need info on relocating to southern Louisiana; schools, jobs, realestate, etc. (New Orleans: sales, low crime)

[hrtobin]

Hello, my husband and I live in Western North Carolina and are very interested in relocating to Southern Louisiana. We have 3 children in middle and junior high schools, and would like some suggestions on a few nice smaller rural towns with (of course) low crime rates and reasonable home sales prices. I'm not concerned with intertainment for the kids, we don't really go out much anyway and prefer home intertainment. I do however need decent schools, so information on these would be appreciated. I have heard that in some areas new people are not nessessarily completely accepted, and since I wouldn't want my children to feel unwelcome, I would love to hear of some personal experiences in regards to this, wether good or bad. I know all about heat and humidity, as well as insects and reptiles, don't particularly mind any of them, and a good storm or two is OK with me. It's the people, jobs, schools, and home prices I am most interested in. Any info or tips will be greatly appreciated, and I wish you all a wonderful day!

[TNRyan23]

Schools are the main reason my wife and I will not be moving back to her hometown in Southern Louisiana from what we can gather from her friends and family in the Galliano area, Schools are terrible.

[BRMan]

Originally Posted by hrtobin

Hello, my husband and I live in Western North Carolina and are very interested in relocating to Southern Louisiana. We have 3 children in middle and junior high schools, and would like some suggestions on a few nice smaller rural towns with (of course) low crime rates and reasonable home sales prices. I'm not concerned with intertainment for the kids, we don't really go out much anyway and prefer home intertainment. I do however need decent schools, so information on these would be appreciated. I have heard that in some areas new people are not nessessarily completely accepted, and since I wouldn't want my children to feel unwelcome, I would love to hear of some personal experiences in regards to this, wether good or bad. I know all about heat and humidity, as well as insects and reptiles, don't particularly mind any of them, and a good storm or two is OK with me. It's the people, jobs, schools, and home prices I am most interested in. Any info or tips will be greatly appreciated, and I wish you all a wonderful day!

W Feliciana's schools have the advantage of having a nuclear power plant providing a generous property tax base. W Feliciana Parish, which includes St Francisville, is to the NW of Baton Rouge, and is (for Louisiana) hilly and pleasant.

[hrtobin]

In my post earlier I said something about a "good storm", I just wanted to let all the victims of any extreme act of nature know that I do not consider anything stronger that a little wind and some good thunder and lightning to be a "good" storm. Thanks for the answers I have recieved thus far, I'll be watching for more.

[darylwi]

Ascension, Livingston, St. Tammany and W. Feliciana are probably your better choices as far as schools go. St. Tammany is one of the faster growing and is mostly suburban NOLA. W. Feliciana has more terrain, and it would be cheaper. The people are mainly the same at both locales although you do get more of a 'Mississippi' flare when you're in parts of W. Feliciana and northern St. Tammany. W. Feliciana has the least services of all four parishes listed (and least population of the four).
Ascension and Livingston are pretty much suburban Baton Rouge now.

[hrtobin]

Thank you for your info, I will take a look here.

[MetroBTR]

Another parish with a good school system that often flies under the radar is St. Charles Parish to the West of New Orleans. It's a river parish, which generally means sugarcane fields and rich agricultural heritage.

West Feliciana is very rural with about 15,000 residents. It is a very beautiful area with lots of rolling hills and forests. Right now, the town of St. Francisville does not have many of today's common convenience type businesses. They are keen on preserving the small-town charm. Right now, you'd have to go to Zachary for something like Wal-Mart, but by the end of next year, you would be able to cross the Audubon bridge and go to New Roads for that type thing.

Ascension and Livingston are largely suburban. Along with the good schools, you would find many of the conveniences that come with a larger population. But if you want to be surrounded by countryside and still have good schools, look to West Feliciana.

[LSU Tiger Z71]

Check out:

Broussard,LA
St. Francisville,LA
Mandeville,LA

[BayouMove]

Denham Springs in Livingston Parish also has good schools, I hear from southern La friends. It is on edge outside Baton Rouge.

[sterling75]

Originally Posted by MetroBTR

Another parish with a good school system that often flies under the radar is St. Charles Parish to the West of New Orleans. It's a river parish, which generally means sugarcane fields and rich agricultural heritage.

West Feliciana is very rural with about 15,000 residents. It is a very beautiful area with lots of rolling hills and forests. Right now, the town of St. Francisville does not have many of today's common convenience type businesses. They are keen on preserving the small-town charm. Right now, you'd have to go to Zachary for something like Wal-Mart, but by the end of next year, you would be able to cross the Audubon bridge and go to New Roads for that type thing.

Ascension and Livingston are largely suburban. Along with the good schools, you would find many of the conveniences that come with a larger population. But if you want to be surrounded by countryside and still have good schools, look to West Feliciana.

Re: West Feliciana, I agree. I grew up in this parish and the schools are great and there definitely is the small town community feel. But, the town of St. Francisville is very rural, although it seems the town is undergoing some commercial redevelopment. You may also want to check out Zachary, LA. It's about 15-20 mins from St. Francisville and the school system there is very good.