what's alexandria like (Shreveport, Lafayette, Bossier City: insurance, crime, home)

[rbayle]

May be relocating to Alexandria. No one posted that area as a nice place to relocate to in someone else's thread asking where are LA's nicest towns to relocate to. Why? Is it expensive? too hot and muggy? ugly? too small with nothing to do??? Also, I have heard that LA's home insurance is out of this world expensive-where are the best rates???

[RmafAlex]

I believe that the poster of the thread that you're talking about was asking for the best places to live specifically in southern Louisiana. Alexandria is in central Louisiana. I would consider Alexandria a decent place to live in. It's an average sized city with about 130,000 in its metro area. The economy is growing. Alexandria has a number of stores, restaurants, a mall, a zoo, minor league baseball, and plenty of outdoor recreation nearby. The downtown area is somewhat rundown but still has potential. The cost of living in Alexandria is low for the most part although utilities are a bit high. Crime is mostly concentrated in the eastern side of Alexandria. Other areas are mostly safe.

[rbayle]

well, it sounds okay... but what about that HO insurance question?

[BRMan]

Originally Posted by rbayle

well, it sounds okay... but what about that HO insurance question?

I think there's a big difference in homeowners rates once you get north of I-10. And Alexandria is 80 miles north of Lafayette on I-49. So I would expect their rates are significantly less.

South of I-10 (especially in NO and along the coast), rates are very high and/or you have to go with Citizens to get coverage.

[RmafAlex]

Insurance rates are still high in central and north Louisiana but yes, they are lower than the rates south of I-10.

[Ldunn1001]

My husband, who lived there for five years, calls Alexandria "the armpit of Louisiana". Hope this clears it up for you. Good luck.

[SBCmetroguy]

Originally Posted by Ldunn1001

My husband, who lived there for five years, calls Alexandria "the armpit of Louisiana". Hope this clears it up for you. Good luck.

Come on now... I know I saw in another thread recently where you said you live in West Monroe. Your husband can't possibly think any worse of Alexandria than Monroe-West Monroe. The air in Monroe at times actually smells like an armpit, and I've never experienced that while in Alexandria.

[BRMan]

Originally Posted by SBCmetroguy

Come on now... I know I saw in another thread recently where you said you live in West Monroe. Your husband can't possibly think any worse of Alexandria than Monroe-West Monroe. The air in Monroe at times actually smells like an armpit, and I've never experienced that while in Alexandria.

Unless you get a norther - there is a paper mill in Pineville where the locals have learned to accept the creosote smell.

[SBCmetroguy]

Originally Posted by BRMan

Unless you get a norther - there is a paper mill in Pineville where the locals have learned to accept the creosote smell.

So they're both armpits. Nah I don't believe that, really.

Actually I can take the creosote smell. I didn't realize paper mills smelled like creosote. Bossier City doesn't have that smell anymore but it once did from creosote plants, and I grew up with it over there. But that other chemical smell you get from a paper mill... the one that smells like a butt or a really bad armpit... that one is bad. Texarkana has paper mills to the north and to the west, so they get it pretty bad. I've smelled it in Monroe on many occasions as well.

We had the putrid smell of a dog food plant in Shreveport until last year (hence the reason I don't like to call any other city the "armpit" of anything) but the city forced it out of business. You literally couldn't walk around downtown Shreveport without smelling it, and there's far too much money invested in tourism on the riverfront area to allow it to continue. So it closed a few months ago and it's smelled so much nicer since.

[BRMan]

Originally Posted by SBCmetroguy

So they're both armpits. Nah I don't believe that, really.

Actually I can take the creosote smell. I didn't realize paper mills smelled like creosote. Bossier City doesn't have that smell anymore but it once did from creosote plants, and I grew up with it over there. But that other chemical smell you get from a paper mill... the one that smells like a butt or a really bad armpit... that one is bad. Texarkana has paper mills to the north and to the west, so they get it pretty bad. I've smelled it in Monroe on many occasions as well.

We had the putrid smell of a dog food plant in Shreveport until last year (hence the reason I don't like to call any other city the "armpit" of anything) but the city forced it out of business. You literally couldn't walk around downtown Shreveport without smelling it, and there's far too much money invested in tourism on the riverfront area to allow it to continue. So it closed a few months ago and it's smelled so much nicer since.

Isn't there still a refinery near downtown/the Independence Bowl ? I remember seeing one on the way to the Independence Bowl years ago.