Park Forest/LA North - Baton Rouge, LA

The British first colonized Park Forest/LA North in the 1700s as a military outpost. Although Spain controlled the region for some time before the French, the neighborhood retains its timeless French-inspired culture and traditions.

Tour the USS Kidd Veterans Museum on South River Road in downtown Baton Rouge. Honoring the armed forces, this spectacular site houses a vast assortment of relics from different eras in American war history. This museum also hosts themed monthly events and keynote speakers. The Louisiana Art and Science Museum, also on South River Road, provides intricate details about the history of the area and hosts a slew of permanent and rotating exhibits.

Meet other culturally minded people at the annual Baton Rouge Blues Festival held at the Baton Rouge River Center. Hosting many types of blues genres, including swamp blues, this must-visit festival also showcases the works of local artists and chefs.

Florida Boulevard, a main thoroughfare in south Park Forest/L.A. North, hosts the area's central restaurant hub. Look for an abundance of chain restaurants along this road, in addition to several locally owned eateries.

Treat yourself to lunch or dinner at Viet Garden. This casual, authentic Vietnamese restaurant serves the best chicken pho soup in the area. Try the Vietnamese crepe or the vermicelli noodles with shrimp and pork to enjoy other beloved local favorites.

Save room for a mini sweet potato pie from Randy Montalbano's Seafood & Catering. This laid-back, counter-service restaurant serves a wide assortment of regional favorites, including jumbo butterfly shrimp, boiled turkey necks and roast beef po'boys.

Venture off of the Florida Boulevard restaurant hub to find Maison Lacour on North Harrells Ferry Road. This fine-dining French establishment serves traditional fare, including escargot, flounder en papillote and seafood crepes. This restaurant also hosts four- to five-course menu-tasting events.

When you want to let loose without leaving the neighborhood, pop into Happy's Irish Pub on Coursey Boulevard. This locally owned bar hosts monthly Irish-themed parties with live music entertainment and drink specials. The bar also sells a wide variety of craft beers and features ladies' night specials.

For an eclectic bar experience, check out The Roux House in downtown Baton Rouge. Featuring local-ish bands, a patio and Monday night jazz, this place keeps regulars happy and energized. Celebrate your birthday here, and enjoy the fuss that the servers make over you.

Park Forest/LA North satisfies your cyclist side with an abundance of bike-friendly roads and thoroughfares, including Florida Boulevard, South Choctaw Drive and the Central Throughway. Walking these routes is also a fairly safe feat.

When you need a ride, reserve a cab or use your Uber app instead of waiting longer periods of time to hail a stray passing cab. If you prefer the bus, get on one at a bus stop on Florida Boulevard or Government Street.

Florida Boulevard, or U.S. Route 190, runs right through the neighborhood, which helps you maneuver in and out of the area with ease. Lucky for you, the Central Throughway also cuts through the neighborhood, giving you minutes-away access to Interstate 12.

Located on North Flannery Road, Waddill Outdoor Education Center houses more than 200 acres of hardwood bottomland terrain along the Comite River. The park hosts two catch-and-release fishing ponds and a multitude of hike/bike nature trails and picnic pavilions. This park’s staff also conducts a variety of educational workshops throughout the year, including plant identification and wilderness survival. This free community park welcomes on-leash dogs.

When you’re looking for a more interactive, exercise-centric park, head to Forest Community Park, located at the intersection of South Harrel’s Ferry Road and Millerville Road. This expansive facility houses multiple tennis courts, a children’s playground, an off-leash dog park and a baseball field.

Residing in Park Forest/LA North provides you with a rental savings of approximately 13 percent off of the local average, with one-bedroom apartments running you about $528 a month. The area also usually beats the national per-gallon gas average by about 16 percent.

Public transportation is affordable here, with one-way tickets to the center of town costing roughly $1.25. The neighborhood’s mix of upper and middle class residents also keeps beer prices pretty low at between $3.50 and $5 for a pint at a local bar.

Although you’ll find most of your weekly groceries at the nearby Whole Foods Market on Corporate Boulevard or Calvin’s Bocage Market on Jefferson Highway, you also need to know about the Red Stick Farmers Market. Open every Saturday on North 4th Street in downtown Baton Rouge, this weekly market features fresh, local seasonal produce, homemade goods and live music entertainment.

Park Forest/LA North’s proximity to the nearby Mall of Louisiana on Bluebonnet Boulevard and the Perkins Rowe Shopping Center on Perkins Rowe hosts all the high-end stores you need to satiate your fashion appetite, including Macy’s and Anthropologie.

When you need a unique gift or personal clothing or accessory item, hit up the nearby Merci Beaucoup on Corporate Boulevard. This moderately priced establishment sells unusual, new women’s clothing with a vintage feel, as well as accessories and jewelry.

Bella Bella on nearby Perkins Road offers a more on-trend, futuristic women’s clothing, shoes and accessories selection. Check out this place for statement cocktail dresses and the perfect shoes and earrings to go with it.