Just returned from my first visit to BR (New Orleans, Baton Rouge: relocation, houses)

[Len-NJ]

Not long ago I posted asking for advice on things to see and do during our first trip to Baton Rouge as my boyfriend and I are considering the area for relocation and wanted to thank everyone for their advice and share my thoughts.


LIKES
· The people were absolutely amazing, so nice and willing to offer help/advice. The director of Albertsons on College Dr spent a half hour talking to us, he brought me back into the seafood shop to show me live crawfish and picked out a Cajun seasoning blend for us to take home.
· Though BR is quite large, it was easy to get around. The traffic was non-existent even during afternoon commutes compared to what we’re use to and drivers were so much more considerate than we’ve ever experienced.
· The casual atmosphere – everywhere we went, we felt like we fit in OK and were very comfortable.
· The abundance of restaurants/bars to choose from and live music to check out (except no restaurants in the whole state serving one of our faves – Portuguese cuisine).
· The shopping available – was told that an additional 60 stores were set to open at the mall.
· Drive-through crawfish stands!
· The unbelievable growth occurring in the area, appears to be a much smarter relo option compared to New Orleans, which is where the BF wants to move (he’s starting come around).
· Easy 80 minute commute to NO.


NOT SO MUCH LIKES
· The newer subdivisions – houses were too close together with small backyards, we would probably prefer an older property with more space between homes and more of a neighborhood feel.
· I knew that LSU was really big but…wow
· The summers – mostly worried about my elderly mom who I’d like to bring down with me, though she’s originally from Brazil and familiar with the humidity – she now has a pacemaker and is scared the extreme heat will cause health issues.


PLACES WE TRIED
· Chimes (LSU location), the BEST gumbo we’ve ever had (duck/sausage)
· Louie’s, great biscuits and entertaining cooks
· Boutin’s, we just had boiled crawfish at the bar which were a bit bland but I liked the casual atmosphere and the turtles out back
· Mike Anderson’s, was very busy but the roasted oysters and fish chips & dip were amazing
· Heads & Tails, very friendly service and good po boys
· TJ Ribs, we love BBQ and wanted to see what the best that BR had to offer was like – this was the absolute worst BBQ we’ve ever had…sorry
· Teddy’s Juke Joint – blues club in Zachary, the food was not so good but the music was great as was Teddy!


I’ll be returning for a few days at the end of October for another look around and will try to visit the Bluebonnet swamp and maybe the BR state fair which will be taking place then.


Below are a few pics from my trip

[darylwi]

Nice pictures.

I'm glad you had a somewhat favorable impression of Baton Rouge. I don't pretend to think it's perfect, but it beats plenty of other locations. One thing this city has plenty of is good restaurants (not to belittle NOLA at all because NOLA is even better), hell it's a statewide problem here. lol.
Remember that down here, your house will have A/C and almost every place you can think of has some form of A/C, unlike some places up north where some places are lucky to have a window unit. But I understand because yall don't have the 7-8 month summers like we have. Speaking of, it's getting toasty out there now. And that's hard to believe because it was in the 60s up in north louisiana yesterday and it's 82-85 down here. I'm always ready for warm weather, but not the oppressive heat that comes with summer.
If you come in October, definitely try to plan around a LSU football game (even if it's just to experience the tailgating). That's an event in itself. The Voodoo Music fest is usually late in October or close to there. There's the Renaissance Festival in Hammond in November usually. The weather starts to cool off a little in October, more so by late November. I was hoping for a cold winter this season, but it looks like we missed out.
Don't underestimate the easy commute to NOLA. Traffic can be really tricky on the I-10 some days. As long as you're prepared and flexible, it shouldn't be a problem. You'll come to learn US 61 and River Road real quick. It would be awesome if they were to ever build that high speed rail line between BTR and NOLA. I guarantee I'd be down there more then.

Anyway, glad you enjoyed your visit. I'm hoping to get back up around NYC and/or Boston this next Christmas. Hope I have just as favorable an experience. Let us know the next time you come and I'm sure all of us on here can help you out with what's going on festival and entertainment wise.

[Caa]

I loved th OP comments! Baton Rouge is the best city I have lived in. I came from Southwest Florida and was thinking that all people and places were as bad as that area I came from. The people in Florida are downright rude and mean! I saw people shooting birda at each other on a daily basis! I agree about the food as well. I think Boutin's has great crawfish, but I guess it was bland when you went. I love the weather here. To me, we do not have 8 month summers, Florida had that! I think the "change of seasons" here is really nice! Florida was hot and sticky 11 and 1/2 months ut of the year. I do not think that about Louisiana at all, I think it has cool weather starting in late September, but then again, I am from the Florida south. I love it here as does my husband and little girl. Good Luck and remember, you may one day see a rest with the food you really want!

[Gil3]

Len,

I'm glad you found BR to be welcoming. I was born in N.O. and lived in both cities. I haven't lived in the area for 20 years, but I do get back and visit when I can. It's amazing how the city has changed and grown within that period of time.

When I did live there, I did enjoy the food, but took it for granted. Now when I do visit, La., I savor it like there is no tommorrow. As for Gumbo, you will more than likely try it other places or at someone's home. It's one of those dishes that no one person makes the same. I will always maintain my mom's is the best, however I have also tried to find a decent "Lousisana style" restaurant here in the NE, but to no avail. There is no place like home, and that goes for cooking as well. If you do decide on BR, then welcome and good luck.


As a side note, the trip to N.O. depends on a lot of things such as the time of day, location, etc. A lot of people from New Orleans who relocated to BR after Katrina managed to keep their jobs they had prior to the storm there, thus adding to the congestion on I-10 heading east out of town. Certain parts of town can also be hectic even on the weekends, but compared to PA and NJ, the drivers are much more civil here.