Giddy up! Churchill Downs, the most celebrated horse track in the world, with its blare of trumpets, the thundering of hooves, and the sounds of a band playing My Old Kentucky Home may be your first thoughts when you think of Louisville. But the city has much more to offer. Louisville boasts one of the most extensive metropolitan park systems in the nation and features the 6,000-acre Jefferson Memorial Forest, the largest municipality-owned forest in the country. Fredrick Law Olmsted, architect for Central Park in New York City, designed this elaborate park system in Louisville. Also, it is one of only 12 cities in the country to have a resident professional opera, theater, ballet, and theater for children, Louisville has a revitalized downtown that features a new baseball park, the 4th Street Live! entertainment complex, Waterfront Park with a 27-mile oval bike path, and many shopping venues. With all this and lots of housing options, Louisville is a great place to be.