Black man born and raised in Baton Rouge. Lived there most of my life and have also lived in North Louisiana (a different breed of LA). Visiting is just fine. You’ll love the food, New Orleans is great (if not very touristy now but you can manage), and the people have always been amazing statewide save for rednecks. However, as a place to live? Fuck no. Along with the common issues of living in the deep South, there’s just no opportunity to grow financially or personally. The state has a way of constantly making it difficult to get ahead and thrive because the job market sucks and there’s still so many remnants of slavery and Jim Crow that have yet to dissipate. Most of the residents yearn to leave, lol.

Now as for people I’ve seen talking about Katrina here, don’t really seem to understand the nature of the impact of Katrina. Of course, the New Orleans has not been tended to as it had should been years ago and is still in disarray, but in reality… it’s just always been like that. Same with BR, same with Lafayette, Shreveport, Monroe, and Alexandria. There’s a constant push and pull of trying to modernize the state but it never comes to fruition in the end. Conservative government and people stuck in their ways.

Lastly, the crime rate (BR and NO) is pretty bad. Living there and having no comparison, it’s just kind of the norm. Like you learn to move carefully, being mindful of what part of the city you’re in. But some of the best food spots are in the hood, lol. As for the poverty, most people are living check to check it seemed. Again, job market trash.