Can I see a city with some Heart? (New Orleans: crime, homes)

[njnative53]

I am sitting here reading tons of postings about NO after finding it' one of if not THE worst crime riddled city in our country. To be honest with you here not many people are making me feel any better about the city than that horrible distinction does. The reason I am reading up on NO is because I am seriously considering moving there. I am from what my title eludes to a New Jersey native originally. I am sitting in Southern California in sunny palm springs watching older gentleman play golf everyday and shop at fancy upscale chain stores with their plastic (literally) wives, oh and little tiny mouthy dogs in tow. My girlfriend is sleeping in the next room, five months pregnant with my first born little girl. I am partially educated and trying to finish my bachelor in secondary education because I have the undying urge and naivety to change some lives in this world and make my daughter proud of her dad someday. I have lived in or spent lots of time in New Jersey, New York city, Miami, Philadelphia, Albuquerque, San Diego, Los Angeles, and yes sunny Palm Springs. What pulls me towards NO along with beautiful stories of the place from an English professor is the magic and heart. I have seen cities that look absolutely beautifully. Aesthetically perfect with aesthetically perfect inhabitants walking and living about it. What i have found in those places is nothing more than that. When your in a city that has more going on underneath the surface you feel it and know it, like for me parts of New York city are wonderful and invigorating. Certain cities have sprinkles of that magic and some do not (just my opinion sorry if i insult anyone). I have only been through and visited NO once, my girlfriend has spent lots of time there and is in love with it. I have felt in love with it from only glancing over pages of stories including rich descriptions of NO style funerals. Any people who celebrate life like that are who i would like to try and make a dollar around. The point, ok i have gotten way off course but here it is, there seems to be a mentality in our society here that you barricade yourself behind a perfect facade of a home with man made ponds and gross landscaping, surrounded by cookie cutter homes resembling your own with possibly a neighbor who shakes it up a bit and puts a golf ball mailbox on his property. You feel safe, you get in your suv, you get your kids to school and compare your recent gap purchase to your friends to make sure you look like a more suitable parent, you visit starbucks to take in the local culture, you order sushi to feel like your cosmopolitan,you finish off your night watching the latest canne film festival award winner, all the while you feel safe setting your alarm systems and latching your doors from your neighbor Bob and Janice. This is what people seem to desire here and i understand to a degree, safety, good schools, nice community, plenty of starbucks, but I want more for me and my family. I want imperfect, I don't want bullets flying which is almost what it seems on some of these forum posts, I don't want random murders just because i want to walk down the street at night. I want heart and soul. I want a heavy steep in tradition and history that makes culture palpable. I want genuine, I want real, I would like raw and gritty, ( I'm from New Jersey). I just want some honest assesment about opportunity and real life in NO. Look for me most citites have bad areas and if you mess around with bad people you get hurt, you keep your head down sometimes and use your brain for some common sense it's the part about living in a city that you deal with. I would not or will not move my little girl into the wild west if it is that but obviously from what you can tell I pine for a bit more than the suburban dream. Oh and if i did not mention it, i would rather take a crappy pay check teaching somewhere i can make a difference rather than sitting complacent counting the hours to end each day. I'd rather get my hands dirty in life and change things rather than run from them. Any help appreciated.

[Doogie]

OK, I'll bite.

WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR???

Look, the crime is bad but it's not a showstopper. You can walk down the street in many areas and be safe. The majority of murder is drug dealer killing snitch or someone taking out a dealer so they don't have to pay back a huge debt or even just retaliation for another murder. So if you didn't kill someone and you don't sell / do drugs, your risk level just went way down to match any average city.

As for the character and heart of the city and its people, some people just get it and some people don't. You nailed it. Don't get me wrong, there's still the McMansions and keeping up with the Jones' but if anyone is around here looking for perfection, trust me, they're not going to find it.

I'm one of the people in the past who has posted that I was ready to leave the city. I still am but for many different reasons. One of the reasons though is because of its imperfections. Make no mistake, I would miss her dearly and would come back frequently to enjoy her many splendors.

Get your ticket. We'll have a welcoming party when you get here. And we'll have one if you don't.

[njnative53]

what are great neighborhoods to look at where experiencing real NO life is impossible to miss and it's relatively safe to enjoy life there.

[PhotoshopDiva]

The crime, for the most part, as in many big(ger) cities is well contained to its own circles. You will quickly learn where to be and where NOT to be. Get your butt to New Orleans! I have always said it's the best place to be from.

I am from NOLA and currently live in Houston. Dying to go home since 1990. Now I am big enough to do something about it. Meanwhile I visit fairly frequently with my husband and children and have never felt unsafe. Even out by the Riverwalk at 1am seeing Christmas lights and celebrating with my children and parents... just be mindful of where you go and what you do.

All you need is common sense, sounds like you're on the right track!

[Doogie]

Originally Posted by njnative53

what are great neighborhoods to look at where experiencing real NO life is impossible to miss and it's relatively safe to enjoy life there.

There's probably quite a few different places that would work for you. The more common choices would be Uptown, Carrollton, The Warehouse District, the Marigny and to some extent, the Quarter itself. Gentilly / Lakeview may be right up your alley. This will mostly be determined by your income level, career, family, etc.

[lulu54]

If you love So Cal, you'll probably hate Nola. It's an old dirty city with unhealthy food (emphasis on the frying), no decent beaches, lots of fat people. It's great, unique, fun, unhealthy and frustrating. I love it; be warned, though, I love a challenge. You really can make a difference by teaching in the maddening horrible school system; the kids are a fabulous challenge: beautiful, creative, challenging. Couldn't recommend it more highly. Just be careful, and good luck.

[painter_jed]

My wife and I just moved here 2 months ago from Annapolis, MD. New Orleans is, crime-wise, like any other. The bad areas are bad, but the city as a whole is pretty nice (though it smells a little weird - what's up with that?). If you want gritty, there's plenty of it to go around. If you want nice, easy suburb or country living, it's only a half hour away across the lake. LA has been a pretty nice place so far.
jed

[ILUVMAINE]

Originally Posted by lulu54

If you love So Cal, you'll probably hate Nola. It's an old dirty city with unhealthy food (emphasis on the frying), no decent beaches, lots of fat people. It's great, unique, fun, unhealthy and frustrating. I love it; be warned, though, I love a challenge. You really can make a difference by teaching in the maddening horrible school system; the kids are a fabulous challenge: beautiful, creative, challenging. Couldn't recommend it more highly. Just be careful, and good luck.

WHAT? Where or what in the hell does it matter if people are FAT, Skinny, Tall, Short, Black or White? It seems that the major challenge one would have - in your eyes - would be where the pretty people are!

[lulu54]

Originally Posted by ILUVMAINE

WHAT? Where or what in the hell does it matter if people are FAT, Skinny, Tall, Short, Black or White? It seems that the major challenge one would have - in your eyes - would be where the pretty people are!

Moderator cut: edit I was just trying to tell him,her that New Orleans is one of those great cities that isn't superficial like So Cal tends to be. I could not care less about someone's size; it's the heart that matters and New Orleans has a great one. Don't be so quick to jump to absurd conclusions. Obviously you didn't understand my post. back at ya.

[ILUVMAINE]

Originally Posted by lulu54

I was just trying to tell him,her that New Orleans is one of those great cities that isn't superficial like So Cal tends to be. I could not care less about someone's size; it's the heart that matters and New Orleans has a great one. Don't be so quick to jump to absurd conclusions. Obviously you didn't understand my post. back at ya.

Sorry to have hit a nerve! I was just responding to text to you had written!