Help!New Orleans Or Austin Tx? (Madison, Janesville: insurance, crime, home)

[klechner]

O.k, as you all know who live around here in Madison that jobs are now limited. Hubby was working at General Motors and we all know what happened with that. Luckily he has a degree in Police Science and also is an Army Medic in the military.So,he now wants us to sell our home near Edgerton and move to either New Orleans or Austin TX for a job he has been offered in the cities police force.

Now I like the idea of New Orleans,helping rebuild a city has it appeal.I also like the idea of having my two daughters ages 7 & 10 see this. What I don't like is the crime! Highest murder rate in the country? I guess that is why he is thinking of moving here to be a police officer...I was looking at a area called Madisonville or Mandiville...

Austin Tx...

Offers more pay......but I can't handle the idea of the spiders!! Brown recluses....What about the schools? Wouldn't New Orleans be able to get us more for our money in housing? I am a Realtor in Janesville and will be getting my license where ever we decide to relocate...

Really need help with this .....

[Bowie]

My guess would be that the cost of living in Austin is much higher than in New Orleans, and the economies of each are dependent on different types of businesses. I've spent a few days in both, although not in New Orleans since Katrina, and they are very different cities.

My advice would be to start different threads in the Austin and New Orleans forums with your specific questions about each.

I live in San Antonio and I think it has some of the best characteristics of Austin and New Orleans. Especially for someone with school-aged children. Austin is more urban (traffic-wise, population-wise) than Madison and is a faster-paced town than both Madison and San Antonio. Maybe you should look south of Austin?

BTW, I've never seen a brown recluse here, but I met someone who was bitten by one when she stuck her hand into a hole in the wall. I saw plenty of spiders when I lived in Madison, too.

[Megan1967]

Originally Posted by Bowie

I saw plenty of spiders when I lived in Madison, too.

Yeah, but ours are little bitty and easy to squish. I read on the Austin forum that if you squish a tarantula mommy you can end up with thousands of little ones scattered all over the room. Ew!

[klechner]

WRONG ANSWER Meghan!! OMG!!! YUCK!!!LOL

[bostoner]

Let's see... NOPD vs. APD, plus huge quality of life differences. A chasm, really. With children in tow and a job on the force, I'd take brown recluse spiders, scorpions, hail, and drought over all of NOLA's many, many problems any day. There is no question. Go to Austin.

[Stone1]

Go to Austin,

Austin has recently been mentioned as a top spot for good jobs. Austin is close to so many nice things like Hill Country, Gulf of Mexico is not far, San Antonio River Walk, Dallas/Ft. Worth, the list goes on and on and I have not even mentioned anything about Austin. I mentioned the touristy areas as that seems to make the friends and family come to visit.

Another nice thing about Texas is no state income tax but shop around for housing as property tax can very and even be as high as Wisconsin.

If your husband is going to be a LEO I think at retirement time you will both have been happier in Austin.

[Megan1967]

Property taxes in Austin are *much* higher than Wisconsin. Totally negates the whole no income tax thing.

[atxcio]

Arachnophobia in one of the safest cities vs. Murder capital of the US?? AND with your husband being in Law Enforcement... AND can get a higher paying job in Austin? Do you have some big life insurance policy on him or something? AND you have kids.. have you checked the schools? Is this thread a joke?

There are many other factors, I'm sure, but the ones you mention seem so ridiculous it's hard to give you a serious comparison. Yes, Austin has spiders, like lots of places... And if you are really afraid, just live in the city where there aren't any critters (except the occaisonal roach! yuk!). You're only gonna find the scary creatures over in the hill country area, where it's been natural for centuries (until just recently with our sprawl). Really, the spider bite thing is very rare.. like getting hit by lighting or something -- except not fatal and easily treated at even a minor emergency clinic.

Hopefully others can be more helpful, sorry if I seem a bit incredulous. New Orleans has many qualities, but I can't think of a worse city in the country to move to if you are a young family with a father in law enforcement. Just civil service in general, Texas has it together while Lousiana has been one of the worst -- not just since Katrina, either. Go visit sometime, please.

Good luck whatever you choose.

[rekuci]

huh? you think new orleans is spider-free? if anything there's going to be a whole lot more crawling things there than in austin.

as for the brown recluses...
http://department.monm.edu/biology/r...olorloxmap.gif

[arb2181]

People from Louisiana will say Nola, and people from Texas will say austin. Very different cities, both cities have alot to do. As far as crime if you dont sell drugs, and ride around the ghetto for the hell of it you will be fine.. which btw every major city has, they just seem to focus on new orleans.. also the economy is actually doing better in both cities compared to the rest of the country.. I know New Orleans unemployment is only 5% which isnt bad, take a visit to both.