The Vince Carter Team Real Estate Blog: January 2010

Louisville residents don't have to travel far to go out to the ball game. Louisville Slugger Field rests nicely in the heart of downtown Louisville on Main Street, providing residents and visitors with a great entertainment option.

Slugger Field, named after the famous Louisville Slugger baseball bats and museum, is home to the Louisville Bats baseball team. The stadium opened in 2000 and currently seats over 13,000 people.

Slugger Field's unique design includes a huge video board, a continuous concourse around the field, full field view from all concessions, an outfield seating berm, two full-service restaurants, a playground and carousel, for the kids, and a home to backstop distance equal to that of Chicago's Wrigley field.  A family of four can enjoy the game and even buy several drinks and snacks for $24-40. This is simply unbeatable.

But what truly makes Slugger Field  worth visiting is that it really does entertain the entire family. With competitions like the Buddy Bat Race at each game, visits from Buddy the Bat on the concourse, and opportunities for the kiddos to throw the first pitch, Louisville children have opportunity to make excellent memories on this field.

Additionally, Slugger Field has opportunities for community children to learn through its Education Days and Scout Nights. These options allow teachers to find learning experiences outside of the classroom for their students.

But baseball isn't all that Slugger Field offers. They also sell tickets to Thunder Over Louisville and provide great seating within the stadium for a first-class view of the incredible fireworks show. These tickets give patrons access to clean restrooms, a live post game concert, the baseball game, and a variety of concessions. Plus, they allow guests to come and go from the stadium as they please.

Season tickets  are available for purchase through the Louisville Bats website, as well as luxury suites and single day tickets.

For more information on why entertainment options like Slugger Field make Louisville an excellent place to call home, please contact The Vince Carter Team.

Of the two sides of the Ohio River in Kentuckiana, the Louisville side generally attracts the most visitors. However, one restaurant remains an exception: Derby Dinner Playhouse in Clarksville, Indiana.  Located just across the river, this dinner house is easily accessible to Indiana and Kentucky residents alike.

Derby Dinner Playhouse provides excellent food and excellent entertainment all in one setting. The theatre is in its 35^th season and serves over 200,000 patrons per year. The playhouse serves Classic American Cuisine, and its vocal ensemble "The Footnotes" entertain guests while they eat. A full bar and desserts are available to complete the dining experience.

But of course, Derby Dinner Playhouse  is about more than just food. It's the entertainment that really makes this place stand out. The playhouse has produced every one of the top 50 Broadway musicals  of all time, including Oklahoma, Hello Dolly, and Annie. They currently produce eight mainstage shows that run Tuesday through Sunday year-round. Additionally, they also present four Children's Musical Theatre productions and seven concerts a year.

Derby Dinner Playhouse features a circular room with a stage in center to provide the audience with multiple angles and a great view. Servers wait on tables, ensuring that no glass runs dry. Guests enjoy their meals while watching quality productions complete with lights, costumes, and a full orchestra.

At Derby Dinner Playhouse, the doors and buffet open at 6pm Tuesday through Sunday and at 11:45am on Sunday and Wednesday for a special matinee showing of the current production. You can view the full schedule below.  Ticket prices range from $29 to $42, depending on the day, time, and number of tickets purchased.

Derby Dinner Playhouse is currently showing Death and Taxes and is looking forward to opening 8 Track-Sounds of the 70's after Valentine's Day. Other upcoming productions this year include Blue's Clues Live! Blue's Birthday Party, Hairspray,  Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, and more.

Derby Dinner Playhouse keeps Kentuckiana residents and visitors entertained well. For information on making this great city your home, please contact The Vince Carter Team.

Until 1999, east end residents of Louisville had limited options if they wanted to send their children to a private high school. Private elementary schools peppered the area, but parents had to drive or carpool long distances if they wanted their kids to continue on to private high schools. The only available options were in eastern Shelby County, Oldham County, or further into Louisville than would be convenient.

Then Christian Academy of Louisville opened its English Station campus off Shelbyville Road near Middletown.  For many residents on the border of Jefferson and Shelby County, this high school was the closest option-private or public.

Christian Academy's English Station campus provides a quality education for children of many east Louisville residents. Area neighborhoods include those of Woodland Hills, and Douglass Hills as well as subdivisions such as Persimmon Ridge, Lake Forest, Long Run Woods, Landis Lakes, Beckley Woods, Bridgepoint, Ashmoore Woods and more.

But Christian Academy at English Station boasts more than just East end students. In fact, before the opening of the Indiana campus, families drove all the way from Southern Indiana to give their kids an opportunity to attend this evangelical private school.

Why?

Christian Academy is first of all an accredited and certified place of learning serving nearly 3,000 students (all campuses combined) preschool-twelfth grade. Their accreditations come from the Association of Christian Schools International, the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools,  the Kentucky Non-Public School Commission, the National Council of Private School Accreditation, and the States of Kentucky and Indiana.

But the reasons parents consider Christian Academy of Louisville go beyond its accreditation. As stated in its profile, the school "offers an excellent, well-balanced education to students that supports their efforts to reach their God-given potential in academics, athletics, fine arts, and extracurricular activities. We intend for our students to know Jesus as their personal Savior, to know that God has a plan for their lives, and to be noticeably different because they think from a Biblical world view."

Christian Academy of Louisville offers families a more personal education with an average class size of twenty-one students. Fifty-four percent of graduates graduate with an honors diploma, twenty-seven percent with a college prep diploma. A multitude of honors courses are offered, as well as twelve advanced placement courses that allow students to earn college credit for their studies in high school. The average ACT score at CAL is 25.2, the average SAT score 1718.2

In addition to its strong academics, Christian Academy of Louisville has a growing athletic program including cross country, field hockey, golf, soccer, volleyball, football, cheerleading, basketball, swimming, baseball, lacrosse, softball, tennis, and track and field.

Other highlights of Christian Academy of Louisville include daily Bible instruction and weekly chapel visits, mission trips all over the world; academic all-state athletes; local, state, and national awards in art; National Merit scholars; championship sports teams; community service projects; all-state choir, band, and orchestra members; quad-state choir; Fellowship of Christian Athletes; elementary, middle school, and health room internships for seniors; and co-op programs for seniors.

This fine school helps make the east end an easy choice for those seeking a new home in Louisville. For help finding your perfect east end home, please contact The Vince Carter Team.

In the 1990s, the landscape of downtown Louisville's riverfront began to undergo a drastic reshaping. The first phase of Waterfront Park's construction began, beginning a project that would eventually provide a place for Louisville residents to find a wide variety of entertainment opportunities.

Waterfront Park offers a wide variety of activities on a daily basis to Louisville visitors and residents. Known as "the front door to Kentucky, a playground for people of all ages, and a gathering place for folks from all over the community," it offers a wide variety of experiences, including "a grand view of the [Ohio] river, space for concerts and festivals, quiet places to read a book, picnic spaces for your family and friends." All in all, it is 85 acres of natural landscape bordering the beautiful Louisville skyline on one side and the rolling Ohio River on the other.

Each completion of a new phase of construction in Waterfront Park has opened the door to even more entertainment possibilities:

Phase One:

*Broad open spaces for large events

*Small secluded spaces for smaller gatherings

*Great Lawn

This phase of Waterfront Park is host to Thunder Over Louisville each April and draws up to 350,000 people.

Phase Two:

*Medium & small spaces for picnics, weddings, parties, events

*Tumbleweed Southwest Grill   

*Adventure Playground

This phase of Waterfront Park helps visitors forget they're in the heart of a large city and provides a more natural setting, drawing more consistent and regular visitors. This is the busiest area of the park.

Phase Three-Under Construction:

*Lincoln Memorial             

*Promenade along river

*Swing Garden

*Walking paths

*Picnic areas

*Parking & restrooms

*Big 4 Pedestrian & Bicycle Bridge-connection between Louisville and Southern Indiana

The final phase of Waterfront Park connects the first two and finishes out this wonderful project in urban park development.

The Waterfront's Master Plan states, "In broad philosophic strokes, the Master Plan seeks to pull into the 21st century the cultural waterfront heritage of the 18th and 19th centuries, to interpret and restore the ecology of the river as it was before western civilization, and to extend downtown Louisville to the river--and conversely, magnify the presence of the river and extend the river  into downtown. In so doing the Waterfront can be come a vessel for public activities, with the natural systems of the Ohio River Valley generating its structure and power. Finally, it is the spirit of the people who will fill this space that adds the most necessary dynamic, that of the natural exuberance of human life."

Upcoming events at Waterfront Park  include the 2010 Louisville Polar Plunge for Special Olympics Kentucky in February, a VW/Audi Car Show in March, Rhythm on the River in April, and regularly scheduled events beginning May through late fall. Louisville visitors and residents don't want to miss out on this great entertainment opportunity.

For more information on why Louisville is a great place to call home, please contact The Vince Carter Team.

Don't judge a restaurant by its cover. The look of the front of this Louisville restaurant is very deceiving. Located in a shopping center at the corner of New LaGrange Road and Whipps Mill Road, The Corner Café  is perhaps one of the best kept dining secrets in town, and one of the reasons Louisville is such a fabulous place to live.

Corner Café of Louisville has been run by the same family, the Fredericks, for nineteen years. The family creates and maintains a casual atmosphere with a fresh and regularly changing menu. They are known for their Italian, seafood, Cajun, and pizza menus.

The menu at Corner Café offers a variety of flavors to satisfy any palate. Highlights include:

•·         Blackened tenderloin

•·         Lump crab meat-encrusted Sea Bass

•·         Andouille stuffed chicken

•·         Garlic basil chicken pizza

•·         Brie & pecan salad

•·         Famous Nuclear sub

•·         Cajun seafood alfredo

•·         Shrimp & grits

•·         Irish pork

Several of these menu items have won the Taste of Derby competition. But the entrees aren't the only reason to visit the café. There is also an excellent selection of desserts that appeal to chocolate lovers, nut lovers, and cream lovers. Customers are welcomed to enjoy dinner and dessert with a glass of wine, imported beer, or a cocktail.

The menu at Corner Café even caters to vegetarian guests.

This well-kept Louisville secret is a great location to host small receptions of 30 to 60 people for a variety of occasions. The experienced staff knows how to make any event a success.

And what would a Louisville restaurant be without artwork adorning its walls? Corner Café proudly supports local artists through its décor.

For more information on what makes Louisville a great place to live or to browse some local housing options, please contact The Vince Carter Team.

It's often tough to find that perfect place to call home, a house near enough restaurants, entertainment, groceries and gas to be convenient, yet far enough from them to allow for the feeling of privacy and nature. In Louisville, these homes are often found in Lyndon.

Lyndon truly borders every major interstate in Louisville, making travel to any destination in the city an easy trip of about ten minutes or fewer. With fast access to I-71, I-64, and the Watterson Expressway,  commuters find their commutes less frustrating and time consuming. Five minutes south of Lyndon are the two best malls in Louisville, Oxmoor Mall and St. Matthews Mall, plus an array of restaurants to satisfy any palate. To the east, Hurstbourne Lane, another thoroughfare of entertainment and dining.

A map's view of Lyndon reveals its strong point, as it serves as a bridge between the ever-popular St. Matthews area and the growing eastern side of Jefferson County. Lyndon offers quick and easy access to both of these points, with The Summit  shopping center/outdoor mall, Cinemark Tinseltown Movie Theatres, Springhurst Shopping Center, and a variety of restaurants to the northeast. Properties here have the vantage point of benefitting from strong property values on both borders.

Lyndon offers its residents many options. It consists of everything from small homes built in the 1950s to larger and newer homes ranging in price up to $300K. Its St. Matthews, Hurstbourne, and Anchorage borders only serve to increase its appeal.

Despite its great borders, Lyndon does have a few niches of its own. The YMCA recently built a new water park just off Mill Brook Road.  There are also a few amazing little restaurants off New LaGrange Road, including The Corner Café.

Truly a family community, Lyndon offers a wonderful place for Louisville  residents to live. For more information on this or other Louisville area neighborhoods, please contact The Vince Carter Team.

Happy New Year!  We hope the New Year finds you all well and excited about 2010!  Here at The Vince Carter Team, we are thrilled about the many ideas and opportunities that this year will present.

The past year was great for us, thanks to our current and past clients. We've exceeded our expectations for the year, and we're very thankful for this.  Our goal for 2010 is to help over 80 families with their real estate needs.  This will only be possible with your help.  We are so thankful for each and every one of your referrals, as this is the heartbeat of our business.

We are glad to offer free market information, investment opportunities, foreclosure options, and other valuable resources to help you, your family, friends and co-workers in the year to come.   You also have access through our main website (www.TheVinceCarterTeam.com) to our FREE downloadable monthly market updates to stay informed of all the current real estate trends. 

Here is a list of our websites to keep you on track and informed.  All of these sites can be accessed from our main site:

www.TheVinceCarterTeam.com    (Team Website/ Main Site)

www.LouisvilleMLSHomes.com    (Buyer's Most up-to-date and easiest home search)

www.LouisvilleForeclosureOptions.com   (Information and Solutions to avoid Foreclosure)

www.HomesInLouisvilleBlog.com  (Our team's Blog)

Please contact us if you or someone you know needs a team of experienced professionals as we will be thrilled to assist them.

Visitors and residents alike benefit from a location that combines the best food, entertainment, and shopping around to create an atmosphere that meets every entertainment need. Louisville's Fourth Street Live! does just that.

Located in historic Downtown Louisville between Liberty Street and Muhammad Ali Boulevard, Fourth Street Live! has brought life back to the city. Louisville visitors can easily walk to and from nearby attractions such as Waterfront Park, Main Street, Slugger Field, and the Louisville Science Center.

But one doesn't need to leave Fourth Street Live! to find entertainment-or food or shopping, for that matter. It is lined with great options to meet its guests every need.

Dining Options:

•·        Hard Rock Café

•·        Red Star Tavern

•·        The Improv Comedy Club

•·        TGI Friday's

•·        The Pub

•·        Sully's

•·        J Gumbo's

•·        Maker's Mark Bourbon House and Lounge  (world's first)

 Bars & Nightclubs:

•·        Tengo Sed Cantina

•·        Angel's RockBar

•·        Hotel

•·        Saddle Ridge

•·        Howl at the Moon - Live music nightly

 Food Court Options:

•·        Wendy's

•·        Subway

•·        Rocky Rococo's Pizza 

 Retailers:

•·        Border's Books & Music

•·        Foot Locker

•·        T-Mobile

•·        Ginny's Hallmark

•·        Gamestop

Fourth Street Live!  maximizes its entertainment potential by scheduling great events for Louisville visitors and residents. Tonight alone, there is a 3 Days Grace and Breaking Benjamin giveaway at RockBar, Jesse Marco at Hotel, a "Break Your Resolutions" party at Tengo Sed Cantina, Comedian Bret Ernst at the Improv Comedy Club, a half price happy hour at Maker's Mark, and happy hour at almost every other bar on the strip. The fun continues each weekend through regular Ladies' Nights, Dance Parties, Dueling Piano Competitions, Singles Nights, and more.

Plus, right next door to Fourth Street Live! stands the Seelbach Hotel, one of Louisville's finest places to rest your head, with its adjacent Z Salon and Spa.

Louisville residents and visitors, for more information on this remarkable town and homes for sale, please contact The Vince Carter Team.

Pat's Steakhouse's renowned menu of savory steaks did not simply spring up overnight. It started as a traveler's stop all the way back in the 1800s. This Louisville restaurant has had the time it takes to establish a tradition, the trial and error necessary to perfect a menu, and the experience required to establish trust among its customers. For these reasons, residents and visitors who want the ultimate steak dining experience choose Pat's Steakhouse in Louisville.

Pat's Steakhouse is just that: a house-converted restaurant serving up a specialty of steaks. Because of this, the restaurant has an intimate feel, offering several cozy dining options. The main dining room features dark paneled walls, creating a luxurious setting, which is furthered by the pictures adorning the walls of places from all over the world. The sounds of the Rat Pack playing over the speakers take diners back to a simpler time, helping ease cares away, if only for dinner.

Other dining areas of Pat's Steakhouse are available for special events, including everything from business meetings to rehearsal dinners. Two bars maintain the Irish Pub feel of old, and an outdoor patio leaves nothing lacking from the restaurant's offerings.

The service at Pat's Steakhouse is sublime, perfect for a special night out or a special event. The servers balance the need to be ever attentive without being obtrusive. With a combination of the best atmosphere, food, and service, Pat's Steakhouse has maintained its status as Louisville's best steakhouse. 

Located off Brownsboro Road, Pat's Steakhouse began as a coach inn and traveler's rest stop. The original coach stop bar from the 1860s still stands in Mike's Tavern within the steakhouse. Named after Pat's father, Mike Francis, the tavern once offered travelers a place to wait and rest while they waited for their horse and carriage to arrive. Today, Pat's has become more than Mike probably ever could have dreamed. This long tradition of service to Louisville residents and visitors continues to this day.

For more information on other great reasons to live in Louisville, please contact The Vince Carter Team.