LIVING AND WORKING IN HAMMOND
Southeastern Louisiana University (we just call it Southeastern) is located in Hammond, the largest 'city' in Tangipahoa Parish. However, to most, Hammond feels like a neat small college town. The downtown area is bigger than small, but still very quaint with amazing food and totally cool bars. Mariner's, Red White and Brew, The Crescent, Benny's, Tacos and Beer, B&J's Seafood, Cate Street Seafood, Brady's, Tommy's, Coop DeVille, and Le Saigon are bars and food worth checking out. The food in Hammond and the region is both cajun and cosmopolitan.
Hammond is nearly equidistant (45-50 miles) from Baton Rouge and New Orleans. Both are cosmopolitan cities with rich culture and lots, lots, lots to do in every month of the year. And the music is simply some of the best in the world. @PREAUX_FISH has a lovely blog entry that summarizes several of the things to love about living in Louisiana.
The Louisiana parishes east of Baton Rouge and north of Lake Pontchartrain are called the Florida Parishes and they have a fascinating history. In such a culturally rich place like south Louisiana with it’s strong Cajun and Creole cultures, the Florida Parishes combine these with rural and Italian flavors. Indeed, in contrast to Cajun Louisiana, the Florida Parishes also have a rich Italian heritage. Many of the regional festivals are devoted to this heritage, e.g., the Italian Festival and the Sicilian Festival.
And, of course, there is MardiGras.
Southeastern is an unusual place because the faculty and staff work so hard to keep it feeling small. However, Southeastern is big (800 Biology majors, 14,000 total students), and it’s big enough to gain some of the benefits of a big (but not huge) university. Our athletic programs are Division I, and the sports are very enjoyable to watch.
The weather is mostly wonderful here. The coldest temperatures are 25 F for a day or two in a severe winter. Generally, one can go without a coat for the entirety of Winter. Snow is incredibly rare. Fall and Spring are warm and sometime hot. The Summer is spectacularly warm! It’s hard to imagine anyplace warmer (so you almost always have bragging rights!), but there are lots of pools and rivers for keeping cool. The regional biodiversity is remarkable and there are lots of opportunities for important field biology.
We have remarkable faculty and excellent resources available to support innovative individuals. Our graduate students are curious, energetic and thoroughly engaged in the life of Southeastern Biology and Hammond.
Faculty in Biological Sciences at Southeastern live in several areas: in downtown Hammond, just north of town, in the Denham Springs/Walker area, in the Covington/Mandeville/Abita Springs areas, and in New Orleans. With a little patience, one can buy a lot of house within a short drive of Hammond. The attitude is distinctly southern Louisiana. Food, drinking beer, and celebrating with friends is a feature of south Louisiana. And it’s a strong reason that our faculty tend to come and stay forever.
UNIQUE REMARKABLE PLACES IN THE AREA
The Abita Springs Mystery House (aka the UCM Museum) is one of Beachy’s favorites places.
Sculpture Gardens of Dr. Charles Smith and Kenny Hill will impress, amaze, and inspire anyone with a pulse. These sites may seem off the beaten path, but the pilgrimage is worth it.
SUGGESTED DAY TRIPS THAT NO ONE ELSE HAS SUGGESTED…
The Abita Springs Minitour: one should do this trip beginning in early afternoon, but it can be done at any time of day. First stop at the the Abita Spring Brewery and do the tour. It includes some free beer. After that, take the four minute drive over the the amazing Mystery House. Once you’ve had enough of the remarkable artifacts and imagery there, then take your appetite around the circle over to Mama D’s for some outstanding pizza in a quaint setting.
The I10 Artery Clogger Quicktour: If you’re bored and feel like a 4-5 hour round trip drive, head west on I12 from Hammond, and continue on I10 West once you get to Baton Rouge. First thing to see is the most superficial view of the massive Atchafalaya Swamp as you drive along one of the longest bridges in the world. Then take the Scott exit to Billy’s, and get a pepperjack-stuffed boudin ball. You’ll lose your mind when you bite into it. You could maybe eat two, but then you won’t have room to enjoy the last stop before turning around to head home. (But buy some frozen boudin links to bring home. Boudin in the Florida Parishes is fine, but boudin from southwest Louisiana is worth dying for.) Continue along I10 just a little further and take the Rayne exit to Nonc Kev’s, and buy a 1 pound bag of chicken cracklins. You’ll lose your mind for the second time in 30 minutes when you eat them. Then turn around and head back to Hammond. After all this fried heaven, try not to fall asleep. Maybe bring a vegan with you to be your designated driver!