Thinking of moving from S.D. CA to Lafayette. LA (Many: employment, neighborhood)

[immovon]

I'm really concerned about what to expect. I'm certain that it will be different, but how so? I guess this question goes out to anyone whom may have been in my shoes...moving across country from somewhere like San Diego, CA.

What are the people like? What is the climate like? What is the overall social atmosphere like? And, how are the High Schools?

I'm interested in all comments, and thank you all in advance.

[JimLFT]

Read through this (recent) thread. Most of your questions are addressed here, but post #9 and #10 (my response) are more specific to your circumstances.

Bottom line, San Diego has so much to offer that Lafayette could never dream of offering. Apples to oranges. Hopefully, you'll find appealing what does set this area apart from anywhere else . It all depends on what you want in life.

//www.city-data.com/forum/louis...lafayette.html

[Innotech]

you are moving to an area that is much smaller in population, so be prepared to sacrifice certain big city/metro conveniences.

You're following Drew Brees arent you

[imaterry78259]

East of downtown San Diego is a dump. You are moving to a city with great food and culture but without a beach

[sailordave]

get to know the locals and use them to find great places to eat. Some of the worst looking restaurants have some of the best food. One of my favorite restaurants is hard to find but has great food and a nice view. it's called Poor Boys Riverside Inn Poor Boy's Riverside Inn & Little River Inn > Enjoy quality and consistency in every mouthful.
here's their menu http://www.poorboysriversideinn.com/...withFrench.pdf
For broadway type plays and music, there's the Heymann (pronounced hi man) performance arts center Home it's located next to a local general hospital that's been here since early 60s Lafayette General Medical Center | Your Health. Your Hospital. Your Choice.
For concerts, wrestling, hockey, and other events you have the Cajun Dome Cajundome - Home
and here's a list of local festivals you can attend for good food, music, dancing, and arts/crafts Louisiana festivals, music, food, history, culture | Louisiana Official Travel and Tourism Information

[JimLFT]

To answer your other questions:

Originally Posted by immovon

What are the people like?

Obviously, as with any populace, it will be a mixed bag. But, this area is known for it's "work hard - play hard" culture. Good paying employment is readily available to those not afraid to work. And even better paying for those willing to ride a hundred plus miles in a helicopter over the Gulf, or (like me) spend eighteen hours in rough seas on a crew boat. I guess the general theme of the area is that we are populated with more risk-takers than the usual. Many small oilfield service companies were founded by former shop hands of former employers.

The entrepreneurial spirit thrives here.

Not to go unmentioned is health care. It has surpassed the oilfield in terms of direct employment locally.

Originally Posted by immovon

What is the climate like?

Let's just not go there, especially when considering you are coming from San Diego ....

Originally Posted by immovon

What is the overall social atmosphere like?

Large and friendly social gatherings are the norm here. Whether it be a festival, Downtown Alive, Bach Lunch, or a neighborhood crawfish boil, etc., expect to make friends quickly.

Originally Posted by immovon

And, how are the High Schools?

Publics are actually pretty good, but privates prevail. Quite a few choices, but all the privates are faith-based with Catholic, Episcopalian and Baptist as choices.

[eborg]

I grew up in Lafayette and now live in Santa Monica and visit San Diego often. I have to say that like everywhere there are pluses and minuses but Lafayette sure has a lot of pluses.

People Like:
Like others have said, its a fairly great group of people, this is very much so driven by the spirit of the town to come together for large social events often. There are always going to be downer people but for the most part people are sociable and courteous.

Climate Like:
The heat is a totally different type of hot then what you're used to. Imagine the IE heat but with humidity to bear at its hottest so it feels hotter then when you have that dry heat. Its the deep south, its hot and humid, but it also doesn't get too too cold, snow is a ultra rarity. Its fairly common for it to rain and to get some serious downpours, then you get the feeling of breathing thru a wet cloth b/c of how thick the humidity gets. All in all though, I loved it. If you can stand the heat the life is worth it.

Overall Social Atmosphere:
When you have Mardi Gras, Festival Acadiens, Festival Internationale, Downtown Alive, Art Walk, and countless other festivals and parties that shut down one part of the city so people can walk around party and celebrate with good friends and amazingly good food, you start to get the picture. Lafayette is a hub for great great social festivals. It has one of the best social atmosphere's I've ever even heard of. On a more regular day to day basis, if you're talking about going out, there's a long strip of bars downtown that will cater to most any type of style you prefer, and its always nice to get your solo cup and walk to the next bar. These people love to get out and party. There are other type of events and things going on, but the party/festivals are where its at.

High Schools:
These can be hit and miss in both Private and Public. There are great and bad in both. When it comes to best public high school, you'd probably end up with Lafayette High with its great magnet program and other programs. As far as private, it would probably be St. Thomas More. Both offer large opportunities and have had great success with students. I would aim for one of these two, for preference, and probably choose STM if the money was available.

In the end though, you're talking about moving from a city of 1 million to a city of 100k. There's going to be a huge shift. No more skyline, no more mountains, no more beach, no more access to a lot of the opportunities that San Diego has to offer. It takes some getting used to, there's a lot more country and country people. Get ready for your world to get much smaller, where in places like San Diego the city is much more segregated to its different sections, Lafayette, the sections are much less numerous.

Visit, go out, visit during a festival, see what you think

Anything else?