Lafayette was a dump (New Orleans, Baton Rouge: live, farmers market, Walmart)

[Innotech]

Originally Posted by WestbankNOLA

Baton Rouge and New Orleans don't look too bad from I-10 IMO.

they dont, but they are also built up around the interstate directly. Lafayette isnt at all.

[LOUISIANA'SLEGEND]

Maaaaan, speak fo' yo dog gonne self, Monroe, LA is lysol clean on the interstate, disinfecting all the rumors of all Louisiana cities looking rough. Just hold your nose for 6 secs when passing the Stella/Mills exits in West Monroe, LA. lol. Since I been reading these threads I really been studying and paying much attention to my own city wondering what the tourist will say. I feel like we would be in good standing, overall that is. I say that because, of course we have our "dumpy" sections also, but overall.....like I always say, Monroe is "BUTTERY"......BABY!!!

[hdwell]

Monroe/West Monroe does look clean and nice along the interstate. Maybe not every square inch but close enough. Ruston looks pretty good. Bossier could look better but Shreveport looks awful. Weeds and dirty roads, businesses that should have a big fence surrounding them. So many abandoned buildings and urban decay. I know all cities have those things but a city doesn't have to display filth along its interstate highways. I wonder often what people think when they first encounter Shreveport? They must think that only lazy, dirty types live around here. It doesn't seem to bother the locals at all. What kind of pride is present when you see this? I only see people who say "I love it here; it's my home" but don't really care about how it looks. This means they really don't like it here after all, it is all BS.

[Innotech]

Originally Posted by LOUISIANA'SLEGEND

Maaaaan, speak fo' yo dog gonne self, Monroe, LA is lysol clean on the interstate, disinfecting all the rumors of all Louisiana cities looking rough. Just hold your nose for 6 secs when passing the Stella/Mills exits in West Monroe, LA. lol. Since I been reading these threads I really been studying and paying much attention to my own city wondering what the tourist will say. I feel like we would be in good standing, overall that is. I say that because, of course we have our "dumpy" sections also, but overall.....like I always say, Monroe is "BUTTERY"......BABY!!!

Im curious to see pictures of these "buttery" parts of Monroe.

[LOUISIANA'SLEGEND]

Originally Posted by hdwell

Monroe/West Monroe does look clean and nice along the interstate. Maybe not every square inch but close enough. Ruston looks pretty good. Bossier could look better but Shreveport looks awful. Weeds and dirty roads, businesses that should have a big fence surrounding them. So many abandoned buildings and urban decay. I know all cities have those things but a city doesn't have to display filth along its interstate highways. I wonder often what people think when they first encounter Shreveport? They must think that only lazy, dirty types live around here. It doesn't seem to bother the locals at all. What kind of pride is present when you see this? I only see people who say "I love it here; it's my home" but don't really care about how it looks. This means they really don't like it here after all, it is all BS.

When I pass thru Shreveport, I say "wow" as I always have. Everytime I come to Shreveport or Bossier, theres a new addition to the downtown areas. The Convention Center, additions to that court house and the hilton hotel were all constructed In the last 4 years if im not mistaken. Thats super fast, and I may be off a little maybe 3 years. Shreveport/Bossier is a site to see off the interstate, most people are shocked that Northern Louisiana has such a place of commerce and such happenings like in Shreveport/Bossier.

Matter of fact, The person that wrote this thread were to write this about Shreveport, it would have been the exact opposite(If im correct, that person knows the area pretty well)

Along the interstate of I-20 thru Shreveport/Bossier, you would think the city is so amazing and vibrant just passing through, as i did for so many years. You have to go into the inner core of Shreveport to call it a dump, from my own individual opinion. It wasnt until I actually moved there for a while and saw what many residents have been saying for years, terrible crime. I cant even talk about all the explicit things I saw there crime wise, but it changed my life and made me appreciate Monroe, LA alot better because of that.

Im not sure if hdwell had a similar effect, but whenever I came home from Shreveport/Bossier, I had a sense of comfort, like I can take a fresh breathe of air, it seemed so much cleaner and pure after leaving Shreveport. I almost say that after I leaving bigger, busy, crowded, clustered city in Louisiana. Its reasons such as that, why I speak so sweetly about Monroe, LA. The place is just so ........."awhhhhh, feel so good". Monroe is like the baby bear from Goldielocks & The 3 Bears. New Orleans is Papa bear, toss up Shreveport or Baton Rouge for Mama Bear, but hands down like Baby Bear, Monroe its jussstt riiighhht!

Alot can be said about I-20 cities and towns, but one thing I can say is we are not dumpy along the highway. Its more natural looking and the cities and towns are pretty decent along hwy especially............

Monroe, LA..........the "awhhhh, feel so good"city of Louisiana. Let the forum all say Amen. (write what you want, but secretly, yall, know yall love it. Just email me and I'll give you a list of things to see and so when u come to the "awhhhh, feel so good" city of Louisiana)

[MetroBTR]

^^lol at the above statement. I am thorougly convinced that Louisiana's Legend is some ******* in Lafayette or something just trying to make people from Monroe look wierd and out of touch.

[20yrsinBranson]

Originally Posted by imaterry78259

I am so disappointed during my visit to Lafayette. The city is a big dump. I thought the city was so cool and progressive. The city I saw was full of run down businesss and homes and industrial area. Downtown?????. I am truly disappointed

I've been to Lafayette, but it was many years ago. To me, the culture, and the food and the people MORE than make up for any negative quality that the city could possibly have. Sometimes "older" neighborhoods make people think they are run down just because they are not new and trendy. You can have an older neighborhood and an older business district that is well cared for. Just because something is not new does not mean that there is something wrong with it.

You cannot even begin to get the true character of a place unless you stay there for at least four or five days. It takes a day or two just to learn your way around and figure out where you want to go. My suggestion would be to go back and spend some time getting to know the area, the people and the culture. There is no way you can say anything BAD about it after that!

20yrsinBranson - but loves Louisiana

[LOUISIANA'SLEGEND]

Originally Posted by MetroBTR

^^lol at the above statement. I am thorougly convinced that Louisiana's Legend is some ******* in Lafayette or something just trying to make people from Monroe look wierd and out of touch.

I just couldnt quite make out what the "*******" means, but.......Im just taking advantage of an opportunity of plugging my city. Out of touch? Im "touching" basis on the fact that all Louisiana cities aren't a dump along the hwys. I could have said Alexandria, they built well along the interstate also, but I can speak alot more factual and actual on my on personal hometown.

Out of touch? No ones out of touch on city - data forum.com due to 18 pages thread about someone driving through the hood in a "specialty" city!!

[MetroBTR]

Originally Posted by LOUISIANA'SLEGEND

I just couldnt quite make out what the "*******" means, but.......Im just taking advantage of an opportunity of plugging my city. Out of touch? Im "touching" basis on the fact that all Louisiana cities aren't a dump along the hwys. I could have said Alexandria, they built well along the interstate also, but I can speak alot more factual and actual on my on personal hometown.

Out of touch? No ones out of touch on city - data forum.com due to 18 pages thread about someone driving through the hood in a "specialty" city!!

Dude, I think you need to refresh your memory. I implore you to go back and look at the last few statements. You know, the ones containing blue bolded text.

Like I said, wierd and out of touch.

[sailordave]

I've been to many cities around the world. In each and every city is a slum and a beautiful section with one exception, Monte Carlo. The road the OP entered Lafayette on was once the hub of commerce in our city. May businesses, strip malls, and a shopping mall were all located there. It was the one and only place to shop up until the 1980s when the Acadiana Mall opened. As customers moved towards that section of town, so did the businesses. There's a movement to try to redevelop the north area of Lafayette again but that won't really happen until the people who live in that area change their attitude of entitlement and criminal behavior. I hope someone opens a shopping mall between Carencro and Opelousas so I'll never again have to drive in the Northgate Mall area or Ambassador.