It’s that time of year again . . . Homearama 2012. This year’s new homes showcase runs from July 14 – 29 at Rock Springs and Shakes Run. Even if you aren’t interested in that particular area, the size or style of the homes on display, or ever building a home yourself, the best thing about Homearama is all of the great decorating ideas you can get just by visiting. Home owners in Louisville are doing just that and learning great new design tips for their own houses.
The key to learning from what you see inside these homes is to deconstruct the various parts of a room you like to figure out just what it is that works for you. Too many folks take one look at the professionally decorated rooms and think, “I could never do that,” or “I don’t have that kind of money.” You don’t have to be wealthy or have a degree in design to learn things that you can do in your own home from the pros. Just keep these simple tips in mind when...
While many Louisvillians checked out the Forecastle Festival at the Waterfront, others headed Eastward on River Road toward the Water Tower to the annual Blues and Barbecue Festival. Celebrating its 15th anniversary, the Blues and Barbecue Festival hosted bands, The Predators, Big James & The Chicago Playboys, Davis Coen, Stella Vees, and a Louisville favorite, The Stray Cats Blues Band. Barbeque was provided by Frankfort Avenue Beer Depot and The Q. The menu consisted of regional barbeque staples including ribs, beef brisket, pulled pork, chicken, and my favorite, roasted corn.
I brought a couple of folding chairs to sit on and enjoyed the sights, sounds, and smells. The crowd is delightfully diverse, and the mood is laid back. If you are looking for a night out to relax and listen to some good music, eat some good food, or let off some steam with some dancing, it’s a great event to attend.
...
Louisville’s music community suffered a tremendous loss after the December 2011 closing of the beloved ear X-tacy record store. Ear x-tacy served Louisville for 26 years, supplying music lovers with vinyl records, CDs and posters, introduced young artists to new sounds, and hosted some amazing bands for the community’s enjoyment. With the closing of ear X-tacy it was truly an end of an era. No record store will ever take ear X-tacy’s place, but one has just come on the scene that is making it a little easier for the Louisville music community to move on.
Matt Anthony, former music buyer for ear X-tacy, has opened up his own record shop. “Matt Anthony’s Record Shop” is located in the Tim Faulkner Building on Franklin Avenue in Butchertown which is a new arts complex and gallery. Anthony says...
If you like music, Louisville’s got it all. From bluegrass to gospel, classical to contemporary, pop and hip-hop to country and western, and everything in between - you can find it all in Derby City. And Jazz is certainly no exception. Louisville has a history of nurturing jazz talent, and this summer is a great time to experience this timeless musical genre.
Now through mid-July, over 600 young jazz musicians are in town for the Jamey Aebersold Summer Jazz Workshops at the University of Louisville. Weeklong and two-day workshops are taught by some of the greatest jazz professionals from all over the country. And the best part is that student concerts are free and open to the public. From noon until 5:00 p.m. on July 13, you can come by the Comstock and Bird recital halls to hear some great music with no charge. Then the week of July 23, professional jazz musicians who have...
I have to admit, when I saw that they were putting an Urban Outfitters just two blocks from my home in the Highlands - I had a flood of emotions running through my head. I was excited of course, I think that was the biggest emotion; I am FINALLY, not going to have to drive to Cincinnati every time I want to find a funky pillow or a fun sweater! And then of course the second emotion came bouncing into my brain, the guilty one, I have responsibilities; I can’t have an Urban Outfitters so close to my house! That’s way too tempting! Oh boy, I am an adult, I can manage this, I will be ok.
Recently however, something has surfaced that may make it easier to avoid the store that...
Longtime residents of Louisville knew it would only be a matter of time before the large open field next to the Watterson Expressway by the Brownsboro Road exit would be developed. Most assumed it would be turned in to a strip mall, or another cookie cutter row of corporate offices, but never could have imagined it would be the chosen home for the new VA Medical Center. The first signs of work have shown up on the sight, leading us all to say “I can’t believe it is really happening.”
A 21st Century Medical Center is due to replace the existing Robley Rex VA Medical Center which is 60 years old. The current VA Hospital is located off of Zorn Avenue and is said to be outdated and overcrowded. The new, updated Hospital, will sit adjacent to the Brownsboro Rd and I 264 Interchange will “provide state of the art healthcare for the veterans of Louisville and the surrounding 35-County region.” according...
A true mystery lies in the heart of the St. Matthews community and it has me digging for clues. While doing construction on the building that held the beloved Dutch’s Tavern and will be the newfound home of the Mellow Mushroom Pizza Joint, a bewildering sign that has become my nemesis was discovered. The sign reads “Baker Boy inc. Hot Doughnuts.” You would assume there was a doughnut shop there some years ago, but, no. No such place ever existed, no Baker Boy Doughnut Shop to speak of. I was bewildered. After doing a little digging I came across an article by...
Every day, twelve abandoned Louisville homes are boarded up with plain plywood boards, instantly decreasing the homes’ value, the areas resale values and leave an eyesore for the neighborhood. CJ Fletcher, Special Events Coordinator for the City, and acclaimed artist, is working to do something about this problem spanning throughout our beloved City. “Blight Out and Brighten Up” reaches out to volunteers to help paint the plywood boards that will be boarding up these abandoned Louisville homes. Fletcher believes that bringing art to what would otherwise be run down homes, will not only cheer up any passerby’s, but will also help fight property deterioration and help deter the resulting decreases in values. No one can argue that almost anything would be better than those hideous plywood boards, and art seems a treat.
There have been two painting sessions so far, and volunteers seem very excited about the project. All the supplies have been generously donated...
Louisville is known for its wide array of festivals throughout the year celebrating everything from history and hobbies to culture and cuisine. Louisville real estate owners anxiously await the return of one of the premier festivals outside of Derby Week, the Forecastle Festival that runs from July 13-15 downtown at the waterfront.
Now in its tenth year, the Forecastle Festival celebrates music, art, and activism. In addition to providing first class entertainment, the festival also seeks to raise awareness about the issues important to the Forecastle Foundation, which is a non-profit organization whose mission is to educate and inspire action that will protect the world’s most compromised “hot spots.” Just what is a “hot spot?” The term first used by the British environmentalist Norman Myers in 1989 to describe tropical forest areas of the Earth that have an amazing array of biodiversity...
