From Murals to Munchies: Exploring the Trendy Transformation of Alexandria's Downtown | Ken Hulsey Photographer

This past week, after being cooped up in my office for days, I decided to take advantage of the mild temperatures and low humidity by taking a walk around downtown during my lunch break.

When Terri and I moved to Louisiana six years ago, we took a trip to downtown Alexandria and discovered a plethora of abandoned buildings. It was clear to us that our new home was a city in decline, almost forgotten. However, when I ventured into this once-vibrant downtown area, I honestly expected to see more signs of decay. To my surprise, I found some evidence of life and a glimmer of hope that Alexandria could indeed experience a renaissance.

I have to say that it was the colorfully painted building housing the marketing firm Ugly Mug that drew me downtown that afternoon. Their publicity campaign on Facebook certainly did its job because there isn't a day that goes by without seeing a post from them in my feed. On this particular day, my curiosity was finally piqued to the point where I had to check the place out for myself.

 

I parked my car a block away from Ugly Mug and walked to the corner where their office is located. I must admit, this is probably the trendiest corner I've seen anywhere in Louisiana. Across the street is a chic coffee shop called Tamp Grind, where people were sitting outside enjoying their drinks. Directly opposite the Ugly Mug are a series of murals painted by local artists, which I assume were commissioned by the firm since they face their offices. For a brief moment in that one-block area, I felt as though I could have been back home in Los Angeles.

 

Okay, here I go feeling homesick again.

 

I hope that what’s happening in that one block begins to expand throughout the downtown area, filling it with trendy shops and restaurants. This would provide locals with great places to frequent while also attracting visitors from outside the area. God knows this city could use more points of interest to draw in tourists, as frankly, there isn’t much outside of the Southern Forest Heritage Museum, located south of the city, and the old jet fighter planes at England Air Force Base Heritage Park to entice out-of-state visitors.

 

For locals, downtown Alexandria is home to a handful of great eateries, ranging from the classic diner experience at Sentry Grill to the high-end cuisine at Diamond Grill. There are still shops in the area, and Terri and I are looking forward to visiting the Alexandria Museum of Art this weekend, so be on the lookout for my post about our experience there.

 

In the meantime, take a look at these photos and see if you share the same vision for the future of downtown Alexandria.

- Ken Hulsey

 

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