Mid City Baton Rouge (Hammond, Jefferson: low income, apartments, rent)

[LA2LA]

I'm relocating to BR and saw an ad for a townhouse in Capital Heights. I was wondering what the neighborhood was like. What the crime level is like, the upkeep of the neighborhood, etc. What other areas would you suggest? I'll be working in 70809 zip code.

[BRMan]

Originally Posted by LA2LA

I'm relocating to BR and saw an ad for a townhouse in Capital Heights. I was wondering what the neighborhood was like. What the crime level is like, the upkeep of the neighborhood, etc. What other areas would you suggest? I'll be working in 70809 zip code.

Capitol Heights is iffy. It's a charming neighborhood, but (1) there are no sidewalks, (2) you get a lot of thru traffic from people trying to escape the gridlock on the surface streets, (3) there are questionable neighborhoods across Government Street, especially near Acadian.

Maybe I should ask more general questions: (1) Where do you work ? (2) What kind of house/housing budget do you have in mind ?

[LA2LA]

Working on Mayfair Drive and my budget it up to $1200/per month.

[darylwi]

I think Capital Heights is a good neighborhood. It's not new, and it is lacking in sidewalks and parks. Cross traffic is rough sometimes, but they're about to make it one way (at least experimenting with it to see if it works). The goal is to take that route away as a cut-thru street for people bypassing Government or whatnot.
The only questionable area I think on Capital Heights is that area all the way on the western end at Acadian. That housing across the street looks like a public housing unit, but I take it it isn't. I'm guessing it's just lower rent apartments or something.
The drive from MidCity to Mayfair in the morning shouldn't be bad. I'm coming towards downtown and there's never anyone (in great numbers at least) heading the other way. It's a little different in the afternoon. Traffic does back up sometimes coming up Jefferson towards Government in several places but usually after you get past Towne Center the only bad spot is Foster. But on bad days, Jefferson backs up pretty bad. Might be easier just taking Airline and coming back around on Old Hammond or Goodwood.

[CindyM]

Originally Posted by darylwi

I think Capital Heights is a good neighborhood. It's not new, and it is lacking in sidewalks and parks. Cross traffic is rough sometimes, but they're about to make it one way (at least experimenting with it to see if it works). The goal is to take that route away as a cut-thru street for people bypassing Government or whatnot.
The only questionable area I think on Capital Heights is that area all the way on the western end at Acadian. That housing across the street looks like a public housing unit, but I take it it isn't. I'm guessing it's just lower rent apartments or something.

I think Capital Heights is a great neighborhood! A lot of diversity and it's fairly convenient ... although I have no clue where Mayfair Drive is ... so, maybe not for you.

Daryl, are you talking about the red brick apartments/townhouses? Definitely not low rent. We have a friend who owns a couple and the interiors are gorgeous ... at least on the ones he owns. I think it's 1940s construction and has good bones. Some units just need a loving touch.

[darylwi]

Originally Posted by CindyM

Daryl, are you talking about the red brick apartments/townhouses? Definitely not low rent. We have a friend who owns a couple and the interiors are gorgeous ... at least on the ones he owns. I think it's 1940s construction and has good bones. Some units just need a loving touch.

Wow, I would have never guessed. The exterior construction, landscape and streetscape around them makes it looks like something of a low income housing development only because to me it's the only thing in this city that looks even remotely close to places I've seen in innercity Chicago or NYC.
Just goes to show you that things aren't always what they seem I guess.

[BRMan]

Originally Posted by LA2LA

Working on Mayfair Drive and my budget it up to $1200/per month.

On Mayfair Drive (roughly at Jefferson/Airline), you have some decent options: (1) lots of apartments up the road on Jefferson between Corporate and I-12 - these have been around for years, but appear to have been kept up, (2)apartments on Jefferson between Bluebonnet and Airline which appear to be OK. There are apartments on Bluebonnet behind Mayfair which seem marginal, but I wouldn't rule them out.

[BRMan]

Originally Posted by CindyM

Daryl, are you talking about the red brick apartments/townhouses? Definitely not low rent. We have a friend who owns a couple and the interiors are gorgeous ... at least on the ones he owns. I think it's 1940s construction and has good bones. Some units just need a loving touch.

In fact, I want to say those old units were renovated in the late 80s/early 90s and are great if you like 20s/30s architecture - which some do. Those units are OK. But in the backyard of those apartments/townhomes is the Westmoreland Shopping Center, which used to have lots of car breakins, and some not so great neighborhoods across Government.

[Ronald120]

Originally Posted by darylwi

Cross traffic is rough sometimes, but they're about to make it one way (at least experimenting with it to see if it works). The goal is to take that route away as a cut-thru street for people bypassing Government or whatnot.

You talking about Glenmore??? [mod] edit [mod]

[darylwi]

Capital Heights will be one way. Glenmore was introduced to speed humps recently. They're controlling traffic through there as well.