You will never have to pay to be listed as a top neighbor. Period. That important detail clarified, let's discuss how we arrive at two "top neighbors" for a given region:
Localism is a bustling collection of hyper-local communities, and the top neighbors should reflect those members who are most active. When ranking users in a given region, several factors are considered. To get your foot in the proverbial door, you need to have posted at least one "Localism" article or photo for the region.
The very best way to quickly rise to #1 is to post high-quality local content. Keeping a steady strem of incoming posts and photos will massively tilt the scales in your favor.
What doesn't count toward the top neighbor ranking? ActiveRain points and community sponsorships. The top neighbor spots will always go to the most active members in a region. We want to create a level playing field that encourages the growth of communities — talent and dedication are required to win the day.
This past week was exciting in my household and in Louisville. Both my two darling pups, Joe Cocker and Johnny Rotten, celebrated their birthdays, which sent me running to the doggie bakery. Another two-legged family member also had a birthday and for him I thought of adding some ice cream from the Comfy Cow.
The Comfy Cow, a popular ice cream shop in Westport Village in St. Matthews and Cardinal Towne near U of L just openeda new location in Clifton at 2221 Frankfort Ave. on October 26. Tasty news for Louisville! As owner Tim and Roy Koons-McGee put it in their blog, when they “added to the herd” of stores“The birth of this Cow was a doozy! Labor pains, labor pains and not an epidural in sight.”
If you don’t know, the Comfy Cow specializes in handcrafted, super-premium ice cream and ice cream products, as well as homemade desserts. The ice cream store, opened in 2009, has quickly developed a reputation for its made-on-the premises creative flavors which change daily. Voted the Best Ice Cream Shop in LEO's 2010 Readers' Choice Awards, flavors are introduced on a trial basis and if the public likes them, they remain part of the rotation. Current tasty flavors include Salty Caramel, Cake Batter Up, Vermont Maple Walnut.Peanut Peanut Butter Butter, plus signatureflavors.
The ice cream, made in batches of only four gallons at a time, is also served at other Louisville locations and at events like the recent Harvest Fair in the Highlands, but the St. Matthews shop on Herr Avenue, with its clever logo, ice-cream-scoop-lights, and refurbished soda fountain, is a popular family destination. At this location, they offer cookies and brownies, but in the spacious new one on Frankfort, Comfy Cow will offer a wide assortment including Pumpkin Cheesecake with a marshmallow sour cream icing and ginger snap pecan crust), Real Southern Pecan Pie peanut butter cheesecake with a chocolate graham cracker crust, Roy’s Mom’s Chess Pie, Key Lime Pie, and more.
Why the trauma over the most recent store opening? The location was the site of the former Genny’s Diner, home of the 10 ounce of meat cheeseburger served on the Big Daddy Platter, the Frickled Pickle, and peanut butter pie, made by the owner’s mom.Frank Farris, the previous owner, got into a legal battle with the city over the fate of an old house on the premises that he planned to raze for parking. Before he did, the city named it a historic house, so his hands were tied. He let it deteriorate in hopes they would change their mind. After Farris was arrested, he agreed to sell the properly to the Koons-McGee family, but a protracted legal battle followed.Genny’s Diner was torn down, but the plans for a Valentine’s Day opening were postponed.
The new Comfy Cow has turned the wood frame, two-story 19th Century Queen Ann house into a seating area and office, but operates out of a spacious new building.
While Joe and Johnny won’t be indulging in Comfy Cow products, the rest of my family will be frequent flyers when we crave a sweet treat anytime or as birthday treat.If you are looking for a home in Louisville with the added benefit of great local businesses like the Comfy Cow, call me, Jessica Gaines! I am your Louisville real estate resource.
With the charm of older neighborhoods comes the charm of yesteryear's amenities such as coal shoots in the basement and driveways and garages just wide enough for a horse and small carriage.
The allure of living in a time capsule. The result of the clash of eras can be seen here.
Taken in the historic Clifton neighborhood in Louisville, KY.
Mark Atteberry sold a home in the Castle Condominiums on N. Clifton off Brownsboro Road in Louisville, Kentucky. This was a well-kept, 2 bedroom, 1 bath condo on the 2nd floor.
While representing the buyer in this transaction, Mark Atteberry negotiated a $4500 price reduction, adequate repairs plus $2500 in closing costs and a home warranty. In all, the buyer saved over 10% off the list price. The home had been on the market for just over 3 months.
Mark directed his client to a special program that only required $500 for their initial investment, or down payment. The program was at a competitive interest rate and did not require mortgage insurance (also known as PMI). This made a beautiful deal for everyone involved. The list agent had previously had trouble marketing the condos since they were not FHA approved.
Since 1985, Genny's Diner on Frankfort Ave. in Clifton has paid to tribute to a Louisville invention - the cheeseburger. Diner owner Frank Faris magnified the fried meat and cheese delight into the Big Daddy platter featuring 10 ounces of meat with cheese on a bun served with steak fries. (Bigger sizes available!) If you started out with Frickled (i.e., fried) pickles and ended with peanut butter pie, you could experience the offerings noted by Southern Living Magazine and numerous local reviewers as some of the best down home eating in Louisville. The burgers, pickles, and pies are only a small fraction of the extensive menu of soups, sandwiches, entries, and desserts. Now, after a long and heated battle with the city and local residents, Genny's is closing its doors to make way for a Comfy Cow ice cream store, as cow trumps cow in Clifton/Crescent Hill.
Genny's began as an eight seat establishment but grew to over 175 seats. In 2001, Faris bought a 100 year old Queen Anne house next door to raze as a parking lot. Before he got around to doing it, Clifton was named a local preservation district in 2003 and Faris was unable to gain the permission of the Metro Landmark's Commission to tear it down and carry out his plan. When he bought it, the house didn't look too bad, but fixing up the house would have cost Faris about $300,000.
Over the years, Faris let the house fall into disrepair, perhaps in an effort to gain permission to demolish it. He amassed many code violations. In response to court orders, he tried to give the house away as well as sell it. None of the neighborhood advocates of the restoration stepped up to buy or take the property, until the Comfy Cow stepped in.
The Comfy Cow, which currently has a store in St. Matthew/Graymoor/Devondale, saw the Frankfurt Corridor as an ideal future location. According to co-owner Tom Koons-McGee, he and his partner Roy Koons-McGee had not envisioned a location on Frankfurt available so soon, but they were able to get the place for fair price from Faris, along with many perks thrown in by the city. They plan to renovate the diner as a retail location and refurbish the house for retail and office space. The project, estimated to cost several hundred thousand dollars, will be financed with a Small Business Administration Loan, a forgivable loan from the Metro Development Authority. They city will work with the courts to waive the $70,000 in maintenance fees. In addition, the Metro Development Authority will provide $150,000 for an environmental assessment of the property. (For the full story about the battle over the Frankfurt St. house and the purchase by the Comfy Cow, click to see this WHAS 11 News video.)
The ice cream store, opened in 2009, has quickly developed a reputation for its made-on-the premises creative flavors which change daily. Voted the Best Ice Cream Shop in LEO's 2010 Readers' Choice Awards, flavors are introduced on a trial basis and if the public likes them they remain part of the rotation. The ice cream, made on batches of only four gallons at a time, is also served at other Louisville locations, but the St. Matthews shop on Herr Avenue, with its clever logo, ice-cream-scoop-lights, and refurbished soda fountain, is a popular family destination. Expected to open on Valentine's Day in 2011, the store is expected to be popular at its new location on Frankfort as well, both because of its delicious ice cream and because it stepped up to refurnish a neighborhood eyesore.
There is a certain irony in that one cow-related comfort food is taking over for another. But does this change-of-hands of the Frankfurt Ave. building mean the end of the Frank Faris and his Big Daddy burgers for Louisville, birthplace of the cheeseburger? Absolutely not. Though Genny's will close on October 16, Faris is looking at potential sites for a 200-seat restaurant with plenty of parking, possibly along the Bardstown Road and Dixie Highway corridors and Southern Indiana. Cow may trump cow on Frankfort Ave. but the greater Louisville area will emerge a winner once be both endeavors are up and running.
For good eating and affordable housing, Louisville is a winner. Contact Mollie Younger of Younger Group Real Estate for interesting, affordable Louisville properties! We know Louisville!!
Real Estate is a continuous learning experience. Things you think will or should happen certain ways are always subject to another's thoughts and interpretations. Best rule of thumb is to always get your thoughts down on paper regardless of how obvious the situation may seem. There are plenty of lines on a contract, use them. People will surprise you.
ActiveRain Corp. is not responsible for the accuracy of the site's content (which is written by members of the ActiveRain Real Estate Network) and does not endorse the views of the real estate agents, mortgage brokers, and others listed here.
This past week was exciting in my household and in Louisville. Both my two darling pups, Joe Cocker and Johnny Rotten, celebrated their birthdays, which sent me running to the doggie bakery. Another two-legged family member also had a birthday and for him I thought of adding some ice cream from the Comfy Cow.
