Sherwood north of Florida has some pockets of Vietnamese neighborhoods....And there's a Hispanic neighborhood very close to that too. Then you have the welfare class on Marque Anne, the working class blacks and whites in Villa Del Ray, the upper middle class whites in Broadmoor and Tara, then the sort of middle class (but what to be upper middle class) protestant whites south of Florida in Sherwood.

Probably the most racially diverse area in Baton Rouge. Some solid restaurants that fly under the radar there too.

I don't really get seeking out areas like that although I like the access to restaurants and specialty grocery markets. You drive almost everywhere in Baton Rouge, and being 5-10 minutes from that area by car opens up a huge swath of options. Truly diverse neighborhoods are more dynamic in value, so they can be on an upswing or a downswing any given year. Less racially diverse neighborhoods tend to be more static, and home values more predictable at least in the short and medium term.

IMO you should seek out affordable, safe neighborhoods not prone to flooding but also convenient to shopping and employment. Avoid places where you are an extreme minority or if you are the oldest/youngest one on the block. If you need to use public schools, find a good school district. If you are there long term, make sure it's not directly adjacent to something that will generate a lot of traffic (like a school or retail establishment).

The real diversity you should consider: If your choice of neighborhood exclusively exists as a bedroom community with no anchors except good public schools.....your home's value will drop if the quality of schools drop. If everyone in your neighborhood works at one employer nearby....there will be some rapid transition of that employer does layoffs or moves to Houston. Try to find an area that's a mix of white and blue collar, where there are a variety of employers and age groups around (with a steady stream of young, employed people moving in). Areas like that tend to be more stable long term.

This post was edited on 1/10/24 at 8:06 am