Possible move (New Orleans, Shreveport, Lafayette: crime, home, find a job)

[Grinning_Dragon]

Hi all.
We might be moving to the New Orleans area from Iowa, depending on which job my wife will accept, as LA one of the few states she has job offers from.

The place of employment is located in Gretna. What is the average tax base of this area?
I myself can be considered a jack of all trades, but my main career is in information technology, is there an abundance of IT or computer jobs available in this area? Also would like info on broadband services. As I have to have it :P

Thank you all in advance, I look forward to your responses.

Sincerely, the Dragon

[Frank_Sinatra]

Dear Dragon-- As my posts will likely make me seem cynical toward LA (which I am), I will not get on another rant. However, see my other replies on this forum about Louisiana and seriously consider your options. (hint: move elsewhere)

[Kurt]

Grinning Dragon:

New Orleans is in Louisiana but it is a unique enclave unto itself. There is so much variety in the state. There is cajun country. The delta bordering Mississippi. The Northern part of the state is a different culture in many ways than the South. Think of New York City vs. Upstate New York or Chicago vs. downstate Peoria or Cairo. Lot's of variety.

Lafayette has IT jobs. Lake Charles is promising, too. Alexandria is a nice town. Rushton, Nachitoches on up to Shreveport is different than Baton Rogue or New Orleans. I really think you can find work most anywhere in your field.

I am originally from Minnesota so know a bit about Iowa. Very high educational standards and good infrastructure. Louisiana is really improving in these areas.

One thing to note is that most folks have a la dolce vita way of thinking--I can't spell the French equivalent but it is a healthy joy for living and pretty wide tolerance. But that tolerance ends if you try to change things by pushing too hard. Louisiana is basically laaaiiid back and easy going--you know the "Big Easy" but she knows when, how, and where to get down to work. But that should never get in the way of a good party. Guess because I am close to retirement and don't give a rat's pitootie about getting ahead in the Yankee sense of the word--I feel right at home there.

Originally Posted by Grinning_Dragon

Hi all.
We might be moving to the New Orleans area from Iowa, depending on which job my wife will accept, as LA one of the few states she has job offers from.

The place of employment is located in Gretna. What is the average tax base of this area?
I myself can be considered a jack of all trades, but my main career is in information technology, is there an abundance of IT or computer jobs available in this area? Also would like info on broadband services. As I have to have it :P

Thank you all in advance, I look forward to your responses.

Sincerely, the Dragon

[rgreenkrb]

Gretna is across the Mississippi river from New Orleans, on the side known as the west bank. There has been a surge in crime on the west bank after Katrina due to an influx of low-income residents from New Orleans. As an example, here are some quotes from the local paper describing a recent shootout at a gas station in Gretna:

Investigators found casings from .22-caliber, .380-caliber and 9 mm weapons as well as a 12-gauge shotgun and an AK-47 assault rifle…"At some point in time, several . . . individuals produced weapons and began randomly firing at each other,"…"While in the process of doing so, a number of other vehicles, seeing what was taking place here, actually pulled into the parking lot and indiscriminately jumped out of their vehicles and began firing at everyone else who was involved in this altercation.”

Not sure if you have to deal with this when stopping for gas in Iowa.

[NOLAmom]

Quickly, I wouldn't live in Gretna for anything (I've lived in the metro NO area my entire life -- 30yrs) and IT jobs are nonexistant anywhere in the metro area. I own an online services firm with my husband and it was impossible to find qualified employees, which meant there were few people left who could do what we needed done. Now, this may mean that your skills will put you at the top of every HR list for hire, or it may mean that it will be very difficult to find a job that isn't at the blackjack table at Harrahs.

[Vampgrrl]

Not true.

I have 3 interviews in New Orleans Friday for IT jobs, and I'm under consideration for 1 and turned down 1 (which I wanted but they gave me 1 week to relocate).
NOLA isn't a tech city but there are jobs out there especially in IT support/server and network administration.