By Abby Ott, Staff Writer
The Kentucky Derby. The Louisville Slugger Museum and Factory. The Muhammad Ali Center. All are attractions that are found in the city by the Ohio River: Louisville, Ky.
Attractions such as The Louisville Slugger Museum and Factory, where bats for Major League Baseball teams are created, and The Muhammad Ali Center, a cultural attraction where visitors can learn about the famous boxer Muhammad Ali, are important aspects of the city.
However, for people who are thinking about residing in Louisville, there are other facets of the city to consider.
Patrick Brown, Union alumnus, moved to Louisville soon after graduation to attend Southern Baptist Theological Seminary.
Brown said he and his wife, Sallie, are more than happy to live in Louisville for this season of their lives.
“I often tell (my wife) these words, ‘We really do live in a great city,’” Brown said. “I love how obvious it is that people take pride in the city they live in. It is seen in the strong presence of local businesses and the desire of the business owners to be creative in establishing a unique offering to the city that actually contributes to the quality of life in (Louisville). The commitment of the citizens to support the local economy is also remarkable.”
The local business aspect of the city also contributes to graduating students finding jobs.
Courtney Moore, Union alumna, now works as a barista at a coffee shop called Vint. While in graduate school, a job with a flexible schedule is necessary. She said she recommends moving to Louisville after school because of the job market.
“There are numerous local businesses, and they are always looking for young people to hire,” Moore said. “Union carries a great reputation, and businesses know the name of the university because of the seminary and know that Union students are hard-working and reliable. It also enables recent graduates to start to invest time and energy into local businesses and see what that looks like.”
Moore recommended Bardstown Road and Frankfort Avenue for shopping, walking around and eating. Louisville’s 21C Museum Hotel downtown is known for its art gallery, which is free to the public and always houses outlandish artwork.
Brown and Moore both raved about the parks in Louisville, which can be found throughout the city. Cherokee Park, one of the most popular, was designed by architect Frederick Olmstead, who is also responsible for designing Central Park in New York.
Brown also suggested visiting Sunergos Coffee, Ramsi’s Cafe on the World and Tony Boombozz Pizza.
Jesse Myers, junior Christian studies major and Louisville native, said meeting new people in the city is easy. He said when one meets a new person they meet others because many people are connected. Louisville can easily be compared to Nashville, and Birmingham, Ala., in regard to size.
As the roaster of Barefoots Joe, Myers loves Louisville for personal reasons. He was trained by a coffee roaster in Louisville, John Letoto, lead roaster at Quills Coffee. Quills is another place Moore recommends to visitors.
“You can find great coffee in Louisville and drink it with great people,” Myers said. “(Louisville) is not pretentious or arrogant but is still hip and comfortable and there are places to go, along with people and cultures to enjoy. It has really interesting character.”
Brown said that people enjoy the churches they attend in Louisville. Moore said the hard part is choosing which to attend. She also said young singles and married couples can be found “on every corner.”
“There are a great number of healthy, biblical churches (in Louisville), which was not always the case,” Brown said. “Some might see that as a problem, as if the churches need to go to more unreached areas. But these churches are reaching the city, and it still has a great need for Christ.”
