The Highlands (Louisville)

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Bardstown Road and Bonnycastle is part of what is called the "Heart of the Highlands". Above this landmark Faux Tudor building is a sign promoting locally owned businesses in Louisville

The Highlands is an area of Louisville, Kentucky which contains a high density of nightclubs, 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" or "The Strip".

In 2000, The Highlands had a population of about 24,000.

1 History
2 Streetcar loops
3 Theatres
4 See also
5 Neighborhoods in The Highlands
6 External links

[edit] 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). Many of its first residents during the agricultural days were Germans, which gave the area its nickname, New Hamburg. Residential development didn't begin in the area 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.

Bardstown Road was originally a turnpike, and tolls were collected at toll gates along the way. The portion of the road nearest to Louisville was free, so as Louisville grew, the first gatehouse moved further out. The earliest was at Beargrass Creek, it then moved to what is now the intersection of Broadway and Baxter, then to what is today Patterson and Bardstown, then to Eastern Parkway and Bardstown by 1873. It was at Speed Avenue by 1901, when the turnpike was sold to the city. The second tollgate was permanently located near today's Bashford Manor Lane and Bardstown.

Many businesses formed along the turnpike, with residential development back off the main road. The growth would creep down Bardstown Road as the streetcar lines continued to be extended. By the 1930s, the entire area today called The Highlands had been developed.

The area would continue to thrive until the 1960s, when some of the upper class residents left for the suburbs. However, the area never experienced white flight and would begin to rebound commercially 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, particularly 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 regarding 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.

[edit] Streetcar loops

The Bardstown Road streetcar line ran until 1947, and was gradually extended further out as the neighborhood expanded. The densest commercial areas in the Highlands were located along these stops, though many of the buildings at the older ones have since been razed, and the density is less evident.

Highland and Baxter Avenue
Grinstead and Bardstown Road
Eastern Parkway and Bardstown
Bonnycastle and Bardstown (the loop passed through what is now the parking garage behind the Doo Wop Shop)
Douglass and Bardstown (the Douglass Loop)
Taylorsville and Bardstown

[edit] Theatres

Before the era of multiplexes, small single-screen theatres dominated. Several in Louisville were located along Bardstown Road, and were popular sources of entertainment in the Highlands for decades.

Baxter (later called the Airway). 1055 Bardstown Road. Housed the The Brycc House in the late 1990s, now home to a Buffalo Wild Wings
The Cherokee. 1589 Bardstown Road. Now the Doo Wop Shop. A decorative relief is still visible.
Bard. 2470 Bardstown Road. Razed, site is now a Hollywood Video
Highland (later called Shibboleth Hall). 1014-1016 Bardstown Road. Razed.
Highland Amusement Co. (later called The Gem). 919 Baxter Avenue. Razed.
Savoy Airdome. 1014 Bardstown Road. Razed.
Uptown. 1508 Bardstown Road. Part of the Schuster Building, which still stands and is in use. Part of the theatre's facade is recognizable in the Qdoba restaurant.