Reasons to love and live in Louisiana

[SkipChurch]

I went on a "best places to retire" web site and two Louisiana locations kept coming up in the top ten: Natchitoches and Monroe.

No doubt my aversion to snow and my preference for a low cost of living produced these results.

I think, after reading the comments on the board here-- and I deeply appreciate the frankness of the posters-- that good food is not a sufficient reason to retire to LA! The "best place to retire" algorithm must be something like MapQuest. It sometimes sends you the wrong way.

[laorbust61]

Originally Posted by yogabuff

I lived 30 years in Louisiana and finally got the opportunity to leave with a company transfer 2 years ago. I have not once regretted leaving. I had 4 children and reared them all telling them to leave Louisiana as soon as they could. They all went to college and moved away and are doing fine.

Louisiana is a great place to visit but live there??? no way. I lived in the north part of the state (different culture than the southern part) but loved to visit the southern part. The policitians have been corrupt since its inception (former Gov. Edwards was indicted so many times even when in office and finally was sent to prison for his corruption).

Schools are terrible Louisiana. If you want a decent education for your children you must send them to private schools. I sure wouldn't go if I had kids and couldn't afford private schools.

I'm not saying Loiusiana has the best schools, but I received a good education there, and when I moved to Los Angeles, had no problem finding a good job. My teachers cared deeply about me and my future, and I am thinking of becoming a teacher as a second career, thanks to their good example. I think the Louisiana teachers don't receive enough support from administration, and yet, they still care about the kids and do their best to instruct them properly. Any place is what you make it. You're not going to get any more out of it than you put into it. We need more people who are willing to stay and help transform bad situations instead of bailing out of them. That's the lesson I learned living away from Louisiana.

[Gypsypooh]

I'm a New Orleanian. I grew up here. I went to LSU and SLU. I've lived in 7 other US cities from Raleigh to Vail, I have always come home, and I will always be a New Orleanian. BUT... there are some things about this part of Louisiana that make your question a tricky one to answer.
This is a really cool place to live if you aren't trying to raise a family. The crime and lack of a plan to fix it can be a little scarey. My kids, who are very young, understand what it means to "be aware of your environment". It is out of necessity that I have taught them to look around for strangers before getting out of the car to go inside, and I live in a really nice area Uptown.

In Greater New Orleans (New Orleans, Metairie, Kenner, St. Bernard/Chalmette, Slidell, New Orleans East, Gentilly)these are some of the major drawbacks...
The crime, the lack of political leadership, the corruption, the school board, the public education system, the cost of private education, the drug related violent crime, the public transportation or lack of, the high taxes, the outrageous cost of insurance, hurricanes, flooding - both hurricane related and not hurricane related, the houses sink, there aren't too many little pocket parks and community centers that don't feel somewhat dangerous at times, the HEAT, and despite the arguments that I will get to the contrary... it is a breeding ground for alcoholism because people only need to awaken from the night before to have cause for celebration. We drink around the clock.

The great things about New Orleans...

The people - all races, creeds, religions and ages are unique and wonderful. THE FOOD - It is why we are the most obese city in the country. The lifestyle - We drink around the clock. No place in the world has the festivals that we have in Louisiana, and we do them well. The music sets a rhythm for this city that is hypnotic and magical, so much so that you forget that you are soaked in sweat when you are dancing in the street for Mid-Summer Mardi Gras. The Saints - a team that just can't make it to the Super Bowl, but when we asked them for a Homecoming Game in September 2006, they delivered with a force stronger than a hurricane. The politicians... where else in the world is the political history of a place so interesting and entertaining. We've sent our governor to jail and our insurance commissioner (actually 3 of them, I think). We elected the dumbest woman in the state (sorry to any KB fans out there) to fill the most corrupt position and we sat back and watched her perform with the insatiability of an American Idol audience. We have a wonderful sense of humor!!! And we have a wonderful sense of life.

So... best of luck and I hope you love it in Louisiana, but you might consider visiting first for a couple of weeks first.