The Highlands’ Highlights
Where small town meets big city and the hip meets the old, you have the Highlands.
The dense neighborhood is home to some of Louisville’s most timeless gems. Victorian homes and charmed shotgun houses snug up together in the streets between Barret Ave. and Bardstown Rd. The Highlands gets its rep for its posh-rusty bars and vintage-mod shops, yet amidst the modern are buildings and parks that date back to Louisville’s early urbanization.
Cultural infused eateries are highlights to the neighborhood, and one of the primary draws to non-locals. Restaurants like Taco El Luchador, Dragon King’s Daughter, and Jack Fry’s embody the variety that saturates the neighborhood.
The variety isn’t limited to the restaurants, from pet shops to consignment boutiques to local grocers the Highlands has everything its residences may need. And tourists are sure to find a one-of-a-kind treasure to take home with them. If you’re looking for vintage jewelry, brand new records, or anything in between Bardstown Rd. is the place to go.
An outsider’s eye may see young, hip crowds and think that’s all there is to the neighborhood, but if you ask the locals you’ll find out that the neighborhood isn’t just home to 20-somethings. Three-year resident Malisa, has come to learn the Highlands is made up of a hodgepodge that spans the generations. “I love the fact that most of the neighborhood streets are made up of families with young kids running around, some older folks that have been there for years, and of course people like me in their 20s who just started out in various careers.”
Malisa moved to the neighborhood in 2012 and has since fallen in love with all the Highlands has to offer. “There’s a constant calendar full of festivals and art fairs. You’re close to parks and shops and some of the best places to eat and drink in town.” For good food and even better beer Holy Grale and Gralehaus are two of Malisa’s favorites, and she and her boyfriend are regulars at El Camino‘s Sunday evening pig roast.
Many of Malisa’s friends and family live in the neighborhood and she’s often running into people she knows. And her experience isn’t uncommon. That is one of the major draws for many long-time residents. “It’s truly the best of both the big city and small town wrapped up in the Highlands.”