Ivan Gillis

Active Retirement Communities

State:     Louisiana

City:       Shreveport

Shreveport is the third-largest city and the principal city of the third largest metropolitan area in the U.S. state of Louisiana, as well as being the 99th-largest city in the United States.

It is the seat of Caddo Parish and extends slightly into neighboring Bossier Parish. Bossier City is separated from Shreveport by the Red River. The population was 200,145 at the 2000 census, and the Shreveport-Bossier City Metropolitan Area population exceeds 375,000.

Shreveport was founded in 1836 by the Shreve Town Company, a corporation established to develop a town at the juncture of the newly navigable Red River and the Texas Trail, an overland route into the newly independent Republic of Texas and, prior to that time, into Mexico.

Shreveport is the commercial and cultural center of the Ark-La-Tex, the area where Arkansas, Louisiana, and Texas meet. Many people in the community refer to the two cities of Shreveport and Bossier City as "Shreveport-Bossier".

During the American Civil War, Shreveport was the capital of Louisiana from 1863-1865, having succeeded, first, Baton Rouge, and then Opelousas after each fell under Union control. The city was a Confederate stronghold throughout the war and was the site of the headquarters of the Trans-Mississippi Department of the Confederate Army. Isolated from events in the east, the Civil War continued in the Trans-Mississippi theater for several weeks after Robert E. Lee's surrender in April 1865, and the Trans-Mississippi was the last Confederate command to surrender, on May 26, 1865. Confederate President Jefferson Davis attempted to flee to Shreveport when he left Richmond but was captured in Irwinville, Georgia en route.

By the 1910s, Huddie William Ledbetter - also known as "Leadbelly" (1889-1949), a blues singer and guitarist who eventually achieved worldwide fame - was performing for Shreveport audiences in St. Paul's Bottoms, the notorious red light district of Shreveport which operated legally from 1903-1917. Ledbetter began to develop his own style of music after exposure to a variety of musical influences on Shreveport's Fannin Street, a row of saloons, brothels, and dance halls in the Bottoms.

Shreveport was also home to the "Louisiana Hayride" radio program, broadcast weekly from the Shreveport Municipal Auditorium. During its heyday from 1948-1960, this program spawned the careers of some of the greatest names in American music. The Hayride featured names such as Hank Williams, Sr. and Elvis Presley, who obtained his start at this venue.

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. Nearby Bossier City is home to one of the three horse racetracks in the state, Harrah's Louisiana Downs. Casinos in Shreveport-Bossier include Sam's Town Casino, Eldorado Casino, Horseshoe Casino, Boomtown Casino, and Diamond Jacks Casino (formerly Isle of Capri). 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.

As of November 2008, the recent excitement about the Haynesville Shale has been a boon to Shreveport and the surrounding areas. Many new jobs in the natural gas industry are expected to be created over the next few years and local residents are enjoying large bonuses for signing mineral rights leases up to $25,000 per acre. However, the recent economic turndown has resulted in a lower market price for natural gas and slower-than-expected drilling activity. The city itself stands to profit by leasing the mineral rights on public lands in the near future as neighboring municipalities have already done.

Income & Housing Costs Numbers:

Estimated median household income in 2008: $35,414 (it was $30,526 in 2000)

Estimated per capita income in 2008: $22,930

Estimated median house or condo value in 2008: $121,600 (it was $70,700 in 2000)

Median gross rent in 2008: $670.

Dec. 2009 cost of living index in Shreveport: 83.2 (low, U.S. average is 100)

In-Depth Facts and Figures as listed below, plus other information:

·        Climate Charts

1.      Average Temperature

2.      Precipitation (Rain)

3.      Humidity

4.      Wind Speed (MPH)

5.      Snowfall

6.      Sunshine

7.      Cloudy Days

·        Tornado Activity History

·        Hospitals & Medical

·        Airports

·        Colleges/Universities

·        High Schools

·        Locations of Interest

·        Shopping Centers

·        Churches

·        Lakes/Streams/Rivers/Creeks/Parks

·        Tourist Attractions

·        Banks

·        Housing Costs Information

·        Crime Statistics

·        Radio Stations AM/FM

·        TV Broadcast Stations

·        Discussion Forums

For the above information and photos, click this link:

http://www.city-data.com/city/Shreveport-Louisiana.html

Total Tax Burden--Data for Calculation

http://www.retirementliving.com/RLstate2.html#LOUISIANA

Listing of Active Retirement Communities:

http://www.retirenet.com/location/communities/87-louisiana/1-active-lifestyles?city=71106-shreveport

Visit our Senior Cruising Site at: http://seniorcruisers.org

Other sites of interest:

World of Collectibles

http://www.collectibleshg.info

Information on: Architectural Collectibles, Art Collectibles, Artist Trading Cards , Books & Paper Collectibles, Brand Name Products Collectibles, Clothing Fabric & Textiles Collectibles, Collectibles UnLimited, Doll Collectibles, Household & Furnishings Collectibles, Militaria Collectors, Movies & TV Collectibles, Music Collectibles, Musical Instruments Collectibles, Nature And Animal Collectibles, Numismatics (Currency Collecting), Pottery & Glass Collectibles, Technology Collectibles, Theme Collectibles

DOGS

http://www.zcanines.com

Information on:  Overview Of Dogs, Sporting Dogs, Hounds Dogs, Terrier Dogs, Toy Dogs, Non-Sporting Dogs, Herding Dogs, Miscellaneous Class Dogs, Foundation Stock Service® Breeds Dogs

CATS

http://www.zcats.com

Information on: Cats Overview, Abyssinian Cat, America Cat Bobtail, American Curl Cat, American Shorthair Cat, American Wirehair Cat, Balinese Cat, Birman Cat, Bombay Cat, British Shorthair Cat, Charteux Cat, Colorpoint Shorthair Cat, Cornish Rex Cat, Devon Rex Cat, Egyptian Mau Cat, European Burmese Cat, Exotic Cat, Havana Brown Cat, Japanese Bobtail Cat, Korat Cat, LaPerm Cat, Maine Coon Cat, Manx Cat, Norwegian Forest Cat, Ocicat Cat, Oriental Cat, Persian Cat, Himalayan Cat, Ragamuffin Cat, Russian Blue Cat, Scottish Fold Cat, Selrik Rex Cat, Siamese Cat, Siberian Cat, Singapura Cat, Somali Cat, Sphynx Cat, Tonkinese Cat, Turkish Angora Cat, Turkish Van Cat

BIRD WATCHING

http://www.zavians.com

Information on:  Overview Of Birds, Ostriches-Emus-Kiwis, Gulls, Plovers, Loons, Grebres, Albatrosses, Penguins, Pelicans, Tropical Birds, Storks, Flamingos-Birds, Falcons-Birds, Eagles-Birds, Hawks-Birds, Cranes-Birds, Doves And Pigeons, Parrots,Cuckoos, Owls, Nightjars, Hummingbirds, Kingfishers-Birds, Woodpeckers, Mousebirds, Passerines 

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