|  |  | The Shreveport/Bossier City area is a vibrant and growing metropolitan area, vital to the South. Once king of the oil rich area, today this area is an area rich in culture, heritage and a future brighter than any other area in this country. Whether a life-long resident, a newcomer or a visitor you will find plenty of new an exciting things to do in Shreveport. Browse this section for dozens of options for young and old alike! | | | | | | | |
DemographicsThe Shreveport-Bossier City metropolitan area is the center of the region known as the Ark-La-Tex. Bossier City is closely tied to its larger sister city Shreveport, located on the western bank of the Red River in many ways, including economically and historically. As of the 2000 Census, the area had a total population of over 256,000 with Shreveport boasting a population of 200,145 people and Bossier City with 56,461 residents. Did you know that in Shreveport and Bossier City (according to the 2000 Census)… - Average household size in Shreveport was 2.48 and Bossier City was 2.58.
- Median age was 34 years in Shreveport and 32 in Bossier City.
- Median income for a household in the city of Shreveport was $30,526 and $36,561 in Bossier City.
- Median income for a family was $37,126 in Shreveport and $42,642 in Bossier City.
The Shreveport and Bossier City area was once a major player in United States oil business. In the 1980s, the oil and gas industry suffered a large economic downturn, and many companies cut back jobs or went out of business. The area suffered severely from this recession, and many residents left the area. Today the area serves as a trade center stretching more than 200 miles into Arkansas, Texas and Louisana. Today the city has largely transitioned to a service economy. In particular, the area has seen a rapid growth in the gaming industry, hosting various riverboat gambling casinos, and was second only to New Orleans in Louisiana tourism before Hurricane Katrina. Bossier City is home to Barksdale Air Force Base, the location of the "Mighty Eighth" Air Force, of World War II fame. The Shreveport-Bossier Convention & Tourist Bureau is the official tourism information agency for the region. The bureau maintains a comprehensive database of restaurants, accommodations, attractions and events. In May 2005, the Louisiana Boardwalk, a 550,000 square foot shopping and entertainment complex, opened in Bossier City, featuring outlet shopping, several restaurants, a 14-screen movie theater, and a bowling complex. A 350,000-square-foot convention center is located in downtown Shreveport. It includes a 12-story Hilton Hotel with a convenient 800-space parking garage. The Shreveport and Bossier City areas are rich in educational opportunities, whether you are looking for the proper school for your child or a graduate degree for yourself. This area is home to one of the best medical colleges in the country as well as top-notch public and private schools. Caddo Public Schools is the school district that serves the residents of Shreveport and all of Caddo Parish and Bossier Parish Schools serve the Bossier City residents. Click Here for a complete list of Shreveport and Bossier City public schools.
Film Industry Due to tax incentives offered by the state government Louisiana now has the third largest film industry in the country, behind California and New York, leading to the nickname of "Hollywood South." Selected movies shot in Shreveport include: The Guardian (2006): Ashton Kutcher and Kevin Costner Not Like Everyone Else (2006) (TV Movie) Factory Girl (2006): Sienna Miller and Guy Pierce Mr. Brooks (2007): Kevin Costner, William Hurt, and Demi Moore Blonde Ambition (2007): Jessica Simpson and Luke Wilson Cleaner (2007): Samuel L. Jackson The Mist (2007): Thomas Jane, Toby Jones, and Marcia Gay Harden The Last Lullaby (2007): Tom Sizemore Wonderful World (2007): Matthew Broderick Soul Men(2008) Samuel L. Jackson Bernie Mac Welcome Home Roscoe Jenkins (2008): Michael Clarke Duncan and Martin Lawrence The Longshots (2008): Ice Cube, Keke Palmer, and Fred Durst Disaster Movie (2008): Vanessa Minillo, Matt Lanter, and Kim Kardashian Year One (2008): Jack Black and Michael Cera W. (2008): Josh Brolin, Richard Dreyfuss, and James Cromwell Front of the Class (2008) Deadly Exchange (2009): John McTiernan I Hope They Serve Beer in Hell (2009): Matt Czuchry, Jesse Bradford, and Geoff Stults
Government Founded in 1836 and incorporated in 1839, Shreveport is the parish seat of Caddo Parish. As a part of the First Judicial District, Shreveport houses the Parish courthouse, as well as the Louisiana Second Circuit Court of Appeal, which consists of nine elected judges representing twenty parishes in northwest Louisiana. Due to the changing course of the Red River a portion of east Shreveport extends into Bossier Parish. Bossier City began in the early 1830's as a plantation known for shipping cotton, corn and sweet potatoes. Many called the area "Cane's Landing." Today Bossier City is part of Bossier Parish. Covering over 900 sq. miles Bossier Parish includes not only Bossier City but also Haughton, Benton and Plain Dealing. The parish seat is located in Benton. Media/Press The major daily newspaper serving the Shreveport-Bossier and Ark-La-Tex area is the Shreveport Times. Other smaller non-daily newspapers in the area include: · The Shreveport Sun · Caddo Citizen · Bossier Press-Tribune · The Forum Newsweekly · City Lights · SB Magazine · The Bombardier is the weekly newspaper of record for the Barksdale Air Force Base. Shreveport and Bossier City are served by two major cable television systems: Strongest AM radio stations in Shreveport: | KBCL (1070 AM) | KOKA (980 AM) | | KEEL (710 AM) | KPYN (900 AM) | | KFXR (1190 AM) | KRMD (1340 AM) | | KGHT (880 AM) | KSYB (1300 AM) | | KIOU (1480 AM) | KTRH (740 AM) | | KNCB (1320 AM) | KWKH (1130 AM) | | KOFY (1060 AM) | | |
Strongest FM radio stations in Shreveport: | K214BE (90.7 FM) | KRUF (94.5 FM) | | KBED (102.9 FM) | KSCL (91.3 FM) | | KBTT (103.7 FM) | KSYR (92.1 FM) | | KDAQ (89.9 FM) | KTAL-FM (98.1 FM) | | KDKS-FM (102.1 FM) | KTUX (98.9 FM) | | KJVC (92.7 FM) | KVKI-FM (96.5 FM) | | KLKL (95.7 FM) | KVMA-FM (107.9 FM) | | KMJJ-FM (99.7 FM) | KXKS-FM (93.7 FM) | | KRMD-FM (101.1 FM) | |
TV broadcast stations around Shreveport: | K42FE (Channel 42) | KMSS-TV (Channel 33) | | K59GO (Channel 59) | KPXJ (Channel 21) | | K67FD (Channel 67) | KSHV (Channel 45) | | KADO-LP (Channel 15) | KSLA-TV (Channel 12) | | KBXS-CA (Channel 50) | KTAL-TV (Channel 6) | | KLTS-TV (Channel 24) | KTBS-TV (Channel 3) |
Medical The Shreveport / Bossier City area is also a major medical center of the region and state. The Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center Shreveport operates at expanded facilities The Shriner's Hospital for Children, now at the corner of Samford Ave and Kings Highway, was the first of its kind in the United States, having been established in 1922. Throughout the region you will find state-of-the-art facilities, doctors, nurses, administrators, staff and volunteers. This makes the Shreveport and Bossier City area a leader in the nation for health care. Hospitals/medical centers in the Shreveport and Bossier City area: Military Installations Barksdale Air Force Base is located in Bossier Parish across the river from Shreveport, which donated the land for its construction in the 1920s. Named for pioneer army aviator Lt. Eugene Hoy Barksdale and originally called Barksdale Army Air Field, it opened in 1933 and became Barksdale Air Force Base in 1947. Headquartered here are the 8th Air Force, 2d Bomb Wing, and 917th Wing. The primary plane housed here is the Boeing B52 Stratofortress. In earlier years, the base was the home to other famous planes, including the B-47. Shreveport is home to the 2-108th Cavalry Squadron, the reconnaissance element of the 256th Infantry Brigade. Three of the squadron's four cavalry troops are located at 400 East Stoner Avenue in a historic armory known as "Fort Humbug". This was named due to the Confederate Army burning logs to look like cannons and placing them along the Red River. This caused Union ironclad ships sailing north on the Red River to be tricked into turning back south. Neighborhoods Shreveport encompasses many different neighborhoods and districts. Below is a list of the various areas in Greater Shreveport.
| Allendale | Hollywood Heights | Queensborough | | Anderson Island | Hyde Park | Riverfront District | | Blanchard | Ingleside | Shreve City | | Broadmoor | Jewella-South Park | Shreve Island | | Caddo Heights | Keithville | South Highlands | | Cedar Grove | Lakeside | Southern Hills | | Cooper Road | Ledbetter Heights or The Bottom | Southern Trace | | Cross Lake | Long Lake | Spring Lake | | Ellerbe | LSUS-University Area | Stoner Hill | | Greenwood | Madison Park | Sunset Acres | | Highland | Mooretown | Town South | | Hollywood | Pines Road | Western Hills |
In the Highlands section along Fairfield Avenue, more than a half dozen homes have been designated as historic.
| Airline Park Estates | Gardens of Southgate | Pierremont | | Alley Hunter | Glendale | Plantation Estates | | Autumn Creek | Golden Meadows | Plantation Trace Garden Homes | | Barksdale Gardens | Golden Meadows | Preston Place | | Bayou Bend | Green Acres | Riverbend | | Bellaire | Green Acres | Rosedale Place | | Broadmoor | Green Acres Place | Savannah Place | | Broadmoor | Greenacres Place | Shady Grove | | Brookhaven Estates | Greenbriar | Souther Terrace | | Brookwood Southern Hills Subdivision | Gresham Green | Southern Gardens | | Brownlee | Hinkle | Southern Trace | | Brownlee Estates | Hunter | Southgate Estates | | Carriage Oakes | Lafayette Park | St. Charles Court | | Carriage Oakes Crossing | Lakewood | Stockwell Place | | Carriage Oaks | Lakewood | Stockwell Villas | | Carriage Quarters | Long Lake | Stonebridge | | Carriage Square | Lucky Estates | Stonebridge | | Central Park | Meadowcreek | Swan Lake | | Cloverdale | Meadowview Park | The Colony | | Coleman Park | Morris | Victorian Pointe | | Curtis | Newcastle | Village at Tiburon | | Cypress Bend | Northgate Village | Waller | | Ellerbe Road Estates | Oak Alley | West Gate Terrace | | Ferguson | Parkland Village | Whitehurst | | Fosters | Pecan Park | Willow Lake |
Religion Shreveport has churches of all denominations and sizes. At the head of Texas Street is the large First United Methodist Church, established at that site in 1884. The current sanctuary dates to 1913. A second Methodist congregation is named for J.S. Noel, Jr. The church was begun as a mission in 1906. The large Holy Trinity Catholic Church located downtown was founded in 1858. The current sanctuary in Romanesque revival style architecture dates to 1896. A large First Baptist Church was once pastored by Monroe E. Dodd, an early radio minister and founder of the former Dodd College for Girls. Other large Baptist congregations include Calvary Baptist, Broadmoor Baptist, Summer Grove Baptist, Galilee Baptist, Zion Baptist, and Lake Bethlehem Baptist churches. Westview Christian Church is an independent Christian church that serves the area as well with members from diverse denominational backgrounds. Particularly striking in size and architecture is St. Mark's Cathedral, an Episcopal congregation at 908 Rutherford Street in the Highlands section of Shreveport. Agudath Achim is the biggest and most traditional Jewish synagogue. Rabbi Foster E. Kawaler is the current rabbi, focused on rebuilding the congregation. Shreveport, historically, has had a large and civic-minded Jewish community. Sports Shreveport and Bossier City share an af1 arena football team, the Bossier-Shreveport Battle Wings, as well as a Central Hockey League team, the Bossier-Shreveport Mudbugs. Baseball in Shreveport has an extensive past. The current team is a Minor League Baseball team known as the Shreveport-Bossier Captains. Baseball teams in Shreveport have gone through 8 different name changes and 7 different leagues all since 1895. Shreveport's rugby team, the Shreveport Rugby Football Club, was founded in 1977, making it the oldest continuously competing sport team in Shreveport. It is a member of USA Rugby and participates in the Texas Rugby Football Union. Shreveport is the home of the Shreveport Aftershock of the Independent Women's Football League. The Aftershock play in the Midsouth Division of the Eastern Conference of the IWFL. The home field for the Aftershock is Independence Stadium. Things to Do The Shreveport / Bossier City area is filled with many activites and festivals all year round. Click here to find out what is available. Transportation Highways and Roads The local public transportation provider, SporTran provides moderately extensive bus service throughout Shreveport and Bossier City. Sportran operates seven days a week on seventeen bus routes (five night routes) from 6:00 a.m. to 1:00 a.m., with no night service on Sunday. The city is easy to navigate by car as there are 2 interstates running through, as well as an inner loop (I-220 and LA3132) surrounding the city. Clyde Fant Parkway runs along the riverfront and links the downtown area with the southeastern part of the city. Interstate 20, an east-west route between Dallas and Jackson, Mississippi, passes through Shreveport. Interstate 49 North from Alexandria terminates in central Shreveport. Airports Shreveport and Bossier City are served by two airports, the larger of which is the Shreveport Regional Airport (SHV). Served by: - Allegiant Air to Las Vegas, Orlando-Sanford
- American Eagle to Dallas/Fort Worth
- American Eagle operated by Executive Airlines to Dallas/Fort Worth
- Continental Connection operated by Colgan Air to Houston-Intercontinental
- Continental Express operated by ExpressJet Airlines to Houston-Intercontinental
- Delta Connection operated by Atlantic Southeast Airlines to Atlanta
- Delta Connection operated by Pinnacle Airlines to Memphis
The second airport is Shreveport Downtown Airport (DTN). The Downtown Municipal Airport is a general aviation/reliever airport located north of the Downtown Business District. The airport is located along the Red River and is the original Shreveport commercial airport, dating back to 1931.
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