Louisville, Kentucky has a population of 741,096 according to data from 2010. Of this population there are approximately 124,241 males or 47.3% and 138,523 females or 52.7%. The average of most people that in Louisville is 35.8 years old of age. This is only slightly younger than the average age of all of Kentucky. Louisville has seen a slight increase in the median household income of families. In 2000 the approximate median income was $28,843, by 2009 the approximate median income was $32,483. This is slightly lower than all of Kentucky, which has an approximate median income for the state of $40,072. This is in line with the approximate median home value in Louisville, which in 2000 was $81,900 and by 2009 it was $120,331. These home prices fall into multiple categories. Detached homes are around $149,909, townhouse and similar attached homes are $128,858, two unit homes are $143,608, three and four unit homes are $155,778, five or more unit homes are $132,395 and mobile homes are $48,144. Louisville became incorporated in 1780 and it was named after King Louis XVI of France. The Mayor of Louisville is Greg Fischer and it covers an area of 299 square miles. The vast majority of Louisville is land, with 385.09 square miles and water 13 square miles. They are at an elevation of 466 feet. There is air pollution, since it has become trapped in the Ohio River Valley. It does have a ranking of 38th in the country for air pollution and they do have the heat island effect at times in the city. They do exhibit temperatures in the mid 70's in December, January and February. While March, April and May see temperatures rising to the 80's and high 90's. By June, July and August temperatures are in the low 100's and in the fall in September, October and November temperatures start in the low 100's and taper off to the low 80's.

History

Louisville has a history that covers hundreds of years and many thousands of people and inhabitants too. During the earliest times, people came to the area because of the geography and location of the Ohio River area. Louisville is located on the Falls of the Ohio River, making it the perfect settlement location. There were barriers from the rapids when traveling on the river and many people settled in this area for this reason.

From the beginning, Louisville has been an important area for innovations and inventions throughout history. Some important and notable people and inventors who have lived in Louisville are Thomas Edison, the U.S. Supreme Court Justice Louis Brandeis, as well as the famous boxing legend Muhammad Ali. Also, Diane Sawyer the newscaster is from Louisville, as well as actor Tom Cruise and members of the Speed Family. These people include U.S. Attorney General James Speed and Lincoln's close friend Joshua Fry Speed. Along with these people, there is also the U.S. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell and even writers Hunter S. Thompson and Sue Grafton are from Louisville too.

Some of their important and notable events and occurrence that have taken place in Louisville include the fact that they created the largest installation of date in 1883 and Edison's light bulb lite the largest space at the time. They had the first library to open in the South that was available to African Americans too. Also, medically they performed the first human hand transplant ever done in the United States, as well as they were the first city to do a self contained artificial heart transplant too. Along with these medical advances, they also created and developed the cervical cancer vaccine too.

Living In Louisville, Jefferson County

Louisville is one of the largest cities that can be found in Kentucky. It has been called The Derby City because they offer and host the famous Triple Crown and Kentucky Derby there. They have also always seen rapid growth because of being located on the Ohio River and the shipping port that is there. When living in Louisville, there are plenty of Fortune 500 companies to choose from, such as KindredHealth Care and Humana. Aside from this there is plenty to do and see there, whether you are there to live or vacation.

They offer their award winning Louisville Zoo that continues to grow and expand with 134 acres of zoo life and over 1,300 animals, as well as the Louisville Park System to explore. However, a day may not be complete without visiting the historic Belle of Louisville to take a cruiser or going to the Louisville Slugger Museum to see the baseball glove that is there that is made of 17 tons of Kentucky lime stone. However, if you are into history, than you will be happy to know that Louisville is home to the largest collection of Victorian homes anywhere in the United States and these can be found in Old Louisville.

Then flying into Louisville, you will be entering the 10th busies airport in the entire world and the 5th busiest cargo airport anywhere in the United States. Once there you may be amazed to know that 90% off all disco balls that are made in the United States are made from manufacturers located in Louisville. However, if you are visiting there during Thunder Over Louisville, than this will be the largest annual pyrotechnics show you will ever see in all of North America.

Job Opportunities

There are plenty of job opportunities in Louisville, from state jobs to local, large companies to work for. The Louisville Metro Government offers their entire site where jobs can be searched and applied for. These include jobs in public safety, such as the police department, fire department, EMS, Metro Corrections and Metro Safe too. There are also careers available in youth detention and animal services as well. However, if these jobs are not what you are looking for there is also the http://www.KentuckianaWorks.org website that offers numerous resources for people looking for jobs, employers looking to hire youth information, education and training services too, as well as plenty of labor market research as well.

Make sure to check through the Jefferson Co Public Schools Job listing, located at http://www.jcpsky.net/Employment.html or the Department of Vocational Rehabilitation as well, located at http://ovr.ky.gov/. There is also the Federal Government Jobs site, located at http://usajobs.gov/ and State of Kentucky Job listing site too, located at http://personnel.ky.gov/employment/ to check out as well.
Aside from these jobs, Louisville has become a major center for health care and medical sciences too. They have made many advancements in medicine and there are jobs within this industry as well. Plus, there are plenty of other major corporations to look into in Louisville, these include Brown-Forman Corporation, Hilliar Lyons an investment firm, Norton Health Care, Papa John's Pizza, Republic Bank and Trust Company, Texas Roadhouse, Thorton's Inc., Tumbleweed Southwest Grill, UPS Airlines and Yum! Brands too. These companies include KFC, Pizza Hut and Taco Bell.

Along with these companies, there are also two major Ford manufacturing plants in Louisville, as well as General Electric and Brown & Williamson, which is the third largest manufacturer of tobacco in the industry currently. Plus, one third of all whiskey is made in Louisville and a major manufacturer is Brown-Forman Corporation. Even if a large corporation is not what you are looking for, there are plenty of small and independent businesses and restaurants available to work at. There is the Brown Hotel, Seelback Hotel and thePendennis Club too.

The Real Estate Market

Home buying and selling does well in Louisville and there are plenty of homes to choose from. In 2009 the total home sales were 2,096 and at that time the current inventory that was available was 9,958. There have been foreclosures in Louisville, just as in other states, however there are still plenty of new and previously owned homes to choose from. The types of homes range from single family, detached homes to attached and town house styles, as well as mobile homes, condos, garden homes and more.

Aside from buying homes, there are also plenty of homes available for rent and lease too. These can found in numerous real estate listings, as can the homes that are for sale too. A few sites to check for homes for sale, as well as rent areSemonin, http://www.semonin.com/, Joe hayden, http://www.joehaydenrealtor.com/, as well as the Greater Louisville Association of Realtors too, to find the realtor you need, their address is http://www.louisvillerealtors.com/.

Along with homes for sale and rent, there are also plenty of apartments that can be found too that come in all different price ranges and with different features too. A few of the top pet friendly apartments are The Overlook at St. Thomas with rents ranging from $675 to $2,175, the Hustbourne Grand with prices ranging from $497 to $1,197 and the Crescent Centre with prices from $630 to $810.
When it comes to luxury apartments, there is The Crowne at the Summit, Aspenwood and The Paddock at east point. However, if you are looking for something more inexpensive, there is the Preston Oaks with prices starting at $450, University Park with prices starting at $450 and Greenwood Place with prices starting at $465.

Restaurants and Food

Louisville offers a wide range of foods and local flavors as well. There are many places to choose from to eat at. A few of the best localrestaurants and diners are:

• Jack Fry's - 1007 Bardstone Road, Louisville, Kentucky, 40204. 502-452-9244.
• Lotsa Pasta - 3717 Lexington Road, Louisville, Kentucky. 502-896-6361.
• Proof of Main - 702 West Main Street, Louisville, Kentucky. 502-217-6360.
• Mark's Feed Store BBQ - 11422 Shelbyville Road, Louisville, Kentucky. 502-244-0140.
• The Irish Rover - 2319 Frankfort Avenue, Louisville, Kentucky. 502-899-3544.
• Sappora Grill and Sushi - 1706 Bardstown Road, Louisville, Kentucky. 502-479-5550.
• Havana Rumba Cuban Restaurant - 4115 Oeshcli Avenue, Louisville, Kentucky. 502-897-1959. Or 12003 Shelbyville Road,Louisville, Kentucky. 502-244-5375.
• L&N Wine Bar and Bistro - 1765 Mellwood Avenue, Louisville, Kentucky. 502-897-0070.
• Toast On The Market - 736 East Market Street, Louisville, Kentucky. 502-569-4099.
• Wick's Pizza Parlor - 975 Baxter Avenue, Louisville, Kentucky. 502-458-1828.

Tours and Attractions

There are many different tours and attractions available in Louisville throughout the year. There are museums, galleries, festivals, events and more. These run throughout the year and through all parts of Louisville as well. Some of the most notable events and activities that place are:

• The Kentucky Derby Festival - http://derbyfestival.org/

• The Thunder Over Louisville - http://thunderoverlouisville.org/

• Bluegrass balloon Festival - http://www.bluegrassballoons.com/

• Kentucky Star Fair - http://www.kystatefair.org/

• Abbey Road on the River - http://www.abbeyroadontheriver.com/

• Kentucky Shakespeare Festival - http://www.kyshakes.org/

• The Muhammad Ali Center - http://www.alicenter.org/Pages/default.aspx

• Frazier International History Museum - http://www.fraziermuseum.org/

• Louisville Science Center - http://www.louisvillescience.org/

• Speed Art Museum - http://www.speedmuseum.org/

With any of these locations you will want to check the website for hours of operations, special events and services and any changes that may occur.

Sightseeing Possibilities

There are plenty of sight seeing options as well. You will want to make sure to see:

• Louisville Downtown and the skyline that goes with it.

• The Cathedral of the Assumption located at 433 South 5th Street, Louisville, Kentucky, 40202. 502-582-2971.

• Fireworks are available at the Kentucky Derby Festival, the Kentucky Derby, the Louisville Slugger Museum and Factory and the Fourth Street Live as well that is down town.

• Louisville Slugger Museum and Factory is located at 800 West Main Street, Louisville, Kentucky. 502-588-7228.

• Fourth Street Live is located at 408 West Liberty Street, Louisville, Kentucky. 502-589-4218.

• The Kentucky Center located at 501 West Main Street, Louisville, Kentucky. 502-584-7777.
  

Shopping and Fashion

There is plenty of shopping in Louisville as well. Some of the best shopping areas are as follows:

• Carmichael's Bookstore 1295 Bardstown Rd, Louisville, KY 40204 502-456-6950

• Glassworks 815 West Market Street, Louisville, KY 40202-2654 502-584-4510
• Muhammad Ali Center One Riverfront Plaza, Suite 1702, Louisville, KY 40202 502-584-9254

• Dot Fox 1567 Bardstown Rd, Louisville, KY 40205 502-452-9191

• 4th Street Live 420 W Liberty St Ste 265, Louisville, KY 40202 502-584-7170

• Mall St Matthews 5000 Shelbyville Rd, Louisville, KY 40207 502-893-0311

• Big Dave's Outpost 1801 Bardstown Rd,Louisville,KY,40205 502-459-9142

• Margaret's Consignment 2700 Frankfort Ave, Louisville, KY 40206 502-896-4706

• Karen of Course 4903 Brownsboro Rd, Louisville, KY 40222 502-425-9200

• Louisville Stoneware 731 Brent Street, Louisville, KY 40204-1803 502-895-9221

Hotels and Hospitality

There are many places to stay and hotels to choose from while in Louisville. Some of the most popular and best loved are:

• 21C 700 West Main Street Louisville, Kentucky 40202 502-562-0200

• Courtyard Louisville Downtown 280 West Jefferson Street Louisville, Kentucky 40202 502-562-0200

• The Brown Hotel 335 West Broadway Louisville, Kentucky 40202 502-583-1234

• Hyatt Place Louisville 701 South Hurstbourne Parkway Louisville, Kentucky 40222 502-426-0119

• Hilton Garden Inn Louisville East 1530 Alliant Avenue Louisville, Kentucky 40299 502-297-8066

• Hyatt Regency Louisville 320 West Jefferson Louisville, KY 40202

• Marriott Louisville Downtown 280 West Jefferson Louisville, KY 40202

• The Galt House 140 North 4th Street Louisville, KY 40202

• Sheraton Louisville Riverside Hotel 700 West Riverside Drive Jeffersonville, IN 47130

• Seelbach Hilton Louisville 500 4th Avenue Louisville, KY 40202

• Hampton Inn Louisville Downtown 101 East Jefferson Street Louisville, KY 40202

• Fairfield Inn & Suites Downtown 100 East Jefferson Street Louisville, KY 40202

• Brown A Camberley Hotel 335 West Broadway Louisville, KY 40222

• Residence Inn by Marriott Louisville Downtown 333 East Market Street Louisville, KY 40202

• Antique Inn of Louisville 915 South 1st Street Louisville, KY 40203

• Quality Inn & Suites Airport 311 East Gaulbert Avenue Louisville, KY 40208

• Days Inn Central Louisville 1620 Arthur Street Louisville, KY 40208

The Education System

There is the Jefferson County Public School system that is available for children from ages kindergarten through their senior year of high school. However, there is also the University of Louisville for continuing education too. There is plenty of sports and education opportunities at the University. Along with having basketball and football teams, there is also track and field hockey too, as well assoccer. Plus, the university does boast an enrollment of 20,000 students. There are over 70 majors to choose from for undergraduate students and over 100 fields of study when it comes to graduate student choices. This is the university that first discovered a vaccine for cervical cancer, as well as doing a self contained artificial heart transplant too. Along with these features, the law and business schools are acclaimed as well.

Transportation

Getting around Louisville is not a problem. There are plenty of modes of transportation that can be used.

To start, the main airport is located centrally. It is Louisville International Airport. They handle over 3.5 million people a year and over 3 billion pounds in cargo a year as well. It is the fourth busiest airport in the United States and the eleventh busiest cargo passengerairport in the world. There is also the Bowman Field that is much smaller, but historic and is now used for general aviation and there is the Clark Regional Airport as well that is used for private jets.

If you will not be travelling by plane, there is the McAlpine Locks and Dam that is located on the Kentucky side of the Ohio River. It is near the down town area of Louisville. Originally it was built so that shipping could pass through the Falls of the Ohio. By 2001 there was over 55 million tons of commodities that went through the locks. However, a new lock was built to replace two of the auxiliary areas and was completed in 2008.

Of course there is also public transportation too. There is the bus system that is run by the Transit Authority of River City or TARC. The buses run in areas of down town Louisville and Jefferson County, plus they also are in the Kentucky suburbs of Oldham County and Bullitt County. The same transit system can also be found in the Indiana suburbs of Jeffersonville, Clarksville and New Albany.
While driving in Louisville there is the inner and outer beltways available. These are the I-264 and the I-265. There is interstate I-64 and I-65 that pass through Louisville, as well as I-71 that has a terminus at the southern end of Louisville. All three of the highways intersect in almost the same location on the east side of the down town area and it has now been named Spaghetti Junction. There are two bridges that carry the I-64 and the I-65 over the Ohio River as well. There is also a third automobile bridge that handles non-interstate traffic over the Ohio River.

Volunteer Groups

If you are looking for volunteer groups and organizations to participate in, there are plenty to choose from in Louisville. These include:

• Kentucky Score - It is a national association that helps small business owners grow their business. They are located in Louisville, Kentucky and their main interests are the community, employment and seniors.

• Lighthouse Community Center - This organization works with children that are mainly in the Newburg area. Children attend after school and they are feed, helped with home work and they socialize as well. They are located in Louisville and their main interest is the arts and culture, children and youth, community, and education and literacy.

• Norton Audubon Hospital - This is an acute care facility that provides specialized services. It is the largest hospital in Kentucky and one of the oldest as well. They are in Louisville and their main interest is health and medicine.

• Children's Hospital Foundation - They serve more 116,000 children eveyr year and they cover all of Kentucky, as well as Southern Indiana. They are located in Louisville and their main interest is children and youth, community, and heath and medicine.

• National Kidney Foundation of Kentucky - This is a non-profit organization that is based on volunteer help and serves all of Kentucky, as well as Southern Indiana too. They have a three point program to serve patients, the community through education and patient assistance. They are located in Louisville and their main interests are the community, education and literacy and health and medicine.
• The Village of Louisville - This organization is dedicated to helping urban youth spend time in a safe and encouraging environment. There are tutors, mentors and coaches as well. They are located in Louisville and their main interest is children and youth, the community, education and literacy and sports and recreation.

• The Center For Women and Families - There are over 300,000 clients that come in each year and they cover seven counties in Southern Indiana, as well as seven counties in Louisville as well. They are located in Louisville and their main interest is advocacy and human rights, children and youth, crisis support, justice and legal services and women.

• Boys and Girls Haven - The organization was created in 1950 by Father James Maloney and now helps over 300 young women and men. They cover twelve programs in Jefferson County, as well as the Salt River Trail area. They are located in Louisville and their main interest is advocacy and human rights, children and youth and the homeless and housing.

News and Information

Looking for news and information in Louisville is not difficult and there are plenty of popular news stations as well as news papers to watch and read. Some of the top news staitons are:

• WHAS11 that covers Louisville, Kentucky and Indiana. http://www.whas11.com

• Wave 3 that also covers Louisville, Kentucky and Indiana. http://www.wave3.com

• Louisville that covers Louisville and Kentucky. http://www.wlky.com

• Fox41 that covers Louisville, Kentucky and Indiana. http://www.fox41.com

These cover the news, weather, sports and local events and happenings in these areas.

The largest news paper in Louisville is The Courier-Journal, http://www.courier-journal.com. This covers all of Louisville, Kentucky and Southern Indiana areas. It is the largest news paper in the area and has everything from business to entertainment inside.

Nearby Places

There are plenty of cities that are near Louisville that are within 35 miles of Louisville, Kentucky and can easily be accessed to and from the area. These cities include Jeffersonville, Indiana, Clarksville, Indiana, New Albany, Indiana, Shively, Kentucky, Saint Matthews, Kentucky, Newburg, Kentucky, Lyndon, Kentucky, Oklahoma, Kentucky, Highview, Kentucky, Jeffersontown, Kentucky, Fern Creek, Kentucky, Valley Station, Kentucky, Shelbyville, Kentucky, Radcliff, Kentucky and Bardstown, Kentucky too. These are very close and easily within driving distance to visit or to live in and work in Louisville.

Aside from these cities, there are also many cities close by that offer a short flight or a couple or few hour drive to get to Louisville as well. These cities include Lexington-Fayette, Kentucky that is 72 miles away, Cincinnati, Ohio that is 95 miles away, Indianapolis, Indiana that is 107 miles away, Nashville, Tennessee that is 155 miles away, Columbus, Ohio that is 191 miles away, Fort Wayne, Indiana that is 202 miles away, Saint Louis, Missouri that is 242 miles away, Toledo, Ohio that is 264 miles away and Chicago, Illinoisthat is 269 miles away. These are very close and not uncommon to be visited by residents of Louisville or vise versa.