Adjusting to Shreveport LA (New Orleans, Bossier City: home, bankrupt, magnet school)

[1mintjulep]

Originally Posted by hank0604

Don't bother with Austin. I have an Aunt there, which is why that was my first move when I left Shreveport, but it's really not all that it's cracked up to be. Lake Travis is amazing in May and June, but after that it's too hot to be enjoyable. And 6th street is cool the first time that you go, and after that you just get really tired of a bunch of 23 year old date rapers waiting to happen.

Austin is great as a vacation spot, but when you live there for more than about 6 months you start to realize the hypocrisy of the city. Everyone there acts really liberal and green and healthy, but only because that's "cool" right now and they want other people to think that's how they are (if that makes any sense). I would move back to Shreveport before going back to Austin.

I've lived in Austin for almost 10 years, and I love it. If you like Shreveport so much, you're more than welcome to my old spot. It'll be a cold day in hell before I ever set foot in that place again. I visited once or twice a year up until about 4 years ago, and after about 2 days, I was always ready to chew my own leg off to escape back to Austin. If you like old people, casinos, Republicans, and conservative Christians, S'port is the place for you. As for me, this forum is about as close as I'm ever gonna get to going back there.

[debrajan1517]

Originally Posted by North1

I moved to Shreveport from CA after having grown up in the Midwest. How long does it take to adjust to the area? Right now I'm pretty much in shock and ready to move out of the south but my husband's job will have us here for several years. Any suggestions for adjusting faster? What has shocked me is the segregation/racism, the sexism, homophobia and ultra religious conservatism. I guess I became a liberal somewhere along the way!

I belive that you can adjust well and be a great example in this city. I am a conservative, but believe there are many people who want the old ways to change and be gone.

[debrajan1517]

Originally Posted by Tamzyn

O no .. please dont say that! I'm a 26 year old, non-religious, liberal female from England who is in an interracial relationship. I'll be moving there with my husband next month - who is in the military so we will be stuck there for a while!

There are not many interracial couples here, but the more the better for this region. You are just what we need - and do not feel stuck - help us!

[imaterry78259]

Shreveport sometimes it is stuck in a time zone but it has many great features. The food in Shrevport is 10 times better than Austin. From my travels there must be at least 500,000 former Shreveporter living in Texas and problably twice that many living in the Los Angeles area

[SBCmetroguy]

Originally Posted by imaterry78259

Shreveport sometimes it is stuck in a time zone but it has many great features. The food in Shrevport is 10 times better than Austin. From my travels there must be at least 500,000 former Shreveporter living in Texas and problably twice that many living in the Los Angeles area

A lot in Chicago as well! Just imagine if Shreveport-Bossier had retained all those people over the years, we'd have well over 1 million people living here. I'd love that.

Hey, have you ever been to Herby-Ks? I've lived here my entire life and have never eaten there because I'm afraid to go there. I really want to try it, EVERYONE says it's awesome, but when a restaurant's owner gets murdered during a robbery attempt, it doesn't give me a warm and fuzzy feeling!

[hank0604]

I went there with my dad as a young kid, but when I went back it college it had changed, the food wasn't as good. Or maybe my palate just changed.

Shreveport does have some good eats. The places I miss are (in no particular order): Madison Square Garden, The Real Pickle, Oyster Bar, Strawn's, George's, Fat Boy's, Pepe's (in Haughton), and Southern Maid Donuts.

But I will say, Chicago has absolutely the best food in the country. There is plenty of good cajun and creole cooking around, plus great pizza and, the GOD of all sandwiches, the Portillo's Italian Beef.

[ceejamon]

I was born and raised in Shreveport and left because it is a rancid simmering cesspool that's preferable to hell only because the food is good. I hate to bash my hometown, but I've gotta tell the truth.

I made it through 12 years of school without being diagnosed as dyslexic. My teachers basically gave up on me until I taught myself to read, and then I played catch-up for a few years. Anything from 9th-grade on that I know I had to teach myself because my teachers were so unqualified. The magnet schools get all the smart kids and the rest are shuffled along to graduation. My wife was a teacher in Caddo Parish at Captain Shreve and thought she hated teaching. Having moved, she's as happy as can be and wants to do it forever.

Shreveport is horribly racist, homophobic, and uber-conservative. I say this as a straight, white male who's fairly conservative himself. If you're white, other whites may randomly engage you in openly racist conversation and will ridicule minorities when they're not around. They will just assume that you agree with this viewpoint. If you're gay in Shreveport, you either hide it or move. A gay pride bumper sticker will get your tires slashed. Everyone loves Jesus there, and if you don't you're going to hell. Asking a stranger where he goes to church is considered small talk. Many people with BA/BS degrees work jobs that don't require them. Education isn't valued much unless your degree specifies a particular career track (doctor, lawyer, engineer).

The weather sucks. A lot of the people "with money" think far too highly of themselves. The people without blame others and make excuses. There is a culture of ignorance and a resistance to any kind of change. For me, there was no adjustment. Only escape. Good luck.

[CajunMan]

So ceejamon, if I'm moving to SBC, would you reccomend Private Schools for the kids?

[hank0604]

Originally Posted by CajunMan

So ceejamon, if I'm moving to SBC, would you reccomend Private Schools for the kids?

I know you aren't asking me, but NO!

For starters, the private schools in the Shreveport area have worse drug problems than the public schools; a lot of rich kids with nothing better to spend money on. Second, I have met some really, really, really stupid people who have come out of Loyola and Evangel (the 2 private schools that you would be looking into). Not that the public schools don't also produce idiots, but they produce them for free. I went to Airline, a very good school in north Bossier, and I would put the top 10% of Airline students up against the top 10% of students from any private school in the state. I imagine the same also goes for Captain Shreve, Byrd, and Caddo Magnet, all very good public schools, all with great honors and gifted programs.

[SBCmetroguy]

Originally Posted by hank0604

I know you aren't asking me, but NO!

For starters, the private schools in the Shreveport area have worse drug problems than the public schools; a lot of rich kids with nothing better to spend money on. Second, I have met some really, really, really stupid people who have come out of Loyola and Evangel (the 2 private schools that you would be looking into). Not that the public schools don't also produce idiots, but they produce them for free. I went to Airline, a very good school in north Bossier, and I would put the top 10% of Airline students up against the top 10% of students from any private school in the state. I imagine the same also goes for Captain Shreve, Byrd, and Caddo Magnet, all very good public schools, all with great honors and gifted programs.

Take this advice, no doubt. The drug problems and teenage pregnancy rates are extremely high in the private schools here ... which are mostly "Christian" schools, no less!