SOUTH LOUISVILLE – JEFFERSON COUNTY, KY
City/County Offices
Louisville Metro Hall
527 W. Jefferson
Louisville 502-574-2003
www.louisvilleky.gov
Chamber of Commerce
614 W. Main Street
Louisville 502-625-0000
www.greaterlouisville.com
Major Highways
Interstates 65 and 265 (Route 851) U.S. 60 and Highway 61
Enjoying a strategic and centralized location within a single day’s drive from nearly half of the population of the United States, Jefferson County and the dynamic city of Louisville are served by an outstanding transportation network. Both residents and regional commerce have access to interstate and federal highways as well as the Louisville International Airport. Residents of southern Louisville enjoy lush parks and many other amenities surrounding neighborhoods like Auburndale, Beechmont, and Iroquois Park. Other options for suburban and country living are available throughout southern Jefferson County.
Services
State-of-the-art healthcare services are close to home, anchored by highly respected healthcare systems such as Alliant Health System, Baptist Healthcare System, Caritas Health Services, Jewish Hospital Health Networks, and the University of Louisville Hospital. Even local institutions like Norton Southwest Hospital are supported by a network of emergency clinics, rehabilitation centers, long-term care facilities, and skilled professionals. Health screenings, support groups, guest speakers, and seminars are all designed to help those in the community to enjoy healthy, full lives.
Well-served by the Jefferson County Public School System, area youth receive a quality education in modern schools that emphasize individual attention with pupil-teacher ratios as low as 18 to 1. Strong public support for education is evidenced in the high per-pupil expenditure, making it possible for high-tech laboratory facilities and well-stocked libraries that provide public access to more than 17,000 computers. Throughout the metropolitan area, opportunities for higher education range from vocational and career institutes and community colleges to leading colleges and universities. Kentuckiana also offers some very unique advantages for those who are seeking a higher education. The innovative Kentuckiana Metroversity offers a consortium of seven schools where students enrolled in one institution can take advantage of courses available throughout the system. Indiana and Kentucky have also developed a tuition reciprocity agreement that allows residents in the Indiana counties of Clark, Crawford, Floyd, Harrison, and Scott as well as those in Bullitt, Jefferson, and Oldham counties in Kentucky to pay in-state tuition rates when attending select state-supported institutions that are located in the other state.
Lifestyle
Long known for the Kentucky Derby and the “greatest two minutes in sports,” the Louisville Metropolitan region offers more than the excitement of thoroughbred racing. The tourism industry has also spurred the development of world-class attractions that appeal to people across a wide spectrum of interests and age groups, from the Louisville Zoo and the Louisville Slugger Museum to the Louisville Science Center and the Kentucky Center for the Arts. Opera, orchestra, ballet, Broadway, dinner theatre, a Shakespeare Festival, repertory theatre, and children’s theatre are just a few of the cultural jewels. The southern quadrant of the county boasts stellar attractions such as Churchhill Downs, the Kentucky Fair and Exposition Center, the Kentucky Derby Museum, Louisville Motor Speedway, and Kentucky Kingdom Amusement Park. The Louisville International Airport, Jefferson Mall, shopping plazas, and wonderful parks and golf courses are also minutes away from south suburban residents.
Within a reasonable commute are riverboat cruises, fine museums, a floating casino, four-star restaurants, colorful festivals and celebrations, more than 100 public parks, 50 golf courses, tennis courts, swimming pools, fishing lakes, and wonderful malls and shopping districts. Revitalization in the central city neighborhoods complements a number of exciting projects that include the spectacular new Ali Center, the $20 million venue known as the Kentucky Center for African-American Heritage, and the Frazier Historical Arms Museum. Throughout the Jefferson County suburban area, newcomers will discover a peerless quality of life and an enviable cost of living. “More home for the dollar” describes the attractive and diverse housing selection, from modest bungalows to manors set on large tracts of land or subdivisions with parks and golf courses.
LOUISVILLE NEIGHBORHOODS
Auburndale
Municipal Offices
Louisville Metro Hall
502-574-2003
www.louisvilleky.gov
Chamber of Commerce
502-625-0000
www.greaterlouisville.com
The community of Auburndale is centrally located just to the south of the Iroquois Park neighborhood and north of the Fairdale area. Residents of the region’s tranquil suburban neighborhoods enjoy quick and easy access to Louisville International Airport, the lush local Auburndale Park, Waverly Park, and Louisville Motor Speedway. Both retail shops and convenient services are available within the south suburban region, adding to the quality of life in this area that stretches from the City of Louisville into Jefferson County toward Jefferson County Memorial Forest. Major highways like the National Turnpike, New Cut Road, 3rd Street, and the Outer Loop ensure quick and easy commutes for residents of the Auburndale area.
Beechmont
Municipal Offices
Louisville Metro Hall
502-574-2003
www.louisvilleky.gov
Chamber of Commerce
502-625-0000
www.greaterlouisville.com
Located in southwestern Louisville, the Beechmont community was first conceived in the 1870s and described in superlatives such as “Beechmont the Beautiful” and “Beechmont the Peerless.” Once the crown jewel of the city’s newly developed south end, this “Grand Dame” serves as the first summer home for affluent residents of Old Louisville. Originally, the neighborhood was bounded by Wampum Street, Kenwood Way, Southern Parkway, and First Street. Throughout the area, small and charming seasonal cottages intermingled with large four-bedroom homes for an eclectic but pleasing cityscape. After World War II, the developments that sprang up in this area tended to be more modest, reflecting the trend toward smaller families. Many of the older, grander estates were abandoned. Today, many two- and three-story homes dot the Beechmont neighborhood—most of them characterized by embellishments from past architectural periods that include charming bay windows, multiple chimneys, and sweeping front porches.
Iroquois Park
Municipal Offices
Louisville Metro Hall
502-574-2003
www.louisvilleky.gov
Chamber of Commerce
502-625-0000
www.greaterlouisville.com
The expansive recreational area of Iroquois Park, situated at Southern Parkway and New Cut Road, serves as the focal point for this southern neighborhood of Louisville. The challenging 18-hole Iroquois Golf Course and the Iroquois Amphitheater combine panoramic overlooks with playgrounds and horse trails to appeal to the entire family. A number of other parks dot the area including Watterson Lake Park, Wyandotte Park, and Waverly Park. Schools, libraries, shopping, services, and entertainment centers are all convenient to this neighborhood. Residents also enjoy living in close proximity to the Louisville International Airport. Among the attractions that are available within a reasonable drive from home include the University of Louisville, the Kentucky Derby Museum, Churchhill Downs, the Six Flags Kentucky Kingdom Amusement Park, and the Kentucky Fair and Exposition Center. Newcomers will be pleased with the selection of housing, which covers a wide range of styles, sizes, and prices.
SUBURBAN JEFFERSON COUNTY
Fairdale
Municipal Offices
Louisville Metro Hall
502-574-2003
www.louisvilleky.gov
Chamber of Commerce
502-625-0000
www.greaterlouisville.com
The unincorporated community of Fairdale provides a suburban lifestyle in south-central Jefferson County. The name Fairdale reflects the ideal image the area created in the minds of early residents who found it to be so “fair.” The community is proud of its rich local history that includes a salt lick that once attracted buffalo. Located near the Bullitt County line, Fairdale is known for the slower pace and natural beauty of a country environment. At the same time, residents can easily access all the best of Louisville. Homes in Fairdale tend to be rich in detail and traditional in style, creating a pleasing neighborhood atmosphere. Lush parks and golf courses, the Jefferson County Memorial Forest, and Louisville International Airport are all convenient to Fairdale via Interstate 265 and Interstate 65.
Okolona
Municipal Offices
Louisville Metro Hall
502-574-2003
www.louisvilleky.gov
Chamber of Commerce
502-625-0000
www.greaterlouisville.com
The unincorporated community of Okolona offers a comfortable suburban home and a close-knit atmosphere. Located just nine miles from Louisville in the south-central section of Jefferson County, Okolona is known for its family-oriented lifestyle. The area stretches from Fern Valley Road south to the Bullitt County Line. Interstate 65 marks the western edge. Fegenbush Lane, Beulah Church Road, and Cedar Creek Road lie to the east. Okolona began its boom with the widening of the outer loop. Enhanced transportation efficiencies have encouraged new shopping complexes, beginning in the 1970s with Jefferson Mall. The Gene Snyder Freeway brought commuting ease to yet another level. Newcomers to this area can choose from an attractive medley of home styles and price ranges.
Pleasure Ridge Park
Municipal Offices
Louisville Metro Hall
502-574-2003
www.louisvilleky.gov
Chamber of Commerce
502-625-0000
www.greaterlouisville.com
Located in western Jefferson County, the unincorporated community of Pleasure Ridge Park provides a friendly, welcoming hometown. The area’s genesis dates back to 100 years ago, when Louisville residents caught excursion trains to what is now the intersection of Greenwood Road and Dixie Highway. The visitors spent the weekend at a hotel where they could walk across the street to enjoy pleasurable activities from picnicking to dancing. The modern Pleasure Ridge Park community is a thriving suburban address bordered by the Ohio River, Johnsontown Road, Lower Hunters Trace, and the Dixie Highway. Pleasure Ridge Park experienced explosive economic growth in the 1950s and ‘60s, attracting development to abundant open space. New residents to Kentucky as well as those living in the city saw Pleasure Park Ridge as a prime location near the cities of Louisville and Fort Knox where real estate was affordable and abundant.
Valley Station
Municipal Offices
Louisville Metro Hall
502-574-2003
www.louisvilleky.gov
Chamber of Commerce
502-625-0000
www.greaterlouisville.com
Nestled in southwestern Jefferson County, the unincorporated community of Valley Station provides a comfortable suburban setting. Valley Station had its genesis over a century ago as a small agricultural community that slowly added modern construction as the decades passed. Today, the eclectic mix of homes harmonizes multi-gabled farmhouses with suburban high-roofed residences. The variety of architectural styles bridges several periods. Single-family homes tend to be both original and practical in their designs. Outstanding recreational centers are close to home, including the Sun Valley Park and Golf Course, the Jefferson County Memorial Forest, and Waverly Park. U.S. Highway 60 and Route 851 (Interstate 265) ease commutes to metropolitan destinations.
