Shreveport, Louisiana

Art scenes seem to emerge from a convergence of circumstances. Economic and social struggles mixed with close-knit communities. Cultural depth reinforced by inexpensive living and work spaces. Shreveport meets a lot of these criteria and as a result one of the things you hear from newcomers is how vibrant the arts scene is here. If you’re a struggling and/or aspiring artist looking for a new town check out the Shreveport Common first https://www.shreveportcommon.com/. A historic, blighted area on the edge of Ledbetter Heights, Shreveport oldest neighborhood. Money is pouring in to support historic preservation of this district to provide spaces for artists/creatives to live/work and show and generally be in a community of fellow artists.

Here's a recent transplant's point of view on living in Shreveport:
I think the best part about living in Shreveport for me is the sheer amount of stuff to do. I moved here from a small town about an hour and a half away and there wasn’t a lot to do there. My favorite aspects about Shreveport is the artistic community. I am just getting involved, but I am loving it so far. There are festivals, museums, and all sorts of things!

For more reviews of what living in Shreveport is like from locals check out: The Buzz

Shreveport is an old money southern town but the industries that money was made from never quite cracked the code on generating broad economic prosperity and so you got economic inequality and population declines. The city and area has invested in bringing new businesses to the but its been slow going relative to other "hot" southern cities like Dallas, and Austin and OKC.

Here's a locals pov on the economic situation here vs. other southern cities:
It is painful to watch all these other Southern states get massive car and battery factories while we fumble around. We've got a major and modern port, two interstates, and a ton of rail access. We have large and cheap population of workers. But somehow GA, TN, and AL are all killing us. The people that own the GM plant are finally making a real effort to get it sold, so that's good. Jindal crippled our film industry and let GA make those billions, but real efforts are being made to get it back. Small businesses are good, but we need a mix of local and large out-of-town to build a sustainable economy.

Shreveport is at the corner of Louisiana, Texas and Arkansas and the city has picked up characteristics of each state’s culture. The food scene rivals that of southern Louisiana (which some consider the best in the U.S.), and a lot of social interaction occurs in front of a plate here. The outstanding outdoor recreation opportunities in the area might remind you more of Arkansas, and also spark much of the social scene, with everything from kayaking and cycling to hunting and fishing being popular. Sports are also big in Shreveport, as they are in Texas and most of the south, but the divide between local Dallas Cowboys and New Orleans Saints fans can lead to some interesting rivalries after church on Sundays.

If you want to see what locals get up to in Shreveport area check out the calendar of events: https://www.sbfunguide.com/events/