The Highlands, Louisville

The Highlands is an area in 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 (5 km) 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.

[2] While the landowners were families of English descent, many of the first residents during the agricultural days were Germans, which gave the area the nickname New Hamburg.

Of particular concern was the neglected Mid-City Mall, with frequent complaints about crime and its deteriorated appearance due to lack of maintenance.

Many older buildings had been razed already to make space for more modern fast-food restaurants and drive-in banks, and there was concern that nothing would remain eventually of the streetcar suburb era corridor.

Many young professionals were also attracted to the area for its location near downtown and amenities such as Cherokee Park and pedestrian-friendly shopping.

Neighborhood income and education levels are highest in the areas farthest from the city center, and gradually decrease heading toward downtown.

The gentrification of the Highlands has also had a spillover effect on adjacent areas such as Butchertown and Clifton, as they developed their own upscale club and shopping districts.

In 2004, some residents of the Original Highlands threatened a wet–dry vote to prevent more bars (in particular "The Monkey Wrench") from opening along Barret Avenue; they also sought stricter enforcement of rules regarding the percentage of revenue made from alcoholic sales, which is designed to prevent a high density of bars in a given area.

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: Before the era of multiplexes, small single-screen theatres dominated.