225BatonRouge.com

225 magazine celebrates its one-year anniversary this month.

A year ago, we dropped 225 into a city that was frightened, grieving, frustrated and routinely stuck in traffic.

Katrina and Rita had just ravaged South Louisiana, and tens of thousands of nomads without homes milled around Baton Rouge wondering what would happen next.

Most were stuck in limbo, wondering when they’d return home or what they’d return to—or whether they’d return at all.

Complicating matters was the fact that these new residents moved into Baton Rouge while it was already in flux.

Downtown was amid unprecedented renaissance. Thriving suburbs continued to march outwards. Communities in Ascension and Livingston became more connected to Baton Rouge every day as primary bedroom communities.

Life in Baton Rouge has settled down since those strange, uncertain months in late 2005. Yet daily life seems faster than it once was, more intense, and increasingly difficult to keep up with. From the untold stories within the local public parks system or inside FEMA’s trailer parks, to revealing the “Best of 225” awards and hottest new artists in town, 225 covered it all.

We get our share of compliments and complaints at 225. But overwhelmingly, readers have told us this magazine looks like it belongs in a much larger city. You tell us it’s too glossy and too full of fascinating people and activities to belong to Baton Rouge. Maybe you’ve found more to be proud of than you realized.

As you see in our photo essay in this issue, there is plenty in Baton Rouge you can love. You also may find things you want that are missing. Or maybe there are aspects of life here you want to change.

You have two choices. The easy choice is to leave; many people have. The other choice is to get involved and change it.

Just as it’s your city and your magazine, it’s your call.