Indian Hills

Indian Hills is a home rule-class city within the St. Matthews zip code of 40207. With a population just shy of 3,000, it is one of the most prosperous parts of Louisville, Kentucky, along with the neighboring cities of Glenview and Mockingbird Valley. This “grand old neighborhood” sitting along the Ohio River in Jefferson County is located seven miles northeast of Downtown Louisville, just off US-42. If you are looking for a safe place to raise a family or a comfortable, leisurely lifestyle in your retirement, there is no better place!

The earliest settlers, who established a trotting horse farm, chose to settle in this region due to the “fine, rolling land,” “purest water,” and “soft, downy bluegrass.” Today, one of the first things you’ll notice about Indian Hills is that dense forests cover more than a third of the land, and there is lots of intentionally preserved natural greenspace. The hilly region boasts numerous karst outcroppings that define the topography. John Charles Olmsted and Frederick Law Olmsted, Jr. developed much of the land to their father’s aesthetic, with winding roads, water features, and landscaped greenways.

Towering above the sidewalks and handsome estates are sycamores, maples, oaks, beech, American Linden, redbud, and dogwood trees. Shrubs like honeysuckle, mock orange, and barberry leave a fragrant scent in the air. People take great pride in their community and fondly reminisce growing up surrounded by all this natural beauty. One of the areas’ most famous residents is Academy Award-winning “Hunger Games” actress Jennifer Lawrence.

St. Matthews in general offers residents a great sense of community. Fun annual events for the whole family include:

• Oktoberfest
• The Halloween Festival in Brown Park
• Light Up St. Matthews Winter Festival
• Day at the Races
• The St. Matthews Street Festival, and
• The Independence Day Parade.

Caperton Swamp Park is one of Indian Hills’ lucky finds. Located just off River Road, the park’s winding trails take visitors through protected marshlands surrounding a beautiful pond, hopping with boisterous amphibians. The flooded “wet woodlands” presents a very different ecosystem than what you’d normally see within the city. Birdwatchers will be delighted to spot more than 187 types of feathered friends whose finely-crafted melodies fill the air.

Thurman Hutchins Park is another natural sanctuary, inviting sea-faring residents to boat, fish, and swim in the Ohio River during their downtime. The 53 acres are popular among dog walkers, cyclists, and picnickers. There are fields for lacrosse, baseball, and soccer as well.

Brown Park is a popular playground and picnic area for parents with kids ages 2-6. You’ll find beautiful landscaping, fountains, large pavilions with picnic tables and BBQs, winding pathways along Beargrass Creek, and friendly ducks.

EP Tom Sawyer State Park is a 550-acre oasis within the city, offering a wide range of activities. Orienteering, archery, badminton, birding, BMXing, community gardening, hiking, model airplane flying, pickleball, picnicking, tennis, softball, soccer – it’s all here! Residents can take their dogs to an off-leash park and there are two playgrounds for children.

Most people living within Indian Hills commute to Downtown Louisville in less than 20 minutes. So you’re very close to the best the City of Louisville has to offer, including attractions like the Frazier History Museum, Kentucky Peerless Distilling, Louisville’s Waterfront Park, the Louisville Zoo, Slugger Field, the Mega Caverns, Old Louisville Historic District, Conrad’s Castle, and Churchill Downs. Louisville International Airport is also less than 20 minutes on I-264.

You don’t have to go far to indulge in fine shopping and dining opportunities. You can shop ‘til you drop at The Mall St. Matthews or Oxmoor Mall. Afterwards, you can grab some of the finest cuisine in the Greater Louisville Area. The Cheddar Box, Havana Rumba, Wild Eggs, The ‘Ville Taqueria, Mesh Louisville, and Momma’s Mustard, Pickles & BBQ are just a few highly rated restaurants in your backyard.

Indian Hills has had a reputation as being a high-status suburb since the 1920s, when the Louisville Country Club opened its doors. That same year, property values doubled from $10,000 to $20,000. Residents take great pride in home ownership and maintain their estates here. In fact, a whopping 99.3% of the Indian Hills residences are owner-occupied.

Movoto called Indian Hills one of the “Top 10 Suburbs For Young Couples,” with its high ratings for safety, education, marriage, and affluence. Coldwell Bankerranked Indian Hills their #7 spot for suburbanites in a national survey that analyzed amenities, economy, cultural activities, home ownership and maintenance, education, and leisure.

You’ll find Ranches, Georgian Estates, Cape Cods, and Traditional Architecture among the Indian Hills listings. Most homes were constructed in the fifties and sixties, but have been well-maintained and recently upgraded with Contemporary stylings. Gourmet kitchens, outdoor patios, and open-concept main floors are common. You can find new multi-million-dollar executive mansions with over 5,000 square feet of living space along Poplar Hill and River Hill roads.

Real estate agents say Indian Hills is known for appealing estates on spacious lots, amid the beautiful surroundings. People often flock to Indian Hills for the space to sprawl out. Most homes feature long driveways and enormous, well-manicured front lawns, common to Colonial Era estates. It’s possible to build a large footprint home featuring a big, beautiful backyard with a pool. If you want that lovely “house on a hill,” you may find it here – if you’re prepared to make an offer FAST!

A few years back, Indian Hills annexed a less expensive neighborhood to the northeast, butting up against the Watterson Expressway; so you’ll find a wide range of housing prices offered. Overall, it is still one of the most expensive niches within Louisville. In this high-demand market, it’s not uncommon for homes to list and sell in a single weekend!

John Lenihan, broker/owner of Lenihan Sotheby’s International Realty, explains: “The seller will get two or three bids that are $5,000 to $10,000 above the asking price. When a million dollar house goes on the market for $870,000, people see the value and make an offer right away.”

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