Louisville Magazine is Louisville's city magazine, covering Louisville people, lifestyles, politics, sports, restaurants, entertainment and homes. Includes a monthly calendar of events.
Issue link: https://loumag.epubxp.com/i/105989
bit the cross ROADS Woodlawn Avenue & Southern Parkway All an outsider need do to quickly locate the Beechmont neighborhood on a city map is run a fnger along the southern section of the Watterson until the street grid below becomes notably spacious. Tat was a huge selling point in the 1890s when real-estate developers pitched the area's surburban serenity to packedin downtown dwellers. In the middle of that cartographic sparsity, forming a stick fgure without a noggin, is the intersection of Southern Parkway and Woodlawn Avenue. One of the stick fgure's legs — the continuation of the wide, wide parkway designed by Frederick Olmsted and originally known as Grand Boulevard — heads due southwest toward Iroquois Park; the other, a short diagonal named Kenwood Way, cuts over to Tird Street. Te arms, then, are Woodlawn west, which leads to the Carnegie-funded Iroquois Branch Library and pretty Clif Park, and grittier Woodlawn east, whose frst block is historic Beechmont's commercial district. Until 1948, an electric streetcar line connected Woodlawn's shops with the bustling block at Fourth and Central outside Churchill Downs. Gone are Frankel's (and later Zach's) Pharmacy, the Piggly Wiggly (later Key Market), Champions TV Repair, the Ben Franklin dime store (later Potatoe Man's Ballcards & Comics), an early Taylor Drugs location (with a luncheonette!), a post ofce and the fondly recalled Tangerine Restaurant, which bore the selfdeprecating, humor-intended sign "Worst Food in Kentucky." Today's Woodlawn is decidedly international in favor: Joining stalwart Berkley Jewelers, a Penn Station, Beechmont Bombshells hair salon and a Sunergos cofee shop are Annie Cafe (Vietnamese), Five Star Halal Meat Store (including camel and goat!), La Guantanamera Fashion Way, La Tropical Mini Market, Medero Electronics, Triple Crown Cigars and the Institute of Divine Metaphysical Research. Change is a normal feature of the street now. One thing that won't change — erected on the tip of a triangular spit at the intersection — is a summer-shade gazebo, along with a distinctive black water fountain whose three spigots are at diferent heights for the neighborhood's adults, kids and their animal companions. — JW micro Your Commute Have you tried Kentucky wine? poll We asked this question in early January — at Zanzabar, Magnolia Bar and Grill, Al J's in the Galt House and on U of L's campus. (For more on Kentucky vino, turn to page 28.) HelpKosairChildrensHospital.com 18 YES Trafmc! Clear sailing 28 NO "I've had Huber's wine (from Southern Indiana), though." —Megan Elliott, 21 "Was really good." —Ben Amarillas, 21 20 LOUISVILLE MAGAZINE 2.13