Tucked away in the western corner of the Lafayette, Baton Rouge, New Orleans triangle sits a place all it’s own. New Iberia, one of the fastest growing economies in South Louisiana, boasts a well-earned, distinctive personality difference from it’s more metropolitan neighbor, Lafayette, LA. Lafayette may the happiest city in America (2014), but New Iberia ergonomically sits at seemingly the perfect distance away from it to benefit from the influx of tourists traveling the I-10 corridor, while keeping a robust enough infrastructure to never lean on it for stability. Like that drafting sweet spot behind the 18-wheeler where the wind improves your gas mileage, New Iberia cruises comfortably behind at a purposefully slower pace, contently enjoying being in the right place at the right time.
New Iberia has been the evangeline muse of countless Louisiana landscape artists such as Floyd Sonnier. It is the birthplace of George Rodrigue’s Blue Dog. In fact, if you can recall almost any other George Rodrigue painting for it’s moss-dripping oak trees and soft, misty Louisiana sunsets, you are likely picturing New Iberia. It is home to Avery Island and TABASCO, arguably the most recognized brand to ever come out of the State of Louisiana. Walt Disney, Cecil B. DeMille and Emily Post were all entertained at Shadows-On-The-Teche, which welcomes more than 25,000 visitors annually.
Simply put, New Iberia is what you are picturing when you picture Louisiana.