Trip Report: Long Weekend in Louisville, KY

Old Jan 6th, 2010, 09:21 PM
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Trip Report: Long Weekend in Louisville, KY

I took a three day trip to Louisville in June 2009 to attend a wedding. Fodorites gave me lots of helpful advice before I left and I'm sorry that I haven't been back sooner to update everyone on the trip. Better late than never... here's my trip report. Hopefully it will help someone else who is headed there.

* FRIDAY *

We flew out early from Los Angeles, changed planes in Dallas and (after a delay) arrived in Louisville around 7:00pm. Upon getting off the plane, I was amused to see tornado shelters in the airport terminal, a true novelty for a west coaster. I had to open the door and check them out.

We took a cab from the airport to downtown Louisville (a bargain at $18) and checked in at 21C Museum Hotel. Wow, I loved this hotel. It's the coolest little boutique hotel I've ever encountered. The museum in the lobby is filled with interesting contemporary art, the rooms are huge and nicely decorated, we had views out enormous windows to the Ohio River and service was fantastic all around. There's no question that this is THE place to stay in Louisville at the moment.

We hopped in a cab and went to North End Cafe, in the trendy Louisville neighborhood charmingly called Butchertown, to attend the rehearsal dinner for the wedding we'd come to town to attend. This restaurant is a favorite of the bride and groom, and I can see why. The space was inviting and the food was delicious. The staff were very friendly and we had a great time. Afterward, we all headed back to 21C to have a drink at the bar downstairs, Proof. This is definitely a hot spot in Louisville, with lots of young, trendy folks enjoying designer cocktails in the artistically designed bar.

* SATURDAY *

On Saturday morning we headed out to Churchill Downs with some friends and decided to try out the local bus system. It was very convenient to get out to Churchill Downs via the bus, and fun to see a bit of the city along the way. Less fun... the weather. It was about 95 degrees with lots of humidity. At Churchill Downs, we walked through the museum, took a quick tour that included watching the first race of the day, and then stayed on for a couple of hours to watch three more races. Didn't win any money, but had a great time. Some thoughts on Churchill Downs:

* The museum staff are very, very nice. The college-aged kid who led our tour clearly loves his job and was eager to answer questions.

* The museum is nicely laid out and has all sorts of interesting exhibits and information. Even people who aren't particularly into horse racing (like myself) will find something here that intrigues them. I learned quite a bit while strolling through, and that's always a good thing.

* The basic tour offered by the museum was totally not worth it. All we did was walk out to the track, hear a few minutes of history about the grounds and then watch the first race of the day. We should have just saved our money and gone to the track on our own. The tour to take is the one that goes out to the barns, but it was sold out when we arrived. If you know when you're coming, book that tour in advance.

* There are plenty of food and drink options inside the racetrack. Everyone in our group found something they liked.

* If you actually want to win money, learn a little something about horse racing before you arrive and pick up the little newspaper that has information about the horses. My super scientific method of choosing a horse based on the uniqueness of its name was not the way to go. Shocking, I know.

That evening we attended our friends' wedding at Yew Dell Gardens, just outside Louisville. Wow, this is a gorgeous spot. I believe the gardens are open to the public and if you're interested in such things, this is a lovely and serene place to enjoy the local flora and fauna. It was a spectacular setting for a wedding.

* SUNDAY *

After a post-wedding brunch with the wedding party at 21C, we took a walk along the Louisville waterfront and explored a bit of downtown. We walked down Main Street to the waterfront area, where we looked out over the river and saw the Belle of Louisville, a restored steamboat that is a popular tourist attraction. I believe you can take river cruises and such on the Belle. We admired all the public sculpture, walked through Fourth Street Live, a popular but charmless retail district and checked out the stately city hall. There were a lot of places we would have liked to go, such as the Muhammad Ali Center and the Louisville Glassworks, both of which are walking distance from 21C. Sadly, we were on a tight schedule due to wedding-related activities and couldn't see everything that we wanted to. Also, we were surprised to find how many things were closed on Sunday.

Later, we went out to visit our friends in the Louisville neighborhood called The Highlands. While there, we went on a long, scenic walk around the neighborhood (made possible due to the cooling weather). This area is filled with huge, beautiful homes set on tree-lined streets, large parks, and a main boulevard lined with coffee shops, cafes, bookstores, etc. We stopped at Heine Brothers' Coffee, which has excellent coffee and is a nice place to sit and relax. It's a great part of Louisville and one where I would have liked to spend more time. Eventually, we headed back to 21C to get ready for dinner. We took a cab back to Butchertown and ate at a restaurant called Varanese, which we were very excited about. While the setting and service were fantastic, neither of us liked our food, which was disappointing. We ended the evening with a walk through Butchertown.

* MONDAY *

We had a mid-day flight and not much time to see things this day. In the morning, we took a cab out to the Cherokee Park neighborhood and toured Whitehall, a historic home (part of Louisville's historic homes collection). It was really beautiful, and it being a Monday we had the place to ourselves. If you're at all interested in architecture or local history, check out the historic homes in the area. I loved Whitehall and was so glad we went there. Our tour guide was very knowledgeable and helped bring the home to life for us.

Overall, it was a really fun trip and I was glad to be able to spend some time here. Some final thoughts about Louisville:

* The city is absolutely filled with public art. There are sculptures and statues just about everywhere you look. Louisville is also home to a ton of art galleries, large and small. I’m not sure I’ve ever seen an American city so obviously dedicated to making its public space a showcase for art. It was really wonderful to experience.

* If you haven’t been to the South in the summer, I’m here to tell you that it is HOT. And buggy. I brought home some lovely mosquito bites as souvenirs. However, when it cools off and a breeze blows from the Ohio River, Louisville is such a wonderful place to spend a day outside in the sun.

* Downtown Louisville is clean, attractive and clearly growing by leaps and bounds. So why are there no people there? All weekend I walked around Louisville and the streets were completely deserted. When the work week arrived, the population downtown increased, but it was still not what you’d expect from a big city like this. It seems that everyone lives in outlying suburbs, not in the actual downtown area, and thus the weekends make it a bit of a ghost town.

* Cabs are cheap. The bus system is effective and easy to use. Downtown is quite walkable. I spent four days in Louisville without a car and really never felt that I needed one.

* When in Louisville, you should absolutely stay at 21C, a charming and memorable boutique hotel located right in the heart of downtown. I absolutely loved it and can’t recommend it enough.

* PHOTOS *

A view of 21C from Main Street: http://tinyurl.com/yhucetj

Churchill Downs: http://tinyurl.com/ylfq7aa

Louisville's waterfront and the Belle of Louisville: http://tinyurl.com/yljkyo4

Downtown Louisville: http://tinyurl.com/ykodwvy

Whitehall: http://tinyurl.com/ycp56gp

Dinner at Varanese: http://tinyurl.com/ye8w6p4
Erin74 is offline  
Old Jan 7th, 2010, 11:25 AM
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I just wanted to add that, at Churchill, you pay for the Museum, not the basic tour. The basic tour is included with the Museum. If you had to PAY for the TOUR, that tour is not worth it. The Museum is & it is the Museum that is not free.
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Old Jan 7th, 2010, 01:10 PM
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Glad to hear you enjoyed yourself. Personally, I think Louisville is an undiscovered gem. If you go again, try the Mayan Cafe on Market St. Outstanding.
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Old Jan 27th, 2010, 10:45 AM
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Love to hear the review of Louisville. I've lived here for more than 20 years and love it. I've been to all of the places you talked about and agree with pretty much everything you said. It is strange that downtown can be a ghost town. The city is doing everything it can to draw people downtown, but I really don't go unless there's a baseball game, concert, or event of some sort. While there is great dining downtown, there's also lots of great dining out in the suburbs - and I'm not talking chains - I'm talking local, independent places to eat that are wonderful. It's a strange thing about Louisville and I can't figure it out myself!
KathleenCL is offline  
Old Jan 28th, 2010, 04:52 PM
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I live in Louisville, too, and I think the problem is that there is no retail shopping downtown. The OP mentioned Louisville Live--that spot used to be the heart of Louisville. Now there isn't anything but loud entertainment. There is no place for people who work downtown to buy clothes, much less a sheet or a towel. Several years ago, I used to do all my Christmas shopping on my lunch hours, one or two gifts a day, and keep an eye out for clothing, too.

In a misguided attempt to draw suburban shoppers back into town in the late 60s/early 70s, the city fathers closed Fourth Street (the main drag) to traffic and made an enclosed galleria. That didn't fly, and now the people who are buying the condos and loft apartments along the river don't even have a grocery store close by, much less shops.

We are doing a lot of things right, including building a big new sports arena on Main Street, but I don't see how we can have a vibrant downtown unless someone gets a vision of something like Chicago's Magnificent Mile. People go for the theater, the museums, the restaurants, and the special events like Thunder over Louisville during Derby Week; but there's not much regular stuff to draw the locals.

In any event, I am glad to read such an upbeat trip report and hope you come back and spend more time. We do have a nice city to visit.
carolyn is online now  
Old Feb 12th, 2010, 12:24 PM
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You basically supplied an itinerary for me.....I am headed to Louisville on a Friday afternoon from California, and will be there until Monday afternoon! Thanks for all of the tips!
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Old Feb 13th, 2010, 06:25 AM
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Sounded great. DH's aunt and uncle lived in Highlands and we had many nice visits to this wonderful town over the years. Glad you had a good time.

FYI for your next trip and tenthumbs, the Speed Museum is a wonderful art gallery.
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Old Feb 22nd, 2010, 01:06 PM
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To the folks in Louisville, be patient. We have had similar problems here in Charlotte. But once the people move in, the grocery stores & such will arrive. I used to reside in Louisville & would love to see the downtown area revitalized...properly.
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Old Jul 22nd, 2010, 05:45 AM
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Sorry you missed Glassworks--an amazing place to tour! Glad you had a nice stay.

If you come again, be sure and have a meal at Lynn's Paradise Cafe...breakfast, lunch, or dinner are all wonderful.
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