With a strong and diverse economy, being the hub of the state, and a thriving Cajun culture, Lafayette offers its residents a great place to live, work, and play as well as serves as an attractive place for new renters and homeowners to call home.
So, are you looking to move to Lafayette, LA? Then here are four things you need to know about Lafayette.
1. Get to know the Lafayette neighborhoods
As with any city big or small, you’re going to want to know the different areas of Lafayette. While you can and should enjoy the entire city, your surrounding community will have its own distinct flavor and lifestyle you will enjoy best.
For instance, Fernewood offers an upscale residential neighborhood with access to more than 100 retailers from major department stores to small, local boutiques as well as restaurants galore. Meanwhile, Oak Trace is a great place for the family with spacious backyards, mature trees, and close access to the nearby 33-acre Girard Park.
Click here to checkout and explore more of Lafayette’s great neighborhoods for yourself.
2. Lafayette’s Cajun Culture is thriving
To put it bluntly, Lafayette is the heart of America’s Cajun and Creole Culture from the colorful year-round events to the amazing foods for you to enjoy. For instance, while New Orleans is more well known for Mardi Gras, you cannot miss out on Lafayette’s Mardi Gras parades through town as well as massive krewes, or masked balls, where the elites are crowned kings and queens of Mardis Gras.
the more rural parts of the city can enjoy the traditional courir de Mardi Gras, where revelers young and old act as jester and beggar in order to collect ingredients for a collective gumbo shared that night.
3. More on that Cajun cuisine
When it comes to culture, food is a major portion that deserves a whole point of its own. Being the heart of Cajun culture, you need to know Lafayette’s food scene. Thankfully, Cajun Food Tours makes it easy to get started in exploring. This organization provides a variety of tour options to experience the Acadian flavors, from classic Cajun flavor options to an Acadian options from around the world.
But if you’re more of a DIY in your exploration of food, locals love hotspots such as Bon Temps Grill, The Cajun Table, and Prejean’s as some of the best places to get Cajun and Creole meals.
4. Enjoy the slow—and affordable—way of life in Lafayette
We’re not exaggerating when we say Lafayette is the best place to live in Louisiana. According to U.S. News & World Report, Lafayette earned this top spot thanks to its relatively high quality of life, friendly people, desirability, and value.
Speaking of value, Lafayette is definitely high on value. According to BestPlaces.net, which ranks various categories with 100 being the national average, overall Lafayette scores an 87.7 overall, with significant savings seen in housing. For example, the median home cost is under $160,000.
Now these are just a few things you should know about life in Lafayette, and a city this bustling with culture and community should best be experienced for yourself. Should you live in Lafayette already and want us to share something you think newcomers should know, please tell us in the comments below!
In the meantime, whether you’re looking to make Lafayette your new home or find yourself in need of some additional space while you’re there, click here to learn more about Lafayette self storage.
