Sulphur

From its exemplary midcentury architecture to its spoke-and-wheel layout, Maplewood is a strong example of the wartime American suburb. Built in the early 1940s over muddy lowlands, Maplewood quickly became an established community of Cities Service Refinery (later Citgo) employees when World War II demands for fuel were exploding. To accommodate their needs, Louisiana's first strip mall was built along Cities Service Refinery Highway. These factors are what earned it the nickname "Louisiana's Newest Modern Town." Although the demand for fuel isn't quite as intense today, Maplewood is still heavily influenced by the region's petrochemical processing industry. "Sulphur has a lot of industry," says owner broker for R Home Real Estate LLC Steve Rackley. "So, the people who work at the plants, they want to be even closer to work." Yet things have evolved over time too. New investments have been made into the neighborhood's housing stock and central green space. As a result, the strong sense of community that neighbors feel is continuing to grow. Center Circle Park anchors the neighborhood with a community square that residents depend on for leisure and recreation. Over the years, the park has received continuous upgrades, which became even more necessary when it was destroyed by Hurricane Laura in 2020. Two years prior, the newly built Maplewood Commons brought in tranquil walking paths, fountains and places to sit. Most recently, an $8 million redevelopment project broke ground on several new recreational and leisure amenities, including a pool and splash pad, pickleball courts, an inclusive playground and a community center. The project is expected to wrap up sometime in late 2025. Until then, residents can avoid the construction by hitting the batting cages or pickleball courts at nearby McMurry Park. Students begin school in the heart of their neighborhood, attending grades K through 5 at Maplewood Elementary, which has a Niche score of B. For grades 6 through 8, students stay on the same campus but age up to Maplewood Middle School, which is rated B-plus. The school and the neighborhood have a dovetailed community, hosting several events throughout the year that get parents involved in academics, such as Family Reading Nights or the Muffins and Math tutoring program. For their last four years of school, students attend Sulphur High School, rated B-plus. The highway loop that surrounds Lake Charles merges just south of Maplewood with an interchange for Interstates 10 and 210. U.S. Highway 90 also passes by the north end of the neighborhood for western trips. Together, the options mean less time spent on the road, whether it's for accessing job sites or entertainment in Downtown Lake Charles. However, I-10 does experience slowdowns at busy exists during peak commuting hours. This is likely to worsen in the coming years as the city prepares to redesign the I-10 bridge. Quiet residential streets branch off from a central green space of Center Circle Park. Most of the area is an established community of midcentury modern ranch-styles that were built as rentals in the mid-20th century. Some received renovations and updates over the decades that followed, while some original homes disappeared in place of more traditionally designed ranchers from the latter half of the century. "Maplewood has got 70s and 80s homes," Rackley says. "They're on average roughly 1,500 square feet." Additionally, their usual price range of $150,000 to $250,000 is lower than the other option Maplewood is known for. Since 2019, the Maple Creek subdivision in the southwest corner of Maplewood has offered some of the newest construction in Sulphur. Although their lots are smaller, the bigger garage space and square footage these new traditional snout houses offer cause them to sell for a higher price range of $200,000 to $310,000. Maplewood's commercial backbone of Cities Service Highway provides access to crucial shopping and dining amenities. These include big box options for needs around the house, like a Walmart Supercenter and a Lowe's Home Improvement. The roadway is also lined by smaller businesses, including pharmacies, indoor gyms, auto parts stores and bank branches, as well as a smattering of chain restaurants, like Whataburger. But often, the best burger is found in unassuming locations, which is certainly true for the stuffed burgers at Maplewood Burgers. Around the corner, many locals make a morning tradition of visiting Snowflake Donuts, beloved for kolaches – an eastern European delicacy. Local institutions donning the Maplewood name, such as Maplewood Elementary, are how community members deepen their connections. The Maplewood/Hollywood Lions Club gets together with locals from Maplewood and other nearby neighborhoods for recurring events throughout the year, such as a fall barbecue in October and an annual Thanksgiving dinner. Religious institutions like Maplewood First Baptist also offer an important connection point through ministries and regular services, as well as activities like Christmas caroling and events like the annual Easter Egg Roll. Maple Fork forms the southwestern edge of Maplewood and becomes a flood zone when it rains. For the Maple Creek subdivision, that could mean a buyer will have to purchase flood insurance. Additionally, I-10 its closer proximity to I-10 spells more noise for the subdivision. Several streets near the very center of Maplewood's established areas also experience high water levels when it rains, but they are not in a flood zone.