The area at a glance
This part of Louisville covers three of the city’s older neighborhoods just east and southeast of downtown: Butchertown, the Highlands, and Germantown. It runs from the river and I-71 down along Bardstown Road and Baxter Avenue, with Beargrass Creek winding through it. Below is a short section on each one.
Butchertown
Where it is
Butchertown sits just east of downtown, between I-65, I-71, Main Street, and Beargrass Creek. The first homes went up in the 1820s along the old turnpike to Lexington, and the area got its name from the butchers and stockyards that lined the creek in the 1800s.
Getting around
I-65 and I-71 run along the edges of Butchertown, so you can get almost anywhere in the county quickly. Downtown is only a few minutes away on Main Street, and the Abraham Lincoln Bridge to Indiana is right next door.
Shopping and food
Story Avenue and Washington Street have local restaurants and bars, like Butchertown Grocery, plus Copper & Kings, a brandy distillery with a rooftop bar. Market Street, on the south side, has antique shops and art galleries.
Parks and outdoors
Waterfront Botanical Gardens, at Frankfort Avenue and River Road, opened in 2019 on 23 acres that used to be a landfill. Lynn Family Stadium, home to Louisville City FC and Racing Louisville, opened here in 2020.
The homes
Butchertown is a historic district, and many of its homes are shotgun houses and other styles from the 1800s, like Greek Revival. Many of them have been restored over the last few decades.
The Highlands
Where it is
The Highlands sits on a ridge between two forks of Beargrass Creek, along Bardstown Road and Baxter Avenue. It takes in smaller neighborhoods like the Original Highlands, Cherokee Triangle, Tyler Park, Deer Park, and Bonnycastle. Most of it was built after a streetcar line reached the area in the 1890s.
Getting around
Bardstown Road and Baxter Avenue are the main roads, and Eastern Parkway crosses the middle of the area. TARC buses run along Bardstown Road, and downtown is a short drive west.
Shopping and food
Bardstown Road and Baxter Avenue are known around town as “Restaurant Row,” with local restaurants, bars, and shops for about three miles. Mid-City Mall is on Bardstown Road, and the Bardstown Road Farmers Market runs Saturday mornings from spring through fall at Deer Park Avenue.
Parks and outdoors
Cherokee Park, designed by Frederick Law Olmsted, has trails, a golf course, picnic areas, and Beargrass Creek running through it. Tyler Park and Willow Park are smaller parks tucked into the neighborhood.
The homes
Most homes are single-family houses on a grid of streets on both sides of Bardstown Road, built from the 1890s through the 1930s. They range from small shotgun homes to large houses on streets like Spring Drive, with a few condo buildings mixed in.
Germantown
Where it is
Germantown is about three miles southeast of downtown, roughly between Barret Avenue, Eastern Parkway, Goss Avenue, and the South Fork of Beargrass Creek. It started out in the 1870s as small farms and butcher shops, and Schnitzelburg sits right next door.
Getting around
Goss Avenue, Barret Avenue, and Logan Street are the main roads, and Eastern Parkway runs along the south side. Downtown and the Highlands are both just a few minutes away.
Shopping and food
Goss Avenue is the neighborhood’s main street, with local spots like Four Pegs, Check’s Cafe, and North of Bourbon. Hauck’s, a corner store, has been run by the same family since 1912, and there is a Kroger near Goss Avenue.
Parks and outdoors
Germantown is mostly homes on small, close-together streets. For green space, Tyler Park and Cherokee Park in the Highlands are a short drive east.
The homes
Germantown has the largest group of shotgun houses in Louisville, most of them built during a building boom in the 1890s. Many have been fixed up in recent years, and they sit mixed in with old corner storefronts and a former textile mill.
Thinking about this part of town?
I am happy to show you around or answer any questions about the area. Let’s talk.