re: New Iberia baws - Is there hope for da Berry?

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I hate to hear this. I grew up a block from, what used to be, the country club on Henry St. Back then we would ride our bikes to City Park, downtown, Paradise(essentially a rope swing over Bayou Teche, etc. because crime was pretty much non-existent.

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I hate to hear this. I grew up a block from, what used to be, the country club on Henry St. Back then we would ride our bikes to City Park, downtown, Paradise(essentially a rope swing over Bayou Teche, etc. because crime was pretty much non-existent.

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I'm sure I know you LOL. When we were kids our parents would drop us at iberia golf and country club. we would swim, play golf, jump in the lakes and get golf balls, fish, etc. Daniel would make us cherry cokes. Great time growing up. We would ride bikes all over, to paradise and downtown. One of my friends lived on the bayou and we would take his jo boat and hydroslide in that nasty arse water.

I think its a warehouse for the solar plant by Sugarena

The scenery changes drastically about 6 or 7 city blocks from there.

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Member since Oct 2004

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Hey, old timer

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graduated in ‘83

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I was 8 in ‘83. My siblings and I would catch the Mt Carmel bus at a little store on Henry at Duperier with all the high school girls. The bus was usually packed but they always saved a seat for us. I haven’t thought about that in 30+ years. Great memories!

Cook's superette. And why ride the bus? The school is literally a block away???

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Related to Dr. R.L.?

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Dr Lahasky? I dont think he ever lived on Paradise. There was a Dr Landry on Edgewater/Allen but i dont remember his 1st name. Im not related to either. Grew up on Rue de Verger.

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The current mayor is awesome and has slowed down the bleeding. Unfortunately, it may be too late…Unfortunately years of good ol boy politics stymied growth.

Pretty much the same story for every town around Lafayette. The people who grow up and have a future, move away. You're left with a lower class who are dependent on the government & drugs, and upper class who own businesses' and rent houses.

If you don’t like your community you move to a newer more shiny area rather than collectively improving the original area. It’s the American way!

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The OT is quick to support ELVIS U, a loudmouth clown who spouts garbage after being shat on for years by corrupt politicians. When Landmanner attempts to set the record straight with actual facts, he’s told to calm down and bombarded with nostalgia from his neighbors and those who’ve moved away.

I suspect the higher paying jobs created by these initiatives will be filled by newcomers who will commute from Lafayette, Broussard, or Youngsville. UL’s involvement suggests that some good jobs may be filled by grads who would otherwise move out of state—like almost all of the talented, ambitious students I taught. Long-term change would require community members to work together and collectively improve their quality of life, which seems unlikely given the historic divide and current demographics.

Nevermind

Born and raised in NI.

I have lived out west after LSU, in Lafayette, and now back in the Berry.

NI was a great place to grow up. It was wild AF but also pretty rough. We learned early on to stand up for ourselves or get run over. Lots of fights, partying, and wild kids...and as someone else pointed out..great looking girls. They didn't enforce loitering laws in the early 90s and drinking age was 18...driving age was 15. We were drinking by 14/15 and riding around town making our own fun.

There are still a ton of great people in NI including younger people. The parish has a lot of great things going for it: Avery Island/Tabasco (was in a village outside Mt. Fuji on way back to Tokyo once...bottle of Tabasco on every table inside the only restaurant in the village-no matter where I go in the world, there is a good chance that not far away there reminder of where I am from), Jefferson Island, downtown NI/Main St/historic district, festivals/parades (sugarcane, gumbo cookoff, spanish, Mardi Gras parade- 10x better than youngsville ratchet arse parade w/ no marching bands & devoid of any artistic quality, Halloween, Christmas), the airbase (former Naval airbase) has some major business there, Mardi Gras crewes (Iberians, Andalusia), places to eat (pho ly ly, Bambinos, Jane's Seafood, Duffy's, Bon Creole, Tito's, food trucks around town, Amalfi's....we do miss Clementine's & Victor's), The Pie Bar, the Bayou Teche running through town, George Rodrigue and his art, The Shadows, historic homes, the Port of Iberia is ticking upwards after a 10-year drought (lots of activity ramping up out there), solar investment out by the base is yuge, an EXCELLENT mayor who is fighting...Freddy is a rock star in my opinion, the NI Haircut!, and a bunch of other positive things. NI is WAY more affordable than Lafayette/Broussard/Youngsville.

The Bad-
Violent crime is worse than it was when I was young, but is usually in the same areas...south of St. Peter St./Bayou Teche (all over the news, but reality is it is confined to areas that have always been rough and defacto segregated), not enough good restaurants, no good bars to hang at since Clementine closed...haven't been to Amalfi yet though...pie bar doesn't stay open late enough, too many walking dead types walking around or riding bikes, no good "pretty" entrance into town. Center St., Lewis St. St. Peter, & Main St...none paint a great picture on the way in to the center of town due to some of the buildings along the way...central Main St however is as good as you'll find in south Louisiana. There are not enough high paying jobs. Based on census figures, the population is slowly declining. We need people to want to live here...quality of life and good paying jobs improve that situation.

NI can't compete with Lafayette regarding restaurants/food/bars or high paying jobs. Lafayette isn't winning any beauty contests either though. It is not a pretty place...most places in Louisiana are similar...there is some beauty surrounded by ugliness. The litter in south Louisiana drives me to violent thoughts.

I spend a lot of time in Youngsville and basically live there w girlfriend 50% of the time. Youngsville and Broussard are soulless places, with no history and little personality. They are both being defined and overrun by track home neighborhoods that will be falling down in 20 years. Short sighted growth IMO. Sugar Mill Pond in Youngsville is made up of maybe 30% New Iberia People (aka NIPs). Youngsville is chocked full of us...the out migration is a shame, but it is what it is.

I am biased, but NIPs are some of the best people you will ever know! Fun, lots of personality, and usually with great stories.

Don't give up on the Berry yet.