How is the Crime in NO Effecting You? (New Orleans, Metairie: home, neighborhood)

[Xcaped NOLA]

I just visited NOLA this past weekend and I can tell you that it is pretty much the same after nearly 2 years. Still looks crappy and trashing in some areas. I've seen tourisim ads that say, "Come back Home to New Orleans " and they tend to show the usual tourist spots, the French Quarter, Garden District,Downtown(CBD) etc, the areas that were not really affected by HK. The city is still desolate. Where I used to live only 3 people live in that block currently. 1 in a Fema trailer the other 2 were fortunate to have their homes renovated.As for my home, my mother still waiting on the SLOW ROAD HOME. Virtually nothing has moved with regard to housing and folks returning yet the crime is out of control. I guess the city said to hell with the rest of the city, we were able to save the French Quarter and Downtown(its bread and butter).

[Vampgrrl]

Some GA developer has been buying large tracts of Mid City for development.

I'm not convinced NO East will come back but Mid City looks better.
Even Lakeview which doesn't look good, looks cleaned up...

I've been coming back n forth and the city while not looking great does look better. It really just depends on where you are. I start work in 3 weeks in NOLA.

[Micktooth]

Thanks for the updates. I'm glad to hear that some areas are coming back. Good luck and keep up the good work!

[DeLaSalle]

Originally Posted by Micktooth

My family and I moved from NO last year. I am so disheartended reading the news everyday and seeing what a mess it still is. The crime rate appears to be out of control. I would like to hear from any of you still there on how it is effecting you and what your future plans might be. Good luck NOLA !

New Orleans Began it's "Plunge" into the toilet when( Landmarks):

1967--Moon Landreu
1973--Dutch Morial
1974--Federal Judge decision, ie., "Consent Decree" That NOPD and all .gov should reflect "The Community"(Crak-heads, criminals,No-Loads,the Ignorant and plain old no-loads)

Other Landmarks:

Dorothy Mae Taylor and her black , unfocused rampage of hate.
Morial, Part 2
Illegitamcy--no more famalies, no more Fathers.
ETC...

[DeLaSalle]

Originally Posted by Vampgrrl

Some GA developer has been buying large tracts of Mid City for development.

I'm not convinced NO East will come back but Mid City looks better.
Even Lakeview which doesn't look good, looks cleaned up...

I've been coming back n forth and the city while not looking great does look better. It really just depends on where you are. I start work in 3 weeks in NOLA.

Did you grow up in NOLA??
What do you really know?
Besides LeStat...

[kettlepot]

A. Symetrical, a couple of questions:

What are No-Loads and plain old No-Loads? -- for the benefit of non-NOLA's like me.

And who was Dorothy Mae Taylor and can you add some history to her campaign of rage and hate?

[Vampgrrl]

Originally Posted by A.Symetrical

Did you grow up in NOLA??
What do you really know?
Besides LeStat...

Yeah I'm not the AR fan anymore. That was about 15 years ago, although that was how I discovered New Orleans.

I didn't grow up in New Orleans but
a. I know quite a bit about moving to a heavily minority city with a ton of crime (read: Atlanta...Atlanta has only recently since the Olympics matured...it used to swap with New Orleans for most dangerous US city every year)

b. I don't mean to sound mean in saying this. But one's history in a place, especially now in New Orleans accounts for nothing. All anyone has is the here and now, and what you do with that is what counts.

[DeLaSalle]

Originally Posted by kettlepot

A. Symetrical, a couple of questions:

What are No-Loads and plain old No-Loads? -- for the benefit of non-NOLA's like me.

And who was Dorothy Mae Taylor and can you add some history to her campaign of rage and hate?

Sorry for the redundance...

[bproven]

Originally Posted by NOLA2SGF

I am an older woman living alone in Metairie, and the increase in crime has affected me a little. I don't feel safe grocery shopping after dark any more, for example, because there are thugs "hanging out" in the parking lot and by the store. In fact, I don't go out after dark at all any more and I often would before Katrina.

There are a lot of people in Metairie that aren't from here, and I don't enjoy seeing so many strangers on the streets in my neighborhood. On the other hand, I am fine and I haven't had anyone break in (at least not yet). I'm more cautious.

I am tentatively planning to leave in 2009, when I can retire. Actually the levees, floodwalls, and general flood control problems are my main reason since I do not believe they will ever protect us as well as they did before Katrina. Crime is an important, but secondary reason. If these two problems are conquered I would probably stay. I'm not holding my breath, though.

rgreenkrb, I couldn't find a place like that so I eliminated culture from my requirements. Then I decided cold was not so bad, so I'm looking at Springfield, Missouri. Alternate possibilities for us could be Huntsville, Alabama, or College Station, Texas.

Come over to CO - the weather is great, really I lived in NO area all my life (Chalmette, Metairie, northshore) and recently moved to Fort Collins, CO - nothing beats CO for quality of life and a change of pace. I don't miss the heat and humidity that is for sure - you can actually go outside during the summer and not die of heat exhaustion or be drenched in sweat (the shade works here!). I thought the cold would get to me, but its the total opposite. It really is 4 seasons for a change! Sure you get some snow, but the Front Range (that is what they call Denver, CO Springs, Fort Collins, Boulder, etc) do not get the kind of snow that the mountains get. It really does melt away after a day or so and the low humidity makes the 30s here in CO feel like the 60s in NO. I would choose CO over MO - less now, cold and humidity (bad combination). The 300+ days of sunshine especially in the winter really do make a difference. Judging by the fact that you will be retiring soon you may want to consider Loveland/Fort Collins. Great place to live (IMO).

Anyway good luck to all and it is good to hear from ya'll

[NOLA2SGF]

Thanks, bproven. I'll look into Colorado! It sounds really nice.

The weather in Metairie today was spectacular - - unusually low humidity, sunny, bright, not hot or cold.

Maybe I'm nuts, but I still plan to leave. The levees, floodwalls, and drainage are not back to their pre-Katrina levels of protection and may never be.

Somebody mentioned New Orleans East. Thought you'd like some good news about it; Eastover opened 9 holes recently, and is working on opening the rest of the golf course. I drove by there last week, and people are moving back into those expensive homes right there by the golf course. Some developers are building a large modular home development nearby, I heard.

St. Bernard Parish is doing surprisingly well, considering the extent of damage. Lots of stores and restaurants open (even Rocky & Carlos!).

Thanks for pointing out Fort Collins!