The Louisville Advantage

A great city for your college home

A big city with a small-town feel, Louisville consistently ranks high on lists of the USA’s most livable, most affordable and most entrepreneurial cities—it’s a place where you’ll find every manner of arts, entertainment, sports and commerce, but still get a smile and a “hello” from a complete stranger. 

Greater Louisville is a thriving city of about 1.3 million people with all of the benefits of a contemporary city on the move, along with the hospitality that has made this region legendary. Our area boasts:

  • an award-winning arts scene with top-level theatre, music and visual arts; an awesome sports scene that features the world famous Kentucky Derby, professional soccer and baseball as well as frequent major touring events in golf, racing and extreme sports;
  • a parks system designed by Frederick Law Olmsted that is the envy of cities nationwide;
  • a vibrant downtown life, featuring Fourth Street Live, Waterfront Park, the Big Four Walking Bridge, Louisville Slugger Field, waterfront hiking and biking trails and the Falls of the Ohio;
  • and the breathtaking natural beauty of Kentucky, home to spectacular lakes, stunning mountains, mysterious forests, Mammoth Cave and the Red River Gorge.

About three and a half miles north of Bellarmine, on the mile-wide Ohio River, lies Downtown Louisville, a bustling metropolis that was founded in 1781 and today is the largest business district in Kentucky. Home to the Belle of Louisville steamboat, the Big Four walking bridge and Louisville Slugger Field, Louisville’s Waterfront District is now a major attraction of greenspace, boat docks, concert venues and multiuse trails.

Our Highlands Neighborhood

Bellarmine is located on the edge of downtown Louisville in the lively Highlands neighborhood. We’re within walking distance of some of the city’s most popular public parks, shops, restaurants and clubs. Funky and bustling with energy, the Highlands is home to art galleries, antique shops, consignment stores, book stores, record stores, coffee shops and boutiques.

Bardstown Road’s famous “Restaurant Row” is home to fine dining of every kind and live music lights up Baxter Avenue on nights and weekends.

Adjacent to the Bardstown and Baxter corridors, the area becomes tranquil, as the bustling strip gives way to single-family residences and a walkable grid of early 20th century Craftsman style homes with porch swings and shade provided by mature trees.

A few blocks northeast of Bardstown Road lies Cherokee Park, a 400-acre park designed by world-renowned landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted. One of the most popular parks in the country, Cherokee is home to bike and hiking trails, picnic pavilions, playgrounds, tennis courts, basketball courts, a bridle trail, a golf course, an archery range, a fishing pond, sledding hills, ultimate Frisbee and a rugby field. 

Even closer to Bellarmine – right across the street, in fact – lies Joe Creason Park, a 68-acre park that includes the Louisville Tennis Center, a 1.5-mile paved walking path, a playground and picnic area. Adjacent to Creason Park are the Louisville Nature Preserve and the Louisville Zoo.