Interested in Zwolle (Shreveport, Bossier City, Natchitoches: house, buying, movie theaters)

[laflood]

Can someone tell me a little about this area? My husband & I are contemplating moving somewhere warm and with water access. We prefer small towns but availability to health care and ammenities (not big time ammenities - groceries, drug stores, maybe a movie theatre, etc.) I am also interested in what you would think the "cons" of the area might be. I'm sure there are plenty of "pros" (and would like to hear them also) but if there are drawbacks to this area, what would they be?

Thanks in advance for any info you can share.

Lynne

[WillowRaven]

Lynn,
Hun Zwolle ain't much at all. The closest town would prolly be Many...Which doesn't have a lot but has plenty enough if that doesn't kick it for ya you can drive about 30-45 minutes to Leesville. Only reason I know the area somewhat is because my husband & I were station in Ft. Polk just on the other side of Leesville...HOWEVER If you do move there take the time to go just past Anacoco and stop at the lil' texaco in the Fork on the road just when you enter Leesville it's called Jack's All ya Need & It's all ya need *HUGZ*

Willow

[WendyW.]

My SIL is from Zwolle. I LOVE it there. It is itty bitty but great. And ditto what WillowRaven said. My husband is a contractor at Fort Polk. Beautiful area.

[DesireeLuna]

You can't go to Zwolle and not eat the hot tamales. Famous spicy fingerlickin' Zwolle hot tamales. I'm from northern Louisiana and I never knew tamales were Mexican food until I went to college. I thought hot tamales were from Zwolle.

[Morrigansway]

I'm from Zwolle...grew up here, and recently moved back here. Not much to it at all. A couple of convience stores...2 to be exact, a grocery store, Dairy Queen, 2 dollar stores, and the tamale factory. There's also Billy & Sissy's Diner....preety good food, but usually packed..being the only "restuarant" in town. Many is 10 miles away...2 grocery stores, a Wal-mart....and a hand full of privately owned stores. They do boast a McDonalds, Burger King, and a Pizza Hut. Converse is 12 miles north of Zwolle.....nothing there but the school and one gas station.

Forget the water....drought has the lake levels way down...has been for several years evidently. Most places that I remember having water as a kid...are now dry land.
They're redoing 171 thru here..making it a 4 lane from Leesville to Shreveport...and it's going around Zwolle....there's not much here now...but when they're done with that...there's gonna be even less.

The only good thing about Zwolle is that you're an hour to two hours away from Shreveport/Bossier City, Mansfield, Natchitoches, & Leesville....depending on which direction you want to go...those will also be your nearest movie theaters...and where'd you'd have to go if you wanted to do something "fun" that didn't involve a bar. But the tamales are really good.

[grndtikal]

I would have strong reservations about Zwolle. Watch the lake dry up or the grass grow. Try other small towns like Mansfield, Stonewall, Minden, Bossier. Just buy a boat and there is a like per week.

[Kurt]

I am considering buying some property on North Toledo Lake and would like to respond to those people who think you will not have any water. The lake is very low as we have been going through a drought cycle, but that is bound to change. Also, there is much talk of not letting the lake drop too much because there has been so much lakefront development, especially at mid-Lake and the South Lake. Golf course and subdivisions on the water going in and those people have clout. They want more stable levels to keep their property values up.

The lake used to have 172 feet elevation as its water mark. That may be permenantly reduced to 168 feet, but that still leaves plenty of water. At the present record low of 161 even the fishermen are complaining.

The lake will eventually come up and I believe be stabilized. It is so low now that there is no power being generated at the dam. That is a very rare situation.

Here is the kicker--because of the low water you can get some good deals on lakefront here, now. If you are a pessimist and have no vision, you will not buy. But the smart ones will. Even with a slight rise in water from these record low levels will put more water in the lake and enhance value.

This is some of the most beautiful courntry on earth. If you like to fish and hunt you are in paradise. Also, Toledo Bend is not a corps lake and you have few restrictions on your land. Hope you decide to move here and don't fret about the low lake level. The retirement boomers are really going to be moving in here in a few years. Get in on the ground floor.

[Kurt]

May I say that the doubters out there--the ones that said that Toledo Bend was drying up--should know the lake is up 2.5 feet from recent rains and is set to get more rain. Many--near Zwolle--had nearly a foot of rain last week. The El Nino is setting up and I expect more wet weather and an end to the drought. Yes, Virginia, there is hope for Zwolle as waterfront property!

[Kurt]

I have lot's of posts about this, but I just have to put it here, too. The drought cycle appears to be ending and Zwolle can be considered a laketown again. I saw lots of water gushing under the bridge towards the lake from the Zwolle area bayou when I was there on Dec. 31, after a healthy rain. The lake is filling and will back up to Zwolle soon. More rain has arrived since I left. Resort owners are rejoicing. Pray that this continues. Zwolle is not doomed to watching the grass grow in the lake! In fact, now is the time to buy the waterfront. Also, that four-lane highway between Many and Zwolle will be a corridor for growth. Just watch--from Nachitoches to Many and over to Toledo Bend Pendleton Bridge and up to Zwolle. I saw serveral new building projects underway and the higher water will boost the recreational growth. Mansfield will grow some, too. There is so much lignite mining and that will continue let us hope with environmental considerations.

[weldin6]

My Grand Parents lived in Zwolle in the big white house with columns on the main road coming into town. They have since died and someone else lives there now. They have the Zwolle Tamale festival there every year. Its a quiet town with a mexican population. My grand parents were Methodists. Short drive to Toledo Bend for fishing.