This article appeared in the October 2010 issue of Louisville Magazine. To subscribe, please visit loumag.com.
The word “neighborhood” has always been an elastic term, and
especially so in a city that until seven years ago was a whole county.
It can mean, to some, a single street, or a group of streets whose homes
were built about the same time, or a section of the city drawn around a
central focal point, or a suburban subdivision, or section of a
subdivision, or even a fifth- or sixth-class city inside the big city.
Throughout October we will feature 16 of Louisville’s neighborhoods —
not necessary the “goes without saying” selections that come up time and
again, but pieces of real estate and social fabric inclusively chosen
for their beauty, value, character, amenities and, well, neighborliness. To follow along with this series, please visit the Neighborly 'Hoods section.
A true hidden gem, Norwood is a sixth-class “city” of about 150 households wedged between commuter-crazy New LaGrange and Shelbyville roads, right across the latter’s eight maddening lanes from Oxmoor Mall. What a surprise it is to enter this quiet and shady oasis whose centrally located park includes its own babbling brook. There’s a large variety of homes and prices here, from concrete-block cottages to brick and wood two-stories. And the proximity to shopping — Oxmoor, Mall St. Matthews, Westport Village — can’t be topped.
- Boundaries: New LaGrange Road (north), Shelbyville Road (south), Hidden Oak Way (east).
- Home Price Range: $140,000-$300,000.
- Nearby Schools: Lowe Elementary, St. Margaret Mary K-8.
- Sidewalks: Yes, in original section.
- Architecture: Varied (Bungalow, Cape Cod, Colonial Revival).
- Age of housing: Recent-80 years.
Photo: John Nation
