West Louisville Map

Opulent mansions once were the norm along Walnut, Chestnut and Jefferson Streets after the 1870s when street cars came to the Neighborhood. However, the 1890s, many homeowners left to Old Louisville, taking their riches with them while blue collar families entered the neighborhood in the newly built shotgun houses. By the 1940s, “Louisville’s Harlem” had gained a reputation for its many African American theatres, clubs and restaurants. Joe’s Palm Room is one of the last ones standing from that period. This African American heritage is something the neighborhood celebrates through its Kentucky Center for African American Heritage and Muhammad Ali’s childhood home.