Kentucky is filled with remarkable, small communities, and Crestwood, KY, is one of them. In the rolling hills outside Louisville, this city is usually on the shortlist of Kentucky’s best places to live.
It’s still a small community, but the population has more than doubled in the last 20 years. Let’s look at why Crestwood, KY, is growing so fast and why you’ll want to stop in next time you’re in this part of Kentucky.
Are you ready to explore Crestwood? Let’s go!
About Crestwood, KY
If you’ve ever been to Louisville, you were close to Crestwood and might have even rolled through it. Just off Interstate 71, northeast of Louisville, it’s a city of around 5,000 that’s on the rise. In fact, as recently as 2000, Crestwood, KY’s population was just under 2,000 people.
Maybe this surge in growth is because of its proximity to Louisville and because it has more breathing room. Other factors are surely a relatively low crime rate and good schools. Niche gives Crestwood its highest mark — an A+ rating among Louisville’s various suburbs.
In north-central Kentucky, Crestwood started in the 1850s as a railroad stop called Beard’s Station. However, It didn’t become a city until 1970. This was a rural farming community for a long time, and the city celebrates that heritage in many ways.
Crestwood is about an hour’s drive from Cincinnati and is just a few miles from the Ohio River. A unique, reclaimed, and natural area called Tom Sawyer State Park is nearby, and the city has a lovely little park of its own.
Traveler’s Tip: North of Crestwood is the small town of Burkesville where you can enjoy a canoe ride, Mexican cuisine, and a night hike all in the same day.
5 Reasons to Make Crestwood, KY, Your Next Getaway
This part of Kentucky is known for its gently undulating landscape, and our first stop wonderfully complements that beautiful scenery. Of course, it’s also known for horse racing and a particular kind of whiskey.
By exploring its past and present, we’ll get a good taste of what makes Crestwood, KY, so unique.
#1. Beautiful Blooms at Yew Dell Botanical Gardens
The Klein family has left an incredible legacy that keeps on growing. Yew Dell Botanical Gardens was their family farm and nursery for decades, and it could have easily become a residential subdivision.
Thankfully, a conservancy organization had a different vision and stepped in to save it. You can see an English-style garden and carefully cultivated topiaries. You can also hike through more than a mile of re-grown woodlands. Where livestock used to graze is now three acres of wildflowers and grass tended specifically for pollination purposes.
#2. Tasting Tours at Kentucky Artisan Distillery
With its dozens of distilleries, Kentucky is the undisputed Bourbon Capital of the World. This particular region is the heart of liquor production, and Crestwood has its own piece of the action. Kentucky Artisan Distillery is a small-batch distillery started up in 2012 and bottles its whiskey under names like Jefferson’s Reserve and Whiskey Row.
With a tour of the facility and scintillating samples, discover firsthand why these spirits can only be made here. This “farm-to-bottle” operation grows its own grains on 700 acres.
#3. Farm Tours at Harvest Home Dairy
Growing corn and rye aren’t the only farming operations in present-day Crestwood. For Robert and Angela Klingenfus, it’s cows.
Their main commodity at Harvest Home Dairy is milk, but a portion of what their 140 cows produce becomes a variety of artisanal cheeses. They make hard and soft varieties, including Gouda, Swiss, and Smoked Jalapeno. You can tour the farm to find out how much hard work it takes to keep a modern dairy going.
#4. Locally Brewed Beer at 3rd Turn Oldham Gardens
This lively but laidback brewpub was a retail garden center before it found its repurpose in life. Now it’s a sprawling outdoor beer garden with interconnected greenhouses shaded by wisteria.
There are 32 beers on tap here, and they also serve up a sense of humor. For instance, they say the only problem you’ll encounter here is deciding what to drink next.
Dogs are welcome, too, as long as they are well behaved and on a leash (they are not allowed to drink the beers, though). Thanks to a partnership with another local business, Backside Grill, there’s food on site.
#5. Family Fun at The Maples Park
The city created its first public park in 2005, and it’s a big hit with residents and visitors. The park is on a 22-acre site that locals called “The Maples” because of its prominent stand of trees.
The park has a recurring farm theme and is a popular meeting place for families. Kids love the playground features. There’s also a covered pavilion, a half-mile paved walking track, and a quarter-mile nature trail. From your first glance, it’s evident that Crestwood residents are proud of this place, and rightfully so.
Is Crestwood, KY, Worth Visiting?
Spend a little time in Crestwood, and you’ll quickly see that it’s much more than just a bedroom community for Louisville. Their pride in their city park is obvious, and that attitude seems to extend to the entire city.
Such a positive feeling makes a good impression on visitors, so that’s another reason that Crestwood, KY, is an excellent place to spend some time.
What places in Kentucky do you love to visit?
