Looking for info on Meraux, Slidell and Mandeville...urgent (New Orleans: for sale, rentals)

[asnow4sure]

My husband may be accepting a job in Belle Chasse tomorrow. I was looking at Meraux as a possible place to move but was concerned about flooding. Seems that I read somewhere that the area flooded a lot. We found some houses for sale and the market prices were a lot different than other areas. We don't want to move somewhere only to have to move again bc of frequent flooding.

If Meraux is not an option then we plan to look at Slidell or Mandeville.

Is there a good area of Slidell or a place to avoid?

[Neworleansisprettygood]

I don't know much about Slidell, but that is probably an hour's commute. Having a big river in the middle of the city can wreak havoc with traffic patterns. I know or have known several people that lived in Belle Chasse, have you considered living there? They have many nice houses in the area that shouldn't be too pricey.

[Neworleansisprettygood]

As far as Meraux, it is in St. Bernard Parish, where 100% of the properties were damaged in Katrina. It would still be quite a commute unless you can catch the ferry (from Chalmette to Algiers) at the right time. But I would still suggest you look in the area around Belle Chasse itself.

[rburnett]

As with anything, you get what you pay for. Meraux recieved a lot of storm surge due to it's vulnerable location. If you look on a map, the open water of the Gulf is not too far away. It would definetely not be high on my list if I was concerned about hurricanes. Even if you were okay with living there, the commute would require you to depend on the ferrys to cross the river or make a long drive through downtown New Orleans to get to the bridge. The traffic on the bridge in either direction can be a nightmare. Funding for the ferrys is in a precarious place right now with the bridge tolls ending and there's no guarantee that they will be operating in the same capacity next year.

Why not Bell Chasse? It's suburban/semi-rural if that's what you're looking for. A lot of it is along the river which is above sea level. At the very least there are nice Westbank neighborhoods that are much less suceptible to flooding from hurricanes than Meraux. The commute would be MUCH quicker and easier. Algiers Point is a historic neighborhood thats 10+ft above sea level and is much more urban and walkable. New Algiers/Aurora Gardens are also nice. It's more suburban than the Point, but not as rural as Belle Chasse. Look at the area along General Meyer close to the river, its also well above sea level. Old Gretna and McDonoghville are above sea level as well. They are similar to Algiers Point, but should be cheaper. Look at the area between the Expressway and the river from the bridge up to the Harvey Canal.

Slidell and Mandeville should be scratched off the list. A 1 hour commute is VERY optimistic.

[aab7855]

Listen to them. Belle Chasse would be a good fit

[Vorpal]

Also look at Harvey, Gretna, or Marerro. There's some good neighborhoods there as well. Mandeville would be over an hour commute.

[asnow4sure]

This is the info I needed! I tried looking around Belle Chasse online but couldn't find any rentals for non military.

[Oildog]

Belle Chasse or Algiers would be good.

[JenniferThomas]

Originally Posted by Oildog

Belle Chasse or Algiers would be good.

Um, no.

[Neworleansisprettygood]

Originally Posted by JenniferThomas

Um, no.

Why not? They are both safer, and cheaper, than the East Bank.