How dangerous is New Orleans post-Katrina? (Metairie, Slidell: school, living, restaurant)

[Vampgrrl]

I don't just base my experiences on my opinion of the East but many lifelong citizens of New Orleans share that opinion that it is a dangerous place, especially post Katrina.

Ursuline Academy isn't on or near Soniat. Ursuline Academy is on State at Claiborne. I live off Soniat actually.

[Cookie0907]

Yes i know. I went to Mcmain which is Next to it. And I used to walk to my best friend's house on Soniat after school. It's walking distance.

[Southerncharmer]

Thanks for your insight and advice. I also appreciate the link to the map of 2007 homicides. I will check that out. My fiance (who lived in that area pre-Katrina for about 15 years or more) says that his neighborhood is relatively quiet, there may be some "rough" spots 5-10 minutes but the crime usually stays in those areas and does not affect his neighborhood. He also said that there have never been any homicides or home invasions there.
The more I think about the more I think that New Orleans is not really different from most cities. . .here in Alabama I live on the outskirts of a "college" town but there are urban and rural areas that I avoid! There have been meth lab explosions within 5-10 mins of my home! New Orleans gets a bad rap from the media and people who do not really take the time to sort fiction from reality. In Texas you have men killing their girlfriends and cooking them. . .tragedy, crime, murder, & mayhem can be found in nearly any cities local headline news today!

[1nicecouple]

Originally Posted by gv0928

I attend Tulane, and basically, it's just about street smarts. Don't walk alone at night. Or the day, really. Don't try and take shortcuts anywhere unless you're 100% certain, because as people will tell you here, you can go from a quiet street to a jungle within two minutes. Stay on the big streets and it shouldn't be a problem. Watch out for taxicab drivers - United is the only company that can be trusted, or so it seems.

Aside from that, you should be fine. I have personally never had anything happen to me, but you do hear things. Just be smart and you'll be fine. It's actually a nice city.

Go Green Wave!Go United Cab!Go Wolfpack--nevermind-

[Ronald120]

Originally Posted by san phlegmatico

I'm always amazed at the softies from my home state of Alabama who constantly lament THE CRIME!, THE SIN!, THE DECAY!, and the idiosyncrasies of the New Orleans urban grab bag.

For one, Birmingham consistently ranks very high in national crime indices. And Tuscaloosa ain't no crime-free paradise either. It boggles the mind how Alabamians are so doggone circumspect in the 'Nolia. Maybe it's the conspicuous French influence which confuses the Scots-Irishmen who come flailing down the rolling hills into the bayou with bagpipes blaring and kilts flaring; perhaps it's the shocking shrill of a blaring trumpet -- WHAT NO BANJOS?! ... Maybe it's as simple as cultural rivalry. Or jealousy.

Seriously, it probably does have something to do with the stark differences in culture (at only a few hours' drive away, no less!) and the gumboed composition of neighborhoods which throw the perceptive faculties for a loop and thus render the observer fearful.

I once lived in T-Town -- ten years to be exact. I also once lived in New Orleans. So I do know what I'm talking about: I understand the mentality and dynamics.

But here's a News Flash for ya: Crime is alive and well in Tuscaloosa, AL especially in the University-abutted neighborhoods (and of course the campus itself). If you will accept an anecdotal testimony, here's mine: I have seen more guns out in the open, more burglaries-in-process, more robberies in progress, known more rape victims, and seen more villains fleeing a scene in Tuscaloosa than I have in New Orleans and Birmingham combined. You can add San Francisco to that mix (I've lived there too.)



Honey, if you find true love anywhere, with anyone, it's always worth a great measure of risk.

And for that matter, N.O. is always worth the risk as well. If you are so lucky as to have a chance to live in such a wonderfully rich gem of a city, DO IT. With a person you love, DO IT to the tenth power and don't look back. It's a no-brainer, in my book.

One of the bonuses of New Orleans: it is a wonderfully romantic place to be. A stroll through Audubon Park, a carriage ride through the Quarter, an afternoon picnic in City Park, sailing across the Pontchatrain... sublime, I tell ya.

I know people the-world-over that, if they could make it work financially, pull it off logistically, would move there in a heartbeat. It's truly one of those places. Alabama is wonderfully beautiful, and homey, and green in the spring, resplendent in the fall, gentile, and not-so-crowded -- all that and icing on the cake... but come on! -- We're talking about NEW ORLEANS: you get the cake, the icing, and sometimes even THE BABY!!

Who's got da Bay-Bee?

New Orleans...: Mardi Gras, and Jazz Fest, and palm-and-live oak lined streets with "neutral grounds" containing streetcars in-between;

Domilise's po-boys, Palace Cafe's crabmeat cheesecake, and Wolfman Washington at The Maple Leaf;

impromptu second lines through yer 'hood, of Hubiq's pies at the quick marts, of sweltering summers sucking on Sno Balls...

There's more history in certain neighborhoods of New Orleans than there is in the entire state of Alabama -- most any American city for that matter.

OK, maybe it's not a lily white place to raise a Leave It to Beaver family, but there is a realness, a community-knitness, and an endemic *FunKY FLaVoR* you just can't match for uniqueness, cultural depth, architectural splendor, brilliant cuisine, world-renowned entertainment, aesthetic and natural beauty, and pure ribald elegance. The funk alone will make you more interesting, add some much-needed colorful dimensions to your personality.

Raising a kid in NOLA? It may be a little unconventional at times, may be a little edgier (even grittier) than the stereotypical suburban-strip mall-soccer mom style; but N.O. is a very literary town, is open-minded & tolerant, can be quite inspiring to the creative side, and will certainly inject your child with heart and soul to balance matters of the gray matter.

Let's not forget just how many talented children have sprung from the loins of a New Orleans upbringing and into the world as pioneers, high achievers, and fine citizens. Wikipedia/ Google it and you'll be blown away! Authors, politicians, singers, chefs, educators, athletes...

Yes, I'm for real. But with N.O., I have found, either you get it, or not -- there tends to be no middle ground. Some people intuitively understand what NOLA is about, or catch on rather quickly; others repudiate its foreignness and RUN the other way.

My experience is that most Hinterlanders -- especially Alabamians, Tennesseans, Georgians, and mountain people -- never grasp the essence of New Orleans. They never really see the beauty. They dwell on crime statistics, exotic dialect, the strange landscape of public versus private schooling, and general provincial quirkiness.

They fixate on the (only slightly) greater risks, lifestyle adjustments and cultural disparities. (Of course, theses people are always the first to venture down for a bender, soak in a long and lascivious weekend, then return home to disparage the EVILS! of New Orleans.)

So, poster, which are you: do you get New Orleans, or not? If not, just spare yourself and the rest of us the inevitable jeremiads, lamentations, and e-screeds: stay in 'Bama.

Good luck to ya.

I know what it means to know New Orleans. -- SP

You should post more in this forum. I enjoy your colorful style.

[kkat55]

I just wanted to put out there that I would move to the North Shore first (rent an apartment) and get used to the area before living anywhere permanently. I grew up in Slidell and think it is wonderful, but there are other places that are nice also -- like Mandeville, Covington, Lacombe. I'm sure you can find something that you like in those areas and you don't have to feel so fearful.

Best wishes on your move!

[Gil3]

Originally Posted by Southerncharmer

Thanks for your insight and advice. I also appreciate the link to the map of 2007 homicides. I will check that out. My fiance (who lived in that area pre-Katrina for about 15 years or more) says that his neighborhood is relatively quiet, there may be some "rough" spots 5-10 minutes but the crime usually stays in those areas and does not affect his neighborhood. He also said that there have never been any homicides or home invasions there.
The more I think about the more I think that New Orleans is not really different from most cities. . .here in Alabama I live on the outskirts of a "college" town but there are urban and rural areas that I avoid! There have been meth lab explosions within 5-10 mins of my home! New Orleans gets a bad rap from the media and people who do not really take the time to sort fiction from reality. In Texas you have men killing their girlfriends and cooking them. . .tragedy, crime, murder, & mayhem can be found in nearly any cities local headline news today!

MsCharmer,

I was born in N.O., but left the area a long time ago. I have visited when I can and have been back twice since Katrina. In fact, the city was on a decline even before the storm. Katrina merely magnified the decline and accompanying problems, thus the never-ending negative bliss from the media.

I will be the first to say that it has changed a lot, even pre-Katrina. Many areas such as Gentilly and other nearby and faraway neighborhoods noted by other posters used to be well kept, safe and were comprised of hard working people who not only took pride in their neighborhoods, but looked out for each other. There were excellent shops, grocery and drug stores and restaurants along Gentilly and near Mt. Olivet Cemetery. You could actually leave your front door open on a summer night, sit on the porch and walk around many parts of the city after dark. This was back in the 60s and 70s when I was growing up. Things have definitely changed since then. I placed emphasis on Gentilly since I grew up in that area (St. Anthony near Dillard), but the same can be said for other surrounding areas.

Even "The East" as it's referred to did not have the rampant crime it does today and was a very safe and clean area to live and shop. The Plaza back then was one of the best shopping destinations in the area for much of the 70s into the 80s. After that, the area literally went to hell, save for some "pockets" of prosperity here and there that still remain.

I will say that when you look at the whole equation though, the city is not as bad as the media has been painting it to be and even with my bleak analysis, the city can come back from the ruins and be more vibrant than ever. Granted, it will never be the "same" New Orleans we all knew and loved. All cities go thru growth, prosperity and decline. I think the storm was the catalyst, as unfortunate as it was, that will re-shape and re-invent the city.

I would not worry about the crime. Heck..it's bad almost everywhere these days and you can even move to a "crime free" area and fall victim to random violence. It's all relative when you think about it. I just say take the chance at least.

[kellybelle]

the 'Nolia? Uhm...i dunno who you are but if you're gunna use slang you need to use it correctly. the 'Nolia is short for the Magnolia as in the Magnolia Projects. You probably meant NOLA as in New Orleans, Louisiana.

and to the OP. New Orleans is as safe as any other city and safer than some. Just stay out of the projects, don't start trouble (yanno like callin a black person some derogatory name...basically don't be rude to people), if you don't know where you're going don't go alone unless you get good directions from people you know and trust (NOT GOOGLE MAPS or MAP QUEST...they don't know the good areas from the bad areas)....if ur really nervous ask for landmarks to look out for...that's mostly how people down here give directions anyway since street signs are down haha.
but yah, it's fine down here. come! enjoy the great food and nice people make new friends, pick up new hobbies.... there's a great wine-tasting group here just check out meetup.com. you'll be fine

[Puddy4LyF]

Not to scare you, but whatever your boyfriend said was a nice area, relatively crime-free 15 years ago is surely not the same today. It may be a good neighborhood still, but it's not the same. A lot of areas are different, both in capacity and in crime -- either for better or for worse. I was never too familiar with NOLA East because I stayed over in Lakeview, Kenner, Metairie and the like, but I certainly traveled a bit. I'm partial to a place like Metairie because I can be a wuss and I enjoy a "safe zone."

Uptown and Audubon Park, like other posters have said, are nice areas but also have some bad.

I think you should really just make a week-long trip down there, stay in the neighborhood your boyfriend lives and just see if you can handle it. The story of NOLA is more a sad one to me. It doesn't feel the same and I don't know that it ever will, really. I will keep politics aside, but the mismanagement on the many levels are leading to many neighborhoods not being repopulated with the same demographics -- may be good for one neighborhood and bad for another -- you simply need to do less asking and more doing - go spend a week there and see how you feel.

[Cali23]

I just returned from New Orleans about a week ago. My son is considering attending Tulane and we had never been there before, although my husband's family is from New Orleans. I was totally overwhelmed with the beauty and charm of this city. I have decided that at the first opportunity, this is the city I would love to retire to. The French Quarter is more European than Europe, like a flashback in time. The neighborhoods are as diverse as any large city, and many of the projects are gone or targeted for demolition. The tent city of the homeless is still in effect from post Katrina, but it's downtown area reminded me much of San Francisco's downtown area, just on a larger scale. The projects in San Francisco and violent areas of Oakland are more threatening than anything I witnessed in New Orleans. I truly believe the media has blown the crime rate out of proportion. And yes, it's obvious which neighborhoods you shouldn't wander through, but like I said before, every major city has this problem. The city is rebuilding, and the spirit of New Orleans cannot be quelled, I was just in awe of everything about it. I don't think I will find another city in the USA, that has the history, culture and beauty of New Orleans. I'm already planning my next trip for a longer stay.