Baton Rouge, Louisiana

Just up the Mississippi River from New Orleans, Baton Rouge is a city marching to the beat of its own drum. Cajun and Creole influences (Baton Rouge likes to eat) combine with a good dose of southern charm to create a city that’s uniquely Louisiana.

This amazing food and charm come with swampy summers, hurricanes, and traffic (the population grew by nearly a third after Hurricane Katrina).

We highly recommend visiting Baton Rouge and staying in the community in a VRBO rather than a hotel to get a feel for what it's like to live among the locals. You can receive discounted fares on travel via our partnership with Expedia as well.

Baton Rouge’s downtown is compact and walkable. You can jog along the banks of the Mississippi and watch the sunrise along the iconic river.

The Garden District, if you can afford it, is nice, with some good restaurants, cafes, and supermarkets like Trader Joe's and full of young professionals. Similar is Capital Heights and Southdowns. Oak Hills and Quail Ridge are pretty much a straight shot to LSU. Turnberry is up and coming. Lots of LSU professors live in Kenilworth (older demographic) as it’s out of the college bubble (quiet) but 15 minutes from campus.

Otherwise, almost anywhere in Baton Rouge is 30 minutes away. You can just embrace the traffic & live a little further out.

The Acadian Style is common in BR— This American style originated in homes built by Acadian settlers to Louisiana. A hallmark of the style is a high-pitched roof, which typically contains a loft. A hybridized variation of this style was popular in the Baton Rouge area in the 1990s – 2000’s as an alternative to the traditional style of the 1970s. While no longer single-room homes, these modern hybrids typically exhibit open floor plans. Found in Woodstone, Woodgate, Oak Hills, and throughout the area.

Cottage / Bungalow–The style, often called the California Bungalow, can be found in the Garden District, Capital Heights & Southdowns.

French Provincial design had its origins in the style of rural manor homes, or chateaus, built by the French nobles New construction was found in University Club, Lakes at Highland and Lexington Estates.

If you want to see what Baton Rouge locals do for fun and culture, check out the calendar of events.

We highly recommend visiting Baton Rouge and staying in the community in a VRBO rather than a hotel to get a feel for what it's like to live among the locals. You can receive discounted fares on travel via our partnership with Expedia as well.

If you love a tailgate, Cajun food and a Creole vibe and want all that for a heck of a lot less than in New Orleans check out Baton Rouge. The city has its challenges but given housing prices and the opportunity for savings while still experiencing some of the best of what Louisiana has to offer you should take a look.