re: Are you bullish on the future of EBR Parish?

Alright rag I already apologized, no need to drag this on. You have made your point

I had roommates in college that would rather bitch about Baton Rouge than go out and have fun. It's a fun town if you are willing to carve a life out for yourself.


I just think it needs better school districts to remain viable long term. IBM is a good start. Baton Rouge needs a half dozen more "wins" like that in technology, manufacturing, and research to really make a dent.

Lotta negativity on here. BR certainly has bad areas but every place does. I live in the Garden District and love it. I love the area, love downtown, love being around the lakes and campus. I can't see me ever moving.
I don't understand the people who hate BR so much. Maybe they live/lived in a shitty part of town. Maybe they are negative people. I just don't get it. If it's so horrible, why do they live here?

Some of us stay because of our career or spouse's career. I don't hate BR, but if you go other places, it's easy to see what sucks about it. That said every place has its pros/cons. Can't blame people for being honest in their criticism tho.

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Shreveport is where his heart is. He would do better writing about the 'Port.

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So true. Dude is practically Mr. Caddo Parish up there.

5 years ago, i thought very differently, but the change is real. I'm bullish on BR. I have seen so much change in my lifetime for the better, especially around LSU, downtown, and midcity. I saw young professionals and lawyers turn Bouregard Town from a crack den to a haven. I saw Hipsters completely turn around Bernhard Terrace, Capital Heights, and Ogden Park. I saw developers, city leaders, and businesses unite to change downtown from a ghost town to a boom town.

Rumors of Broadmoor's demise have been greatly overstated. While it's not what it once was, filled with young white families, as the old whites have died off, it's seeing a resurgance with middle class hispanic and asian families. More whites are also starting to move back into the neighborhood. The revitalization of Broadmor shopping center has helped as well.

I see developers taking over Nicholson and Government Street between LSU and Midcity and downtown. I see Hipsters revitalizing the bottom, pressing in from all sides. I see charter achools giving middle class families a real shot at a great education for their kids.

Baton Rouge ain't dead yet. The areas somewhat insulated from traffic (Downtown, Midcity, Southdowns, Garden District, Old South Baton Rouge, Old Goodwood, Bocage, ect) may actually pull through this becoming a pretty cool place to live and work. I'm tenetively bullish about these parts of town. Shenandoah and Bluebonnet/Coursey is f$&ked imo.

St George wold have saved the parish. It was making both sides come up with good ideas to save the city and parish. Now that it didn't go through because of typical local politics, all the ideas of the people who opposed St George have now stopped. Back to business as usual

Shenandoah is f$@ked because it is too far out from the city center to be insulated from traffic, but still inside the city/parish with its terrible school districts. There is also the highly corrosive influence of the trash from the St. Jean Apartments bringing crime to areas that never crime before. Most of the houses were also cheaply built with little redeeming architectural value, so they'll never be appealing for hipsters and restoration types. Once a tipping point arrives with section 8 and crime, Shenandoah will be abandoned wholesale by whites in favor of resurgent areas closer tothe city center, like Tara and Old Goodwood, and suburbs like P'ville and Denham.

As for Bluebonnet, they have tons of cheap apartments with section 8 around the mall. Also, businesses along coursey are already struggling. Quarters os pretty much a black hangout already. The spec houses off bluebonnet between nicholson and burbank are poorly built, adjacent to the Gardere ghetto, and downwind from an expanding sewer plant..

I am also bullish on Baton Rouge. At least the area below I10 and Jefferson(Bocage to the garden district and goodwood) to Mid City. If some of the things in the works make it to completion, the area will be better than it has ever been. Things in the works: children's hospital, bike trails connecting tinsel town area to downtown, new south branch library, children's museum, water campus, street car, lsu lakes revitalization, Lee High, River District, if the zoo were moved it would be moved in this area, Rouzan, entergy site and a possible railroad to New Orleans.

Anyone that is bearish on Baton Rouge isn't paying attention or refuses to see the progress.