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Saturday, November 7, 2009
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WHERE WE LIVE
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East Baton Rouge Mayor-President Kip Holden likes to refer to Baton Rouge as “America’s next great city.” In recent years, the historical riverfront city has started to grab national attention.
Baton Rouge, with a metro population estimated at 774,000, ranks 67th in size among more than 300 U.S. metropolitan areas, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Since 2000, Baton Rouge’s population has grown at a cumulative rate of 10 percent. Contact Information Located in the Shaw Center for the Arts, the LSU Museum of Art opened in March 2005. The museum, part of Louisiana State University, manifests a decade-long vision to offer the community greater access to its diverse art collection, changing exhibitions, education programs and special events. Baton Rouge/East Baton Rouge Parish has the second-largest municipal government in the state, with a budget of $700 million. Slightly more than half of the city-parish’s $281 million general fund comes from sales tax revenue. Chelsea’s Café, 2857 Perkins Road, features off-the-beaten-path local, regional and national music. New Orleans’ aptly named Papa Grows Funk, North Carolina roots-rock perennials Southern Culture on the Skids, Florida sacred steel band the Lee Boys and comic-troubadour and Texas gubernatorial candidate Kinky Friedman have played there. Louisiana residents will use almost any excuse to celebrate. That’s why there are festivals to celebrate everything from sausage to sauerkraut, jambalaya to jazz, and boudin to blues. Laser Tag of Baton Rouge, 5871 S. Sherwood Forest Blvd., contains a multilevel arena that features 7,500 square feet of lasers and strobes. The Summer Play Pass special runs from 1 p.m.-6 p.m. Monday through Friday. To some, it’s about the competition. To others, it’s about the awe. And still, for some, it’s just a chance to socialize and spend family time together. Whatever the case, there’s something for everyone at the annual Pennington Balloon Championship. Law enforcement agencies in East Baton Rouge Parish often rely on the public to report crimes and provide information that leads to arrests. Residents can call authorities to report suspicious activity or let them know what they might have seen or heard regarding a crime. East Baton Rouge Parish has full-service acute-care hospitals, as well as a number of specialized hospitals and multi-practice clinics. This court, in the Governmental Building at 222 St. Louis St., has jurisdiction over East Baton Rouge Parish and has criminal and civil divisions. The State Library, 701 North Fourth St., contains books, magazines, newspapers, state and federal documents and audio/visual materials. The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries oversees hunting and fishing activities on state lands and waters and shares that duty with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the U.S. Forest Service and/or the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers on federal lands. The East Baton Rouge Parish Recreation and Park Commission is expanding the already diverse parks and recreation offerings available locally. At Southern, football is only part of the game-day experience. It’s a barbecue-and-tailgating event, a music festival and family reunion rolled into one long afternoon. Baton Rouge is red — as in, “red stick” — in name alone. A trip up College Drive, and most other parts of town, prove that purple and gold serve as the primary colors. Real estate in the Baton Rouge metro area continues to hold its own, despite conditions in other markets around the country, according to local Realtors. BAKER — This city of roughly 14,000, between Baton Rouge and Zachary to the north, was incorporated on Dec. 27, 1944, by a proclamation of then-Gov. James H. Davis. ZACHARY — This growing city in northern East Baton Rouge Parish boasts its own school system in a community that offers charm, fellowship and progress. CENTRAL — Central, which incorporated in 2005, took control of its public services last year from East Baton Rouge Parish and continues to grow into its role as an independent city. CENTRAL — Louisiana’s newest school district, the Central Community school system, is growing so fast that school and community officials are scrambling to keep up. PORT ALLEN – Located across the Mississippi River bridge from Baton Rouge, West Baton Rouge Parish is Louisiana’s smallest parish in land area at 191.2 square miles. PORT ALLEN — The West Baton Rouge Parish Library is a one-stop shop hosting a wide range of educational and community service events this summer. PORT ALLEN — The city of Port Allen has come a long way since its incorporation as a city in 1916. It has grown and prospered while maintaining its small-town character. If heritage, culture and enrichment are what you seek, look no further. One needn’t travel far from West Baton Rouge Parish to experience those things. Sugarcane fields and the sugar industry are a vital part of West Baton Rouge Parish’s history, and what better way to celebrate it than with a festival? GONZALES — Ascension Parish, like the jambalaya for which it is famous, is an interesting mix of ingredients. Within its 300 square miles, the parish contains thriving petrochemical plants, antebellum plantations, vast swamps, woodlands, farms, long-established neighborhoods and upscale suburban subdivisions. GONZALES — By recent estimates, the city’s population popped about the 10,000 market this year. Already a center for community and commercial activities in East Ascension Parish, Gonzales is adding to the recreational, arts and shopping attractions already available. Sometimes – especially in south Louisiana – there are unique places in communities that are hiding in plain site. They’re the attractions tourists might revel in, while others pass them by. There’s nothing like the “oompa oompa” of a parade to keep the kiddies happy and bring communities together. In Ascension Parish, there are a few that residents look forward to all year long. On any given day in downtown Donaldsonville, there is much to satisfy the senses: food to eat, areas to stroll, history to learn, music to hear and artwork to see. The good thing about this quaint city – on La. 1 south of the interstate, between Baton Rouge and New Orleans – is that no special occasion is necessary to indulge in the city’s charms. Livingston has been one of Louisiana’s fastest-growing parishes in recent years. Growth increased even more dramatically after Hurricane Katrina in 2005. The latest U.S. Census Bureau figures show the parish with a population of 120,256 people. Nestled in the pine forests north of Livingston is a place where physics comes alive through hands-on experiments and activities. Kim and Al Bye are part of a diverse group. As members of the Denham Springs Antique Merchants Association, they are helping keep the Denham Springs Antique Village alive and well. The village, which encompasses about three blocks in the old part of the city, features about 30 businesses offering more than just antiques. Livingston Parish knows how to have good, hometown fun. The parish boasts several festivals dedicated to family and its heritage. From the southern charm in Albany to the economic boomtown of Denham Springs, Livingston Parish has a festival for everyone. The Amite River is home to one of the most fun water adventures — tubing. Tubing is sitting on a giant inner tube and floating down the river. It requires no skill, just a fun and relaxed attitude. Best of all, you don’t have to know how to swim. Tiki Tubing was founded by owner John Fore. Tangipahoa Parish was named for the Tangipahoa Indians, who lived in the area when the French originally settled Louisiana. Tangipahoa is believed to be the Choctaw Indian word for “ear of corn” or “cornstalk.” Tangipahoa is also the name of the scenic river that feeds into Lake Pontchartrain and the name of a village of 764 residents along U.S. 51. HAMMOND — Hammond has always been a place at the crossroads of commerce in southeast Louisiana, a city where railroads run, major highways intersect and the past always has its place. Aug. 2: Hot August Night – Downtown Hammond. 6 p.m.-10 p.m. An evening of art, music, wine tasting, shopping and food. GREENSBURG — St. Helena Parish is a place still apart from the suburban and city life to its south, a parish of 268,000 acres with an estimated 10,546 people in 2008. June 20: Textiles on the Plantation – Audubon State Historic Site. 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Demonstration on the use of the plantation’s original weaving loom. East and West Feliciana parishes are known for much more than artist John James Audubon’s two favorite places to watch birds. Just a short drive north up U.S. 61 into an area dotted with plantation homes and gardens is a place where antique enthusiasts can get their fix away from the big city. ST. FRANCISVILLE — Rosedown Plantation State Historic Site offers the next in its monthly series of “Lost Arts of the Nineteenth Century” demonstrations on June 20. The music, customs and food of Lafayette and the surrounding area are strongly influenced by French-speaking Creoles and the French Acadians who settled here. Data on individual schools is in the Louisiana School Directory, found at libraries and online at http://www.doe.state. la.us/lde/directory/home.html. The city is served by the following two public universities and two two-year colleges: Louisiana is home to some of the most respected products locally, nationally and internationally. From candy to Cajun cooking products to coffee, Louisiana has a variety of home-grown treasures. From storefront chapels to mega churches, Baton Rouge houses of worship come in many styles. And in the city of the Rev. Jimmy Swaggart, faith comes in many varieties. |
