Possible Move from TX to LA (New Orleans, Baton Rouge: renting, vehicle registration, insurance)

[drguitarum2005]

Howdy Folks,
New poster here but been lurking a long time. I have a probably move coming up here soon due to changing jobs. Currently I live in College Station, TX, home of Texas A&M (where I went to school) and really love it, but the job outlook for engineers there is lacking. My potential new job is in the Holden area so I assumed I'd be living somewhere east of Baton Rouge. I do have lots of questions though.

Is the Hammond area a good place to consider other than east of Baton Rouge?

I don't want to live IN the city, but would like access to it. A 30-45 minute drive to work isn't a problem for me nor is the same drive to the city. In fact, I prefer suburbs.

I will be renting, preferably a house or duplex where I can have a yard. I will be looking at buying probably 1-2 years after the move. My soon-to-be fiance will be joining me in December and she will be looking for a job as an RN so there needs to be access to hospitals.

Through much searching around here, it seems like people favor the Denham Springs/Walker areas, St. Francisville, Central, etc. I like the sound of Zachary but that seems a bit far from Holden. I'm looking for a house in the $800-$1300/month range, preferably with a garage for all my tools and a yard for the dog. I currently pay $1100/month in College Station for a nice 3 bed/2 bath with yard and 2-car garage.

Safety is of utmost importance. Gated communities are good, but if too expensive, just a general safe area. I originally come from Bellaire, TX, if anyone knows anything about the Houston area.

I like suburbs that have their own shopping and food and whatnot but like I said, don't mind going into town if needed for better entertainment, stores, etc.

EDIT: I forgot to mention I also like the sound of the Mandeville area assuming Hammond has good enough hospitals for my girlfriend to work at. Any advice on that?

Any advice for a potential newcomer?

Thanks!

[annie_himself]

You will get nothing like what Bellaire has to offer, but I'm sure you know that.

I would suggest the Denham Springs area. It offers all the necessities you would want and it growing so there's more to come. It's close enough for you to commute to work and for your fiance to find work at the Hospitals in Baton Rouge or Denham. Hammond would also be a good choice but she would have a better variety and opportunity for jobs in the Baton Rouge area.

[drguitarum2005]

Thanks for the reply Annie! Well it's official as of yesterday, I'm moving to Louisiana. I am working on getting my insurance, CDL, CHL, EMT, vehicle registration, TCFP, etc. all transferred over. I'll be staying in an extended-stay hotel for the first 6 weeks so that will make some things difficult from a residency standpoint (won't have an address really) but I'll get it all squared away.

The HR person during my second interview highly recommended Covington followed by Mandeville. I drove through both and really liked them, especially Covington. Do yall have any experiences with that area? What about the commute across the causeway into New Orleans for my fiance to work at the hospitals?

As silly as it may sound, finding a volunteer fire department to join immediately is almost as high a priority as everything else I mentioned so I will also be looking into that as a factor!

Thanks again yall,