Best place to retire: East Market District
Pros: New and affordable construction; close to green space and cultural attractions
Cons: The area is still carving out a neighborhood identity
Real estate: For a 1,000-square foot condo, you'll pay just $225,000. Rentals can be found for under $1,600.
Louisville has poured millions of dollars into revitalizing its downtown. With 1,000 new residences - and another 2,800 by 2010 - retirees are taking notice."Of the new housing that's gone up, probably 50 percent is now occupied by empty-nesters," says Barry Alberts, executive director of the city's Downtown Development Corporation.
The East Market section sits on the city's Waterfront Park along the Ohio River and is where much of the condo development is taking place. You're also walking-distance to the AAA baseball stadium, Slugger Field, art galleries in the West Main district and new museums, such as the Muhammad Ali Center.
The neighborhood is also only a few blocks north of the Louisville Medical Center, the city's hub of hospitals and medical facilities.
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