Moving to Baton Rouge (New Orleans, Kenner: fit in, rent, crime)

[brancislee]

Hello to all! In the next few months I will be moving to Baton Rouge. No specific reason other then I am at a turning point in my life spun the globe and tag Baton Rouge is it! I am very excited about my new adventure and hope through this sight I can find some exciting facts that will make my transition smooth!

I am a single white female that would like to live in an area that is safe(of'course) however I am not naive to the world and it's "going ons". I would like to live near shopping, perhaps a trendy area with diverse neighbors. I enjoy hip-hop and r&b and would love to find a few clubs to visit. Please do not go into "Protect Whitey" mode really don't need it. My street and hood richness speak for themselves. Prefer an African American crowd, friends, settings, businesses, men. neighborhood. Ooops I forgot I can say "Black" now! YA RAH OBAMA...............

Would appreciate any help from my new community.

Thanks.............

[SongByrd29]

Hello... I have lived in Baton Rouge for many years and its a relatively good city to live in. There aren't really any "safe" neighborhoods or areas... as crime happens everywhere. However, the Sherwood Forest area, LSU or the area going towards denham Springs are good areas to live. The absolute worst areas to move into is Gardere, Brandywine, Brookstown, and "The South", crime in thses areas are really rampant. As far as clubs and fun, BR is a fairly small city so everything is within driving distance. It's just one big circle. Also, you should vist the colleges (Southern University is great and it is always popping on the "yard"; and LSU is definitely a fun fun place). When you make your move, you should get in your car and drive around. You will find ppl here very friendly with lots of southern hospitality. I hope this was helpful and if you have any more questions, don't hesitate to ask. Happy Moving.

[Caa]

hello there! I am a married woman with a child and love it here in Baton Rouge. I work aT THE vet school at LSU AND the students seem to like Lakeside Daquiries for dollAR burgers and great atmosphere. Also, there are a few places downtown Baton Rouge that are fun. I was in my 20's once, but lived in Florida, so I am vague about dance clubs etc. Good Luck here, I hope you love it!

[MetroBTR]

Hmm, single, white female. In such case I would avoid anything North of Government street (with the exception of maybe Spanish Town). Gardere and Old South Baton Rouge (between I-10, miss river, and north gates of LSU) are a definite no-no. Also avoid the area bordered by I-110, I-10, Park Boulevard, and Government Street.

What is your price range? Will you be renting or buying?
If you can afford it, I would suggest Southdowns. It's a nice, safe, popular neighborhood. It's also only a few miles from Town Center, one of the new shopping "hot spots".

[brancislee]

First of all..Thank you!
I will be renting and no more then $800.00/mthly. Would really like a 2 bdrm just for a little extra space. It is just me. Do people often go into New Orleans? Indianapolis is a pretty big place with alot to offer. I love to listen to Jazz and R&B and definately love live bands and dancing. 95% of my friends are African-American and the places I shop and hang out are 98% African-American, will I fit in here?

[darylwi]

Yeah, it ain't nothing to drive down to NOLA for the day, or night. It's about 70 minutes away in light traffic. There is plenty of jazz clubs and blues joints and such.
$800 would limit you to 1 bedrooms in nicer areas of town, but you could splurge in places like Baker, E. Florida Blvd, Sherwood Forest, parts of O'Neal, Old Hammond east of Sherwood and parts of MidCity. Same could be said to the student properties around Brightside and Tigerland. But don't be discouraged because there are 2brs to be had in places like MidCity, Bocage, Essen Lane, etc. You just have to look, and perhaps bargain. Housing prices are bound to decline here real quick. I doubt rent will go up much higher either.
I will say that the city itself is more inclusive than the parish (countryside). You'll feel more comfortable living within the city in areas where diversity reigns. If you get too far out, then it'll begin to feel more one-sided.
There are new dance clubs and such downtown and in MidCity although most cater to a more college (youth) crowd, but they're all pretty fun. There are plenty of festivals and events to get involved with here as well. It's a great way to meet people.

[brancislee]

So I should stay in the city, then? I donot have to live in a "nice-nice" area. Is MidCity, Bocage, Essen Lane are these places in Baton Rouge or cities outside? So, what about jobs? Is there as bigger city on the way to New Orleans that would be better. I chose Baton Rouge because it appears to be a big city and I can drive to New Orleans in a reasonable amount of time I just donot want to live in New Orleans. I understand the countryside statement completely. That is how it is here. I live in the inner city at present and I would say on average there may be 5 to 8% hispanic and white population the rest is African American. Will me being the northern white girl fit in to an predominantly black setting in Baton Rouge? Your help is great!

[BRMan]

Originally Posted by brancislee

So I should stay in the city, then? I donot have to live in a "nice-nice" area. Is MidCity, Bocage, Essen Lane are these places in Baton Rouge or cities outside? So, what about jobs? Is there as bigger city on the way to New Orleans that would be better. I chose Baton Rouge because it appears to be a big city and I can drive to New Orleans in a reasonable amount of time I just donot want to live in New Orleans. I understand the countryside statement completely. That is how it is here. I live in the inner city at present and I would say on average there may be 5 to 8% hispanic and white population the rest is African American. Will me being the northern white girl fit in to an predominantly black setting in Baton Rouge? Your help is great!

(1) Is MidCity, Bocage, Essen Lane are these places in Baton Rouge or cities outside? I'd consider these areas in Baton Rouge. "Cities outside" are limited in East Baton Rouge Parish to Central, Baker, and Zachary
(2) So, what about jobs? Depends on what you do. Healthcare is fairly big here and is stable. If you're an engineer, it's iffy. Normally I'd say it's a great job to have with the petrochemical corridor, but Dow is laying off, and I expect others to follow
(3) there as bigger city on the way to New Orleans that would be better. Nope. And keep in mind that southeast Louisiana from BR to NO is about half of Louisiana's population.
(4) Will me being the northern white girl fit in to an predominantly black setting in Baton Rouge? East Baton Rouge Parish is probably about 50% white, 45% black, and 5% Asian/Hispanic. And in general, the majority black neighborhoods are north of Florida.

[darylwi]

Midcity, Essen and Bocage are basically in the middle of town and are close to everything.
Job wise, I think healthcare, education and some parts of the service industry are doing fine. If you want to work, there is work to be had here, contrary to some belief.
There is nothing large between here and NOLA. It's pretty much suburbia all the way to Kenner. And yeah, all of southeast LA probably constitutes half or more of the whole state's population.
The northern thing, you have to be real with yourself. You're coming down to a bunch of southerners. They don't like hearing about the north all that much. They also don't like hearing how the north is better. If you put in a little effort to belong here, you will find that people here are pretty darn accepting. That is a positive here.

[brancislee]

You are not only helpful but funny...thank you, you put a smile on my face