Julia-Claire Evans A problem of attraction

A problem of attraction

Convincing young professionals to call Baton Rouge home begins by actually welcoming them and breaking down the unspoken barriers

to access. BY JULIA-CLAIRE EVANS

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Julia-Claire Evans is a former Business Report writer who now lives in New Orleans working as a communications associate for the Conservation for the National Wildlife Federation. IF YOU’VE BEEN living in Baton Rouge for very long, chances are you know this city has a young people problem.

By a young people problem, I mean that the city has a hard time attracting and retaining young professionals between the ages of 25 and 40, an issue that’s echoed by organizations such as the Baton Rouge Area Chamber.

As a young professional and recent graduate of LSU, I am the only one in my group of friends who remained in Baton Rouge post-graduation to work. The only others still here were either trying to get into graduate schools and taking gap years or were completing fifth years of college. Now, almost everyone I know has left the city, and now I, too, have left for New Orleans.

So what is it about Baton Rouge that makes young people want to leave? And what is it about places like New Orleans or Lafayette that makes them want to stay?

When I talk to my friends from New Orleans and Lafayette, a lot of them fall back on the word “culture.” New Orleans and Lafayette just have more of it, they say. But, I ask, Baton Rouge has music festivals, parades and good food, all key to Louisiana’s culture, so what makes it different?

Their answer is that Baton Rouge doesn’t have nearly as much in the way of south Louisiana culture. For example, the city has festivals, like Blues Fest, but they don’t seem to be as celebrated throughout the community as events such as Festival International in Lafayette or Jazz Fest in New Orleans. The food here is incredible, but some would say the options don’t compare to Cajun food-rich Lafayette and New Orleans.

Then there are the issues that everyone recognizes, and the city acknowledges, but are taking a good bit of time to address.

For example, we know traffic is an issue. For my friends, leaving LSU’s campus to go to, say, Target on Siegen Lane, was considered a full-afternoon affair. Crime, too, was a big issue for many of my friends, even though it can be argued that crime in New Orleans is just as bad, if not worse.

For me, I think the issues run a bit deeper.

Speak to any outsider, any young family who has moved into Baton Rouge, and they’ll tell you it’s hard. For some reason, it’s difficult as a newcomer to break into Baton Rouge societal circles.

When I was 3, my family moved from the small Lafayette suburb of Youngsville to Baton Rouge. My parents enrolled me at St. Aloysius, where my mother taught, but stayed for only about three years.

It was hard for my parents, even after enrolling me at one of the largest Catholic elementary schools in the area. The people from Baton Rouge seemed to have an edge over everyone else, and it was challenging to break into their circles.

As for how exactly you break that trend, I’m not sure. It’s a cultural issue here in Baton Rouge that will change only when people want it to. I think the fact that the city has an issue retaining young people has a roundabout effect. As a result, many of Baton Rouge’s young people are from Baton Rouge, making it even more difficult to adjust as a new resident.

I also don’t think Baton Rouge does a great job marketing itself to its college students. For example, I didn’t know what BREC was and had never known about its parks until I was a senior in college. I had never been to a bar downtown unless it was for a college-sponsored event, and I had never shopped outside of near-campus stores and Perkins Rowe. Looking back, many of my friends had not, either.

I think the city and the university are disconnected when it comes to letting students know about community events and other attractions, like festivals. When sticking just to LSU’s campus, Baton Rouge just doesn’t seem as impressive, which I think is a reason a lot of students graduate and move—without really knowing what the city has to offer.

Lastly, I think a lot of young professionals move because of better jobs offered elsewhere. I wanted to work in a more environmental and coastal-related profession, and New Orleans affords greater opportunities in that area. My boyfriend recently graduated in electrical engineering and is going to graduate school for robotics, a field for which Baton Rouge offers almost no opportunities.

It’s not that Baton Rouge isn’t working on these issues. BRAC’s five-year plan is seemingly shaping up to address the majority of these points. The project’s goals include increasing the region’s young professional population by 5% while putting an

emphasis on diversifying economic opportunities.

But I think one of the most important aspects of the plan is enhancing the region’s livability. The primary goal is to boost positive perceptions of the Baton Rouge area by 20% by upgrading infrastructure, beautifying the city and rallying pride.

Upgrading infrastructure, as we all know, can and has taken time.

But I think rallying Baton Rouge pride is a big one. Residents of Lafayette and New Orleans are fiercely loyal to their respective cities. Bumper stickers dot cars and city flags decorate front yards, something virtually unheard of in Baton Rouge.

However, I can’t write this piece without mentioning the city’s wins. It has gotten better in recent years. The development of downtown has made the entryway to the city more attractive to both residents and visitors. The revitalization of Mid City Issue Date: july Ad proof #1 has made the area more colorful • Please respond by e-mail or fax with your approval or minor revisions. and dotted it with unique restau• AD WILL RUN AS IS unless approval or final revisions rants, boutiques and other great are received by the close of business today. • Additional revisions must be requested and may be subject to production fees. businesses. Carefully check this ad for: CORRECT ADDRESS • CORRECT PHONE NUMBER • ANY TYPOS

Restaurant groups have added flavor to the city’s growing food scene, and live music venues are making the city a larger music destination.

In order to retain more young people, the state’s capital city needs to face a hard fact: No matter how much organizations such as BRAC want the city to attract more outsiders, it won’t happen until businesses and residents make the necessary changes to allow it.

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