smART City

Benjamin Leger

E-mail: benjamin@225batonrouge.com

Phone: 225.214.5225

May 10 | Benjamin Leger

City Park, sans golf course?

photo by BREC

Edging closer to 1,000 signatures, an online petition is bringing the debate about City Park's golf course back into the limelight. Should the 9-hole course be maintained and City Park grow around it, or should it be eliminated and the grounds added to the park's existing green space?

»» Click here to read the full blog post.
May 3 | Benjamin Leger

Changing gears

photo by FILE PHOTO

Mark Martin is prepping for a full schedule of projects on the horizon—from securing a designation of Route 90 from DeRidder to Bogalusa as a US Bicycle Route, preparing for workshops later this month with several Baton Rouge organizations to brainstorm how to use federal funding to improve bike and pedestrian infrastructure, and consulting with the city on a new Dalrymple Drive bike path.

»» Click here to read the full blog post.
April 25 | Benjamin Leger

Events outside the box

photo by Benjamin Leger

Upstairs at a warehouse on Main Street near downtown, artist Raina Wirta is standing atop a very tall ladder, adjusting the lighting above a giant, furry (yes, furry) dome-like structure that hangs from the ceiling. The LSU MFA candidate unveiled her exhibition “(un)familiar” to a crowd last Friday. Earlier that week, she was busy putting together the finishing touches.

»» Click here to read the full blog post.
April 18 | Benjamin Leger

The street that could

photo by BENJAMIN LEGER

The Better Block BR event last weekend saw an impressive turnout, and despite rain shutting down the second day of the event, the sense of accomplishment was already there. Saturday saw between 1,500 and 2,000 attendees, according to organizers, and guest appearances from Mayor Kip Holden and his caravan of cyclists for the Mayor's Family Bike Day.

»» Click here to read the full blog post.
April 15 | Benjamin Leger

Share the road

photo by Don Hunter

Don Hunter biked 12 miles from his subdivision on South Harrells Ferry to work downtown 42 times last year. That was before an accident in July 2012 (Friday the 13th, actually) when he flipped his bike on bad pavement, breaking his collarbone and cracking two ribs. Now, after months of recuperation, he bikes about 11 miles, instead.

»» Click here to read the full blog post.
April 9 | Benjamin Leger

A better block is upon us

photo by Better Block BR

This weekend marks the beginning of a transformation on Government Street with the Better Block BR project. Saturday and Sunday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. on the two blocks between Bedford and Beverly drives, residents will get to see a model of what Government Street could look like if we push local and state officials to update the roadway to a safer, more “complete street” model.

»» Click here to read the full blog post.

RESTAURANT/NIGHTCLUB DIRECTORY

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Best of 225 Winner:

Bad Guys, Good Eats! Pop-Up Dinner at Restaurant IPO

Chef and 225 contributor Jay D. Ducote and Chef Chris Wadsworth hosted the Bad Guys, Good Eats! dinner at Restaurant IPO Wednesday night. The dinner was themed around famous movie villains, pairing cocktails and ales with plates of food resembling famous baddies like The Joker, Lord Voldemort, Hannibal Lector, and many others. The highlights of the night were the three middle courses—a black bean soup laced with blood sausage to signify Lord Voldemort, a brace of coneys on black eyed peas resembling Sauron, and lamb medallions atop a fava bean puree to pay homage to the famous favorite of Hannibal Lector.

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Summer Crush

Elizabeth Arkley Hammett, a local nursing student and Fur Ball co-coordinator, and her husband Grey Hammett III, who works in commercial real estate, will take you through our summer guide. And they'll look good while doing it, too. Where noted, their clothes and accessories are available from local retailers.

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Pool Party

These swimsuits will keep you stylish all summer long

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Better Block BR

On Saturday the two blocks between Bedford and Beverly drives on April 13, 2013, residents will get to see a model of what Government Street could look like if we push local and state officials to update the roadway to a safer, more "complete street" model.

See full Slide Show