Moving to Lafayette, please HELP! :)

[Innotech]

Your little girl will be safe, no worries. I was driving to get dinner by my house in Broadmoor tonight and saw the usual lineup of cars on the roadside for youth sports and people casually strolling around walking their dogs or playing with their children outside. I feel very safe in this neighborhood despite its size and a large amount of entrances/exits. Generally, any area around Ambassador Caffery or lower Johnston Street or Kaliste Saloom is great to live in. If Im honest though, you might also want to check out subdivisions in upper Lafayette for slightly cheaper housing.
Before you freak out, hear me out.

I grew up comfortably on the north side of town and believe it or not, the extreme north end of the city near Carencro is just as nice to live in as the southside with regards to lack of crime and such. In my 22 years living here, I have never experienced crime up there. Up where my parents are is very clean, with a few churches (the one I go to is St Elizabeth Seton and it was built in 2000) a couple schools (Acadian Middle isnt that great to be honest but Evangeline Elementary is ok) and a few neat places to eat or shop off of I49 (not to be confused with Evangeline throughway, which is where the dangerous part is). Some of the subdivisions around Acorn, Maryview Farm Road, Butcher Switch, Nova Scotia, Bellemont Estates, and Raintree Trail. Many of these areas are where my fellow churchgoers are from and they are great great people. They know the true nature of the northside, as do I. Dont let the stigmas fool you into completely avoiding this charming section of town.

Its the northside closer to the interstate and I49 that is the issue. Even then, I worked at the northgate cinema (now being turned into a strip mall with a fitness center) for several years in the middle of the bad part of town next to Northgate mall without incident. You really have to go looking for trouble in Lafayette to find the bad crime. You can even drive around Louisiana avenue and Surrey Street at night and most likely never experience anything out of the ordinary. I think the northside gets a bad rap, but its not like driving into a big city bad area, its just tiny pockets here or there and very easy to avoid. The northside is actually getting better, with several new developments and the Louisiana avenue extension being built. There is a large shopping center with a Target and Chik Fil A right off the interstate 10, and its becoming a lot cleaner and more interesting than when I was growing up. Overall, Lafayette is freindly, aspirational, and ever evolving, with plenty to eat, lots to do, and many greatl ittle surrounding towns filled with the culture and history of the area. I think you will enjoy it here.

[sailordave]

Oh, and the city is beginning to get fiber optic network to the homes. My co-worker gets the fiber to the home setup and he gets very fast high speed internet, telephone, and cable tv all via fiber optic connections.

[Innotech]

Originally Posted by sailordave

Oh, and the city is beginning to get fiber optic network to the homes. My co-worker gets the fiber to the home setup and he gets very fast high speed internet, telephone, and cable tv all via fiber optic connections.

Ive had it since the first day they offered it for home use. I guess thats a product of two roomates who are computer gamers/tech junkies. They had to have fiber as soon as possible lol.

[Shrylstar]

hi ... what things that you have heard that worry you ... We are from Louisiana but we are prior miltary as well... we were born and raised in New Orleans but left at the age of 18.... we return back home at the age of 26 live there for 12 years and sold our old home 2 months before katerna's storm... we recently move to Broussard La ... and we love it... it is a very good place to raise your children clean for one ... very different from New Orleans La.... stores are clean being the Groceies ... home depot and the people are very freindly beautiful place to live.... youngsville .... milton broussard rayne scott their are many places .... you just have to come and see for yourself.... we have a two daughters and one attends UL very good college ..... i can go on for days ... but you have to experience Lafayette for yourself.... we have had the pleasure of living all over the world ...lafayette has a little of everything .... texas shopping.... their homes .... NOrth Carolina greenery and trees seen.... California sunny days seens ... florida Queen palms seen....it can be expensive .... they are so many people here that are well off here ... now the problems that new orleans are experienceing has not change ... but their are many other parish that you can live ... Shereveport La is also a very beautiful place to live... as well .... Baton Rouge is also nice both you would have to consider the out area like Denham Springs ... Walker.... But Lafayette is a place that is not confine to one culture...... people that are natives of this area will tell you that traffic has gotten busy.. but that is everywhere since the storms .... crime well it is like everywhere it has change everywhere .... just that it seems to alot better then other places... just check out their crime ... reports visit as much as you can .... that will help you ... but this was good move for us ... just wish that we had done this sooner...

[Innotech]

Originally Posted by Shrylstar

hi ... what things that you have heard that worry you ... We are from Louisiana but we are prior miltary as well... we were born and raised in New Orleans but left at the age of 18.... we return back home at the age of 26 live there for 12 years and sold our old home 2 months before katerna's storm... we recently move to Broussard La ... and we love it... it is a very good place to raise your children clean for one ... very different from New Orleans La.... stores are clean being the Groceies ... home depot and the people are very freindly beautiful place to live.... youngsville .... milton broussard rayne scott their are many places .... you just have to come and see for yourself.... we have a two daughters and one attends UL very good college ..... i can go on for days ... but you have to experience Lafayette for yourself.... we have had the pleasure of living all over the world ...lafayette has a little of everything .... texas shopping.... their homes .... NOrth Carolina greenery and trees seen.... California sunny days seens ... florida Queen palms seen....it can be expensive .... they are so many people here that are well off here ... now the problems that new orleans are experienceing has not change ... but their are many other parish that you can live ... Shereveport La is also a very beautiful place to live... as well .... Baton Rouge is also nice both you would have to consider the out area like Denham Springs ... Walker.... But Lafayette is a place that is not confine to one culture...... people that are natives of this area will tell you that traffic has gotten busy.. but that is everywhere since the storms .... crime well it is like everywhere it has change everywhere .... just that it seems to alot better then other places... just check out their crime ... reports visit as much as you can .... that will help you ... but this was good move for us ... just wish that we had done this sooner...

I have to agree with you. I have found living in Lafayette to be quite enjoyable. I was visiting my company's home offices off of Pinhook today on energy parkway and discovered that yet another small complex is being built alongside the roadway. So much is going on here and the city is becoming better every day. I honestly would not live anywhere else. Maybe visit, but Lafayette is home and what a home it is.

[Cherylkay]

Originally Posted by mlkallison

My husband has gotten a job that will move our family from Lincoln, Nebraska to Lafayette, Louisiana.

Can anyone tell me a good neighborhood to look into? We know we want to rent a house (we have two big dogs that need a backyard) and we have no idea where to go!

Also, can anyone give me an insiders' view of the city? What's the crime like? Is it going to be a safe place for my 9 month old?

Thanks, any info can help!!!!

Hi, Lafayette Louisiana has a wonderful school system and is a very safe place to live. Lots of nice areas of the city. The outer areas are good also Broussard, Youngsville. South Lafayette is nice and if you look on the North side make sure of the areas because they have good and bad. Great food and people. Lots of things to do

[Meiriongwril]

People with progressive views who are thinking of moving to Lafayette should bear in mind that it is very conservative with a republican mayor, and Representative. We regularly had our Obama signs stolen from our front yard - as did the only other dem house in the sub-division.
That's partly why we're looking to move to a blue state!!

Also - this last summer was VERY hot and VERY humid - be warned!!

[thruthefence]

Tune into 'Moon' Landreau soon as you arrive!

[BRMan]

Originally Posted by thruthefence

Tune into 'Moon' Landreau soon as you arrive!

You mean Moon Griffon ? He's on just about everywhere but our section of the state.....