"Jambalaya Capital of the World"
Gonzales is a suburban city centered between Baton Rouge and New Orleans. It’s known as the "Jambalaya Capital of the World" because of its annual Jambalaya Festival, which has been a staple event here since 1968. Because of Gonzales’ proximity to two major cities, the area has seen a surge in growth over the last 20 years. “The city limits were recently expanded, so there’s been a lot of new development in Gonzales,” says Randy Simpson, Broker/Owner of Randy Simpson Realty, who’s been selling homes in the area for over 15 years.
Modern homes in suburbs or with larger lot sizes
The area features a mix of single-family homes on larger lot sizes and suburban subdivisions congregated along a traditional grid-structured layout. Modern contemporary houses are the most common style here and the median home age is only seven years old. Suburbs have sidewalks, streetlights and average-sized manicured lawns, while homes in more rural parts of Gonzales can sit on lot sizes up to 5 acres. Homes here stay on the market for about a month and typically sell for between $200,000 to $600,000.
Ascension Parish Public Schools earns good marks
Ascension Parish Public Schools serves the neighborhood’s students with well-rated schools. Kids may start at Gonzales Primary School, which gets a B-plus rating from Niche, before transitioning to Gonzales Middle School, which has a B. Students may then attend East Ascension High School, which also earns a B-plus grade and has a new building under construction that is expected to open in 2024. The new school will have 53 classrooms, science labs and a robotics lab.
Jambalaya Park and indoor attractions at Bayou Plaza
Jambalaya Park is a large municipal park in the city with a public pool, water splash play area, a playground and a fenced dog park. George Washington Carver Park has a large, multi-use sports field, a playground and a basketball court. There’s also Gonzales Municipal Park with baseball diamonds, tennis courts, a playground and a paved walking path. For indoor attractions, the nearby Bayou Plaza has a bowling alley and a movie theater.
Shopping centers, outlets and local businesses
A shopping center off Highway 61 has a Walmart Supercenter, Rouses Market and a Big Lots. Bayou Plaza is another nearby shopping center with CVS and Walgreens pharmacies, Lowe’s Home Improvement and PetSmart. Tanger Outlets Gonzales is located off Interstate 10 and offers a variety of niche retailers and boutiques. Cajun Catch Seafood Market & Deli is a local store that’s been selling locally sourced products for over 13 years. There are also popular local restaurants in Gonzales like Sahuayo Store and Restaurant with authentic Mexican dishes, as well as international goods in its connected grocery store. There’s also Mike’s Po-Boys, which has been serving New Orleans-style seafood since 1993.
The Jambalaya Festival
The Jambalaya Festival is a popular annual event that takes place over Memorial Day weekend in Jambalaya Park. The festival, which has been celebrated in Gonzales since 1968, has dozens of food vendors, live music, amusement rides and a car show. The weekend-long event also holds a 5K and a one-mile marathon, a beauty pageant and a jambalaya cookoff, with proceeds from the festival being sent back to the city. “Whatever funds they make at the festival, they use it to make public improvements in Gonzales,” says Simpson.
Close to Highway 61 and Interstate 10
Gonzales is mostly car-dependent with Highway 61 and Interstate 10 being the major connections nearby. Baton Rouge is 25 miles north of the city, and New Orleans is located 50 miles to the southeast.
Important to Know
In the 1980s, the Oil, Chemical and Atomic Workers Union nicknamed the 85-mile stretch of land from Baton Rouge and New Orleans as “Cancer Alley.” This area accounts for 25 percent of the total petrochemical production in the US. According to research from private organizations and the Environmental Protection Agency, residents' lifetime cancer risk here is nearly seven times the national average. While air pollution levels have dropped from their peak in the 1980s, the state has been recently expanding the number of chemical plants in the region despite backlash from residents.
Photography Contributed By
Andrew Williams
