# So, tell me about Louisville **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [May 2, 2011, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-tell-me-about-louisville/580503 "2011-05-02T19:12:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![thirdwarning](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecccb3/32.png) [@thirdwarning](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thirdwarning)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2011, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-tell-me-about-louisville/580503/1 "2011-05-02T19:12:34Z")
My husband has been offered a job at Fort Knox, 6-month contract to hire, so I guess we’ll be moving down there before too long. Any information you can give me would be helpful. Along with a bit of encouragement, since two of our three kids are here and all three grandkids, and I’m not looking forward to leaving. This area is also home base to my family, so anytime we get together it’s around here, too. I’m trying hard, and it’s not like we’ll be going immediately, although he’ll be starting on the 23rd. He’s been doing the contract thing for five years now, so the chance of a permanent position is good. I’m trying to move from “Please, Mr. Custer…” to “It’s a new adventure!” ---
**Author:** ![artemis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/91b2a8/32.png) [@artemis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/artemis)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2011, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-tell-me-about-louisville/580503/2 "2011-05-02T20:31:19Z")
I used to spend my summers in Louisville when I was a kid. Haven’t been back as an adult, though, so I can’t tell you much that’s practical, unfortunately. What I can tell you is that that part of Kentucky is gorgeous. If you like to garden, the climate there is perfect for growing things. ---
**Author:** ![PapSett](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ecc23a/32.png) [@PapSett](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PapSett)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2011, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-tell-me-about-louisville/580503/3 "2011-05-02T21:09:54Z")
I live about 2 hours from Louisville and it’s one of my favorite places. They have a top-notch zoo, great science museum, tons of great concerts, and shopping. Oh, and of course there is Churchill Downs and the Kentucky Derby museum! Loads of neat day-trip stuff around too-Cincinnatti, Lexington & nashvill all within easy driving. Good luck! ---
**Author:** ![thirdwarning](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecccb3/32.png) [@thirdwarning](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thirdwarning)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2011, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-tell-me-about-louisville/580503/4 "2011-05-02T21:22:03Z")
Thanks so far. I’m thinking the area will be a good compromise between my ‘four seasons’ and his ‘hate winter’. And I know the area is beautiful. I’m telling myself that with the increase in income we’ll be able to either visit the kids or have them visit us more often than I think. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2011, 10:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-tell-me-about-louisville/580503/5 "2011-05-02T22:02:26Z")
> [@thirdwarning](#): > > Thanks so far. I’m thinking the area will be a good compromise between my ‘four seasons’ and his ‘hate winter’. Northern Kentucky as as bad a winter as southern Ohio and Indiana. Which is pretty bad. ---
**Author:** ![Ann\_Onimous](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ea5d25/32.png) [@Ann\_Onimous](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ann_Onimous)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2011, 11:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-tell-me-about-louisville/580503/6 "2011-05-02T23:09:48Z")
It’s a great city if you have no school aged children. If you have kids in JCPS, the busing situation is a nightmare. The winters are cold, and the summers are pleasant. Lots to do there, too. There are a couple of nice eclectic neighborhoods. If I could go back, I would. ---
**Author:** ![KRC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/45deac/32.png) [@KRC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KRC)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2011, 11:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-tell-me-about-louisville/580503/7 "2011-05-02T23:14:18Z")
The zoo was pretty good–I remember taking pictures of the wolf pack when I was a kid, and also the ostrich trying to bite me. They also used to have riverboat rides on the Ohio River, but one of the boats sank in '97 so I don’t know if they still do. ---
**Author:** ![appleciders](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/85f322/32.png) [@appleciders](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/appleciders)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2011, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-tell-me-about-louisville/580503/8 "2011-05-02T23:22:01Z")
Though I’ve only spent one night there, I can confidently say that after you move in but before you’ve unpacked your kitchen, you simply must eat [here](http://www.lynnsparadisecafe.com/). I realize that it looks like a funky diner, and that’s what it is, but the food is simply fantastic. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2011, 1:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-tell-me-about-louisville/580503/9 "2011-05-03T01:54:07Z")
I once overheard two Brits in a nice downtown Louisville hotel. One said he’d just arrived and asked the other what it was like. The second replied “I’ve been here a week and they have every kind of food you can imagine; exccept it’s all deep-fried”. He was not happy relating the news. In my small experience traveling there (couple weeks total), he was dead-on. ---
**Author:** ![njtt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ecd19e/32.png) [@njtt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/njtt)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2011, 3:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-tell-me-about-louisville/580503/10 "2011-05-03T03:13:09Z")
I visited once. The natives pronounce the name as if it had just two syllables: **Luh** -vil. ---
**Author:** ![CrazyCatLady](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/dfb087/32.png) [@CrazyCatLady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CrazyCatLady)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2011, 3:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-tell-me-about-louisville/580503/11 "2011-05-03T03:18:07Z")
> [@appleciders](#): > > Though I’ve only spent one night there, I can confidently say that after you move in but before you’ve unpacked your kitchen, you simply must eat [here](http://www.lynnsparadisecafe.com/). I realize that it looks like a funky diner, and that’s what it is, but the food is simply fantastic. Mmmmm, Lynn’s. I see no reason to ever eat anywhere else when we’re in town, especially for breakfast. I’m specially fond of the bourbon ball French toast she kicked Bobby Flay’s ass with on _Throwdown_. (You’ll want to order some bacon and feed about a third of it to someone else.) ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Tildrum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e95f7d/32.png) [@Tom\_Tildrum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Tildrum)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2011, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-tell-me-about-louisville/580503/12 "2011-05-03T14:49:50Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > I once overheard two Brits in a nice downtown Louisville hotel. One said he’d just arrived and asked the other what it was like. The second replied “I’ve been here a week and they have every kind of food you can imagine; exccept it’s all deep-fried”. He was not happy relating the news. > > In my small experience traveling there (couple weeks total), he was dead-on. Louisville’s iconic food item is a sandwich called, appetizingly, the “Hot Brown.” ---
**Author:** ![FoieGrasIsEvil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foiegrasisevil/32/16638_2.png) [@FoieGrasIsEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FoieGrasIsEvil)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2011, 3:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-tell-me-about-louisville/580503/13 "2011-05-03T15:03:27Z")
Too much red, not enough blue. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2011, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-tell-me-about-louisville/580503/14 "2011-05-03T15:12:59Z")
> [@FoieGrasIsEvil](#): > > Too much red, not enough blue. That’s a University of Kentucky-University of Louisville rivalry thing, I take it? ---
**Author:** ![DoctorJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doctorj/32/2904_2.png) [@DoctorJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DoctorJ)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2011, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-tell-me-about-louisville/580503/15 "2011-05-03T15:15:09Z")
> [@njtt](#): > > I visited once. The natives pronounce the name as if it had just two syllables: **Luh** -vil. LOO-uh-vuhl. Three distinct syllables, but all slurred together as we Southerners tend to do. It’s a great town. Frustrating to drive in, though. ---
**Author:** ![FoieGrasIsEvil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foiegrasisevil/32/16638_2.png) [@FoieGrasIsEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FoieGrasIsEvil)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2011, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-tell-me-about-louisville/580503/16 "2011-05-03T15:26:11Z")
> [@acsenray](#): > > That’s a University of Kentucky-University of Louisville rivalry thing, I take it? Yeah, and a joke. Louisville is a pretty nice city. ---
**Author:** ![Ellen\_Cherry](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellen_cherry/32/3600_2.png) [@Ellen\_Cherry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ellen_Cherry)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2011, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-tell-me-about-louisville/580503/17 "2011-05-03T15:56:36Z")
I was born there, so you know it has to be nice. 😃 If you’re worried about deep-fried, fear not. You can definitely get not-fried food in Louisville. Ask to see houses in the Highlands and St. Matthews. If suburbia is your dream, you want Eastern Jefferson County. If you love Victorian houses, try Old Louisville, one of the largest Victorian neighborhoods in the country. Houses not quite as old can be found in the Highlands around Cherokee Park. All these areas area lovely. The south end will be closer to Fort Knox, but it’s not quite as upscale. Other nice areas are out toward LaGrange and Oldham County. Any other specific questions, feel free to ask. I have family there, even though that’s no longer where I live. ---
**Author:** ![Ellen\_Cherry](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellen_cherry/32/3600_2.png) [@Ellen\_Cherry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ellen_Cherry)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2011, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-tell-me-about-louisville/580503/18 "2011-05-03T15:57:36Z")
Oh and this week’s the week to be in Louisville, with the Derby on Saturday. Drink a mint julip to get in practice! ---
**Author:** ![gallows\_fodder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/8c91f0/32.png) [@gallows\_fodder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gallows_fodder)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2011, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-tell-me-about-louisville/580503/19 "2011-05-03T16:03:33Z")
What are the summers like? I ask because I’m going to visit friends there in July and want to know how miserable I’m going to be when we’re outside. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Ellen\_Cherry](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellen_cherry/32/3600_2.png) [@Ellen\_Cherry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ellen_Cherry)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2011, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-tell-me-about-louisville/580503/20 "2011-05-03T18:03:56Z")
Oh, possibly miserable. We get a lot of heat and humidity. But it’s not consistent. Often it is in the 90s with loads of humidity; periodically we have cooler summers where the temp rarely reaches above the mid-80s. It’s hot, but not Deep-South hot, generally speaking. Pack shorts. History of the Hot Brown: It is an open-face turkey and country ham sandwich, topped with a tomato and smothered in cream gravy. It was invented at the Brown Hotel, hence the name. [The Hot Brown](http://www.brownhotel.com/dining-hot-brown.htm). I see by reading the link that the recipe calls for bacon instead of ham. I’ve had them both ways – even without meat! But of course this would be the real recipe; others are improvisations. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-tell-me-about-louisville/580503.md?page=2)