What you get for the money (Baton Rouge, Gardere: 2009, apartments, foreclosed)

[BR_Bound]

I'll be relocating to BR in Jan/Feb 2009. I'm in my early 40s, female, single, professional. What's the feasibility of purchasing a nice home in a safe community in the $125-150K area? Any suggestions? New construction? Garden homes? I haven't had my house-hunting trip yet so I'm completely in the dark at this point.

I'm also an avid bicyclist. Is there a cycling community in BR?

Finally, the big question -- just how fabulous is the over-40s single scene in BR?

Thanks --

[Rosinante]

Originally Posted by BR_Bound

I'll be relocating to BR in Jan/Feb 2009. I'm in my early 40s, female, single, professional. What's the feasibility of purchasing a nice home in a safe community in the $125-150K area? Any suggestions? New construction? Garden homes? I haven't had my house-hunting trip yet so I'm completely in the dark at this point.

I'm also an avid bicyclist. Is there a cycling community in BR?

Finally, the big question -- just how fabulous is the over-40s single scene in BR?

Thanks --

There's lots of new Townhouse construction south of LSU on Burbank near Bluebonnet (both north and south of Gardere), but if you're looking for a worthwhile single family house ~ $135K you'll be needing a lot of luck. Lots of new garden homes all over the city too, but these are priced higher than your target.

Lots of bicyclists ride the River Road, which is just beyond the Bluebonnet/Nicholson exchange.

You've got me on the singles scene, but based on the number of DUIs reported in the paper it must be flourishing.

[darylwi]

Ok. Housing prices are higher here, post Katrina and well into this recession now. Our economy is fairing a lot better although it is starting to level out. But they're not predicting this major housing price debacle like elsewhere. Maybe look into some foreclosed properties. That would be the easiest way to find something halfway decent for under $150K, but they do exist. You just have to be on top of these deals when they pop up. There are condominiums and apartments too. Plenty of lofts are going up downtown now, but they're $1200 usually to start. Some older places in Spanish Town and North Blvd are cheaper.
There are bicyling groups here in BTR, but the infrastructure isn't the best for bicylists here. The River Road (including the levee path) is a good area along with the LSU Lakes. The local bicycle community does schedule bike rides up around St. Francisville on weekends a lot, also planned group rides along the River Road. There are also two mountain biking trails up along the Comite (and mountain is a real relative term here).
Within the city itself, the singles scene has definitely improved somewhat. BTR now actually ranks within cities that have a favorable singles scene. The outlying areas are all more family oriented and conservative in nature. I have a lot of married friends from high school and college, but I have had little problem meeting and hanging out with an increasing number of single people of all ages now (mostly 24-40, and a few over 50) and it's been great. And with downtown getting bigger and better every few months it seems, we're finding more things to go do and just chill, listen to music, even flirt. So the singles are definitely here. Not to mention we have LSU and Southern here, and there are plenty of older people who go back to college every semester.

[BRMan]

Originally Posted by BR_Bound

I'm also an avid bicyclist. Is there a cycling community in BR?

There is a Baton Rouge bike club

Baton Rouge Bike Club

And a part of River Road I highly recommend (because of low traffic and respectable pavement) is an area on River Road across the parish line in Iberville where the river bends. Depending on how you want to go, you can make an 11-25 mile ride out of it.

[Rosinante]

I don't ride a bike, but I do take my motor scooter out on the River Road often. The weekends are when I see the most bicyclists over there. Yes, as BRMan says, there's very little traffic over there; I'd characterize the quality of the road as far better than just respectable though — south of Gardere Lane, that is.

[BR_Bound]

Originally Posted by Rosinante

There's lots of new Townhouse construction south of LSU on Burbank near Bluebonnet (both north and south of Gardere), but if you're looking for a worthwhile single family house ~ $135K you'll be needing a lot of luck. Lots of new garden homes all over the city too, but these are priced higher than your target.

Lots of bicyclists ride the River Road, which is just beyond the Bluebonnet/Nicholson exchange.

You've got me on the singles scene, but based on the number of DUIs reported in the paper it must be flourishing.

I don't understand -- what does a DUI have to do with the singles scene? Is this a Baton Rouge thing I need to know?

[darylwi]

Originally Posted by BR_Bound

I don't understand -- what does a DUI have to do with the singles scene? Is this a Baton Rouge thing I need to know?

I don't get it either. It's no surprise that college kids are drinking all the time around campus (like Reggies and other places) and downtown. When EBR sets up check points, that's always who they target and they always get a few.
It would seem to me though that a lot of the DUI's I hear about (not from set up checkpoints) come from the suburban parishes (I guess when they're involved in a wreck). I don't know of many single people living in suburbia.
Heck, a BRPD officer was involved in a DUI accident recently on Choctaw. That should be scarier. But it's not unheard of. There are good cops and not so good cops everywhere. Look at NOLA.

[Rosinante]

I made the DUI comment based upon my understanding that many people associate socializing/get-togethers — parties and the like, bars etc. — with the consumption of potent potables.

When I moved here, my car insurance company told me that my annual premiums doubled because of the high incidence of DUIs in the state. Gee whiz, I mean to say, folks, this isn't rocket science.

Me, I'm a recovering alcoholic whose been on the wagon for almost 20 years. Hope this helps.

[darylwi]

Originally Posted by Rosinante

I made the DUI comment based upon my understanding that many people associate socializing/get-togethers — parties and the like, bars etc. — with the consumption of potent potables.

When I moved here, my car insurance company told me that my annual premiums doubled because of the high incidence of DUIs in the state. Gee whiz, I mean to say, folks, this isn't rocket science.

Me, I'm a recovering alcoholic whose been on the wagon for almost 20 years. Hope this helps.

Yeah, but it still doesn't relate to who's single or not.
There are plenty of other hotter single locales in this country such as Austin, Houston, San Fran, Manhattan and they don't have DUI violations like we do in south Louisiana. It has nothing to do with being single as much as it just has to do with Louisiana always having the mentality of letting lose and partying a little too much. In some states/cities, young folks get crazy and party and get drunk. In Louisiana, everyone does it, it seems from cradle to grave. Louisiana has always been associated with a scene of beer and alcohol. Around here, family can get together and put away as much alcohol as most college parties. It's a way of life.
That's all we're saying; not that DUIs don't exist here.

[BR_Bound]

YIKES -- I didn't mean to start a brawl, drunken or otherwise. I should have been more specific. At 40ish, I'm beyond finding the bar scene interesting and any fellow I'd be interested in probably is too. What I was wondering is if there are many single over-40s in the city or are most folks students or married?Thanks for the heads-up on car insurance and drunk drivers. Good info for a transplant to the area.