I've been meaning to do this for a long time. Here, in no particular order, are the

Top Ten Things I Love About Louisville, KY:

1. WFPK and the Public Radio Partnership. I love public radio. I love, even more, having the choice of THREE public radio stations! WFPL, dependably classical, and W____??, with news and commentary, are both fabulous. But mostly I just love WFPK, which, with its quirky and timely music, is delightfully unpredictable, educational and inspirational :).

2. Eyedia. This little big home consignment store is so many good things. First of all, it's a great place to shop! There are always interesting, well-priced items- furniture, wall art, lamps, rugs, kitchen sinks- there, and the selection changes every time you go. The prices drop by 10% each month for 3 months, until items are sold (or given to charity, I think). The store owners obviously have an eye for useful, beautiful and artful things. They also obviously care about their community and about the environment. Yay!

3. Bernheim Arboretum and Research Forest. OK, I know Bernheim is not exactly in Louisville, but Louisville definitely claims it. I claim it, too. When we were little, my sisters and I visited Bernheim with our babysitter, Juli, who worked in the Nature Center. We hiked, helped clean out the bird cages, ate cattail roots. Bernheim's focus on nature, art, the environment and connecting people with all three is unparalleled in the area. It is a GORGEOUS, well-run place. It is a place where people DO feel a connection to nature, to that piece of rolling hill, prairie, forested KY land. The new LEED certified Visitor's Center is worth a trip all by itself. I can't wait to see what they do with the new lakeside ampitheater!

4. The Douglass Blvd. neighborhood in the Highlands. This was my home for about 2 years and I LOVE it there! My apartment, in particular, was perfectly situated. From there I walked to my coffee shop, my pharmacist, the grocery, boutiques, Qdoba, my Spanish classes, churches, the Earthsave office, the Bardstown Road farmer's market, the ice cream store and the hardware store. Cherokee Park (see #5) was a short bike ride or walk away. The people who live in the Douglass Blvd. neighborhood want to be there and appreciate and take care of their homes and their neighborhood.

5. Cherokee Park. Beautiful, inviting Cherokee Park was designed by Frederic Law Olmsted in _____. Maybe his genius lies in the fact that even though it's landscaped and well-planned, being there still feels like a trip to some natural, even wild, setting. My favorite places in the park are the loop that I used to bike every day, frisbee field and the gazebo-ish portico (?) where Laura and I sang. That durn park has seen some major moments in my life, bad and good. I love the view from the top of Dog Hill, especially on a misty KY morning.

6. The Herde and Hettinger families!

7. The arts, music and theater scenes. (The Speed Art Museum, the concerts in the park series in the summer, the lively gallery scene downtown, on Bardstown Road and in Crescent Hill, etc.)

8. The Kentucky Derby. Admittedly, I've never been to the actual Derby (the fastest 5 minutes in sports!!). But I've enjoyed Thunder Over Louisville, the steamboat race, the hot air balloons, the parade, the hats and the other hoopla. I like festivals that bring communities together. This one's pretty grand!

9. St. William's Catholic Church and Unity of Louisville. Two churches with sense and heart, alive with good energy and love. Whoo-hoo!

10. Waterfront Park. How totally cool that place is! There are already so many good things that happen there: frisbee, flag football, the Walk for a Cure, the summertime Wednesday night concert series (put on by WFPK- see #1), and I don't know what else. There's free wireless, a place to play in the water when you get really hot (or want your kids to expend some energy), great playgrounds, the boat docks, etc. I can't wait to see the next phase-- a walking/biking bridge that connects the park with Indiana.