parking for symphony, parking for thunder (Louisville, Frankfort: apartment, condo, hotels)

[johnnybc]

Dear Friends, I've really enjoyed all these threads as I'm hoping to move to Ky! We're coming to L'Ville this weekend to see the area, we will attend the symphony at the Kentucky Ctr on Fri. and hope to see some of the thunder display the next night. How is parking downtown, where can one sit and see the fireworks? Johnnybc

[Peter1948]

Originally Posted by johnnybc

Dear Friends, I've really enjoyed all these threads as I'm hoping to move to Ky! We're coming to L'Ville this weekend to see the area, we will attend the symphony at the Kentucky Ctr on Fri. and hope to see some of the thunder display the next night. How is parking downtown, where can one sit and see the fireworks? Johnnybc

Because of nice weather Saturday, they are expecting crowds around 800,000 people Saturday night. To give you an idea, there is about 10 times more people than there are normally working downtown on a weekday. As you can imagine, traffic is pretty bad after the event. That said, there are certain tricks to beating the traffic. If you can tell me where you will be staying I can advise you as to a good place to park. Just give me the adress of your hotel.

Be sure to get there early for thunder. The air show in the afternoon is great. I would advise getting there around 12-3 PM and trying to stake out a spot on the great lawn at Waterfront Park. All the good spots fill up fast.

Friday night, you will have no parking problems downtown. There is a nice public parking garage on 6th street between Main and Market, which is just over a block from the KY center, and its free. The KY Center has its own garage connected but they will probably charge you. Another option is getting a pre theatre dinner at a nearby restuarant and valeting your car. A great option for this is Proof on Main, which is just 2 blocks from the KY Center and not to be missed!

[johnnybc]

Thanks for the good info, we are staying out in st mathews or woodhaven, the Inn at woodhaven it's called, 7 minutes into town they say, we were thinking of just the fireworks at night, do people stay all day? whats in the afternoon an air show? And whats a little blues bar to go to after we get sick of the fireworks--Johnnybc

[nlschr0]

Yes, Thunder is quite the event. The traffic flow will be effected all of the way out into the suburbs. Because it is so difficult to get there, park, etc many people plan to stay all day. There are certainly tricks that will help, but it isn't something to plan as a casual "stop and see" trip.

That said, most people are amazed at their first experience. People think, "Oh, a fireworks show" but they are totally unprepared for Thunder Over Louisville. It will make all future fireworks displays seem like child's play.

A lot of people I know head to the Highlands/Bardstown Rd area afterward where there are some nice bars,clubs, and restaurants. Definitely a good place to check out to get a feel for the city.

By the way, the Inn at Woodhaven is lovely but curiously plopped right in the midst of modern suburbia (upscale apartment communities, etc). If you can get the carriage house, it makes for an especially memorable evening (we spent our wedding night there several years ago).

[Wildcat]

It's too late to be changing any plans for accommodations. Hotel and motel rooms sell out pretty quick for that weekend. All the downtown hotels sell out the week after the previous thunder because so many people want to be able to walk to their room and not fool with the traffic which can be a real nightmare.

There is going to be another problem this year. They had a press release today which stated tens of thousands of people will be displaced this year from The Great Lawn due to the rising Ohio River. They had heavy rains in PA and WV which is pushing the water up into areas a lot of people use to watch the air show and fireworks. That will present a big problem considering they will have a minimum half million people turn out if the weather is good and it's suppose to be fabulous! All those people have to go somewhere so good luck with finding a place to watch the fireworks.

If I was going this year, I would go EARLY and park on the side of town I want to exit after the show. The traffic flows out of downtown is a real pain in the keister and if you're parked on the side of town you want to head toward when you leave it will make your life a whole lot easier.

I would suggest going in on U.S. 60 (Frankfort Road) and finding somewhere to park along Main Street or over a couple of blocks so that way you can be in the correct traffic flow leaving downtown. U.S. 60 will be all traffic moving east after the fireworks so it would make sense for you to find parking in that area.

If you want to go to the fireworks closer to the event you'll be hard pressed to find parking the later you get downtown. A half million people have to park somewhere so keep that in mind, lol

Best of luck in your adventure! The fireworks are simply amazing! They have a soundtrack which plays during the show and the fireworks are synchronized to the music. It's an awesome experience especially for the kids. They love it! (although I must admit I really enjoy them myself )

[Peter1948]

Originally Posted by johnnybc

Thanks for the good info, we are staying out in st mathews or woodhaven, the Inn at woodhaven it's called, 7 minutes into town they say, we were thinking of just the fireworks at night, do people stay all day? whats in the afternoon an air show? And whats a little blues bar to go to after we get sick of the fireworks--Johnnybc

Even with no traffic, the Inn is much farther than 7 minutes from the heart of downtown. I would say 15 minutes with no traffic if you are a speedy freeway driver. However, during thunder traffic will be insane. I would recommend walking to one of our fine downtown clubs or restaurants after the fireworks and hanging out until 12-1 AM until the crowds are totally gone. A place you may really like is the Jazz Factory, located at 8th and market. Jenicca's is also a nice wine bar located at Market and Clay on the east end of downtown. In fact, you will definitely want to park on East market street around Jenicca's, with your car facing EAST. If you decide you will be staying around downtown after the show, let me know and I can give you more options. You could always walk to a bar/restaurant downtown and then catch a cab back to your car at midnight when the crowds have dies out.

If you decide you want to try and beat traffic out instead of staying downtown, you can head east on Market until you take a right on Frankfort Ave (US 60) at a now closed petroz gas station. If you go straight another block instead of turning on Frankfort, there is an oustanding Wine Bar and Bistro known as L&N which has a cutesy setting in an old 1800's house. Incidently, Frankfort has a lot of good places to stop for a late night bite or drink. One that is very unique is Bourbon's Bistro, which offers small plates and a selection of over 100 bourbons. Basa is a fairly new Vietnamese/French fusion restuarant with a nice modern interior and a great drink selection.

As someone mentioned, another road lined with great places to eat and drink is Bardstown Road/Baxter Ave, which is a MUST see for anyone coming to Louisville!

[Crew Chief]

If I ever win the lottery, I'm gonna buy an apartment in that condo in Jeffersonville right next to the JFK Bridge!