University students don’t necessarily think of retirement when Baton Rouge comes to mind, but the city was named one of the “25 Best Places to Retire in 2013” in the nation by Forbes magazine last month.
The rating took taxes, weather, living and housing, crime rates, air quality, active lifestyle ratings and doctor availability into account. The magazine also named Alexandria among the top 25 cities to retire.
Lt. Gov. Jay Dardenne said what makes Baton Rouge attractive is its combination of the best of every aspect of Louisiana culture.
History freshman Michael Moore said Baton Rouge attracts University alumni to move back to their college town.
Even though many University students may think of Baton Rouge only as a college town, the sports and cultural amenities that Southern University and LSU have to offer make the city stand out in terms of retirement, said executive director of business of the Baton Rouge Area Chamber Iain Vasey.
Mayor-President Melvin “Kip” Holden stated in a news release that seniors today are looking for recreation, an active community and cultural activities in a place to retire.
Dardenne also said people now are retiring at a younger age and have longer life expectancies.
“There is a new definition of retirement,” Dardenne said.
Vasey also said the city will continue to invest in economic development to keep the city on the map for retirement.
“We want to build a city’s economy with diversification. You want to give your city more pegs to stand on,” Vasey said.
Recently, the brand “Retire Louisiana Style” has been introduced throughout the state, according to Dardenne.
“We are trying to stress the important access of retirement across the state,” he said. “Our focus now is on the western side of Louisiana from Fort Pope to the Shreveport and Bossier area and target military retirees who have done service in the military in Louisiana and encourage them to put down their roots here.”
“We want to build a city’s economy with diversification. You want to give your city more pegs to stand on.”
