Scotlandville - Baton Rouge, LA

Prior to 1914, Scotlandville was known as Scot's Bluff, an isolated rural area along the Mississippi River in north Baton Rouge. The area began to flourish during the early 20th century, when Southern University was relocated from New Orleans to a 500-acre tract within Scotlandville. Remaining a small yet stable Baton Rouge suburb for more than 100 years, the area exploded with new residents in 2005 during the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.

Educate yourself about the area's local history by visiting the Capitol Park Museum on 4th Street in downtown Baton Rouge. Featuring an assortment of artifacts and themed, interactive exhibits, this expansive facility provides a wealth of local, regional and state information.

Get to know your fellow Scotlandville residents throughout the annual Easter parade that runs through town. The parade features local live music entertainment and beautifully decorated floats whose riders throw candy, beads and Easter-themed trinkets.

Scotlandville area eateries serve up home-style food in casual dining atmospheres. Chicken Shack provides neighborhood folks with a great counter service option for fried chicken dinners and buckets of wings and tenders. Seafood items such as the "English style" cod dinner and the catfish dinner satisfies fried food cravings and a full slab of ribs feeds the hankerings of even the hungriest customers.

The owners of Tony's Seafood on Plank Road strive to present the local area with the best fresh fish and shellfish available. This north Baton Rouge area institution, in operation since 1972, also prepares some of the best hot lunches in the neighborhood. Hit up the hot deli for fried boudin balls, grilled or fried catfish platters, or fried oyster po'boys throughout the year, or treat yourself to hot boiled crawfish, potatoes and corn during the spring.

Located in midtown Scotlandville within the Baton Rouge Metropolitan Airport, the Bayou Bar's divey atmosphere provides you with a low-key spot to grab a cocktail after class or work. Expect typical pub fare on the food menu and an impressive mix of local beers and top-shelf spirits.

Venture a few miles out of town to enjoy one of the best local music spots in the area. Teddy's Juke Joint on the Old Scenic Highway in nearby Zachary rests in the owner's converted childhood home. The blues club provides live music entertainment a few nights a week and also serves memorable regional fare, such as giant fried chicken wings, juicy burgers and red beans and rice.

Scotlandville's proximity to Interstates 10 and 110 and Louisiana Highway 408 provide you with an abundance of commuting and leisure-time routes in and out of the neighborhood. When you do take your car, depend on free parking at almost all of the neighborhood's local businesses.

Hailing a cab isn't a feasible option in this area, so if you don't have a car, use your Uber app or call a cab. Alternately, take the bus from one of the Capital Area Transit System's stops along Airline Highway, at the Baton Rouge Airport or on Harding Boulevard to your Baton Rouge-area destination.

Luckily, this area hosts a multitude of walker- and cyclist-friendly streets, including Hooper Road and Comite Drive. A very small portion of streets near 72nd Avenue and Blount Road are also equipped with designated bike lanes.

As a Scotlandville resident, you have access to two inner-community parks. Hooper Road Park along Guynell Road hosts the area's public youth basketball and baseball programs as well as an adult softball program. Expect to see lots of organized ball games at this free park as you bike or hike your way through the more than five miles of wooded trails that meander through the park's hilly terrain. The park also houses a playground, a recreation center and a lighted tennis court.

Anna T. Jordan Community Park on Stilt Street also hosts youth basketball and baseball games. This expansive free facility also features a paved walking trail, an indoor and an outdoor basketball court, a children's playground and a recreation center. This park also houses a seasonal public swimming pool.

Both parks welcome well-behaved, on-leash dogs.

Renting in Scotlandville provides you with an approximately 18 percent lower than average cost of living as compared with the rest of the Baton Rouge area. For example, the average cost of renting a one-bedroom apartment is roughly $560 per month, while a gallon of gas costs about 16 percent less than the national average. Scotlandville residents usually pay $5 or less for a pint of beer at local pub and fork out $1.75 for a basic one-way bus ticket to the center of the neighborhood.

Scotlandville area residents generally grocery shop at Primus Grocery on Rosenwald Road or Piggly Wiggly or Walmart on Plank Road. When you want to load up on fresh produce, drive down to the Main Street Market on 4th Street in downtown Baton Rouge. Providing a wide assortment of locally sourced goods throughout the week, the market comes even more alive with the Red Stick Farmers Market on Saturdays.

Since Scotlandville-area retail shopping opportunities are limited, head to south Baton Rouge to the Mall of Louisiana on Bluebonnet Boulevard to find on-trend clothing and home decor items. When you want to shop local, support second-hand stores such as the nearby Time Warp Boutique on Government Street. This well-maintained vintage store houses a wide assortment of statement clothing and funky accessories.

When you want to anchor your home's design scheme with a high-end piece of furniture, check out Town and Country Furniture on Airline Highway just outside of Scotlandville. Locally owned and operated since 1956, this upscale store's owner helps you find just the right piece or design your own sofa, love seat or oversized chair for your living room or bedroom.