About Baton Rouge

Baton Rouge is the capital of Louisiana.  Baton Rouge is historically the second largest city in Louisiana behind New Orleans but the effects of Hurricane Katrina have, at least temporarily, reduced the population of New Orleans such that Baton Rouge is larger than New Orleans. On August 29, 2005, Baton Rouge was heavily impacted by Hurricane Katrina. Although the damage was relatively minor compared to New Orleans (generally light to moderate except for fallen trees), Baton Rouge experienced power outages and service disruptions due to the hurricane.

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History

Baton Rouge’s earliest inhabitants were Native American tribes, possibly dating back as far as 8000 B.C. A pair of grassy burial mounds located on the campus of Louisiana State University serve as a reminder of these cultures. Hernando de Soto, a Spaniard searching for gold in the 1500s, was one of the first European explorers to enter the region. A century passed before the French fur trader René-Robert Cavelier (Sieur de La Salle) rediscovered the area in 1682, claiming it for France and naming it Louisiana in honor of King Louis XIV.

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Fast Facts

Population

City: 430,812

Metro: 790,037

Area:  79.1 sq mi

Parish:   East Baton Rouge Parish

Nickname: “Red Stick”

Median income: $30,368

Sales Tax Rate:  9.0%

Climate

By Car

Downtown is set up on a reasonably organized grid, but having a map in the car never hurt anyone, especially if you end up in one of the areas where the streets seem to meander aimlessly.

Interstate 10 connects Baton Rouge with New Orleans, about 80 miles away southeast.  I-10 is the major highway connecting the city to the rest of the country

Major Highways
East and West – Interstate 10, Interstate 12, U.S. Hwy. 190
North and South – Interstate 110, Interstate 55 (to the east), U.S. Hwy. 61, LA Hwy. 1

Voter Registration

7701 Independence Blvd.
Baton Rouge, LA 70806
389-3940

Public Transportation

Capital Area Transit System (CATS)
2250 Florida Boulevard
Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70802
(225) 389-8282
www.brcats.com

CATS is the area bus system in Baton Rouge.  The website has schedules and maps for all of the routes.  Coverage is pretty comprehensive, especially within city limits.  Fare is $1.75, children under 5 ride free.  You must have exact change.  Transfers cost 25 cents.  Most buses have free bike racks to use, but you must be certified by CATS to be allowed to use them, so if you’re planning on biking and riding, it’s best to call them up and take care of it.  Service is limited or non-existent on holidays.

Air Transportation

Baton Rouge Metropolitan Airport
9430 Jackie Cochran Dr # 300
Baton Rouge, 70807
(225) 355-0333
www.flybtr.com

The Baton Rouge airport is small, especially for a city of its size.  It does offer nonstop flights to major US cities, especially on the east coast.  For greater flight selection, including international flights, most people look to New Orleans’ Armstrong International Airport.  The airport is 4 miles north of downtown Baton Rouge.

Television

Radio

Newspapers

The Advocate
P.O. Box 588
Baton Rouge, LA  70821-0588
(225) 383-1111
www.2theadvocate.com

The major daily newspaper in Baton Rouge.

Greater Baton Rouge Business Report
445 North Blvd., Suite 210
Baton Rouge,  LA 70802
(225) 928-1700
www.businessreport.com

A weekly business newspaper.

Local Cusine

To de-mystify some of the restaurant menus and grocery store shelves, here’s a glossary you might find helpful:

Andouille (ahn doo’ ee): A spicy pork sausage mostly used in gumbo and jambalaya.

Beignet (ben yay’): Almost a doughnut, but these are light, square, have no hole in the middle, and are covered with powdered sugar. You want to try one? Three words then: Cafe Du Monde.

Boudin (boo dan’): A spicy pork sausage filled with onions, cooked rice, and herbs. It’s a favorite ingredient of New Orleans cooking superstar Emeril Lagasse.

Chicory (chick’ o ree): An endive-like root roasted, ground, and used to flavor coffee. You won’t have to go far to find a cup of chicory-flavored coffee in New Orleans. The most famous cup of this unique blend is at Cafe Du Monde, but other local coffeehouses also serve the local staple.

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The Outdoors

BREC
Recreation and Park Commission
3140 N. Sherwood Forest Boulevard
Baton Rouge, LA 70814
(225) 272-9200

The Recreation and Park Commission for the Parish of East Baton Rouge as created by a State Legislative Act in 1946 as a separate and distinct body whose purpose is to develop, maintain and operate public park and recreational properties and facilities for all the people in East Baton Rouge Parish. BREC is a political subdivision of the State of Louisiana and does not operate under the City-Parish Government. Programs, facilities and services of BREC are available to all citizens regardless of race, color, national origin, sex, age or disability.  Unless otherwise indicated, all following facilities and parks are in Baton Rouge, and all area codes are 225. For more information, visit the BREC website.

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Shopping

Mall of Louisiana
6401 Bluebonnet Boulevard
Baton Rouge, LA 70836
(225) 761-7228

The Mall of Louisiana houses over 150 fabulous stores, including Abercrombie & Fitch, Lee Michaels, Discovery Channel, Johnston & Murphy, Pier One Imports, Victoria’s Secret, Williams-Sonoma, Dillard’s, Banana Republic, Bebe, and Express, five eateries, a food court, and a carousel.

Towne Center at Cedar Lodge
7425 Corporate Boulevard
Baton Rouge, LA 70809
(225) 925-2344

Eateries including Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse and Wine Bar and Whole Foods Market and stores such as BabyGap, Talbots, and White House/Black Market are what you will find in this open-air marketplace.

Museums

Baton Rouge Symphony
P.O. Box 14209
Baton Rouge, LA 70898
(225) 383-0500
www.brso.org

The Baton Rouge Symphony is Louisiana’s oldest, continuously performing orchestra. They offer several orchestral and chamber concerts per year via special events and series.

BREC’s Baton Rouge Gallery
1442 City Park Avenue
Baton Rouge, LA
(225) 383-1470
www.brec.org

The area’s oldest contemporary arts gallery and cultural center, is proud to offer contemporary exhibitions to the community. The Gallery also offers special performances and a weekly spoken word program. Art exhibitions at the Gallery feature current works of its artist members.

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Education

Community Colleges
Community colleges exist for two major purposes. The first is to serve as a bridge from high school to college by providing courses for transfer toward a bachelor’s degree. Four out of 10 college bound high-school graduates start their college education this way.

The second function of community colleges is to prepare students for the job market by offering entry-level career training as well as courses for adult students who want to upgrade their skills for the workplace. They often offer programs that are not available at four-year schools, like fashion design.

Liberal Arts Colleges
Liberal arts colleges offer a broad base of courses in the humanities, social sciences, and sciences. Most are private and focus mainly on undergraduate students. Classes tend to be small and personal attention is available.

Online Learning
Recent years have witnessed the rise of online degree programs, to allow the busy professional a chance to work at their own pace from the comfort of their home on the path to getting a degree. The costs to students are typically the same as for traditional classes— and financial aid is equally available—while the cost to the institution can be much less.

There are online universities ranging from legitimate distance learning systems to fly-by-night degree-mills. It’s important to research a particular institution before deciding to enroll in their system. Generally, brick-and-mortar schools that also offer online classes are the safest, though there are plenty of fully accredited online universities out there.

Nearly 3 million students are believed to be taking online classes at institutions of higher education in the United States this year. That number has been growing about 25% a year recently. Now, virtually all public higher education institutions, as well as a vast majority of private, for-profit institutions, now offer online classes. By contrast, only about half of private, nonprofit schools offer them. Online schools offer everything from Associate’s degrees to Doctoral programs with available emphases in everything from Business Administration to Criminal Justice to Nursing. Some programs require students to attend some campus classes or orientations, but many are delivered completely online. Online courses generally require a computer with a broadband connection, but are now a serious option for the busy professional.

Public vs. Private
Public colleges are usually less expensive, particularly for in-state residents. They get most of their money from the state or local government. Private colleges rely on tuition, fees, endowments, and other private sources. Private colleges are usually smaller and can offer more personalized attention and often more prestige.

Universities

Generally, a university is bigger than a college and offers more majors and research facilities. Class size often reflects institutional size and some classes may taught by graduate students.

Upper Division
Upper-division schools offer the last two years of undergraduate study, usually in specialized programs leading to a bachelor’s degree. Students then generally transfer to an upper-division college after completing an associate degree or after finishing a second year of study at a four-year college.

Higher Education
Baton Rouge Community College
5310 Florida Boulevard
Baton Rouge, LA 70806
(225) 216-8000
www.mybrcc.edu

Louisiana State University
110 Thomas Boyd Hall
Baton Rouge, LA 70803
(225) 578-1175
www.lsu.edu

Southern University and A&M College
Baton Rouge, LA 70813
(225) 771-4500
www.subr.edu

Public Schools

East Baton Rouge Parish School System (EBRPSS)
1050 S. Foster Drive
Baton Rouge, LA 70806
(225) 922-5400

East Baton Rouge Parish Public Schools, the city’s school district, is one of the area’s largest school districts. EBRPS contains approximately 90 individual schools: 56 elementary schools, 16 middle schools, and 18 high schools.