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I live in a different country now.
Far away from where I spent my childhood and early teenage years.
I wasn’t born here, but was adopted by a Louisiana family and was raised here and lived in both Metairie and Shreveport.
I experienced both outlooks of Louisiana growing up ( the north and southern part of the state).
The family that adopted me hailed from all over Louisiana.
My foster dad’s 100 percent Italian and from New Orleans and talks with a huge Yat accent.
Every time he goes out of town, people immediately think he comes from the Bronx, Brooklyn, NYC area etc.
My foster mother is half Cajun half Louisiana creole ( great mix) but was raised in the northern part of the state, so the typical southern culture of the northern part of the state shaped her a lot ( even though both her parents were from acadiana region in the south).
I’m so homesick with Louisiana. I’ve been gone for years.
I made a list of things I miss:
1. I miss New Orleans prawleens and southern pralines in the parts of Louisiana outside of New Orleans.
2. I miss a good muffuletta
3. I miss driving fast. In Louisiana people tend to drive aggressive and fast.
4. I miss slap ya mama spices
5. I miss natchitoches ( nack a dish) meat pies.
I can’t lie but I usually obsess over much more.
My post may be random, but I had to vent.
I feel so fortunate that living in Louisiana shaped me.
My dad used to say all the time “ if there’s anything that’s better than being southern, it’s being from Louisiana”.
Y’all stay safe during the hurricane, cause you got this battle.
If you come from Louisiana, you know to NEVER back down to anything, because it’s in your blood.
There’s just something magical that Louisiana does to you when you live there.
Stay strong through the hurricane.
You’re in my thoughts!
Location: IN>Germany>ND>OH>TX>CA>Currently NoVa and a Vacation Lake House in PA
3,259 posts, read 4,329,532 times
Reputation: 13476
My best friend lived in Natchitoches for a few years, and I got to visit twice. It's a charming little town and was fun to visit. I had no idea about the meat pies and wish I would have tried one now!
My wife and I had the best time in New Orleans when I went there for a conference. Such a fun city to spend a week in.
Hoping they are getting power restored and everything is settling down.
Same predicament but I am in Bilbao. Miss home terribly and will not travel/work away from the English-speaking world again. I love other cultures but it is too tough to survive without the language.
I was born in New Orleans and grew up in Metairie until age 12 then lived for many years out of state, mostly in Maryland but also in West Virginia. I came back to Louisiana in 2017 and now stay in Livingston Parish and love it. West Virginia was nice but there are just less jobs and the winters were rough and I have no desire to ever live in Maryland again. Couldn't stand the weather, politics, cost of living ,etc and the food wasn't as good as Louisiana or anywhere in the South.
I do miss the hills of West Virginia but Louisiana does have natural beauty in other ways. And compared to Maryland and West Virginia I DO prefer our weather the most. Some people complain about the long hot summers but I'll take a Louisiana summer over a Maryland or West Virginia winter any day!!!!! I still spend time outdoors in the middle of the summer swimming, boat riding, hiking and relaxing outdoors in the shade. In colder climates you are cooped up indoors 4 or 5 months out of the year. We do still have a short winter, and fall colors as well, including the cypress trees in the bayou.
I truly love my corner of Louisiana in southern Livingston Parish. Crime is very low and everyone is friendly, and the river life is great. Denham Springs is a great area too and more convenient to stuff, but when I bought my house I wanted a more quiet area. My biggest complaint about our state is just a large ghetto type element not just in New Orleans, Baton Rouge, and Shreveport but even in smaller places like Clinton, Jackson, Alexandria, Hammond, etc. This demographic is what drags down our state's rankings and statistics to the point that Louisiana is often grouped with West Virginia as poor. But while West Virginia feels more down on its luck (still a beautiful place with amazing, God fearing, hardworking people), once you're away from the bad areas in Louisiana things are very well kept. Lots of great areas like Livingston Parish and Ascension (west side), the city of Central, future St. George, the Northshore, etc and nice classic towns like St. Francsiville and New Roads.
I do miss the hills of West Virginia but Louisiana does have natural beauty in other ways. And compared to Maryland and West Virginia I DO prefer our weather the most. Some people complain about the long hot summers but I'll take a Louisiana summer over a Maryland or West Virginia winter any day!!!!! I still spend time outdoors in the middle of the summer swimming, boat riding, hiking and relaxing outdoors in the shade. In colder climates you are cooped up indoors 4 or 5 months out of the year. We do still have a short winter, and fall colors as well, including the cypress trees in the bayou.
I truly love my corner of Louisiana in southern Livingston Parish. Crime is very low and everyone is friendly, and the river life is great. Denham Springs is a great area too and more convenient to stuff, but when I bought my house I wanted a more quiet area. My biggest complaint about our state is just a large ghetto type element not just in New Orleans, Baton Rouge, and Shreveport but even in smaller places like Clinton, Jackson, Alexandria, Hammond, etc. This demographic is what drags down our state's rankings and statistics to the point that Louisiana is often grouped with West Virginia as poor. But while West Virginia feels more down on its luck (still a beautiful place with amazing, God fearing, hardworking people), once you're away from the bad areas in Louisiana things are very well kept. Lots of great areas like Livingston Parish and Ascension (west side), the city of Central, future St. George, the Northshore, etc and nice classic towns like St. Francsiville and New Roads.
If black people cause so much trouble, why is West Virginia poor and destitute?
If black people cause so much trouble, why is West Virginia poor and destitute?
This thread is not about race but with WV vs Louisiana, West Virginia wasn't always "poor and destitute" until government overregulation destroyed the coal industry, it might not have been as wealthy as the Northshore or Uptown New Orleans but most people still lived comfortably, at least on the Lake Charles or Pineville level. These are the same people going after the plants, pipelines, and offshore drilling.
The problem here that weakens our state is there is more generational welfare and poverty in many pockets of the state. Its unfortunate that part of the state budget must be used to prop up certain areas and to keep failing public school systems afloat.
When people point out Louisiana's statistical ranking nationally, its the ghetto element that lowers it. This is not about race because not all black people are part of this element. Areas like Livingston, Ascension and St. Tammany Parishes are very comparable to suburban and exurban areas across the country. When you're in Covington or Watson it doesn't feel you are in a "poor state". But we have a lot of generational poverty even in many more rural areas in addition to the usual inner city mess. I don't know how Louisiana can solve this problem since pumping more tax money into these dysfunctional areas is simply a waste because the culture of poverty and dependency is so entrenched.
This thread is not about race but with WV vs Louisiana, West Virginia wasn't always "poor and destitute" until government overregulation destroyed the coal industry, it might not have been as wealthy as the Northshore or Uptown New Orleans but most people still lived comfortably, at least on the Lake Charles or Pineville level. These are the same people going after the plants, pipelines, and offshore drilling.
The problem here that weakens our state is there is more generational welfare and poverty in many pockets of the state. Its unfortunate that part of the state budget must be used to prop up certain areas and to keep failing public school systems afloat.
When people point out Louisiana's statistical ranking nationally, its the ghetto element that lowers it. This is not about race because not all black people are part of this element. Areas like Livingston, Ascension and St. Tammany Parishes are very comparable to suburban and exurban areas across the country. When you're in Covington or Watson it doesn't feel you are in a "poor state". But we have a lot of generational poverty even in many more rural areas in addition to the usual inner city mess. I don't know how Louisiana can solve this problem since pumping more tax money into these dysfunctional areas is simply a waste because the culture of poverty and dependency is so entrenched.
Let's not act like ghetto culture or the term "thug" isn't synonymous with black people. There are mountains in West Virginia with their peaks removed, I don't think government deregulations will make coal reappear in the mines. It will increase the already alarming rate of pollution those poor people suffer from, due to deregulated corporations maximizing profit at the expense of West Virginians.
This part you have correct, its poverty which drives crime. Not culture. There is no such thing as a failing school system. Schools are merely buildings where people go, if the student body is poor, they have MUCH less access to things as simple as tutors. Suburban students in Covington have more money and access to better educational opportunities. I can assure you Dutchtown high is not an impressive educational experience just because the grades are decent.
Its not the ghetto element, you can't even define what that is. Its poverty, lack of jobs, poor educational opportunities, crumbling infrastructure, pollution, our diminishing coastline, etc.
There are always nice parts of a state, parts of the Dominican Republic don't feel poor either. The only way to improve the situation is to bring jobs and opportunities for everyone. Nothing to do with "culture." Every situation in this country is due to policy and laws which have put us in this situation.
I live in a different country now.
Far away from where I spent my childhood and early teenage years.
I wasn’t born here, but was adopted by a Louisiana family and was raised here and lived in both Metairie and Shreveport.
I experienced both outlooks of Louisiana growing up ( the north and southern part of the state).
The family that adopted me hailed from all over Louisiana.
My foster dad’s 100 percent Italian and from New Orleans and talks with a huge Yat accent.
Every time he goes out of town, people immediately think he comes from the Bronx, Brooklyn, NYC area etc.
My foster mother is half Cajun half Louisiana creole ( great mix) but was raised in the northern part of the state, so the typical southern culture of the northern part of the state shaped her a lot ( even though both her parents were from acadiana region in the south).
I’m so homesick with Louisiana. I’ve been gone for years.
I made a list of things I miss:
1. I miss New Orleans prawleens and southern pralines in the parts of Louisiana outside of New Orleans.
2. I miss a good muffuletta
3. I miss driving fast. In Louisiana people tend to drive aggressive and fast.
4. I miss slap ya mama spices
5. I miss natchitoches ( nack a dish) meat pies.
I can’t lie but I usually obsess over much more.
My post may be random, but I had to vent.
I feel so fortunate that living in Louisiana shaped me.
My dad used to say all the time “ if there’s anything that’s better than being southern, it’s being from Louisiana”.
Y’all stay safe during the hurricane, cause you got this battle.
If you come from Louisiana, you know to NEVER back down to anything, because it’s in your blood.
There’s just something magical that Louisiana does to you when you live there.
Stay strong through the hurricane.
You’re in my thoughts!
I always thought it was nack-a-tish, not nack-a-dish (I live in the Houston metro, and I've been there).
According to tourlouisiana.com, it is nack-a-tish:
........unless your typing dish has something to do with meat pies .
It that case, that would probably be an insider/local reference that I don't know about.
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