Possible Relocation to LA - Louisiana - Page 2 - City-Data Forum

holloway1010 · 03-25-2008, 11:29 PM

Lafayette is alright, but the roads are the bumpiest of any city in the state, they even made my sattellite radio fall off of the dash of my old vehicle. Alexandria is nice, but a little bit "in its own world". Kenner is also nice, but don't expect much of a yard if you don't want to pay an arm and a leg for it. Also, the houses are too close, just take a look at a google satallitte image if you have any doubt. Don't get me wrong, Kenner is okay, and I would live there, just trying to give some insigt. Can't say much about Monroe. Lake Charles is also okay, pretty average, once again, I would probably live there.

jdhlu · 03-26-2008, 12:11 AM

I would go with somewhere on the south shore of the greater new orleans area. i have lived all over louisiana (north and south) and feel that new orleans was the most beautiful. it has an old world charm to it. There was also a lot to do there as well. it has all of the characteristics of a large city but is yet still a relativley small place. Despite higher crime than other parts of the state, i wish i could go back. look at metairie?, kenner, or new orleans.

darylwi · 03-26-2008, 06:32 AM

I'd go with the northshore area first. You have better schools, cleaner areas, more central to where you're needing to travel. You do lose some of the diversity, maybe even a lot, but if location is important, low crime and a fair to good quality of life, I'd look at the northshore.
And with roads, I-59 through Mississippi is a much better ride than I-55 to Jackson and I-20 east of Jackson. Technically it saves a few minutes if you're wanting to get to Meridian from the Hammond area, but the roads are horrible. Also I-10 west of Lake Charles (although it is being worked on) and I-10 into Texas (although it's being worked on as well) are some of the worst interstates I've ever driven on.

been there-done it all 2X · 04-07-2008, 03:50 PM

I hope you will be a bit more open minded than some of the people who have replied to your inquiry. I have lived all over the US and its territories. I have traveled and spent months in several other countries on as many different continents. I can tell you that the town of Alexandria is one of the loveliest cities as I have lived or visited anywhere.
You will be traveling to and fro following your relocation, am I right? When you "come home" you will not be looking for a lot of traffic, crime, or crowds as you go about your life "at home". Correct? You will be looking forward to good food, good friends, good entertainment, good weather, and overall "good times"...right?
If you want a fine place to experience all of the above, then Alexandria, La. is as good a place as any other in the world.
We make our home a happy one when we are not unduly threatened by the unnecessary evils that inundate us from the outside world. In order to accomplish this, we must chose our locations carefully. I strongly suggest you give central LA. a try in Alexandria. If you are as unhappy as some of your "advisers" here claim you may be...
then feel free to move...
Oh, by the way, anyone who hasn't lived in NOLA in the past two years doesn't know what they are talking about...
New Orleans has yet to rebuild itself following the devastation of Katrina...the entertainment, restaurants, police protection, doctors/medical facilities, grocers...and on and on...have yet to regroup themselves and return to the city...nor are they anticipated to do so any time very soon...AND the housing availability is a disaster!
Think long and hard before moving there...ask anyone trying to reestablish their lives there now and they will tell you the same.
Good luck and welcome to the Bayou State!

holloway1010 · 04-07-2008, 04:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by been there-done it all 2X

I hope you will be a bit more open minded than some of the people who have replied to your inquiry. I have lived all over the US and its territories. I have traveled and spent months in several other countries on as many different continents. I can tell you that the town of Alexandria is one of the loveliest cities as I have lived or visited anywhere.
You will be traveling to and fro following your relocation, am I right? When you "come home" you will not be looking for a lot of traffic, crime, or crowds as you go about your life "at home". Correct? You will be looking forward to good food, good friends, good entertainment, good weather, and overall "good times"...right?
If you want a fine place to experience all of the above, then Alexandria, La. is as good a place as any other in the world.
We make our home a happy one when we are not unduly threatened by the unnecessary evils that inundate us from the outside world. In order to accomplish this, we must chose our locations carefully. I strongly suggest you give central LA. a try in Alexandria. If you are as unhappy as some of your "advisers" here claim you may be...
then feel free to move...
Oh, by the way, anyone who hasn't lived in NOLA in the past two years doesn't know what they are talking about...
New Orleans has yet to rebuild itself following the devastation of Katrina...the entertainment, restaurants, police protection, doctors/medical facilities, grocers...and on and on...have yet to regroup themselves and return to the city...nor are they anticipated to do so any time very soon...AND the housing availability is a disaster!
Think long and hard before moving there...ask anyone trying to reestablish their lives there now and they will tell you the same.
Good luck and welcome to the Bayou State!

Don't let this person lead you to believe that Alexandria is some Garden of Eden type place where everybody/thing lives in Harmony. Maybe if you live on Windermere Blvd. But there are several very rough neighborhoods. Alexandria overall is the 25th most dangerous metro area in the country, faring worse on the morganquinto list than both Baton Rouge and Lafayette. I'm not trying to put down on Alexandria, but I don't want you to move some place you've been led to believe is great, only to realize that it isn't all you were led to think it was cracked up to be.

darylwi · 04-07-2008, 06:11 PM

I'm more concerned with the fact that this person is clueless about what's going on down in NOLA and probably most of the state. And that's fine, but don't dis it or make grossly incorrect statements if you have no idea what you're talking about. Wow!

In the last 8 months, NOLA has hosted a successful Voodoo Fest, Bayou Classic, Sugar Bowl, National Championship Game, Mardi Gras, and coming up probably the best Jazz Fest lineup in forever. I've personally attended a number of these and plan to hit Jazz Fest the second weekend. The food is as good as it's ever been, the waits at the restaurants aren't anywhere near where they were right after the storm when there literally was nobody available to work shifts.
I'll be the first to admit I would not want to live in NOLA (that's my opinion alone), but it's coming back steadily even if it's slow in some areas.

la-meplus3 · 07-12-2008, 01:55 PM

I live in the Alexandria area, Pineville to be exact...I'm not saying that this is the perfect place to live, by any means. But everyone has their own opinion of their personal favorite. I do believe that the reason Alexandria's crime rate is one of the highest in the nation is based on the size and population compared to other, larger cities. That needs to be checked into b/c it sure is commented on a lot. I really don 't hear of too much crime here, it's actually very boring. You could start reading The- Town Talk online to get an idea of what it is like to help with the decision. It is very centrally located to all of the places you'd be traveling, and the area that you are looking at is very nice. Another thing that I have noticed is commented on a lot is how back woods and close minded the people are here. Yes, you will find that here, but you just don't associate yourself with that kind of people. They are everywhere. But not everyone here is that way, you just have to choose your friends wisely.
My family and I travel often (like I said, it is boring here) and I here of a ton more crime everywhere else we go. Some of the larger cities within reasonable distance to this area are nice places to visit, but I would not want to live in them...but I definitely would not comment or try to give someone advice on a place that I had not personally lived or spent a lot of time there.

joewhite · 03-01-2009, 06:38 PM

any one know anything about lake arthur thinking on retireing there

cajungirl12 · 03-03-2009, 03:38 PM

New Orleans.......... I currently live in the metro area and I am leaving it this summer!!! The crime is horrible. Really it depends on where you live! Public schools are okay....i went to the public schools and did fairly well 13 yrs ago...currently, I have my kids enrolled in private school. However, crime is all over the United States and you can not run from it.

Metairie, Kenner is good for businesses and there are some nice areas!

I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THE LAKESHORE AREA!!!!

louisianafarmer · 03-03-2009, 04:26 PM

OK guys i feel i just needed to throw this in here being from said town..colfax is not a bad place and we are not all raceist as is always the case a few bad apples spoil the bunch i live in and love colfax i have been here for 2 years now but in the alexandria area most of my life colfax is a great little town with little crime and a quiet lifestyle i own a organic farm just outside of the city limits and for anyone looking for a more quiet lifestyle then what you could find almost anywhere else this place is perfect i mean we are not in the city itself but there is plenty of land for sale and if you have a family and a desire to live a low key life it is just right for that also i have found most of the locals here warm and friendly not that there are not some that are not ..but for the most part this place is awesome