I've lived on the outskirts of Monroe, about 10 minutes from the city limits for 27 of my 30 years of life. The crime is through the roof, particularly violent crime. There's significant amounts of gang activity. When you want illegal drugs, God only knows what it's gonna be laced with and you're gonna pay an insane amount for even basic weed. Good luck trying to get laid around here. Gays are being pushed further and further out of the community. The Jewish population left over the last decade. The white population is leaving as fast as possible. I'd honestly believe the black population would leave too if they could afford to, but long-standing racism in the area has kept black people working in shitty jobs that barely pay them enough to survive. Also want to point out, in my 27 years of living here, I've never once dated someone local. All of my partners have been from other parts of the US or international. The ones who have come to visit all agree, this city is a shit hole that needs to burn. Everyone is either drunk/high all the time, or a hyper religious bible thumper. There is no in between. The fun part is meeting the few people who are both. For God's sake, we shut down major thoroughfares because a new fast food restaurant opens here and the lines to get in are over a mile long. How shit is your city if everyone gets excited about a new fried chicken place to the point of actually forcing one of the busiest roads to close? I hate this place so much but I have no opportunity to leave. I love Louisiana and the laissez faire lifestyle, but this city is just too far gone to save. I want reliable, safe, cheap weed. I want available and not taxed to hell cigs and drinks. And I want a happy and willing partner, male/female/other IDGAF. None of this is currently available in Monroe. This city sucks and West Monroe isn't even better. It's ghetto in Monroe and redneck trailer parks in West Monroe. Both are racist AF against each other, but both are suffering the same problem. There's no potential, no economic hope. Everything we have is either medical, legal, or retail/food service. Our twin cities are doomed and we will never improve. I can't even blame the mayors of each city, as both have tried to bring in outside business. Our cities are just too far gone because of litter, crime, and terrible roads and infrastructure. No business wants to come here and for good reason. I beg and plead with you, anyone who may comment, give me a single, real, positive thing about Monroe/West Monroe. Oh, and I forgot to mention Louisiana's "porn ban" that requires State-Issued virtual photo ID via an app. So many websites you can no longer access at all, or that you can but you must completely destroy the safe anonymity the internet offers. Gotta love that the LA government and whatever 3rd parties they're working with now know what specific genres of adult content that I like. Sure hope that doesn't get hacked and leaked with my name, address, and face picture at some point. God DAMN this city and state suck ass.