When you attend Southern Seminary, you expect a lot of things: top-notch theological education, thriving church life, deep relationships with others called to ministry. And all these can be found. But students usually graduate from Southern Seminary having also fallen in love with the community beyond the beech trees on the front lawn of our historic campus.
Surrounding the campus are numerous rich and diverse neighborhoods. This issue of Towers will give you a sampling of those neighborhoods … along with a few nudges to minister while you’re here.
Old Louisville
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Old Louisville is an official historic district — the third-largest in the United States — and its architecture will take you to a different time. It also boasts the largest collection of Victorian-era homes in the United States. It is a diverse and densely populated urban community now, but when it was originally built in the 1870s, it was suburban. In the 20th century, many of the extravagant old homes were divided into apartments for college students, bringing a younger demographic to the area.
Founded in 1925, the Speed Art Museum (known colloquially simply as “Speed”) is the oldest museum of art in the state of Kentucky.
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The historic St. James Court hosts a free, public annual art show that attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors each fall.
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Crescent Hill
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Crescent Hill is lined by 19th century railroad tracks that once were a vital connection between Louisville and Frankfort, the Kentucky state capital. They now provide a central feature of a thriving urban neighborhood just a short walk from the seminary. The Crescent Hill Reservoir, pictured above, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and features some unique Gothic architecture. It’s a popular spot for runners.
This bakery bakes fresh artisan bread five days a week. Don’t miss Red Hog, the whole animal butcher shop down the road operated by the same owners.
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Founded in 2009, Comfy Cow is one of Louisville’s most popular ice cream shops.
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Get away from seminary studies for a little while and check out a book or movie from one of nine different branches of the Louisville Free Public Library.
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Germantown & Shelby Park
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Settled by German immigrants in the 1800s not long after the city’s founding, Germantown is now lined with shotgun houses and is one of the oldest neighborhoods in Louisville. Neighboring Shelby Park was built in 1907 and is home to the Scarlet Hope ministry.
Founded by Southern Seminary grads who liked home coffee roasting, Sunergos is a favorite coffee shop for locals. It is located in Germantown.
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Directly across the street from Sojourn Church Midtown in the Shelby Park neighborhood, Scarlet’s Bakery is a business connected with Scarlet Hope, a ministry that offers women trapped in the sex industry a fresh start. Several female students and student wives have volunteered for the ministry.
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Highlands
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Populated by wealthy suburbanites until the 1960s, Highlands has since been known as an artsy and eclectic community surrounded by classic, Victorian-era homes. One of the hallmarks of the Highlands neighborhood is the many local restaurants and shops lining Bardstown Road. You are likely to find just about any local eats you’re looking for in this foodie hub.
Next to “The Beeches” itself, there is perhaps no more historically meaningful location for The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary than Cave Hill Cemetery. Beautiful trees and very old gravestones mark this cemetery. Trustee-elected professors at Southern Seminary have the option of being buried here, and many have: James Boyce, John Broadus, A.T. Robertson, Duke McCall, and many other SBTS luminaries are here.
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While it’s still warm, get away from your dorm or library cubicle and find a quiet spot at Cherokee Park, one of the original Louisville public parks. It was designed by Frederick Law Olmsted, who also laid out the grounds for New York City’s Central Park. The 2.5-mile Scenic Loop at Cherokee is a popular running location.
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Downtown
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Ask someone who has never been to Louisville what they associate the city with, and they will almost certainly refer to something downtown. The Muhammad Ali Center and Louisville Slugger Museum and Factory are at the top of most people’s to-do list when they visit, and the KFC Yum! Center is the home of the Louisville Cardinals basketball team. Founded in the late 1700s when the city was first developed on the banks of the Ohio River (you’ll notice it’s actually older than the so-called “Old Louisville”), Downtown Louisville is a diverse place where old meets new.
