Why Youngsville, LA, Is a Great Place to Live
When David and Shayna Hines decided to turn their mobile coffee trailer, Brewed Over, into a brick-and-mortar shop, they knew they wanted to find a spot in Youngsville, LA.
“David’s brother lived in Youngsville, and we knew the area was on the rise,” Shayna says. “We had operated our mobile coffee trailer there at some farmers markets and knew there was a need for the style of coffee we offered.”
“Youngsville was so supportive,” Shayna says. “The mayor and chamber both reached out to show support.
The couple opened the doors to Huya Craft Coffee, their brick-and-mortar shop, with a ribbon cutting in August 2020. David, Shayna and their two daughters later moved to Youngsville in 2021. In addition to this Lafayette Parish community being a good place to do business, their family found that it’s also a fantastic place to live.
“We’re really happy in Youngsville,” Shayna says. “We found our place here.”
Youngsville, LA, Is Advancing
While the Hines family moved from a small town, Glenda Bryan, a real estate agent with Latter & Blum, saw her relocation as moving to a small town. She grew up in Lafayette Parish near Youngsville, but she had lived in New Orleans with her husband, Bill, for two decades.
“When my husband got offered the job to come back to the Lafayette area, he said, ‘They want us to come live in Youngsville.’ I said, ‘Heaven forbid. Never happening!’”
Bryan remembered it as “the smallest little Podunk farming town you ever saw.”
But their friend of 40 years, who was actively recruiting Bill to be the director of tennis for the Youngsville Sports Complex, convinced them to take a look.
Youngsville wasn’t the small town she remembered. In fact, as of the 2020 Census, Youngsville is the fastest growing municipality in Louisiana. “It’s like a dream,” Bryan says. “You wouldn’t believe it. I absolutely love Youngsville.”
She loves it so much, she even worked to launch the Youngsville Historical Preservation Society, of which she serves as the president.
Everything Is in Reach in Youngsville, LA
From housing and restaurants to schools and outdoor recreation, Youngsville offers everything one needs.
“The growth opportunity is unmatched in the region,” says Mayor Ken Ritter. “Our residents want to do more and more closer to home.”
Even though Lafayette restaurants are just a 20-minute drive away, Shayna’s family stays in the community.
“If we’re going out, we’re going out in Youngsville,” she says. “We have so many options here that we don’t have to go that far.”
Her favorites include Mandez’s Seafood Bar & Grill and KK’s Café, which serves breakfast, lunch and dinner favorites.
“Our restaurant and bar scene is always expanding, and we’re excited to have several others in the design phase now,” Ritter says. “The restaurants are all family-friendly, and live music has become the norm at several of them.”
Speaking of being family-friendly, Youngsville boasts A-rated schools that offer a plethora of enriching activities for students.
Shayna notes it was intimidating taking her daughters from a tribal school with less than 100 students to a school five times its size.
“Even though the schools are significantly bigger, my kids still know their teachers, and their teachers know them,” Shayna says. “We didn’t lose out on anything by moving here.”
And relocatees find that there is much to gain in Youngsville, like its recreation options. The Youngsville Sports Complex, for example, is a must-try for parents and kids. It is Louisiana’s premier sports and recreational facility, and it brings over 1 million annual visitors to the city.
The complex includes six soccer fields, four baseball/softball fields, five baseball fields, 11 batting cages, 10 tennis courts, nine sand volleyball courts, two playgrounds, a splash pad and more. An upcoming expansion will add pickleball courts, baseball fields, a walking trail and an amphitheater.
Residents all have access to Foster Park, Veterans Memorial Gateway Park and a new dog park called Bark Park.
There’s More to Come in Youngsville, LA
Many places in Youngsville are connected via walking and biking trails, and the mayor is committed to further connecting the city.
“We cannot continue to grow at this pace without a concerted effort on how to move traffic more efficiently, so that’s what we intend to do,” Ritter says.
Overall, Youngsville offers incredible schools, affordable new housing, an unmatched focus on parks and recreation, and a low crime rate.
“Our job is to protect and strengthen the reasons that have made Youngsville a great place to live and raise a family,” Ritter says.
A community built on sugar cane farming, Youngsville has come a long way, but it has stayed true to its roots.
“Youngsville’s motto is ‘Where Life is Sweeter,’” Hines says. “It may sound cheesy, but it’s true. We feel like life is sweeter here.”
This article is sponsored by the Lafayette Convention & Visitors Commission, Lafayette Economic Development Authority and One Acadiana.