Baton Rouge v. Shreveport (New Orleans, Livingston: high crime, neighborhoods, private schools)

[ILUVPARIS]

I just returned from a job interview in Shreveport and thought it was the worst city I have ever been to. I have now been offered a job in Baton Rouge. Is it any different ?? Help !

[IloveNOLA]

Originally Posted by ILUVPARIS

I just returned from a job interview in Shreveport and thought it was the worst city I have ever been to. I have now been offered a job in Baton Rouge. Is it any different ?? Help !

Baton Rouge is okay. For better or worse, it is a city dominated by LSU, state government, and the petrochemical industry. Livingston Parish and Ascension Parish are its bedroom suburbs. Look on the bright side, in Baton Rouge you will only be an hour away from New Orleans.

[Caa]

I HAVE lived in Baton Rouge for 3 years now and love it. I hated it for about a year after Katrina because we had an influx of people, some were just not as nice as the Baton Rouge people! Anyway, I have not been to Shreveport but my friend's brother lives there and she said he likes it, but actually says there is nothing to do up there really. Here, we have all kinds of sporting events, tons of things for famiilies and children! I have no idea about the 20-30 age crowd-singe or otherwise-but maybe others can answer any questions about night life etc. There are great private schools here as well. Public-no way! Baton Rouge has nice winters-I love them, and I love the people for the most part. I think the people have changed for the worse since Katrina...no one ever tailgated or honked their horn at others, now we are more rude ans impatient, but am hoping that will not be the norm around here! Good Luck and welcome to La!

[SBCmetroguy]

"but actually says there is nothing to do up there really" - compared to Baton Rouge? Really? Damn, the dude must not get out much.

[SBCmetroguy]

Originally Posted by ILUVPARIS

I just returned from a job interview in Shreveport and thought it was the worst city I have ever been to. I have now been offered a job in Baton Rouge. Is it any different ?? Help !

The worst city you've ever been to? Exactly how many cities have you been to? And did you actually leave the ghetto while here? Your comments are unwelcome... Moderator cut: offensive

[imaterry78259]

Shreveport may not be the city it used to be but it does have always had an active nightlife and many festivals. It is far from beiong the worst city, take a drive down Fairfield and you will see few cities have great old neighborhoods like this

[ILUVPARIS]

Thank you, CAA for your help and consideration !

As to SBCMetroguy --Moderator cut: personal insults I have been to no less than 25 cities allover the world and guess what, Shreveport still ranks as #25. Did I ever leave the ghetto ?? NO because the entire city is ONE BIG ghetto. Except for 3 square blocks behind Mall St. Vincent and the sprawl of retail down on Youree. Is this what you call nice ? Oh yeah, and the miltary strip centers, those were something to behold. OOOOH< and best of all was Larry Flynt's Hustler Club. Maybe "metro guy" should get out more...??? I won'd need your help in the future. As you will note from the afore-mentioned post, I was looking for help on BATON ROUGE.

[DFWMike]

Actually I can see how you would think that Shreveport is the pits. Shreveport is unusual in that you have to try to get to the decent areas of town. Most of what is around I20 is low rent, bad areas of town. But Northern/Southern Bossier(really all of Bossier excepting the base area) and Southeast Shreveport off of Youree from Kings Highway (try looking at the neighborhoods around all that retail you saw, and be sure and go on both sides of bert kouns and over to line/ellerbe road) south to the port are nice areas. Even some areas in the extreme southwest area of Shreveport are still nice areas, but force you to do business in some high crime areas that tend to be extending south on Jewella towards Bert Kouns.(what am I saying, all those businesses are closed, at least there is a wal mart south of Bert Kouns now)

That being said Shreveport has alot of blight, but in that respect Baton Rouge does too. All in All Baton Rouge seems to be more urban, lots more pollution in the air from all the plants on the mississippi. Jobs are not as prevalent in Shreveport as they are in BR, traffic is much(emphasis much) worse in BR than Shreveport. However if you have a job already, i would say go back to Shreveport and take a more thorough look. I used to live in Shreveport and been to Baton Rouge a number of times, if I had to choose between the two i would still pick Shreveport.

If you have kids look closely at North Desoto or Bossier Parish for good public schools unless you can get your kids into the magnet system in Caddo Parish.

As for things to do, i don't think Baton Rouge holds a real edge unless you are college age, except that it is an hour and a half from the french quarter.

In summation the first time I went to Shreveport I thought it was a real slum, just because I didn't know where to look for the nicer areas. But I did shortly learn that there was another large part of the city that is nice. All that being said, as is the entire deep south, there is alot of poverty, but if you're moving to Louisiana thats just going to be a fact of life wherever you move to.

Btw, if you're looking for help on Baton Rouge, say you're looking for help on Baton Rouge, not Baton Rouge, vs. Shreveport.

[SBCmetroguy]

Originally Posted by ILUVPARIS

Thank you, CAA for your help and consideration !

As to SBCMetroguy -- ... I have been to no less than 25 cities allover the world and guess what, Shreveport still ranks as #25. Did I ever leave the ghetto ?? NO because the entire city is ONE BIG ghetto. Except for 3 square blocks behind Mall St. Vincent and the sprawl of retail down on Youree. Is this what you call nice ? Oh yeah, and the miltary strip centers, those were something to behold. OOOOH< and best of all was Larry Flynt's Hustler Club. Maybe "metro guy" should get out more...??? I won'd need your help in the future. As you will note from the afore-mentioned post, I was looking for help on BATON ROUGE.

You were looking for help on Baton Rouge while downing Shreveport. And for what purpose?

What "military strip centers" are you talking about? Never seen one of those around here...

Good luck finding information on Baton Rouge, and I hope you enjoy living in a city where you're many times more likely to get cancer for all the petrochemical plants operating in such a small radius. I wish you the best with your future chemotherapy treatments. Really... I do.

[Caa]

Originally Posted by SBCmetroguy

You were looking for help on Baton Rouge while downing Shreveport. And for what purpose?

What "military strip centers" are you talking about? Never seen one of those around here...

Good luck finding information on Baton Rouge, and I hope you enjoy living in a city where you're many times more likely to get cancer for all the petrochemical plants operating in such a small radius. I wish you the best with your future chemotherapy treatments. Really... I do.

I live in Baton Rouge and have not been to Shreveport, but I do know that there are many chmeical plants here, but my husband and I did some checking on the cancer rates etc becasue of all the plants here. WE found out that there are about 25 other cities with 'bad chemical in the air" that were much worse!! We love BR and I know that is is different for everyone, but please, be kind to each other, there are not enough nice people on this earth anymore. To the gentleman moving here, WELCOME HOME!