Welcome to City-Data.com Forum!
U.S. CitiesCity-Data Forum Index
Go Back   City-Data Forum > U.S. Forums > Louisiana
 [Register]
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
View detailed profile (Advanced) or search
site with Google Custom Search

Search Forums  (Advanced)
Reply Start New Thread
 
Old 01-16-2013, 08:42 PM
 
10 posts, read 36,282 times
Reputation: 13

Advertisements

Hello all. Can someone give me an idea of the differences of living in West Monroe versus Monroe? Any major differences? Do you think one is better than the other? No children, so schools don't matter to me. Thanks in advance!
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message

 
Old 01-16-2013, 09:34 PM
 
Location: Louisiana to Houston to Denver to NOVA
16,505 posts, read 26,089,407 times
Reputation: 13275
West Monroe is, quite frankly, a dump.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 12-17-2013, 05:40 PM
 
289 posts, read 303,282 times
Reputation: 301
mod cut
I'm going to quote myself from another thread and hope I get an answer here...

I have to say, I'm really confused about the way a lot of people in the area like to think West Monroe is the nicer part of town to live in. The fact is, Monroe has higher incomes (both median and at the top end of the scale), has more valuable property (again, both median home prices and a lot more high-end houses), has better dining, better shopping, better schools, better unemployment rate, more jobs and better jobs. West Monroe is basically the blue-collar/no-collar black sheep to Monroe. So why does West Monroe have such a weird superiority complex? By all objective measures, Monroe is better in every way. And if you think it looks like a dump, you've obviously never taken the time to drive through the garden district or up by the bayou to check out the gorgeous mid-century homes. It's not even a contest - West Monroe is essentially an overgrown trailer park that thinks it's better than it is, whereas Monroe is an aging and slowly rotting city that at least still manages to have some left-over grandeur.

Last edited by Sam I Am; 04-11-2014 at 05:06 AM.. Reason: orphaned - the post you refer to has been deleted
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 12-17-2013, 09:34 PM
 
Location: Louisiana to Houston to Denver to NOVA
16,505 posts, read 26,089,407 times
Reputation: 13275
Quote:
Originally Posted by Lusiphur View Post
I'm going to quote myself from another thread and hope I get an answer here...

I have to say, I'm really confused about the way a lot of people in the area like to think West Monroe is the nicer part of town to live in. The fact is, Monroe has higher incomes (both median and at the top end of the scale), has more valuable property (again, both median home prices and a lot more high-end houses), has better dining, better shopping, better schools, better unemployment rate, more jobs and better jobs. West Monroe is basically the blue-collar/no-collar black sheep to Monroe. So why does West Monroe have such a weird superiority complex? By all objective measures, Monroe is better in every way. And if you think it looks like a dump, you've obviously never taken the time to drive through the garden district or up by the bayou to check out the gorgeous mid-century homes. It's not even a contest - West Monroe is essentially an overgrown trailer park that thinks it's better than it is, whereas Monroe is an aging and slowly rotting city that at least still manages to have some left-over grandeur.
That's how I remember it. West Monroe looked terrible when I was there.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 01-06-2014, 03:17 PM
 
4,901 posts, read 8,689,839 times
Reputation: 7117
Quote:
Originally Posted by Lusiphur View Post
I have to say, I'm really confused about the way a lot of people in the area like to think West Monroe is the nicer part of town to live in.
It's white flight. Sure, there is a Garden District and ULM and nice houses along the bayou, but unless you have at least $200,000 or so to drop on a home, you will be living in an area that is either gone to the dogs or is going there fast. The area around ULM is now called "Little Grambling", and if you live in one of the many rent houses (admittedly, many are really cute houses) near ULM you will have your car broken into, your "stuff" stolen piece by piece (especially your lap-top), shady-looking characters will be walking by your house at all hours of the day and night, and perfect strangers will be knocking on your door asking for money. These are all things that happened to my niece when she lived there.

The Lakeshore area is another case in point. Cute, well-built brick homes, some on the bayou that are really nice, used to be where people moved to escape "crime". The last time I was there there were the shady-looking characters loping around just like around ULM, the houses were looking worn and seedy, and some were outright trashy. Another area that's going down is the Belle Meade subdivision. I know someone who lived there and sold out to go even further out in Swartz, only to have some crappy people move into a nice little brick house across the street and proceed to "collect freezers" under their carport (and lots of other junk also), and lots of other things I don't have time to go into right now.

Sure, there is some interesting history, some nice old homes, lots of live oaks and huge old pecan trees, a decent mall, the River Market, etc., but if you live in Monroe and want to feel safe or be assured of having neat and clean neighbors, you will constantly be moving, and having to pay a higher price for a home every time you move.

In West Monroe there are neighborhoods where you can still leave your doors unlocked (not that I would if I lived there!), take a stroll around the neighborhood without fear, and then if you want more of a country lifestyle, there is some absolutely beautiful countryside around WM for that....rolling hills, pastures, lovely woods, etc. Yes, a lot of people are putting mobile homes on those country lots, but I think they consider that, seeing that their budget won't allow them to live in River Oaks, they would rather live in a mobile home in the place they're in than in a $100,000 in Monroe that will in the near future only be worth $70 - $80 thousand.

If you need to go to a mall, Monroe is only a short, short drive down I-20 from West Monroe.

So, maybe this helps anyone who doesn't understand why anyone would choose West Monroe over Monroe.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 01-07-2014, 12:11 AM
 
Location: Louisiana to Houston to Denver to NOVA
16,505 posts, read 26,089,407 times
Reputation: 13275
Quote:
Originally Posted by Luvvarkansas View Post
It's white flight. Sure, there is a Garden District and ULM and nice houses along the bayou, but unless you have at least $200,000 or so to drop on a home, you will be living in an area that is either gone to the dogs or is going there fast. The area around ULM is now called "Little Grambling", and if you live in one of the many rent houses (admittedly, many are really cute houses) near ULM you will have your car broken into, your "stuff" stolen piece by piece (especially your lap-top), shady-looking characters will be walking by your house at all hours of the day and night, and perfect strangers will be knocking on your door asking for money. These are all things that happened to my niece when she lived there.
This didn't happen to my cousin, she lived in a little house on the bayou on campus. Never saw any shady characters either, and I stayed there for a week.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 01-07-2014, 12:13 PM
 
4,901 posts, read 8,689,839 times
Reputation: 7117
Quote:
Originally Posted by annie_himself View Post
This didn't happen to my cousin, she lived in a little house on the bayou on campus. Never saw any shady characters either, and I stayed there for a week.
Would you recognize a shady character if you saw one?
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 01-07-2014, 08:42 PM
 
Location: Louisiana to Houston to Denver to NOVA
16,505 posts, read 26,089,407 times
Reputation: 13275
Quote:
Originally Posted by Luvvarkansas View Post
Would you recognize a shady character if you saw one?
Depends on who you call shady. The students walking around are sooo scary.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 01-08-2014, 11:12 AM
 
4,901 posts, read 8,689,839 times
Reputation: 7117
I call shady.... someone who is walking along with their britches hanging so low that they have to walk with a ridiculous gait, using one hand to hold up the pants and the other holding a bottle in a paper sack. And why are their eyes all red?

I call shady....people who are sitting out on the front porch of houses that have broken-down furniture and other detritus piled on them, high grass in the yards, 4 or 5 cars parked on the lawn, etc., with a beer in one hand and a cigarette in the other, and more red eyes.

I call shady....anyone who would steal a laptop or anything else that doesn't belong to them, or who would knock on someone's door asking for money.

Even the "nice" subdivision of Cypress Point (also near ULM in the "Little Grambling" area -- while it has many large, expensive-looking homes, is just so "shaggy" around the edges. I saw it on google street view and saw a few houses for sale on realtor.com and thought it was a nice place until I actually drove through it. When I mentioned it to my SIL, she enlightened me about the "Little Grambling" aspect.

Granted, some of the little houses down University, Filhiol, McGuire, etc., are fixed up and neat and clean. But the icky ones (and the people who inhabit them) just spoil the area, as there are just too many of them.

It really is a shame, as there are many beautiful trees and also the bayou in the neighborhood.

So anyway, I'll say it again, that's why many people prefer West Monroe to Monroe. Sterlington is also where many people are moving to get away from the shabbiness and crime. River Oaks in Monroe is still nice, and the area along Pargould, Park Avenue, etc. (Island Drive is just beautiful), but it's just a few blocks away from the kind of area I described around ULM.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 04-09-2014, 12:54 PM
 
1 posts, read 7,878 times
Reputation: 11
Is there a proceeded differents between Monroe and West Monroe? I think not these cities are located on the western fringe of the Mississippi Delta, which happens to be the poorest region of all 50 states. West Monroe operates on the out dated Mayor, Commisioner form of city goverment; which means very little representation from city residents. Monroe on the other hand is ran by Preachers who double as lawyers and vice verse. Monroe pays little attention to it's individual neigborhoods. West Monroe's drinking water is the worst I've smelled. It's sure the resources are poor in WM, and crime in both cities are about equal. Bacomville and the Parkview areas of these cities breed crime for local economy reasons. ( Keeping local jails filled) Also, I can't understand the how race dictates the relationship between the socalled Twin Cities. Both are rather low on my scale of livable cities.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.

Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.


Reply
Please update this thread with any new information or opinions. This open thread is still read by thousands of people, so we encourage all additional points of view.

Quick Reply
Message:


Settings
X
Data:
Loading data...
Based on 2000-2020 data
Loading data...

123
Hide US histogram


Over $104,000 in prizes was already given out to active posters on our forum and additional giveaways are planned!

Go Back   City-Data Forum > U.S. Forums > Louisiana
Similar Threads

All times are GMT -6.

© 2005-2024, Advameg, Inc. · Please obey Forum Rules · Terms of Use and Privacy Policy · Bug Bounty

City-Data.com - Contact Us - Archive 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37 - Top