life on the north shore (New Orleans, Baton Rouge: apartment, insurance, how much)

[mnr3]

ok, folks, I joined the forum a while back while in the process of applying for a job in NOLA, and dang if they didn't offer it to me. I'm originally from nola and still have friends and family there, but have lived in Cleveland for last 16 years. unfortunately, we are not going to get much for our house here, maybe 250k tops, even though it's pretty fabulous. If I were single or without kids, I'd consider living in OP (orleans parish), but my wife has put some conditions on the move, including: a yard close to what we have now and a pool (she's from Canada and will be melting), plus we have 2 school age kids, at 5 and 9. As much as it pains me as a New Orleanian, I'm thinking of checking out the North Shore (another factor I forgot, my daughter has started to be a pretty serious ice skater and the closest rink, of course, is in Baton Rouge...). While Destrehan and further up river (Laplace, Montz) would be a better splitting of the difference between my work in nola (gentilly to be exact) and BR, it has always seemed to me to be an even more remote (that's being polite) than Mandeville or Covington....

so, sorry for a long intro, but here are the questions: I sorta know the causeway commute, but how bad is the getting on and off the causeway at both ends during the day (not necessarily peak rush hour) and traffic otherwise nowadays on the north shore? is there a decent restaurant/cultural scene? I know it isn't nola, but it's gotta be better than the typical american suburb-- gated communities and strip malls with appleby's, right?

'preciate any other input. I'll keep trying to soften my wife's position, but between the BR ice thing, the flooding in town and insurance premiums that go with it, the lack of affordable places with a decent yard and neighborhood, it's a tough sell. I'd love a little shotgun uptown, but even I have a hard time swallowing the prices for some of them in places that would barely be considered decent, at least back in the day. maybe when the dust settles in a few years, but I'm not sure I'm willing to take that high stakes bet right now. 'course, same could be said for high-priced housing on the north shore.

can you tell I'm torn?

[mnr3]

should specify that I'm leaning more to mandeville/covington, but any comments on st tammany are welcome (lacombe, slidell, even pearl river). thanks

[MetroBTR]

Northshore is great but I wouldn't write Destrehan off Just yet. St. Charles Parish has pretty good schools and the drive would probably be less boring than on the causeway. I can't offer an opinion on getting on and off the causeway because I really don't drive on it often at all.

[jared422]

The Causeway is not bad to commute across. The only major backup is once you get to I-10 in Metairie. Fog provides some extra delays in the winter, when one lane is closed is occasionally closed and/or traffic flow is slowed by police convoys. Mandeville traffic is not bad, but traffic on highway 190 heading into Covington does back up. I-12 is also a bit overcrowded at times.

[LSU Tiger Z71]

I wish the Causeway did not have a speed limit. Just imagine how much faster your commute could be going 90!

The North Shore shares little of NOLA flair.. but it sounds like a perfect fit for you in your situation.

[SouthernBelleInUtah]

Originally Posted by LSU Tiger Z71

I wish the Causeway did not have a speed limit. Just imagine how much faster your commute could be going 90!

..............

Ummm, and how much further you would fly off the bridge if there was an accident. Or how many more cars/people you could injure in case of an accident. At least on roads, you can get knocked out of the way - on the bridge, you get knocked into a barrier or over it.

[mnr3]

I don't mind driving slowly (e.g. on the causeway); what I can't stand is sitting in traffic going nowhere.

Seems like the causeway would be perfect for a fast light rail system, but that also seems about as far away from the LA mindset as you can get, at least from my recollection (with the oil and gas industry so present, etc). the nola area generally would be well-suited for sth. like that (since it's not terribly spread out) ....I guess I'm thinking about an answer to the other thread about retirees not needing a car in nola..

[MetroBTR]

Originally Posted by mnr3

I don't mind driving slowly (e.g. on the causeway); what I can't stand is sitting in traffic going nowhere.

Seems like the causeway would be perfect for a fast light rail system, but that also seems about as far away from the LA mindset as you can get, at least from my recollection (with the oil and gas industry so present, etc). the nola area generally would be well-suited for sth. like that (since it's not terribly spread out) ....I guess I'm thinking about an answer to the other thread about retirees not needing a car in nola..

There's been more and more talk of a light rail line between Houston and New Orleans, and up to Meridian and points north.

[chalcedony]

My impression of the North Shore is that it does have its own culture, though much of that is derived from white flight old-school New Orleanians with a college education. Very safe and low poverty, good schools, heavily forested. Downtown Covington is quite nice, with several good restaurants and art galleries. Mandeville, Abita Springs, and Madisonville have okay (much smaller) downtowns. In between all of this--sort of the membrane that keeps the vital organs connected as a system--is very typical suburban sprawl with Applebees, strip malls, and the like. Housing is actually cheaper on the North Shore than it is on the South Shore (Metairie, that is), in that you get more for your dollar. Long drive though.

I too wouldn't discount St. Charles Parish in general and Destrehan in particular. But it is very small and not a lot shopping beyond nearby Boutte. The schools do have a good reputation though; with all the refineries out there, the Parish has a healthy tax base and public services are well funded.

Having lived in LaPlace, it is rather uninteresting, no real downtown to speak of, and not very many trees either. Slightly better shopping than Boutte, but only slightly. But it is better integrated than the North Shore, with a solid black middle class population and good race relations in general. It also feels much closer to Jefferson Parish/New Orleans than the North Shore, though the traffic could still be as bad on I-10 during rush hour as on the Causeway. And the schools in LaPlace (St. John the Baptist Parish) do not have a great reputation. But it does seem to be a well-managed parish and I suspect it could really take off in upcoming years. I hope they spruce up the older part of town because it definitely feels as though it lacks a center; downtown is basically a railroad crossing about about four squat buildings.

[lorilaurielauri]

I'm so glad I found this group! My husband is very possibly going to be transferred to NO very soon. I have been Googling like crazy trying to find nice neighborhoods but I'm having a little trouble. I can find some VERY NICE neighborhoods, especially on the North side of Lake Ponchartrain (sp?) but they are all neighborhoods where you buy a lot, then have to contract with a builder to build your house. That is NOT what I am wanting to do, especially since I have 3 kids and don't want to be living in an apartment with them for 6mos. to a year!

What I am really looking for is something like a "master" planned community, or even just a plain "planned" community, somewhere between NO and Baton Rouge, or, something on the North/NE side of the lake, where they may have new homes that are ready to move into or have a builder that works developing that neighborhood so you can just sorta walk into the model and buy your house...lol...know what I mean? Say, something in the $250K range.

I used to live waaaay down in Buras when I was a kid, and my Dad worked at a refinery in Venice. I'm looking forward to getting back to some fresh seafood!

Any help would be great! Thanks!