Leesville, LA (New Orleans, Baton Rouge, Lake Charles: house, neighborhoods, public school)

[jag168]

Does anyone have any advice/opinion about Leesville? My husband was offered to relocate there. Is that a good place to bring your family? I really have no idea about this town. Please help. Thanks

[IloveNOLA]

Originally Posted by jag168

Does anyone have any advice/opinion about Leesville? My husband was offered to relocate there. Is that a good place to bring your family? I really have no idea about this town. Please help. Thanks

I've known quite a people who were raised there. I have never heard them say a bad thing about Leesville, except the usual generic small-city complaints.

[tprejean]

Hi there,

Well, I can tell you that both my parents grew up in Leesville and my grandmother still lives there. It is absolutely the smallest small town I have ever been to. I have spent a lot of time there growing up and it is not that it is not a nice town, it's just that there is nothing, I mean nothing to do there. I do not mean to offend anyone who lives there, because everyone has there own idea of what makes a nice town. I just spent a week with a good friend who lives there and is happy to be raising her two young kids there, but is certain that she will move out once they are older. She travels to Alexandria about 4 times a week, even to do grocery shopping. However, she also grew up there, so I wonder if she just likes it because that is all that she knows or what. Last time I was there, about 6 months ago, it seemed that nothing has changed. It is a beautiful part of Louisiana, and the people are very nice, but after getting out of Louisiana all together, I just have a new perspective (I spent most of my life in Baton Rouge). I guess a lot of your decision should be based on where you are coming from. If you are used to a small town, it might be great for you. If you are coming from a city or even just a big town, you may not like it at all. I've always thought, it was a nice place to visit, but couldn't imagine living there. I know that since they have widened the road to Alexandria, it is not too far of a drive, maybe you can consider living there if the job is really worth it! Just my opinion and good luck to you.

[WendyW.]

I agree with the poster above me. It depends on what you are looking for. I love Leesville, but I come from a town that is way smaller. Our little town has a population of 300 and one gas station. So, to me, Leesville is kinda big. LOL
It's pretty and family friendly.

[Patrick Miller]

Am moving from Michigan to work at ft. polk, I'm flying into New Orleans, is there a greyhound or bus system to leesville? and any public trans when I arrive?

[zarabeth]

Oh, my is it small. Small, small and we interviewed there before we ever moved to Lake Charles and I was like....you're kidding me...I'd have to drive an hour to Lake Charles anytime I wanted something bigger than a local grocery store? We're not big night life people, but after driving thru the town, even my husband was forced to admit he didn't think he could live there, either....it's not bad it's just....there's nothing there.

I don't think Greyhound goes to Leesville...it goes to Lake Charles......but you should check the website, it can tell you. And there's not public transportation way down South, unless you are in the heart of some cities, perhaps. There wasn't any in Lake Charles when we left last year.
Once you leave the city limits of any city or town typed in boldface on the map way down south, usually means you're in the country...till you hit the next town. No big roads, either, usually two lane.... and between Ragley and DeRidder, before you even get to Leesville, there isn't a whole lot of anything.

[sandyhillkat]

Originally Posted by jag168

Does anyone have any advice/opinion about Leesville? My husband was offered to relocate there. Is that a good place to bring your family? I really have no idea about this town. Please help. Thanks

Not Sue if someone has gave you insight on Leesville already.It is a growing little town I was raised their.And it is still in the dark ages with things.good fishing though.No Malls in Leesville.Army Post keeps town alive.Reall it is how your lifestyle is on city life or small town ways.Leesville is small town in makings of trying to grow slowly.

[NSUInstructor]

I will not repeat everyone else about the size. However, I do have to mention the education here. Just like everywhere else in Louisiana it is horrible. I am from NC, which isn't a top state and students in my 6th grade class could do more than the students at the university I teach at. I AM NOT LYING! People from the outside here always joke (which, I am sorry if this offends people that are from here, I am just being honest) say "the gene pool is shallow here". I have heard this a lot since I moved here and I have noticed a lot of the people that are from here are very uneducated. My husband agrees and he is from a small town in LA. This is the major concern I have for my child. I don't want him being in a school system where they do not push their students. Being an educator, education is VERY important to me. Anacoco is your best bet, Evans your worst. I have students from Evans that cannot write complete sentences. I just think as a parent you should know what the "outsiders" think. Also the main nicknames for this place are "diseaseville" and "sleazeville". Does that let you know anything?

*I have lived all over America and Europe and this is the nastiest town I have moved to. It is not pretty, like other people are saying! My husband is from LA and he will even tell you this place is nasty. However, it is safe in the right parts and friendly. I believe in being honest to people that are looking to move here. Additionally, there are tons of nasty old trailer parks. These are not nice trailer parks. They have tons of drugs and a lot of child molesters. The trailers are literally failing apart and are rusted, yuck! You can go to watchdog online and see where the child molesters are located. When I moved here I cried because of the nasty conditions of this town and the so called "nice neighborhoods". If you actually want a nice area, be expected to pay close to $300,000 for an okay home (what you could get for less than $200,000 outside of Dallas). The country areas of Rosepine and DeRidder are nicer than Leesville, and you can get a house for a lot cheaper. I hope this helps. This is TRUE review from a person that was not raised in Leesville.

[aknippel]

I too am trying to find out whether or not there is a transportation system from Alexandria to Leesville. If any one can provide insight into whether or not this is the case it would be very much appreciated.

[bertha07]

Having lived in DeRidder since 1964 off and on (now reside in North Carolina) my father was station at Fort Polk after living in Europe for 12 years both Germany and Italy. when we drove into Leesville my poor mother started crying and that was in the 60's not much has changed it is your typical Army town bars, strip clubs, housing is very poor like the above blog trailers are all over the place.but in defense of the local people the base has closed a couple of times over the years and left a ghost town so no desire to invest too much. Schools are adequate at best but today what public school can say elsewise in my opinion.There is no bus service from Leesville to Alexandria (commutor type) it's about an hour drive to Alex but Alex is limited as well to my thinking lived there also but definitly more shopping has a decent mall. DeRidder is more family orientaed but still a small town and schools are about the same. I blame the state of Louisiana always more interested in football than books.just to finish I was in Houston when some1 ask me where I was from I said my father was station at Fort Polk he proceeded to tell me "that if the world ever needed a enema that's where they'd stick the hose" never forgot that!! Good luck