Growing up in Louisville is a unique experience. You're constantly surrounded by culture and fun. After moving to New York City, it made me appreciate all the amazing things I had back home!
1. The Food
Be it in the Highlands or in Norton Commons, there's food everywhere in Louisville, and it's great. Places like El Taco Luchador, Wild Eggs, and The Mussle and Burger Bar provide great food for anyone. In Derby season, one can enjoy Mint Juleps and visit the Chow Wagon. If you're in Louisville, it's not hard to find great grub.
2. The Arts Culture
As an artist growing up in Louisville, I constantly immersed myself in the arts culture available. Actors Theatre produces amazing plays, as well as places like the Jewish Community Center, Stage One, Acting Against Cancer, and more. There are even multiple high schools in the surrounding area who produce amazing plays and musicals every year!
3. The Landscape
While the inner city may have a lot of concrete, the Ohio River provides amazing scenery at night, and just a short drive away is rolling hills and green pastures. Many Louisville residents move to suburbs so that they can get a taste of the beautiful Kentucky landscape.
4. The Big Four Bridge
The Big Four Bridge is one of the most popular places in Louisville, as it is an amazing walking bridge fashioned out of a former train bridge. The bridge lights up at night, and surrounding it is a beautiful park, where many Louisvillians go to picnic with their significant others or to play fetch with a furry friend.
5. The Highlands
The Highlands is a progressive neighborhood, filled with artists and young people. The Highlands is home to many bars, restaurants, and clubs, and is a great spot to go out with friends on the weekend. Also, there is Cherokee Park, a park developed by the same man who created Central Park in New York City!
6. The Schools
Though not all schools are created equal, Louisville is home to many great schools, public and private. The Jefferson County School system has created many magnet schools, where children can specialize in something they love at a young age, be it arts, aviation, or mathematics.
7. The College Basketball
When someone's talking about Kentucky, college basketball is bound to come up. If you have a house divided, or a united front, most everyone enjoys watching the basketball games, especially when the University of Louisville and the University Of Kentucky are playing! March Madness is always fun in a city like Louisville.
8. The Derby (but really all the natives go to Oaks)
Louisville is probably most known for the Kentucky Derby, but if you're from the city, you probably go to Oaks! It's the day before the Derby when the female horses race. You can dress to the nines in fancy hats, or you can go rough it up in the infield. Both are bound to give you a great day!
9. Southern Hospitality
Though Louisville may not be the most southern city in the state, the natives sure do know how to welcome guests. Neighbors wave at you, strangers help each other, and the city generally functions with a state of happiness and a giving spirit.
10. The Thriving Downtown
Louisville city planners have worked diligently over the past few years to create a thriving downtown area, and it has worked! Downtown is home to the Louisville Slugger Museum, The Science Center, The Muhammad Ali Center, and it's where the Louisville City soccer team plays. More and more people are migrating back to the city center, making it more bustling than ever!
Regardless of if you're born and raised in Louisville or if you're just visiting, it has plenty to do and see. It was a great place for me to grow up, and certainly a place I'd recommend to anyone.
