I grew up in Lake Charles.
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5/21/2014
I spent the first 24 years of my life in Lake Charles, so it's my hometown, though I no longer have a reason to return. I lived at a single address in the middle of the city for the whole of those 24 years. I left primarily because finding suitable employment was a struggle. There are ample employment opportunities in fields such as healthcare and engineering, but I found pickings to be slim for a liberal arts major like me.
During the bulk of my time in Lake Charles, crime wasn't much of an issue, but it was an increasing problem. By the time I left, crime was very much a concern in my neighborhood. Most crime occurs on the north side of of the city, as that's the most economically depressed area. The south side is more affluent and is as safe as safe can be, but the city is expanding to the south. As more affluent families move south, the economic depression and crime in the north moves in to fill the voids. This is a very gradual process that has been going on in Lake Charles for decades, and it was more apparent in my neighborhood than anywhere else in the city.
When I left Lake Charles, the city was still somewhat void of enjoyable activities for an urbane young man that didn't involve drinking, clubbing, bars, or some combination of the three, but that's definitely changing. Since my departure, occasional visits back to the city bear out the fact that some fairly rapid cultural expansion is taking place. Heck, even the modest shopping mall now has outlets that are more like what one would find in a larger city, rather than the stodgy, dated outlets that formerly occupied the building.
I still have trouble with the ingrained notion that Lake Charles has ample dining options of high quality. It's true that Lake Charles has its gems, but much of the dining options aren't particularly noteworthy. But, of course, I see growth here, and I see a lot more diversity than in the past.
On the whole, Lake Charles isn't a bad place to live, but it's not a place for the robust and adventuresome. The pace is steady (but not too slow), and it's a sufficiently fine place to raise a family and make a comfortable living for those whose education, skills, and training are a fit for the local workforce.
Rusty Shackleford | Colorado Springs, CO