Is NuLu downtown?

By Josh Moss, editor, Louisville Magazine

I recently shared several of our downtown Mad Libs, and one thing that caught my attention was how many people mentioned businesses on East Market Street in NuLu. Made me ask the group this multiple-choice last time:

I moved to Louisville in 2007, have covered East Market’s transformation over the almost two decades I’ve been here — have seen the restaurants and shops and hotels move in and up — and was confident most of us would answer No, it’s its own thing, just knowing how granular we tend to be when it comes to neighborhood pride. (A friend once yelled at me for saying he lived in basically Germantown. “It’s called St. Joseph!”) 

I was wrong.

Do you consider NuLu/East Market Street to be a part of downtown?

Here are quotes from three people who answered Yes, three who said No, it’s its own thing, and three who went with It’s complicated.

Yes, NuLu is part of downtown

“I live in the ’burbs, so anything in that area is downtown to me.”

“I might not have answered this way a few years ago, but as downtown, NuLu and even the edge of Butchertown have grown into each other, I think it makes sense to consider them as a unit.”

“The I-65 overpass doesn’t magically create a barrier.”

No, it’s its own thing

“Wrong side of I-65, too far east. I-65 creates a feeling of separation, but without that overpass, NuLu would definitely be part of downtown.”

“I consider the NuLu area to be downtown-adjacent but not truly downtown. I find NuLu to be much livelier and exciting than the official downtown area.”

“I am downtown six days a week, but I’ve been to NuLu perhaps five or six times altogether.”

It’s complicated

“Because when I talk to people not from here I usually do include NuLu as part of downtown. But with my local friends we distinguish between downtown and NuLu.”

“I feel like people who aren’t comfortable ‘downtown’ like to pretend NuLu is its own thing — like it’s higher-class and above ‘downtown.’”

“It is as much downtown as the Russell, Smoketown or Old Louisville neighborhoods are. So…sort of?” 

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If you know someone who’s the kind of person interested in exploring what’s best and what might be a bit better about Louisville, we’d love for you to nominate them to join the group that answers our weekly questions. Lemme know: josh@louisville.com

Will share more soon. — Josh