Opelousas??? (New Orleans, Baton Rouge, Shreveport: insurance, crime, neighborhoods)

[electric_lady]

Can any one fill me in on what Opelousas is like? Demographics? Housing? Quality of life? Nightlife?
Thanks.

[BRMan]

Originally Posted by electric_lady

Can any one fill me in on what Opelousas is like? Demographics? Housing? Quality of life? Nightlife?
Thanks.

Opelousas is getting some growth from being on I-49 and being just north (well, 20 miles away) from Lafayette. Thing is, it's in a poor parish that is about 50/50 racially. And they have racial issues that flare up from time to time, like in a sheriff's race where the black lady who lost blamed racism.

[enigmc]

I just moved to Opelousas in August 2005. Its been a pleasant surprise. It is a suburb of Lafayette and one of the parishes in the Acadiana region. Having lived the majority of my in New Orleans, 5 years in Shreveport, and 4 years in Ruston, I am well aware of the differences in the various parts of the state. The people are friendly, the food is great, the cost of living is reasonable, and the location is perfect (20m from Lafayette, 45m from Alexandria, 50m from Baton Rouge, 2h from New Orleans, 2.5h from Shreveport, 2.5-3h from Houston, 4.5-5h from Dallas, 5h from San Antonio, and 4h from Jackson, Ms). Having to travel for work, either driving or flying, this gives me ample options of choice. I decided to build in St. Landry parish because there was just too much of a difference in what I received for my money compared to Lafayette and even St. Martin parishes. There's still plenty of room for growth, and prices are still substantially cheaper than the surrounding areas. In addition, the terrain is much higher, so flood insurance is not required and overall insurance is cheaper. Crime is as expected; nothing alarmingly different than any other town with 25,000 people in it. The city is more culturally even than most of the state, which actually has worked for the good. There's an occasional grumble or too, typically a power trip, but overall race relations are better than most other areas. Not many or any exclusive race or culture neighborhoods. The most astute neighborhoods share professionals from all races, as do the economically challenged neighborhoods. Regarding local jobs, while there are large employers like Lou Ana and the Walmart Distribution Center, the majority of residents work in Lafayette. Moreover, the health sytem provides 2 hospitals, Opelousas General and Doctors, and several doctor's offices and clinics. As for the school system, the better public schools are in the south Opelousas school district and the private school choices are among the best in the state both academically and athletically. As for nightlife, the city is currently trying to get back control of it by limiting the partying to 2am. Currently, clubs are open to 6am, and a court injunction is keeping it that way. There's also a horsetrack/casino in town that stays pretty busy with its gambling, live concerts, and clubs. The city also has the immediate necessities like Super Walmart, Super One, McDonalds, Pizza Hut, etc. One has to go to Lafayette, Alexandria, or Baton Rouge to go mall shopping, though. Finally, as for the culture and more so the people, you'll find them very approachable and better yet attractive (higher ratio of good looking to ugly than a lot of places). That also makes it even easier to live there. Due to recent events and shifts, Opelousas is deemed for growth and expansion. As with any change, there will be both glee and growing pains through this maturation.