Miserable in Monroe... (Lafayette, West Monroe, Farmerville: sales, home owners insurance, low crime) - Louisiana (LA) - City-Data Forum

nurse_101 · 01-28-2011, 11:23 PM

Today, I received the most amazing news...I've been accepted to nurse anesthesia school (which is a life-long dream)! My enthusiasm quickly waned when I read that I would be assigned to a clinical site in Monroe, LA for 16 months! I know absolutely nothing firsthand about Monroe and the little I've been able to gather from the web & friends/family doesn't give me much hope. Overall, I've been told that the schools are terrible, the job market is horrible, and basically a place that no one moves to...the people from there just stay. If I were single w/ no kids I'd be willing to go anywhere but b/c I have a family, issues like housing, employment (for my husband )crime, and schools are extremely important (and possibly deal breakers).

Just to put things in context...we've lived in Ascension parish (southern LA) for many years...in a very nice neighborhood and my kids attended private schools, husband & I are both RN's and had no issue w/ employment. We now live in North Texas outside of Dallas in the Frisco/Plano area...this area is really nice, very low crime, and has excellent public schools (finally, no tuition to pay

), jobs are plentiful and we earn a nice living. I've invested a lot of money, time, and attention to ensure my children have had a certain lifestyle virtually free from crime/bad neighborhoods and sub-par school systems, my husband and I have also enjoyed great careers with lots of opportunities. I'm hoping I can find some way to keep my current lifestyle while in Monroe for nearly two years. I've even thought about homeschooling my kids for the two years, but don't know if i'll have the time or energy to pull it off.

Please help...I want to be excited about this major accomplishment in my life, but shortchanging my children to pursue my own goals is just not an option. Please enlighten me...about the school system and housing/job market in monroe/west monroe.

Thanks in advance and please know this is in no way meant to offend anyone from Monroe, I've never even been to Monroe so everything I've said has come from people who live/lived in Monroe.

tashanicole · 03-01-2011, 10:56 AM

Dear Nurse_101,

I was born and raised here. Unfortunately all the bad things you heard are correct and all the good things you heard (if any) are wrong. Monroe is a horrible place to live and even worse for people with children. My husband and I have been married 7 years but have put off having children until we move away from this town. The crime rate for Monroe is nearly 3 times the national average. The school systems are definitely “sub-par”. The housing market is okay I guess. Sales tax is 10% in Monroe, which is high. And LA state property taxes are high. Several neighborhoods in Monroe (if you purchase a home) will require Flood Insurance, which will run you just as much, if not more, than your home owners insurance. And LA is one of the most expensive states for car insurance.

This is what I do not like about Monroe: 1) the crime rate is horrible 2) there are certain places it is not safe to go to after dark by yourself, like Pecanland Mall 3) general lack of entertainment….there is one movie theatre in Monroe but it is in Pecanland Mall so do not go there…go to the theatre in West Monroe….unless you hunt or fish, there will not be any outdoor activities for you…. the parks, if you can call them that, are horrible…. I don’t know how old your children are, but expect them to be very bored on the weekends… in fact, you and your husband will be bored too…. There is just nothing to do 4) the mayor sucks 5) the city is not pretty, in fact, it is very trashy

This is what I do like about Monroe: 1) the river! 2) mmmmm, well, the river! I guess that’s it

Sorry to be so negative, but if you can help it, do not move here. But if you do HAVE to, please purchase a home in Sterlington or West Monroe.

Good Luck

ahruss23 · 05-16-2011, 05:35 PM

I lived in Monroe all of my life until the past 4 years. My brother/sisters and other family still live there. We now live in Lafayette, La and there is no comparison to Monroe, La.
The schools in Monroe are horrible and have been for years. We drove our son's to West Monroe to go to private school. The only decent public schools are in the Parish school system. If moving into the area, watch the school zone to make sure you get into one that is good. West Monroe is a much better place to live than Monroe. Even with that, there is nothing for young folks to do outside sports or hunting and fishing type activities.
If I HAD to move back to the Monroe area, it would be West Monroe or the outskirts of WM. Not into Monroe. Monroe has been dying on the vine for several years now and the outlook has not improved much if any. I would never recommend anyone move into the area. Sorry, that is just my opinion from years of living there.

zmf · 07-15-2011, 10:50 AM

Can you tell me approximately how much private school tuition is a month? My husband and I were relocated to the area and will be here for a long time. We have heard that the schools in Calhoun and Sterlington are better...but are they good or just better than Monroe? Is private school something we should just plan for? It is important to me my kids get a very good education. Also, do you know anything about Farmerville schools?

Louisiana'sLegend2 · 07-15-2011, 11:20 AM

Lol......who are these people? And is it that you don't get out much? Monroe is not that bad. You pick your favorite place in the U.S. and go to that forum and watch how miserable the locals are.

This is terrible of you people to blame a place for your boredom. Just move????? A lot of people like it here.

Shame on you locals.

The Analog Man · 07-15-2011, 05:22 PM

Quote:

This is terrible of you people to blame a place for your boredom. Just move????? A lot of people like it here.

Lol, yeah people are flocking to Monroe in droves.

Luvvarkansas · 09-09-2011, 08:06 AM

Live in West Monroe or Calhoun. It's an easy drive into Monroe on I-20.

Louisiana'sLegend2 · 09-11-2011, 10:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Luvvarkansas

Live in West Monroe or Calhoun. It's an easy drive into Monroe on I-20.

This is true only if you like the country atmosphere, (big yard, wilderness and long drives to stores and other commerce. But there's still the problem where everything in West Monroe is in on Thomas Rd/Cypress, which means congestion.

If your from a city, Monroe is preferred. More option, more divisional, more variety.

WhoDat2011 · 09-12-2011, 04:31 PM

Look at the bright side.

1- It's only a little over a year. Remember the BP oil spill was 16 months ago.
2- You are still in Louisiana. You instead could be in New York, Wisconsin or one of those truly miserable places.

Have a blessed day.

The Analog Man · 09-12-2011, 11:32 PM

Quote:

You are still in Louisiana. You instead could be in New York, Wisconsin or one of those truly miserable places.

]Lol, Those places have much more going for them than the likes of Monroe. None of the similar size towns I've frequented in NY never left a bad taste in my mouth as Monroe did.