looking for family-friendly cultural diverse place in New Orleans area (Metairie: real estate market, transfer)

[Patronella]

my husband's job maybe transferring him to the New Orleans area and we are looking for a good area to live near New Orleans; we've lived overseas for the past 7 years in spanish-speaking countries and have become accustomed to culturally diverse areas and people. our main focus is finding a quality school system for our kids ages 7 and 9 as well as a good housing community

[miserylovesco.]

Go private because the schools in New Orleans are deplorable.

[Patronella]

What advise do you have for the surrounding areas of New Orleans? It appears that the North Shore is one of the better communities that have good school systems and I was trying to get a feel for areas specifically. Also, is the real estate market in this area considered to be in the "buyer's market" category?

[SouthernBelleInUtah]

Go to www.greatschools.net to compare schools within a particular state (not across state lines). Een in Metairie, only the magnet elem and middle sch have good scores.

[Ebeard]

If the private schools accepted the lower scoring, handicap etc and had same reporting requirements the difference would not be as great as it appears.

Even the Non Magnet schools in Metairie have honors programs, gifted and talented etc. If your children go to private school that means you have some funds availble for education which will translate to higher percentage of your students moving on to college again skewing the results.

As far as diversity New Orleans and Jefferson Parish seem to fit that better then the North Shore area.