Deer Park Neighborhood

Deer Park Neighborhood

Housing

Housing in the neighborhood is predominantly single-family owner-occupied.
Owner-occupied units are 65% of the total and 65% of the housing units are single-family. The vacancy rate is 5%. The housing generally reflects the middle-income ranges with homes from small shotgun-style homes to larger three-story brick houses. One-third of the housing was built prior to 1939, and probably most of that was built prior to 1929 (although 1939 is as far back as the Census goes).

The age of the housing is reflected in the fact that the area from Eastern Parkway to Speed Avenue and Fernwood Rd to Bardstown Road (including Sherwood Ave between Bardstown Rd and Norris Ave) is in a National Register District. This is a federal designation, not a local one, and only has significance if federal funds are involved.

The age of the housing is relevant to the stability of the neighborhood and, when combined with the middle-income characteristics, indicate that the housing stock may be deteriorating. There are a few multi-family eyesores in the area, and there are also some single-family homes that are in need of attention. The City has inspected some of these, but the neighborhood needs to follow-up as a group to insure eventual compliance. There are also some actions that the neighborhood association could undertake if it desired, e.g., sending letters reminding particular property owners what the codes are and how property maintenance protects property values. (This has been tried in Old Louisville.) This could include trash and other alley problems, storage of items on the front porches, lack of paint on wooden portions of the house, hanging gutters, etc. This is an important area for the neighborhood to monitor.

The people

There are approximately 4391 people in 1832 households in the neighborhood.*
"Households," rather than "families" is used throughout since the predominant household type (41%) is that consisting of 1 person which does not constitute a "family." Fifty-six (56)% of the population is female.

Deer Park is a middle-income neighborhood with people of all ages, but not racially mixed with 97% of the population being listed as "white." Eighteen (18) percent of the neighborhood is 65 and over with 609 households - 1/3 of all households - receiving social security income.

Sixty-one (61) percent of persons 25 years and over have some education beyond high school, 34% have at least a bachelor's degree, and 13% have a graduate or professional degree.*All data is taken from the1990 Census. The final numbers were not available from the 2000 Census but the stability of the area is an indicator that most of the numbers and percentages would not have changed much. (Fewer than 10 houses have been demolished in the last 11 years. None have been built.) Income data was omitted since the census used was so old.

Neighborhood services

The neighborhood is served well by the Louisville Fire Department (LFD) which has an engine company at Maryland and Bardstown Rd, across the street from Deer Park and the Louisville Police Department (LPD), whose First District Station is less than a mile from the area.

Schools in the neighborhood include the DePaul School, St. Francis of Assisi Elementary School and Highland Middle School. Bellarmine College is also located within but on the edge of the neighborhood.

Churches include Bardstown Road Presbyterian Church, Calvary Lutheran Church, St. Francis of Assisi and Soka Gakkai International USA - all on Bardstown Rd.

Highland Manor, a senior citizens apartment building, is also part of the neighborhood.

The roads throughout the neighborhood are in adequate condition. There are many new sidewalks within the neighborhood (including along Bardstown Rd) and most sidewalks are now handicapped accessible at the corners.

About our association

Our objective and purpose

The Deer Park Neighborhood Association is non-profit and began in 1974. Our objectives are as follows:

· Encourage all residents and businesses within the area to maintain and improve the condition and appearance of their property.
· To create and expand civic pride and foster a sense of community cooperation throughout the neighborhood.
· To improve the safety and well-being of all persons within our Association by providing education on crime prevention, zoning and traffic enforcement, and environmental concerns.
· To work with other neighborhood, local, and governmental groups to solve common problems and to maintain and upgrade the quality of life for all residents of the Highlands Area.