The second-largest city in Louisiana and state capital, Baton Rouge is best known for its Cajun restaurants and Louisiana State University. The downtown of the city has regular weekend events and concerts and the sports culture centered around the LSU Tigers is infectious. Outlying communities have good, safe schools, both public and private.
Despite Katrina and the long and painful recovery process, New Orleans has something about it that can't really be rivaled in any major American city. It's something about the history, the unique beauty of the architecture. With some of the finest art boutiques and displays of Louisiana culture, New Orleans is a city to seriously consider moving to. With all the city's amenities -- the professional sports teams, Mardi Gras, a wide gamut of restaurants and music -- even the downsides of New Orleans, like the heat and crime, fade into the background.
In the northwestern part of the state, Shreveport-Bossier has become a popular and unique town. Calling itself "Louisiana's other side," there's a mix of Cajun culture and East Texan cowboy heritage. This is evident in the area's music -- bluegrass, country and folk -- and gambling, with numerous casinos within the city limits. With rose gardens and a thriving local arts scene, Shreveport is as unique as its counterpart cities just to the south, yet smaller and a bit more intimate.
