Monroe

On the National Register of Historic Places, the Garden District of Monroe is directly intertwined with the story of Coca-Cola and Delta Airlines. Wealthy businessman Joseph A. Biedenharn moved there in 1913 from Vicksburg after having become the first person to ever bottle Coca-Cola. Later, he would help form Delta Airlines, whose original headquarters were in Monroe. Biedenharn's former home and gardens are now a museum and act as the font from where the neighborhood derives its green thumb culture and vintage atmosphere. Although the Garden District is the "higher end of Monroe," according to Realtor Brock Duncan of Keller Williams, "You'll see a bunch of different price ranges in that area. And as far as location goes, you're within five minutes of everything you could ever need to get to, whether it's a local grocer, entertainment and nightlife, or even fitness." A variety of activities attract residents to the neighborhood's centerpiece Forsythe Park, which is included in the city's ongoing development plans. "The city is improving a lot of parks right now, but Forsythe is the driving park of the Garden District," says Director of Membership and Community Engagement for the Monroe Chamber of Commerce Mike Downhour. Among the improvements, the city has installed several tennis and Pickleball courts, including some clay surface courts. "You don't find public clay tennis courts very often," Downhour says. Any city resident can also visit Forsythe Park to play a round of golf at the Johnny Myers Golf Course, a public 9-hole facility. Aside from club sports, Forsythe Park is also popular for baseball games and long walks beneath the shade of live oak trees. Across Riverside Drive, a public boat launch offers easy access to the Ouachita River. Forsythe Park is also a common meetup for events put on by local organizations like Healthy Funroe, which organizes an annual picnic every spring. The event features a variety of attractions, such as food trucks, live music, a flea market and programming for children. Across from Forsythe Park, the Biedenharn Museum & Gardens is a cultural magnet for the Garden District. The museum is popular with locals for its recurring events, such as craft circles, movie nights and weekly guided meditation in the gardens. With three permanent exhibits, including a Coca-Cola museum and Emy-Lou Biedenharn's collection of rare and historically important Bibles, the Museum is prone to repeat visits from local history buffs too. Down the street, the historic Grace Episcopal Church acts as another important landmark for culture, history and architecture. Built in 1925, the Gothic Revival structure was once the practicing place of former Presiding Bishop of the United States Rev. John Allin. Today, the church hosts weekly services and offers several volunteer opportunities with organizations across the city. Locally owned flea markets, cigar shops, tattoo parlors and gift shops like Woodstock Monroe all feed into the neighborhood's atmosphere of artisan antiquity. Near Louisville Avenue, the Garden District's small village of businesses further highlights the neighborhood's small-town charm. On weekends, the outdoor patio at Okaloosa is usually packed with customers looking to enjoy an open-air brunch with friends. A few blocks away, Enoch's Pub and Grill is not only popular for frequent live music, but also for its "jammy" burger served with Guinness gravy. Closer to Forsythe Park, the exposed brick wall dining room of Genusa's Italian is among the most popular upscale dining locations in all of Monroe, so reservations are recommended. For weekly essentials like groceries, prescriptions and bank visits, 18th Street is where most locals go to visit Brookshire's grocery store, or a Walmart Neighborhood Market across the street. Beneath the many live oaks and pine trees lining its streets, the Garden District features a variety of home sizes and styles sitting on manicured lawns. The one consistent element is age, with most homes having been built from 1930 to 1960, and some streets feature everything from Tudor-style cottages to imposing American Foursquare manors. The most common is the sturdy ranch-style home, often built around the 1950s, or a cutesy, colorful Craftsman-style bungalow. Prices typically range from $100,000 to $250,000, and usually a second story in the Garden District means a higher listing price. Also found are Colonial Revivals from the early to mid-1900s, which usually begin around $200,000, rarely going above $250,000. With no street parking and most streets having a sidewalk, maneuvering the neighborhood is a fairly easy task, whether by car or on foot. Getting out can be a different story however, especially during peak commuting hours. This is because traffic slows down along 18th Street and Louisville Avenue, which boxes residents in against the river. For those who don't drive a car, Monroe Transit – America's oldest publicly-owned transit system – offers bus routes that make stops in the Garden District. Students in the Garden District typically begin school nearby, attending grades K-8 at Lexington Elementary, which has a Niche score of A-minus and is ranked the best public elementary school in Ouachita Parish. Although some students begin school at Sallie Humble Elementary, a B-plus rated school located further away in North Monroe. Once they reach high school, students attend grades 9-12 at Neville High School, a B-plus rated school in the heart of the Garden District on the National Register of Historic Places. Portions of the neighborhood are located in a flood zone. Although levees help control high waters on the Ouachita River during periods of heavy rain, lower lying areas east of 8th Street, especially those near the drainage canal that runs through the neighborhood, are at mild risk of flooding.

Jutting into a bend of Bayou Desiard, Ingleside is a small neighborhood with easy access to key destinations in Monroe, namely the University of Louisiana Monroe and Monroe Regional Airport. “It’s a much older area. Ingleside is basically on the other side of campus,” says Mark Sisk, owner and Realtor at RE/MAX Premier Realty. “It’s got a little less traffic, but it’s still in super close proximity to the college.” Investors interested in low-cost properties and high-yield rental income have taken a growing interest in the neighborhood. Most of the modest one-story homes in the neighborhood were built in the 1940s and ’50s. Investors have been drawn to the area, attracted by low list prices and proximity to the university. A fixer-upper with one or two bedrooms can range from $30,000 to $70,000, while a modest three-bedroom can range from $70,000 to $200,000. Waterfront properties close to the bayou come with a higher price tag, especially those with piers or docks. A four-bedroom waterfront home can range from $200,000 to more than $400,000. Although there are no city parks in the neighborhood, gator-aware residents can fish along the shores of Bayou Desiard. The placid bayou stretches 28 miles, making it a splash among watersport enthusiasts, including the university’s 29-time championship water ski team. Canoers and kayakers can see wildlife like turtles, egrets and tall cypress trees wrapped in Spanish moss. Chennault Park, about 5 miles away, has a public, 18-hole golf course as well as a playground, a disc golf course and paved walking and jogging trails. Locals cheer for the ULM Warhawks and tailgate at The Grove during home football games. “When they’ve got home baseball games, that’s a real good time for locals to go out,” Sisk says. “They’ve got a little playground right near the baseball field, so it’s good fun for the whole family.” Students can attend schools in the Ouachita Parish School District, starting with Lakeshore Elementary School, which receives a B-minus from Niche, before moving on to Ouachita Junior High School, which receives a C-plus, and Ouachita Parish High School, which receives a B-minus. High schoolers have the opportunity to earn college credit through dual enrollment and the collegiate program. The University of Louisiana Monroe, located across the bayou, is known for its health science programs, especially its pharmacy and nursing programs. Ingleside might be small in size, but its restaurants pack big flavor. Waterfront Grill has been serving up succulent steaks and seafood on the banks of Bayou Desiard since 1997. A few doors down, Catahoula’s is a laid-back bar and restaurant on the bayou, a favorite among college students. Juicy burgers and sauced-up wings are specialties at The Cookout, while GiGi’s Kountry Kitchen serves up big portions of comfort food like oxtails, smothered pork chops and rib tips. Residents can grab groceries at Brookshire’s in nearby Lakeshore or at Walmart near the university. Ingleside sits just beyond the university campus and less than 2 miles from Monroe Regional Airport. St. Francis Medical Center is 5 miles southwest. Residents can utilize the Monroe Transit System, which has several bus stops in the community on Desiard Street and Blanks Street.

In the far east of Monroe, the small neighborhood of Lakeshore sits between the southern banks of Bayou DeSiard and the Monroe Regional Airport. It's a quiet sliver of neighborhood hanging off major roads, which contain most of the area's activity. Although things are changing as denser housing options become more common, longstanding businesses signal the stability of everyday life in Lakeshore. "A lot of those homes are older homes, so it's very appealing for investors to go over there to fix and flip those homes," says Realtor Brock Duncan of Keller Williams. "It's an older part of Monroe, and people are making it newer by going in, fixing things up and bringing up property value." The neighborhood is shaped like a fish, beginning westward in a spoke-and-wheel portion and tapering off the further east it extends, eventually fanning out a bit at Rowland Road. Throughout most of the area, single-family ranch-styles built during the 1950s and featuring updated interiors are the most common option. These offer the widest variety of prices, with most selling for between $140,000 - $250,000. But things are gradually changing. "Lakeshore is a transitional area," says the Director of Membership and Community Engagement for the Monroe Chamber of Commerce, Mike Downhour. "They've still got their big houses, but it's turning into more of a rental area." That trend also includes denser options in the form of condominiums, which typically sell for between $150,000 and $180,000. There are no city parks located in Lakeshore. But that isn't much of a concern for the residents whose homes back right up to the bayou. Most of those homes feature a private boat slip for fishing expeditions and scenic kayak adventures, which sometimes go as far as Black Bayou Lake National Wildlife Refuge to the north. "Anything near the Bayou is desirable, which Lakeshore is," Duncan says. Other residents typically use the playground and sports fields at Lakeshore Elementary to get a dose of recreation. When it's raining, the Louise Williams Branch Library offers frequent programs and events for young children and teens, such as movie screenings and computer classes. Traffic can move slowly on Lakeshore's major roads, especially where DeSiard Street splits into U.S. State Route 80 and Old Bastrop Road. Monroe Transit bus routes run along DeSiard Street, stopping just short of the neighborhood at DeSiard Plaza Drive. Though small and narrow, the neighborhood packs in many businesses along its major roads. A Brookshire's supermarket immediately across DeSiard Street is the main place locals shop for weekly essentials. However, residents living further east might prefer shopping at the Mac's Fresh Market on Lincoln Road. In between, several locally owned eateries act as neighborhood landmarks. Ray's PEGE is a no-frills throwback eatery that has served homemade ice cream and sandwiches like shrimp po boys since the mid-1960s. Just down the road, the parking lot of the 76 Gas Station on Lincoln Road has one of the most popular businesses in all of Monroe. Indeed, the unassuming hut that houses Shiver Shack Snowballs & Sweets attracts long lines of locals looking for a sweet way to cool off in the summertime. Lakeshore Baptist Church is an important community touchpoint for many neighborhood residents. High school and college students especially find community there through frequent programming such as small groups, mixers, movie nights and worship concerts. However, the true high watermark of Lakeshore is the annual Red, White and Blue Airshow that happens every spring at the Monroe Regional Airport, which is easily observed from several vantage points in and around Lakeshore. Students in Lakeshore are zoned for the Ouachita Parish Public Schools. They typically begin school in their neighborhood at Lakeshore Elementary, which is rated B-minus by Niche. For grades 6-8, students attend East Ouachita Middle School, which has a B score. The last step, Ouachita Parish High School, is rated B-minus.

For a long time, Midtown Monroe "hadn't been developed before," says Realtor Melinda Winn of THLT Realty. Prior to a few years ago, Midtown was mostly a patchwork of small residential patches sprinkled between low industrial spaces, train tracks and busy flyover roadways. Today, many of those features still remain but are being repurposed and fixed-up alongside many of the other busiest regions of Monroe that abut Midtown. "There's a lot of development happening over there now. But it's mostly commercial," Winn says. While it is among the most congested sections of the city, it is also one of the densest places to go shopping for bargains or to find a deal on an investment property. Although multiple Monroe Transit buses serve Midtown, most residents rely on a car to get around. Traffic on major roads such as Martin Luther King Junior Drive and Louisville Avenue often slows down during peak commuting hours. Active train tracks also cross many of Midtown's major roads, which can seize up traffic for several minutes whenever a freight train comes through. The core of Midtown is exploding with commercial growth. "Tower Drive is the biggest growth corridor in our area, it's considered the financial district," says Director of Membership and Community Engagement Mike Downhour. Residents from across the city flock to the litany of businesses that sit between Tower Drive and Louisville Avenue, including several grocery stores like Super 1 Foods and a Walmart Supercenter. Twin City Shopping Center is the main anchor for the area and is where locals shop for all variety of discounted goods at Ollie's Bargain Outlet. Behind Ollies, the Delta Biscuit Company is a must-visit for locals seeking Louisiana culinary staples like beignets or shrimp and grits. Down the street, the buffet at Taste of India draws in large daily crowds for a lunch of tandoori chicken and garlic butter naan. Parks can be found in all directions of Midtown. The basketball courts and paved loop at Magnolia Park are some of the most centrally located recreational amenities. But most locals prefer visiting larger parks in Midtown, such as the Powell Street Neighborhood Center. Residents go there to play basketball indoors while children play in the game room across the hall. When the weather is nice, the park's outdoor tennis courts and jungle gym are preferred. Housing options are varied in Midtown depending on their location. North of Desiard Street, leafy subdivisions push up against the backs of shopping centers. In these parts of the city, midcentury ranchers are the most common housing option, which tend to sell for between $150,000 and $500,000. But those seeking something post-1980 will also find newer construction in a variety of takes on traditional styles. Whether it's a French-inspired Cape Cod or a Georgian-style Colonial Revival, newer designs tend to sell for a slightly higher range of $250,000 to $550,000. Meanwhile, south of Desiard Street, a handful of Craftsman- and midcentury-style bungalows and cottages have been selling to investors for between $25,000 and $80,000. Students in Midtown begin school on one of several pathways in Monroe City Public Schools. Cypress Point Elementary earns a C-plus Niche score, while Carver Elementary earns a C. Students who begin at Lexington Elementary, rated A-minus, spend grades K-2 there before aging up to the B-plus-rated Sallie Humble Elementary for grades 3-6. For grades 7-12, some students attend Neville Junior and Senior High, rated B-plus, while others attend Carroll Junior and Senior High, rated C. The Powell Street Neighborhood Center is a busy facility for regular programming and community events. Residents visit weekly to join in activities like youth dance classes and senior citizen clubs. The park and community center are also the site of non-weekly events, such as park cleanups and the City of Monroe’s Fall Festival in October, which features local food trucks, crafts vendors and kid-friendly activities like inflatable obstacle courses. Although most of Midtown is safe from flooding, there are a few small flood zones throughout the area. These sections have a mild risk of flood damage in the next 100 years, mostly because of their proximity to drainage channels that crisscross Midtown. The main factor to consider in everyday life is noise and congestion stemming from Midtown's many major roads.

The residential stretch of North Monroe extends from the Garden District northward towards Black Bayou Lake National Wildlife Refuge. Cut through by Bayou Desiard, this upscale section of the city is known for its large homes that run along quiet, tree-lined streets. Manicured yards are the cherry on top of a quaint multigenerational community that depends on athletic clubs and churches for its secure, close-knit feeling. "It's got the bayou running along it, you've got access to the park, you've got access to the river," says Realtor Melinda Winn of THLT Realty. "It's just the right kind of area to raise a family in." North Monroe is split into two portions by the bayou, with the northern portion containing the majority of newer construction. New traditional homes built in the last 10 years are usually found in subdivisions like Belle Landing and are priced between $250,000 and $750,000. South of that, in both the River Oaks subdivision and across the bayou in established residential areas, there are numerous midcentury ranchers. A few needing mild repairs can sell for as low as $60,000, while turnkey options sell for between $100,000 and $400,000. Cape Cods and Colonial Revival manors are sprinkled in between, selling for between $225,000 and $600,000. However, some sell for more depending on square footage and location, especially manors along the bayou, which can sell for up to $2 million. Students in North Monroe attend grades K-2 at Lexington Elementary, an A-minus-rated school by Niche, ranked the top elementary school in Ouachita Parish. For grades 3-6, students attend Sallie Humble Elementary, rated B-plus. Students in 7th and 8th grade attend Neville Junior High, then spend the last four years of school at Neville High School, a B-plus-rated school on the National Register of Historic Places. North Monroe includes and borders some of the best parks in the city. Club sports like tennis and golf are especially popular with locals. Forsythe Park, the Garden District's cornerstone green space, is the main public option for golf outings, tennis matches and kayak trips on the Ouachita River. The Bayou Desiard Country Club's fairways are open to members. Those seeking an open tennis court can also purchase a membership for the Monroe Athletic Club, which offers an aquatic center and indoor gym for hot summer days. Most of North Monroe is residential, so locals venture elsewhere for errands and entertainment. The nearest concentration of activity is on Forsythe Avenue, where locals go for prescription refills, bank deposits and healthcare appointments. 18th Street is the busiest concentration of activity with its many big box stores, chain restaurants and strip malls. Residents do their grocery shopping in this area at either a Brookshire's or a Walmart Neighborhood Market. Aside from big box shopping, elegant eateries like Genusa's Italian offer places for upscale dinners. Meanwhile, Jay Pappa's casual menu of seafood items has inventive spins on Southern Louisiana traditions, such as BBQ shrimp. For a refreshing sweet treat, the local chain Eskamoe's Frozen Custard & More has a location on Forsythe Avenue. Time spent commuting depends on a resident's address. The closest entrance ramps to Interstate 20 are roughly 2.5 miles south of the neighborhood and buffered by downtown congestion. Sterlington Road offers connections with most of the major east-west roads that pass through Monroe, but reaching it can be a long journey for some residents. Those who prefer public transportation rely on Monroe Transit buses, which serve most of the neighborhood except for a few corners like River Oaks. Although major events like the Downtown Gallery Crawl pull residents out of North Monroe, a multitude of religious institutions keep them close to home, too. Lunch groups at Jesus the Good Shepherd Catholic Church are essential weekly fixtures for some local seniors. Annual holiday picnics with St. Alban's Episcopal Church are a yearly celebration for the whole family. Locals can judge recipes for baklava and other sweet treats at bake sales for Saints Constantine & Helen Greek Orthodox Church. Meanwhile, youth groups and retreats at Temple B'Nai Israel offer summer activities to local Jewish kids. There are several 100-year flood zones throughout North Monroe. Elevation decreases the further one gets from the Ouachita River and Bayou DeSiard, meaning homes closest to the river and bayou are the least at risk of flooding, while those further inland are more at risk.