Relocating to Shreveport/Bossier City...some heads-up? (Baton Rouge, Haughton: apartments, rental homes)

[hablesheros]

We are relocating to Benton in a few weeks and I haven't found a good preschool for my son, age 4. Any info on good preschools in Bossier/Benton area??

[KingJ]

Originally Posted by yockee

Hey All,
What can you tell me about buying a house in High School Districts of Caddo Magnet, CE Byrd, or Captain Shreve. They all have higher ACT Scores than Bossier High Schools. Also they have quite a few Advanced Placement courses. I'm open to Bossier schools, but which ones compare to the three in Shreveport?
How about the crime in those neighboorhoods? Are the houses there affordable?

Well CE Byrd has the most AP (advanced placement in case u didnt kno) in the Caddo area. Magnet is probly the one with the smartest kids. Byrd and Shreve are more like your normal schools with normal kids and they have a huge rivalry between them at football. Despite tha reputation for Magnet, tha area overall iz not one of tha best neighborhoods for livin in. I dont kno much about the Shreve area, but havent heard anything bad bout it. The Byrd area iz kinda a mix area, sum parts are considered bad and sum arent. I dont kno of much crime that goes on there, if any. My grandmother lived in that neighborhood for like 10 years. she moved in 2005 when my cousin graduated from Byrd. I would kno much about Magnet and Byrd because I went to Magnet last year and go to Byrd now. And yeh they do have higher ACT scores than Bossier schools. Also around the Magnet area are sum PJ(ProJect) like areas. im hear whenever for more questions..?

[Lord_willin']

Originally Posted by KingJ

well most of shreveport iz and allright sorta place u kno? u just gotta be careful bout some of tha areas, which of course u already kno. Az other ppl already said, tha worst of tha violence iz b/w gangs, tho tha bloods r tha more common of tha gangs. tha neighborhood around C.E. Byrd High Skool and Caddo Magnet High can both be bad neighborhoods, Magnet more, but tha skools r among tha top in this area, Byrd iz extremely strict about violence so its a safe skool. If ur raising kids, u might wanna be careful bout movin out in tha keithville and haughton areas and such because drug use iz increasing out ther and i kno that its common out ther.

this iz extremely basic i kno, but im not good w/tha general things, if u hav specific questions e-mail them

I agree. Byrd is a good school and the only area to watch out for that's close is Wilkinson Terrace projects.

I grew up in Allendale and I still live there. As far as gangs, Bloods have gotten their numbers up over the years in Shreveport. Still though, I really think of Bloods when I think Bossier City. And even then, they don't make noise in Bossier for some reason (check Bossier's very low crime rate). They are out alot and you see red everywhere, but it's quiet over in Jackson Quarters. There is one thing to have a heavy gang presence...another thing to been so inactive that there are never any homicides.

Crips have been heavy in Shreveport since '87. Rollin 60s Crips are stretched from the Cooper Road/MLK area, Grimmet Drive, Cherokee Park, Lakeside, Wilkinson Terrace, and Ingleside all the way back...pretty much the entire north side of town. See the following:

http://www.streetgangs.com/crips/rollin60s.html

But most of the murders in Shreveport have not been gang related this year. So I think Shreveport gets a bad wrap when out-of-towners bring up gangs. Your chances of being robbed or hurt by a gang member are pretty slim unless you are buying drugs are hanging out alot in the wrong areas.

[SBCmetroguy]

Very interesting to see you mention that, as I also typically think "Shreveport" when I think of Crips and "Bossier" when I think of Bloods. I grew up around all Bloods and the Crips over in Shreveport were their big enemy.

[KingJ]

Originally Posted by SBCmetroguy

Very interesting to see you mention that, as I also typically think "Shreveport" when I think of Crips and "Bossier" when I think of Bloods. I grew up around all Bloods and the Crips over in Shreveport were their big enemy.

i havent seen much in tha way of Crip around hear in Shreveport, except like Cedar Grove and a couple other areas
Shreveport really iz more of a Blood town now than Crip. Like the Queensborough neighborhood iz a blood hood, which iz problly one of the most dangerous neighborhoods right now. Its definetly not a neighborhood 2 say "hey, i wanna move in there"
I also grew up around gangs, but it wuz tha bloods really. The gangs may commit crimes but it generally isnt related to the "Blood-Crip" fued. I seem to see more and more bloods than crips around shreveport. Bossier i dont seem to see much of bloods but i dont see any crips.

[pinky10250]

I live in West Shreveport in Steeple Chase. There is no crime in my area. So, when you say West Shreveport is inexpensive but high crime, please be specific. True, there is an area north of W.70th street between Greenwood Rd and Jefferson Paige Rd that is not an ideal area to live in. But that is the only area I am aware of. Other than that, you have Long Timbers, a newer subdivision of Long Timbers, Western Hills, Timberline(upscale), Deer Creek, Steeple Chase, Fox Chase, Masters, Windermere Estates(upscale), Casa Cove. All of these communities have homes which prices start in the mid $100,00 range on up. I believe West Shreveport is a good area to plant and rear a family. As for schools, I would suggest you look elsewhere. The schools in this area have not come up to par with the community, yet. My children go to magnet schools. It is very quiet in Steeple Chase and I feel safe.

[SBCmetroguy]

Originally Posted by pinky10250

I live in West Shreveport in Steeple Chase. There is no crime in my area. So, when you say West Shreveport is inexpensive but high crime, please be specific. True, there is an area north of W.70th street between Greenwood Rd and Jefferson Paige Rd that is not an ideal area to live in. But that is the only area I am aware of. Other than that, you have Long Timbers, a newer subdivision of Long Timbers, Western Hills, Timberline(upscale), Deer Creek, Steeple Chase, Fox Chase, Masters, Windermere Estates(upscale), Casa Cove. All of these communities have homes which prices start in the mid $100,00 range on up. I believe West Shreveport is a good area to plant and rear a family. As for schools, I would suggest you look elsewhere. The schools in this area have not come up to par with the community, yet. My children go to magnet schools. It is very quiet in Steeple Chase and I feel safe.

There is crime in Steeple Chase, it's just "average" crime: criminal property damage, assault, rape, etc. It's the same as you'll see in any area as no area is truly without crime. West Shreveport in general is no worse than most of Shreveport, but there are pockets of high crime, generally centered around specific apartment complexes.

Armed robberies account for the majority of the "violent" crime in that area, and watching crime statistics the way I do this is why I do not and will not dine in any establishment on or near Pines Road/W. 70th around the holiday season. At that time of year armed robberies all over the metro area hit their pinnacle and occur on a daily basis... and a good percentage of those armed robberies tend to occur in the area between I-20 and W. 70h along Pines Road. Even outside of the holiday season I am careful about dining in that area, but I realize that the chance of being victimized in an armed robbery is considerably lower for three quarters of the year.

West Shreveport as a whole gets unfairly targeted as "bad" by many people because of a few specific pockets of high crime. Generally, though, west Shreveport is very quiet and peaceful, is majority black and majority middle-class.

[geauxtigers9]

moving to shreveport, i was looking at homes around ellerbe road (long lake - southern trace) and wondered what peoples opinions were on this area. It seems nice but everything has built up so fast and I have to wonder how stable the area is in terms of property values in the long term. Many of the homes are very nice but some are VERY cookie-cutter and all are so recently built. Interested on what you guys think.

[SBCmetroguy]

Originally Posted by geauxtigers9

moving to shreveport, i was looking at homes around ellerbe road (long lake - southern trace) and wondered what peoples opinions were on this area. It seems nice but everything has built up so fast and I have to wonder how stable the area is in terms of property values in the long term. Many of the homes are very nice but some are VERY cookie-cutter and all are so recently built. Interested on what you guys think.

Long-term property values are fine. Some of those subdivisions have been there for a decade or longer and property values have held up... many even increased significantly.

You'll be perfectly fine, believe me. That part of Shreveport is the future of Shreveport, no doubt.

[KingJ]

Originally Posted by SBCmetroguy

Long-term property values are fine. Some of those subdivisions have been there for a decade or longer and property values have held up... many even increased significantly.

You'll be perfectly fine, believe me. That part of Shreveport is the future of Shreveport, no doubt.

yes this iz true, i believe it too because tha Ellerbe area of Shrveport really iz one of the finest and all the new restraunts and places to shop are popping up within walking distance. A good walking distance though, not like a rite in ya face kinda walking distance but u know wut i mean. i have friends in that area of town and it will also probly be one of the more expensive areas of shreveport, but i dont know how expensive that is compared 2 other bigger cities