Forget running: residents of the Lucky Horseshoe neighborhood park for the roses.
Chances are, if you have ever made the coming-of-age, birthright pilgrimage to Churchill Downs for the Kentucky Derby or the Kentucky Oaks, you probably didn’t park on-site. While spaces inside Churchill proper are historically reserved for the monetarily endowed celebrities and other horse race dignitaries, it is we, the unbridled masses (save for a handful of camp-outside-the-Apple-Store types), that often walk just a bit farther.
Thankfully, and not-so-discreetly for those familiar with the typical signs and sometimes traffic-defying, on-foot wavers, there are plenty of locals offering private alternatives. Indeed, thousands flock to South Louisville every May for the two-day spectacle of The Derby and Oaks. And while there are undoubtedly mint juleps and general merriment to spare, it is the people who already live there who can count themselves among the few actually likely to gain money in the process.
Many may not know the Lucky Horseshoe neighborhood by name, but anyone who has been to the Downs (barring an entrance by helicopter or parachute) has definitely passed through it. Existing as an elongated doughnut around Churchill, and enclosed on four sides by Central Avenue, Taylor Boulevard, Longfield Avenue and South 3rd Street, Lucky Horseshoe (along with the adjacent Oakdale neighborhood) is ground zero for Louisville’s annual cottage parking industry.
As Thornberry Avenue resident Lawrence Swessel asserts, the extra money brought in by the yearly phenomenon is a welcome stimulus to the pockets of both he and his neighbors. A Lucky Horseshoe resident for more than 50 years, Swessel, along with relatives Larry, Anna, and Rosemary, have been making Derby-time parking a multi-generational family affair for decades. Swessel highlighted cookouts and watching the festivities on television as the most popular pastimes while looking over a backyard full of cars. Dearcy Avenue’s Donna Ruhl likened her original childhood experiences selling parking alongside her sister to an interesting take on the classic adolescent lemonade stand. Queen Avenue’s Kim Wirth talked of the community and tradition involved, surprising topics amidst grass and gravel parking spots.
“For us, it’s one big family reunion,” said Wirth.
Daniel Luckett Jr., a resident and an administrative clerk to District 15 Metro Councilwoman Marianne Butler, helped to contextualize this sentiment, explaining that, while there are a number of neighbors who will actively solicit attendees on the day of the event, around 75 percent of the business goes to repeat or longtime customers and other family friends.
Dave Tate, Wirth’s husband and a Vietnam veteran, echoed that statement, and routinely welcomes former military friends traveling from as far as Oklahoma, Texas, and Arkansas.
“In the beginning, we would send out invitations two to six weeks prior,” said Tate. “But these days we don’t even need to do that.”
Although neighborhood parking is a continued staple of The Derby, its scope has decreased in the last five years, due to the expansion of several Churchill Downs lots and the satellite space available at UPS and Ford. Ruhl could remember Derby-goers parking as far out as Iroquois Park in years past. Despite close proximity on Vetter Avenue, Rick Mattingly admitted that the only real demand for parking at his house was from close friends.
Overall, most residents would say that the good outweighs the bad with respect to the too-close-for-comfort mayhem of the historical horse races, but are quick to note the unique challenges. Feel the need to stock up on canned goods and water at every threat of winter flurries? Just imagine the prospect of being effectively walled-in for an entire weekend once a year.
Daily parking during Oaks and The Derby can go for as much as $30 to $40 in the surrounding area, with many homeowners skillfully squeezing up to 25 vehicles into a single yard.
“[The money] can serve as Christmas or vacation money for many,” said Butler.
Others, including Tate, are primarily concerned with having some money left over after the expense of entertaining a packed house of yearly guests.
It is undeniable that the established phenomenon of off-track parking is a vital component of the ongoing relationship between Churchill Downs and the South Louisville community. If anything, this annual institution can be taken as a refreshingly positive example of the age-old gambling adage, that – whether it be Churchill Downs or nearby homeowners – the house always wins. Frustratingly elusive is an answer to the implied question: Who parks the parkers?
On the rise
Despite the inherent challenges.
Consisting primarily of Eisenhower houses originally built to accommodate soldiers returning home from World War II, Lucky Horseshoe is plagued by a bevy of familiar problems, as well as the specific challenges faced by countless South-Enders in postindustrial Louisville. But despite the odds, and thanks to a thriving neighborhood association and a strong relationship with Churchill Downs, the community is making great strides.
Fueled in a large way by Lucky Horseshoe Neighborhood Association founders Tate and Wirth – also current president and treasurer, respectively – the community’s list of recent accomplishments includes a new illegal dumping ordinance pushed by Butler and the installation of permanent trash cans on street corners. Mattingly said that Tate and Wirth have been vital to the continued efforts. However, Tate is quick to dole out credit to others.
“Without the generosity of Churchill, we simply wouldn’t be able to continue our work,” said Tate.
Yet another boon for this neighborhood was its selection for a $7,500 Producing Art In Neighborhoods Together grant. PAINT is a community art project sponsored by the Center for Neighborhoods. The proposal of husband and wife artists Mike Newsome and Carrie Blaydes was chosen from seven competing bids, and envisioned as a neighborhood snapshot consisting of community banners, a photography collection, and a documentary of oral history interviews. Eight total Lucky Horseshoe banners will be hanging throughout the area in time for The Derby, with the remainder of the project debuting in subsequent months.
With its unique tradition and a strong sense of community, this is one more Derby City neighborhood with plenty of tales to share. Whether it be in the residents themselves, some personally invested city representatives, or even Churchill Downs, there is passion for much more than horses to be found amidst these storied grounds.
–Chris Ritter
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