Langdon Place - Louisville, KY

The small neighborhood of Langdon Place forms part of Jefferson County in Louisville, Kentucky. Founded in 1778 and named after France’s King Louis XVI because of his assistance during the Revolutionary War, Louisville experienced slow growth initially until it became Kentucky’s largest city around 1830. From military supply base to major commercial center, the popular and prosperous city of Louisville continues to grow today.

To learn more of the area’s history, visit the Jeffersontown Historical Museum situated 20 minutes south of Langdon Place, or head to Locust Grove, an 18th-century historical farm site just over 10 minutes north. Further museums and historical sites can be found in and around the city. Louisville's East Market District, affectionately nicknamed NuLu for New Louisville, houses a number of art galleries, antique shops, historic restoration projects and much more. The area also hosts an annual festival around September.

The neighborhood's location close to a number of popular restaurants, from chains to family-run businesses, allows diners to pick and choose. The eastern and southern boundaries of the neighborhood, namely Goose Creek Road and Westport Road, make especially good destinations to visit for dining variety.

For traditional American grub served from late morning into the evening, try Goose Creek Diner on Goose Creek Road. Locals love the restaurant's flavourful, homemade food and family-friendly, casual atmosphere. Big portions for reasonable prices served by helpful staff make this establishment particularly popular in the area. Try timing your meal around late Sunday morning to enjoy the esteemed Sunday brunch. On other occasions, sample the famous fried chicken and add a side serving of cornbread or mashed potatoes, or both if you're especially hungry.

On the same road, you can also visit Taj Palace Indian Restaurant. A great spot for families, the restaurant serves a variety of fresh, tasty meals that suit a range of needs, such as vegetarian and gluten-free fare. Other bonuses include helpful service and a relaxed atmosphere. The lunch buffet is particularly popular as is the Malai Kofta. Decide how hot you want your dish, with spices ranging from mild to extra hot. Look out for coupons for this restaurant, and if you're short on time, take advantage of the speedy take-out service.

Satisfy your craving for traditional Mexican fare at El Nopal Mexican Restaurant. Located on Westport Road, El Nopal's makes customers feel welcome from the moment they step inside the restaurant. Locals keep returning because the food never lets them down and they can count on getting it hot. El Nopal's improves the dining experience by providing diners with fast service and big servings. Try the fajita tacos and one of the margaritas available in a number of fruity flavors, such as strawberry or raspberry.

Discover evening entertainment close by heading east along Westport Road to sports bars such as O'Line Sports Grill. Friendly service, plenty of TVs and drinks specials make this bar the place to be on the weekends and during sporting events. For a more mainstream experience, stop in at popular sports bar chain Buffalo Wild Wings, which features a fun atmosphere and varied menu.

For further entertainment and clubs, go in the direction of Louisville. On the outskirts, you'll find live music and a full bar at Gerstles Place, and R Place Pub keeps a full calendar of sporting events and music performances including a karaoke night.

Langdon Place residents enjoy easy access to Louisville and surrounding neighborhoods. Going east on the neighborhood's southern boundary, Kentucky Route 1447 or Westport Road, leads you to Interstate 265, which forms a ring around the Louisville metropolitan area. Reach Interstate 64 by driving west along Westport Road, which takes you to Louisville in one direction or east of Kentucky in the other. Uber also operates in this area.

Buses operated by Transit Authority of River City travel down Westport Road, such as the 25 that goes from Worthington Hills west of the neighborhood through Louisville neighborhoods to Chickasaw. Commuters often use the 49 express service, which starts at the Hurstbourne Parkway bus stop on Westport Road and ends in downtown Louisville.

Most residents in the neighborhood drive as their primary means of transport, and the average commuter in Langdon place spends about 15 minutes driving to work. Being a primarily residential area, homeowners and renters make use of parking spaces in their homes or on the street, however visitors have easy access to parking at the shopping centers and nearby retail areas.

Clean and well-maintained, Langdon Place suits walkers and bikers. More people walk in Langdon Place than the average neighborhood in the county, with sidewalks lining the streets and main roads. In addition, the Hounz Lane Park and E.P. “Tom” Sawyer State Park within minutes of the neighborhood present attractive destinations for walking, biking and dog walking within nature areas.

Nature lovers head just south of the neighborhood to Hounz Lane Park. Open from dawn to dusk, the 20.52-acre park makes the ideal spot for family picnics thanks to its tables, shelter and grills. The park also features a multipurpose field, playground and tennis courts.

Discover E.P. “Tom” Sawyer State Park, which provides urban dwellers with a beautiful nature retreat and loads of facilities for sports and hobbies. The clean and well-maintained park features a fitness loop, nature trails, dog park, astronomy center, archery range, activities building with badminton and pickleball, basketball court, community garden plots, playgrounds, picnicking facilities, soccer and softball fields, a swimming pool and tennis courts. The park hosts sports events during the year, such as archery and pickleball tournaments and running and walking races. Annual events held here include the National Wildlife Federation’s Great American Backyard Campout and the Fall Festival.

The cost of living in Langdon Place runs 15.6 percent higher than the Kentucky average though it sits on par with the national average. A one-bedroom rental runs about $861 on average for the area.

Gas prices also run higher by just over 4 percent. A bus ticket to areas around Louisville costs just $1.75, while express fare runs $2.75. If you want to get into downtown Louisville on anything but an express route, a pre-purchased transfer ticket that costs $1.50 and loads onto a TARC smartcard is required. You can then use the card to transfer between buses, providing you use the ticket within two hours of beginning the journey. A beer at the pub costs around $3 to $4.

On Langdon Place's doorstep, Westport Village covers 250,000 square feet of space used by restaurants, take-out services, salons, a gym, shops and more. Plenty of parking here combined with access to a variety of retailers make this area a convenient one-stop shop. Open 24 hours a day, the well-maintained Kroger supermarket provide shoppers with all they need to stock their kitchen cupboards as well as a deli, bakery and health-and-beauty section.

Walk farther down the road and stop in at the Westport Road Baptist Farmer's Market, which opens every Saturday throughout the summer and on some Saturdays during winter. Browse the dairy and meat products as well as plants, books and other goodies while enjoying live music and taking part in family-friendly activities. Just south of Westport Road, shop for deals at stores such as Dollar Tree and Tuesday Morning, which features discounts on brand-name products, including bath and body, arts and crafts, fashion, gifts and more.

In addition, a variety of malls with enormous selections lie within 10 minutes of Langdon Place. This includes the hugely popular Mall St. Matthews and Oxmoor Center located on Shelbyville Road.

Mall St. Matthews houses both department stores and high-end shops. Choices include an enormous Victoria's Secret store as well as Ann Taylor Loft, Brooks Brothers, Dillards, Forever 21, Aveda, and JCPenney. Take a pit stop between stores at the mall's food court and various kiosks serving classic southern-style food. It may be helpful to arrive bearing a compass, however. Since the mall has served Louisville since the 1960s, additions to the infrastructure of the mall make it somewhat difficult to navigate. Alternatively, simply check out the store directory online beforehand. The mall provides free parking, but since spaces are limited, be prepared to experience some difficulty in the parking lot, especially on weekends or during the holiday season.

The calmer, multifloor Oxmoor Center also provides shoppers with a mix of stores, such as Anthropologie, H&M, Macys, Von Maur, and Sephora. Complete with an open-air space, the mall caters to the hungry, providing both kiosks and casual sit-down restaurants, including the popular and locally owned Yang Kee Noodle. Drivers enjoy better parking options at this mall.