Searching for Exurbs, Small Towns Around NOLA (Metairie, Kenner: apartment, school)

[XUHopeful]

Whats good CityData? As yall can tell by my screen name, I am hoping to get into grad school @ Xavier. I was wondering about possible places to live around NOLA. I'm not really a fan of traffic and have actually been a victim of the traffic cameras @ Veterans/Causeway, LOL! I have a cousin who goes to XU who lives in Metairie and while I like the Metairie/Kenner area, I'm more of the kind that would actually prefer the more outer suburbs than say anything in Jeff Parish/West Bank and I wouldnt mind driving from as far as any River Parish or even Picayune or Waveland MS into town depending on where I got a job so that I could go to school.

I am very partial to La Place since it has the most interstate access and if I had to go to either Mobile (where I'm originally from) or somewhere in MS (alot of my friends still go to J-State, USM, and Alcorn off Highway 61 between Natchez and Vicksburg), I could always take 55 to get back to 12 or to MS and by-pass the NOLA traffic if I were to go anywhere out of town.

I would also like to know what yall would have to say about jobs around the River Parish area and apartment availability/prices.....and if I had to possibly broaden my search around Hammond, Houma or BR. All input is welcome.