Downtown Shreveport, Not Just For Drinking & Gambling

They range from a studio apartment with a courtyard and a pool in the former Bour-Davis Cars showroom to a 3,800-square-foot penthouse apartment in the old Salvation Army Building.

Looking to move somewhere different ... Downtown Shreveport wants you to move there.  Houses, Shreveport style. They aren't always what you think they are.

On Sunday, about 300 people turned out the see varied styles during the Live Downtown Housing Tour. Eight properties, with 12 locations, were on display from 2-5 p.m.

The Downtown Development Authority, together with Downtown Shreveport Unlimited and iShuttle, put on the event to showcase the luxury hidden inside old buildings.

"The goal is to show people some of the options of downtown living," said Liz Swaine, DDA director. "This will hopefully spur imaginations and ideas because we are seeing such an interest in downtown.

"The unfortunate thing is there are people who want to live downtown and we don't have space. Most of the apartments that are down here now stay 100 percent occupied."

The self-guided tour included single-family homes, condominiums and apartments, as well as a look at a building yet to be renovated, future housing options and a tour of the secret garden and courtyard.

Some people walked from home to home, but a shuttle provided transportation to others.

Construction is underway to convert one building into a dozen upscale condominiums, which allowed Sunday's participants to see how the properties have been refurbished.

"When I first moved here buildings were being closed in downtown Shreveport, and I could never understand why people wouldn't renovate," said Carol Bateman. Bateman, originally from England, learned about the tour from a friend. "I've always loved coming downtown. We would get dressed and come hang out years ago."

From Shreveporttimes.com

I think the idea is super cool ... but I have a friend who used to live downtown ... he threw a party at his place at the Lee Hardware Apartments ... and it was kinda a pain finding parking.

Not to mention how you have to leave down town to go shopping for food.

Oh and it's really expensive, that too.