I
see a lot of talk about #Louisiana ranking
lowest among the states in various national rankings. It is far from perfect,
and it is hard for many people, but it was many wonderful features too: it is
wonderfully culturally and racially diverse, a dollar goes a long way, and the
cultural gumbo is unique. Here is a short list of what I love about the state.
(1)
Diversity
– 2nd highest percentage of African Americans of any state. Our
three largest cities have black women as mayors (let me know when your state does
that.) Spanish, Native and French influences abound and there are large
Honduran and Vietnamese populations as well. https://www.roadsnacks.net/most-african-american-states-in-america/
(2)
Affordability
– you can buy a house cheap (one of the top 10 states for that). My five
bedroom, with a pool, and big front and backyards cost less than my brother's one
bedroom apartment in Queens. Wish it was easier for the poor to move up, but middle
class life here is pretty good in terms of affordable houses. https://www.businessinsider.com/cost-to-buy-a-house-in-every-state-ranked-2018-8#40-nebraska-12
(3)
Louisiana is one of the friendliest states
(#12). I am still shocked as a New Yorker that people let me borrow their
truck, and help me change a flat, and are genuinely kind to strangers. “Oh darling,
how can I help you?” is not an uncommon refrain. Southern hospitality is a real
thing https://bigseventravel.com/2019/08/the-50-friendliest-states-in-america/
(4)
Louisiana
is one of the most fun states. Ranking probably goes up if you like to drink.
New Orleans is Disney World for adults. Mardi Gras is amazing and ridiculously
fun if you do it right – as locals do
(5)
Great
food – The seafood is amazing as is crawfish season, king cake, etc. Ranking probably
goes down if you are vegan, or vegetarian as I was (now pescatarian) – you can still
get fat. Many people live off the land eating deer, alligator, duck, crawfish,
squirrel, feral hog etc. #4 in this
ranking of states: https://www.thrillist.com/eat/nation/every-state-ranked-by-its-food-drink
(6)
Great
music: New Orleans Jazz, Zydeco, Cajun, etc. Louis Armstrong to Lead Belly, Buckwheat
Zydeco to BeauSoleil. There are always festivals and free
concerts, Cajun dances to Blues and Jazz Fests, and I love that people really love
to dance here. https://www.deep-south-usa.com/louisiana/music
(7)
The
weather: okay it gets ridiculously hot in the summer which is six months long,
but hey – no shoveling snow, your car lasts a lot longer without all that salt
on the road. You can sit outside in December; you don’t need a big winter coat
or furry boots. I love snow, but I also like an extended Fall. This list agrees
with me. https://medium.com/thrive-global/top-us-states-with-the-best-climate-year-round-c2d71225e629
(8)
Big Water
– you got the Gulf of Mexico and the Mississippi – bayous and bays. I love
that I can be so close to so much water – yes, sometimes too much water. There
is really something about paddling through a nice bayou.
(9) Mystery - Where else in the U.S. can you feel like voodoo and magic might be real; where they give ghost tours (in earnest) and talk about vampires and the "rougaroo." There are some amazing storytellers here and everything feels possible. People who need to escape their past often claim they are from Louisiana (e.g. Henry Morton Stanley, John James Audubon, Paul Belloni Du Chaillu, Tommy Wiseau). It's easy to fit in because everyone can belong here.
I’ve
lived in Montreal, Arlington, Ann Arbor and I grew up in New York City. None of
those places are perfect, and I love features of all of them, but I have a hard
time thinking of ever leaving Louisiana. There is a reason it has the highest
rate of philopatry (4 out of 5 residents
were born in the state) https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2014/08/13/upshot/where-people-in-each-state-were-born.html
Yes,
I know there is lots of bad too, but I think the state gets better every year. I
know lots of people trying to make it better and I know they will succeed. This
post is just a reminder there is lots to love about living here.
