residential energy is more around Nulu at this point.
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Matthew D

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Re: Downtown Living trend?

by Matthew D » Tue Feb 14, 2012 12:39 am

While not downtown downtown, I do miss living at First and Oak. That part of Old Louisville is much more urban than say Hill and Fourth (to just throw out a more southern location). The only downside of the location was that it was a wee bit far to walk to downtown.

I wouldn't hesitate to move to that area again, or even further into town. Maybe Butchertown would be an attractive option.

I'll be leaving Louisville within the year (most probably) and plan to live in the urban center if I end up in a good-sized city.

The crime issue is really not an issue. I live in the St. Joseph neighborhood now. A UofL student was shot just down the street a week or so ago. Nothing all that better or worse than what happened at First and Oak or many other neighborhoods in Louisville.
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TP Lowe

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Re: Downtown Living trend?

by TP Lowe » Tue Feb 14, 2012 8:29 am

I lived downtown back in the late 80s when I first moved to Louisville. While it was completely dead after about 6PM, I enjoyed being a bit of a pioneer. It was definitely not dangerous, and the ever-changing stories from panhandlers who would forget who they hit up on what day were actually kind of amusing.
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Nimbus Couzin

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Re: Downtown Living trend?

by Nimbus Couzin » Wed Feb 15, 2012 11:51 pm

While I don't think it is extremely dangerous, there is certainly a lot more crime in Old Louisville (and downtown) than where I live now (the Highlands). When I lived on First street, between St. Catherine and Oak, my car had its window broken out and was ransacked while parked right outside my house on First street. Also, my garage was broken into on multiple occasions. And my house itself was broken into (items stolen included stove and fridge!). Someone tried to steal a copper pipe from my washing machine connection, leading to a flooded basement! Crack addicts, most likely. Aggravating, and expensive. I grew up in Chicago, and consider myself fairly streetwise, and there were several guys in the surround blocks who I'm pretty sure had significant drug problems. Drugs are expensive, and addicts can't hold down a job, thus they turn to petty theft typically.

In the Highlands, nothing. If I forget to lock my car doors at night, no problem. I can leave kids bikes out front, strollers on the porch, basketballs in the driveway, etc, no problems. You should lock your doors still, but it is nice to know it probably wouldn't matter if you forgot.

Oh. Also, in Old Louisville, the college students I ended up renting my house too were mugged in the neighborhood. It was after midnight, and they were girls, so probably not super wise to be out, but again the danger/risk levels are significantly higher than a few miles away where I live now.

I'm not trying to be a downer on living downtown, but you need to go in there willing to realize dangers increase after dark, and you'd better keep your belongings locked up tight. Do a little research before you sign the lease.
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Carla G

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Re: Downtown Living trend?

by Carla G » Fri Apr 13, 2012 8:41 am

I can not speak to living in the DT or NuLu area but I, once upon a time mananaged a chain of stores in those areas. We had locations in the Hurstbourne corridor , Brownsboro Rd near the Watterson, the Shelbyville Rd mall and Theater Sq (3rd Street area between Broadway and Chestnut) By far, and I mean by a bunch, I had the most theft in the Brownsboro Rd store. Problems in the Theater Sq local were almost nonexistent.
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