When I moved back here from L.A., I felt like I'd been released from prison. Here, people are a lot nicer. It's not just a cliche. They just don't need to use you, screw you over and ignore you like they do there. It's cheaper to live, it's prettier, and we have a much better local music community.

Earlier this week at its regional conference in Knoxville, Tenn., the American Water Works Association named Louisville's water the best-tasting in Kentucky and Tennessee.

Louisville Water Co. won the national title earlier this summer at the national AWWA conference in Atlanta.

The purchase of Wayside Christian Mission's properties will be a catalyst for East Market Street to coalesce into a destination for Louisville's emerging creative class -- a hub for the arts, cuisine, locally produced food, the green building movement, commerce and retail.

That's the quickly evolving vision of the main investors involved in recasting East Market Street's art galleries and restaurants district as a larger zone dubbed "NuLu."

Those investors, in several partnerships, include Los Angeles-based actor and Louisville native William Mapother, contractor Tim Peters and filmmaker Gill Holland and his wife, Augusta BrownHolland.

With the pending purchase of the Wayside property 10 buildings total from 800 E. Market through 820 E. Market  all of the pieces of a dramatic redevelopment puzzle are now on the table, waiting to be assembled, Holland said.

Of the 5,453 hospitals evaluated for the 2008 report, 170 received scores high enough to qualify for rankings in the 16 specialty areas. Also ranked were the University of Kentucky Chandler Hospital in Lexington and St. Elizabeth Medical Center, Covington.

Jewish Hospital was ranked among the best in heart and heart surgery; neurology and neurosurgery; and respiratory disorders. This is the fourth year in a row for heart care, three years in a row for respiratory disorders and second year for neurology/neurosurgery.