weekend workshop - downtown or east?

It turns out I%26#39;ll be at a workshop in East Louisville on Memorial Day weekend. I%26#39;m trying to make up my mind about whether to stay downtown and pay (a lot) more or to just grab the Hyatt Place East for 80/night.

Questions:

Since I%26#39;ll be out all day, is it really worthwhile to stay downtown just for the two evenings I%26#39;ll be there?

I%26#39;m traveling alone, so safety is a concern - any issues with that in the downtown area (hotels etc.)?

How is parking downtown if I were to stay in the eastern part of town?

Thanks!

And for the record, I%26#39;m traveling without dogs this time and initally posted for Chicago, but my plans have changed for various reasons ...

weekend workshop - downtown or east?

Depends on what you like to do. I think staying downtown will only offer the advantage of being able to walk out your hotel to see a few sites if they%26#39;re still open after your workshop. Slugger Museum? Ali Boxing Museum? walk along the river?

Personally, I%26#39;d opt to stay on east end where there%26#39;s more places to eat and more affordable rooms and make the 10 min drive into the city if you really want to see anything. Never stayed at Hyatt out there, but the Drury on Hurtsbourne has always been excellent to myself and family.

weekend workshop - downtown or east?

Sounds like your best bet is staying where the convention is. The Hyatt place gets great reviews.If you do drive downtown, it%26#39;s not at all difficult (I-64 to 3rd street) Memorial Day weekend hosts the three day Abbey Road on the River fest. It%26#39;s a Beatles marathon in several locales around the Belvedere near the Galt House on Main Street. Loads of fun.

I encourage you to vist www.louisvillehotbytes and look at some restaurant reviews. We have some excellent choices and very good chefs in the city. However, where you are staying, there are a plethora of chains, so you need to have a bit of direction before heading out. Some very good restaurants are in the Bardstown Road and Frankfort Ave locations.

If you decide that you are interested in staying downtown, Priceline often has great deals. I almost always use them when I%26#39;m going to stay in Louisville. If you bid for a three star hotel downtown, you generally get the Hyatt, the Marriott, or the Galt House. I%26#39;ve gotten rooms for anywhere from $40-$65, depending on what is going on in the city at the time.

Out of curiousity, is there a reason that you want to stay downtown? There is really not a lot going on downtown in the evenings. Let us know what you decide and if you need any restaurant suggestions. there are a lot of options if you decide to stay in the east end. Just let us know what type of place that you enjoy.

There is plenty going on Memorial Day weekend downtown! As I said, the HUGE and very popular Abbey Road on the River. There%26#39;s also 4th Street Live, events on the Great Lawn, plus the Belle is doing cruises that weekend.

Oh, wow, I was busy with work for a few days and am just blown away by all the wonderful replies and suggestions! Thanks!

I had only thought of staying downtown because it might be a nice diversion - but realistically, I%26#39;ll probably be pretty tired at the end of the day, so I%26#39;m unlikely to make much use of the downtown attractions.

I guess my subconscious is always still hoping for safe, walkable downtown areas like we had in Europe:-)

The Priceline suggestion is a good one as well. I%26#39;ve been wary of using them since booking a ';downtown'; hotel in Santa Fe and ending up several miles outside of town in the mountains (albeit with a shuttle 3x a day ...), but perhaps I should give it another try.

Regarding the Galt:

I%26#39;ve read fairly awful reviews of the Galt, any news on that? (This is of interest even if I don%26#39;t stay there this time, I%26#39;ll be attending a convention booked at the Galt in October ...)

Either way, this is my first trip to Louisville, and I%26#39;ve heard it%26#39;s nice, so I just wanted to actually see something of the city while I%26#39;m there.

Thanks for all the immensely helpful replies!

Oh: Restaurant suggestions - I%26#39;m vegetarian, so I%26#39;ve had my eyes on Zen Garden (I think that was the name?), but I%26#39;ll be happy to hear of any other good ideas!

I usually stay at the Galt House at least once a year, because it is generally ';home base'; for our state music educators conference. The hotel has two sections, divided by 4th St. and connected by their Atrium bar/grill area. Until this year, I would have told you that the East side was nice, fully renovated and very attractive, but that the West side was completely hideous with avocado green bathrooms and tacky Americana decor. However, last fall I won a Priceline room on the West side. I braced myself when I opened the door......and found that my room, at least, had been renovated. I am fairly sure that most, if not all, of the hotel has been renovated now. The only issue I have had with the Galt House lately has been service...some of the desk people and one valet just had no common sense on my visit in February..but as far as the room being clean and decent, I have had no complaints.

Please check out this link:

http://abbeyroadontheriver.com/

The event is huge, so you may not find any deals on downtown hotels anyway. Also, Monday the Mayor sponsors hike and bike day along the river front with events and music on the ';Great Lawn'; by the river. There%26#39;s many areas in downtown which are great to walk....Main Street, Market Street, all along the river walk. There%26#39;s also a fun reggae fest at the Water Tower on the river a bit east of downtown.

I can vouch for Zen Garden- it%26#39;s great! We are a bit behind on vegetarianism in this city, but most good restaurants have those selections. Seviche on Bardstown Road had the most delicios Vegetable Chimichanga you%26#39;ve ever tasted. Out off Hurstbourne Lane in the Stoneybrook Complex is Sala Thai

www.louisvillehotbytes.com/salathai.shtml

Several good veggie options. Club Grotto on Bardstown Road has a dish called ';Vegetarian Orgy'; which is quite famous. The North End Cafe off Frankfort Avenue also has several good veggie selections.

Wonderful, thank you all so much! And you know what? Louisville seems a lot more progressive on vegetarian issues than Nashville, TN ... so I%26#39;m not spoiled:-) And I LOVE Thai food.

Thanks for the heads-up on the Galt. As long as it%26#39;s clean, safe and not too creepy, I can take ';ugly';, but renovated rooms are of course much more pleasant to stay in!