Why the grass isn’t always greener

Over the next couple of months, you will probably see some advertising with the tagline “Downtown is cool because …” or #CoolDowntown.

The goal is to make downtown top of mind and to encourage people to consider the many ways that our historic downtown really IS cool. Last week, during a conversation with a reporter, I said, “Our grass is just as green as anywhere else, and sometimes we forget that.”

Sometimes we do. Sometimes I do, too, and it’s always nice to realize how much we have going for us. In working on the ad campaign, I’ve been overwhelmed in a wonderful sort of way. Every day brings another neat, cool, unique, special discovery; the brainstorming sessions threaten to go on and on. What makes the project all the more interesting is that everyone has a different reason for finding downtown compelling. Some talk first about a particular historic building, each of which tells a story or 10. Others mention a person from the past like John Slattery of Slattery Building fame or Shreveport Madam Annie McCune or musician-turned prisonerturned-legend Huddie Ledbetter or the “Fighting Bishop” Leonidas Polk.

Those who came before us were special, to be sure, but our best and brightest aren’t all gone. How about the Strand Theatre’s hard-working Executive Director Jenifer Hill who recently guided the important building through much-needed upgrades or Joey Guin of Joseph Guin Salon, a place where the business, the historic building it’s in and the talented employees can all claim the mantle of “cool”? People who were born and raised in the area are always happy to share their memories of downtown and can tell you the day, date and time they first shopped at Rubenstein’s or M. Levy, what they enjoyed for lunch at the Morrison’s Cafeteria and what movie was a favorite at the Majestic.

Downtown’s current day mom-and-pop retailers strike a chord, too. From suits to shoes, gifts, office furniture, food and coffee, these businesses remember their customers’ names and treat them like far more than a number. Often, there’s a “honey” or “sweetie pie” thrown in for good measure. The businesses, history, people and buildings all help create a community in the city center, and the amazing, almost never-ending array of events including the Revel, Louisiana Film Prize, Mudbug Madness, Good Times Festival, UNSCENE, performances at the Municipal, Strand, Emmett Hook Center and Red River District really make us stand out. Walk through the Shreveport Common art and culture district during a Texas Avenue Makers Fair or ASEANA Garden Festival and meet people who work the entire year to make their event special. Take a Saturday and be overwhelmed at the amazing array of freshness available at the Farmers’ Market at Festival Plaza. Look across Crockett Street while choosing your melon and admire the colorful mural on the side of the convention and tourist bureau. While walking to your car, look west to Once in a Millennium Moon, the largest public art mural in the country. Memories, buildings, people, places, spaces, events and art all go into the gumbo that makes downtown cool. We’d like to hear -or seewhat makes downtown cool to you, too.

Drop us a line, a video, a photo or a memory at [email protected]. We’ll be looking forward to the chat.

Liz Swaine is the executive director of the Downtown Development Authority. She can be reached at [email protected].