Is Florida Blvd the "Mason-Dixon Line" of Baton Rouge?

Saw someone shared this video on Facebook earlier. I've never heard anyone call Florida Blvd the Mason-Dixon Line of Baton Rouge. Has anyone else heard of this?

Facebook video that a friend shared
LINK

Then I found this article from a few months back explaining the reference. LINK

quote:

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East Baton Rouge Parish Metro Councilwoman Tara Wicker calls Florida Boulevard the “Mason-Dixon line” of the parish . The mother of five, who has lived near that borderline her entire life and represents much of north Baton Rouge on the council, said she hopes she lives to see the day when somebody can cross over Florida and not even realize it because the two regions won’t look so starkly dissimilar.

That’s not the case today.

North of Florida Boulevard, in the city limits of Baton Rouge, business openings lag dramatically behind the rest of the parish. A hospital and an emergency room have closed. Cortana Mall is half-empty. Residential neighborhoods are mostly lined with steep ditches instead of sidewalks.

On the south side of the parish, downtown is in the midst of a Renaissance, with new restaurants and businesses being announced by the week. Hospitals are thriving, with a new children’s hospital breaking ground near an already booming medical area. Luxury movie theaters are popping up, and the Mall of Louisiana continues to attract popular retail chains on the sprawling campus.

Recently, Wicker was heartbroken to learn that a dollar store chain was going to pass on a new location in a north Baton Rouge neighborhood because of crime concerns. It’s often she finds herself in the uncomfortable position of vying for the attention of any businesses, even fast-food chains and dollar stores that aren’t typically considered favorable development in higher-end locations.

“You’ll have suburban communities that are like, ‘Please, no. We don’t want that,’ ” Wicker said. “But we’re over here like, ‘Yes, please. Come on over.’ ”

North Baton Rouge business development is behind, to say the least. From 2005 to 2013, there was a net gain of only 13 businesses, excluding sole proprietorships, in the ZIP codes of 70802, 70805 and 70807, which roughly correspond with the heart of the area near Interstate 110, according to data compiled by the Baton Rouge Area Chamber. Across the whole parish, East Baton Rouge gained 385 additional businesses with paid employees during this time.

Residents in this north Baton Rouge area say they’re fed up with having to travel to shop for groceries, buy clothes, see a movie and get medical care. They feel ignored by their leaders, as they watch local officials offer generous incentives and build expensive infrastructure in other parts of the parish to improve quality of life and promote economic development.

The issue has turned political, as residents have started pointing fingers at their elected leaders — and leaders are pointing fingers at each other— over who is to blame for the allowing the dearth of opportunity to linger for so long without proposing a remedy.

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