Shreveport, Louisiana

Art scenes seem to emerge from a convergence of circumstances. Economic and social struggles mixed with close-knit communities. Cultural depth is reinforced by inexpensive living and workspaces. 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, a historic, blighted area on the edge of Ledbetter Heights, Shreveport's oldest neighborhood. Money is pouring in to support the 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.

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 have invested in bringing new businesses to the but it has been slow going relative to other "hot" southern cities like Dallas, Austin, and OKC.

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 the Shreveport area check out the calendar of events.

We highly recommend visiting Shreveport 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.

Southern cities have exploded on the back of low cost of living and warm climates. Shreveport has both of those things but hasn't yet had its boom. If you're looking for a city that still has a lot of upside (Austin ain't getting any cheaper), then this could be your spot. Particularly we think if art and the art community is your thing.