The city of Lafayette, Downtown Development Authority, Downtown Lafayette Unlimited and the Lafayette Economic Development Authority all deserve credit. The addition of another bar is not the only thing that is happening Downtown. New restaurants have opened, old restaurants have extended hours, drugstores have expanded into gift shops and kid-clothing destinations. Existing merchants such as Jefferson Street Market have doubled occupancy, new galleries have opened, new renovations to old buildings are taking place. There is a demand for residential living.
Downtown has a rich history.
Nightlife is an essential component of the area. I knew this when I moved into my loft four years ago. It always amazes me how many changes the Downtown area goes through in a day. At 8 a.m. traffic begins to jet through Jefferson and shops open their doors. At noon workers migrate to a number of down-home cooking caf s to eat.