Lake Charles (New Orleans, Baton Rouge, Lafayette: 2009, insurance, crime)

[TN-rox]

How is Lake Charles these days? I remember passing through there on my way to Houston once a few years back, and my neighbor is now moving there. Just struck my curiosity and I was just wondering what it was like, since Ive heard good things about Lafayette i dont know if the same could be said farther west. Hows Lake Charles in crime, entertainment, schools, cost of living? Any info is greatly appreciated. Thanks

[TN-rox]

Does anybody know anything about Lake Charles?

[hdwell]

TnRox, maybe I can help although I don't live in LC. I think things are pretty good now, the city has rebuilt itself after Rita and some Ike damage last year with no publicity. LC and Lafayette are not much alike (I did live in Lafayette one time).

Sometimes you have to wait a few days before you can get any response in the La forum. I don't know why that is other than alot of Louisianians seem to prefer other activities over the computer.

[TN-rox]

anybody?

[fallguy]

I have never been to Lake Charles but am slated to drive there with 2 friends (for L'Auberge du Lac Casino & Cotton's Famous Hamburgers) who've never been there in April or May 2009. What I've read on this forum in the past indicates that it's common for one either to love or hate Lake Charles. Many teens complain that there's 'nothing to do there' b/c the city population is around 70,000.

Hope this helps,

fallguy*
*I live & work in the Dallas, Texas metroplex area.

[tarponblock]

Lake Charles is a good place to live. I have lived in the Lake Charles area all my life. Crime is relatively low. My wife works in the school system which is above average. With the casinos in Lake Charles, it gives you something to do. All the festivals are definitely a plus. There are things for the teens to do in LC, but it is not a Baton Rouge or New Orleans. Kids here generally do things outdoors. Hope this helps..

[Innotech]

I dont really buy into "more money = better schools",
A lot of it has to do with the demographics that attend and the location of those schools. My mother substitutes at many Lafayette area schools, and shes seen examples of badly funded schools with excellent students and brand new, very well funded schools with TERRIBLE grades. So its not as simple as throwing money at the problem. It starts at home, and unfortunately many in Louisiana has fundamentally broken homes. You can teach in an old broken down shack, but if theres a willingness to teach and a desire of children to learn, it doesnt matter what the surroundings are like.

[kagomeshuko]

Originally Posted by tarponblock

Lake Charles is a good place to live. I have lived in the Lake Charles area all my life. Crime is relatively low. My wife works in the school system which is above average. With the casinos in Lake Charles, it gives you something to do. All the festivals are definitely a plus. There are things for the teens to do in LC, but it is not a Baton Rouge or New Orleans. Kids here generally do things outdoors. Hope this helps..

Definitely! I'm 27 now and I've lived in Lake Charles since I was 5! I'm definitely a Southern girl even though I was born up north!

As for the "nothing to do." Yeah, I used to say that . . . more just because it SOUNDED that way from what people said, but it's not true. There are things to do - just as much as in any big city, really. I know, as I've traveled and been in some, and it's not really all that great. Lake Charles is this perfect not to big and not to small area.

Oh, and fallguy - COTTEN'S!!!! I don't like onions and I still say BEST ONION RINGS EVER and eat the ones from there!

[anold81]

lake chuck is all but dead. i am a 5th generation lake charles ara resident and i spek the truth. if you not a dr. lawyer or a member of the good ole boys at mcneese college forget it. if your not old money this is not the place for you. no jobs over minum wage unless petrochemical people w/out a masters or higher degree. houses are high insurance agents are among the riches people in lake chales. what does that tell you. rita, just about drove the last nail in our coffin. and the insurance people oh, they are all ok. its easy they dont pay for damages from rita. one excuse after the other. we have as many pet supply stores as we do eating places. most chain food places left after rita for who knows why. thats a good question. why did they all leave? you don't know the people here i'd say keep moving. sorry to say.

[CTtcg]

That's an interesting way of describing the social scene, but I wouldn't say it's dead.

Lake Charles has a lot of unrealized potential, much more so than Lafayette or Beaumont.

Just look at what they did with L'Auberbe -it's a freaking resort and people enjoy it. When you go there it does not feel like Lake Charles at all. And that company will be building a new resort right next door. Lake Charles will also be getting a nuclear manufacturing plant south of town next to LNG, which will bring in more jobs, and then there's the multiplier effect.

One of the unfortunate things is that the petro-chemical industry here is simply not growing, they are not shrinking, but they're not growing. Growth means jobs.

If we had a progressive mayor like old Mayo r Sudduth, then I think things would turn around.

How many chain food stores left after Rita? It was not as many as you make it out to be.

While I don't view Lake Charles with rosy-eyed glasses, I do see the reality of the situation.

Originally Posted by anold81

lake chuck is all but dead. i am a 5th generation lake charles ara resident and i spek the truth. if you not a dr. lawyer or a member of the good ole boys at mcneese college forget it. if your not old money this is not the place for you. no jobs over minum wage unless petrochemical people w/out a masters or higher degree. houses are high insurance agents are among the riches people in lake chales. what does that tell you. rita, just about drove the last nail in our coffin. and the insurance people oh, they are all ok. its easy they dont pay for damages from rita. one excuse after the other. we have as many pet supply stores as we do eating places. most chain food places left after rita for who knows why. thats a good question. why did they all leave? you don't know the people here i'd say keep moving. sorry to say.