Pros and Cons of moving to Ruston, LA or similar small town (Shreveport: for sale, real estate)

[UnemployedFinanceGuy]

Hello All,

I am a New Yorker who is looking to move to small low cost town - but where I will not be bored out of my mind having grown up and lived in New York City all my life. As soon as my Manhattan condo sells (it is now under contract) I will be moving to a small town to take advantage of the significantly lower cost of living. I will have enough to purchase a small modest home and live modestly at least for the next 4 or 5 years and then we shall see....

Having researched a number of small towns nationally, one of the towns I am considering is Ruston, LA for the following reasons:

1. Modestly priced homes and low property taxes
2. Mild winters and warm showery summers provide year round good climate (at least according to the Almanac)
3. Friendly and welcoming people
4. Presence of a large school - Louisiana Technical School - may provide cultural, sporting and educational opportunities to keep me occupied and involved.
5. Small enough population to avoid any crimes or other big city problems.

Can somebody please help me decide if I am indeed on the right track and Ruston, LA may be for me - or would I just die of boredom with nothing to do (I may be working part time as a Real Estate agent or something similar).

[mezzogirl]

Okay. Here we go. I lived in Ruston a few years back- I went there for college and then continued to live there when I got married and had the first child. I now live in a major metropolitan area. I have also visited NYC several times. So with that being said- you are in for MAJOR culture shock. While there are some cultural things going on during the school year, the summers are loooooong, hot and pretty boring. Everything revolves around the college for the most part. Once students graduate, they move on to find jobs in Dallas and Houston. So there is definitely a small population of single adults past the college age.
Everything is relative, I know, but I think the housing prices in Ruston are so ridiculus for what you get. For example, our house was $60K in the middle of town in 2001. The same house would probably fetch over 100K now. And our house was a charming bungalow. Most of the stuff for sale now are those dreary ranches from the 60's and 70's.
I know this sounds kinda negative, and surprisingly, I love Ruston and still have many friends that live there. It is small, quaint and friendly and has had several new additions over the last couple of years such as a movie theater and a few restaurants. I am trying to be realistic for you here. You might want to plan a little trip and check it out before you make the decision. And then sell most of your black and grey suits in exchange for jeans and t-shirts...

[hindsight2020]

I second the sentiment of the previous poster. I literally turned down a teaching job with Louisiana Tech last year because I really couldn't see myself living there and the thought of commuting 120 miles a day from Shreveport essentially killed any incentive of pursuing that job. Had Ruston offered more in terms of ammenities, variety of employment and a bigger tax base as other college towns I've lived in (Tuscaloosa, AL, Lafayette/W. Lafayette, IN) I would have probably at least considered it.

It's not a bad town, but I consider it rather small and lacking amenities, among other college towns. Good luck!

[hdwell]

I would suggest a visit to Ruston also before you make a decision. It does have some nice features and at this time seems to be booming. Lots of road construction going on and there are many housing developments going on as well. The landscape is unique to La. Very hilly in places and surrounded by woods. Peach farming is big in the area.

The only thing I find bad is the driving around there. No patience! I've never seen such agressive drivers in such a small town. May have to do with the college students. Like the poster above said, there are some cultural opportunities around there during the fall, winter, and spring. But summer is hot and lonesome. I guess it just depends on what you're seeking.

[mezzogirl]

I should also add that at some point in this thread, someone will come like a shining knight to defend Ruston and say how it is growing and very progressive now. Again, everything is relative. Growing to a Ruston ole timer means a new chain restaurant and a Lowe's to compete with the Ace Hardware. There is also a few new neighborhoods going in- but the majority of the lots are being purchased by longtime residents who want something new and low maintenance.
If you desire some nightlife or bigger selection of eating/shopping, you can go one hour west to Shreveport or thirty minutes east to Monroe.
I agree about the drivers in Ruston. In defense though- the roads in Ruston are always jacked up. Something is always being worked on or detoured. I lived there for 7 yrs and there were orange cones out from day one.

[loose cannon]

Ruston is the former home of Jeff Mangum, a now largely inactive, gifted mastermind of the Elephant 6 project which included Neutral Milk Hotel. He is considered a visionary and prophet in the alternative/indy music world.

[UnemployedFinanceGuy]

Originally Posted by mezzogirl

Okay. Here we go. I lived in Ruston a few years back- I went there for college and then continued to live there when I got married and had the first child. I now live in a major metropolitan area. I have also visited NYC several times. So with that being said- you are in for MAJOR culture shock. While there are some cultural things going on during the school year, the summers are loooooong, hot and pretty boring. Everything revolves around the college for the most part. Once students graduate, they move on to find jobs in Dallas and Houston. So there is definitely a small population of single adults past the college age.
Everything is relative, I know, but I think the housing prices in Ruston are so ridiculus for what you get. For example, our house was $60K in the middle of town in 2001. The same house would probably fetch over 100K now. And our house was a charming bungalow. Most of the stuff for sale now are those dreary ranches from the 60's and 70's.
I know this sounds kinda negative, and surprisingly, I love Ruston and still have many friends that live there. It is small, quaint and friendly and has had several new additions over the last couple of years such as a movie theater and a few restaurants. I am trying to be realistic for you here. You might want to plan a little trip and check it out before you make the decision. And then sell most of your black and grey suits in exchange for jeans and t-shirts...

Mezzogirl, thank you very much for the detailed description. This is definitely very helpful to me in deciding. After your comment on the local Real Estate, I did take another look at Ruston home prices - and yes, you are absolutely right - relatively speaking you do get very little house for your money. In fact, the housing prices seem to be right around the ball park of what you could get in central New Jersey. Who would have known?

[LSU Tiger Z71]

Originally Posted by UnemployedFinanceGuy

Having researched a number of small towns nationally, one of the towns I am considering is Ruston, LA for the following reasons:

1. Modestly priced homes and low property taxes
2. Mild winters and warm showery summers provide year round good climate (at least according to the Almanac)
3. Friendly and welcoming people
4. Presence of a large school - Louisiana Technical School - may provide cultural, sporting and educational opportunities to keep me occupied and involved.
5. Small enough population to avoid any crimes or other big city problems.

Can somebody please help me decide if I am indeed on the right track and Ruston, LA may be for me - or would I just die of boredom with nothing to do (I may be working part time as a Real Estate agent or something similar).

Your points are all correct. I get a little bored living in the neighboring larger city of Monroe! I hope you like outdoor activities. Ruston is an extremely nice town, pretty wealthy for its area. I think your points are spot on but don't rely on Bulldog athletics to keep you entertained. You are a close to drive to Shreveport/Monroe though.

Visit first.

[LSU Tiger Z71]

Originally Posted by UnemployedFinanceGuy

Mezzogirl, thank you very much for the detailed description. This is definitely very helpful to me in deciding. After your comment on the local Real Estate, I did take another look at Ruston home prices - and yes, you are absolutely right - relatively speaking you do get very little house for your money. In fact, the housing prices seem to be right around the ball park of what you could get in central New Jersey. Who would have known?

Its not bad. There are a lot of new subdivisions around. I found some nice, cheap homes.

If you got $$$, Squire Creek is an excellent place.

[redbean]

Honestly... I suggest Knoxville. Ruston, as much as I love it, will be too boring, and maybe too much culture shock. Check out Knoxville or similar areas.