River ranch, lafayette SNOOTY? (New Orleans, Baton Rouge: townhomes, employment, neighborhood)
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I guess I should have been a little more specific and said it is no problem if I drive along Camellia Blvd or other main thoughfare in RR, but if I dare to drive thru the side streets I tend to get the stares from the residents. As an over 50 woman the chances of me having loud blaring music of any kind are kind of slim so the only thing I can think of is it is my car that doesn't quite come up to their standards, as I said it is now 10 years old and although in really nice condition I don't think too many residents of RR drive a low priced economy car too often.
Ive driven down some of the streets as well. I live beside River Ranch in Broadmoor anyway. Maybe it was because I drove around in the middle of the day that nobody seemed to care. My truck is noisy and rattles a lot so it would definitely be seen as a nuisance. Im replacing it with a Ford fusion soon anyway.
Perhaps the residents just figured you were a construction worker with your truck and were working on one of the homes there. I shop at Fresh Market over there and I used to try to cut thru the side streets to go, now I just ride Kaliste Saloom after making a left turn from Ambassador, a little longer that way but no funny looks from anyone..........all I can figure was that they weren't used to seeing anyone driving a 10 year old KIA around there, maybe they thought I was casing out the homes there. Funny, but when it was all being built I had thought of selling our place and moving there, but the homes are too close together for me.
Perhaps the residents just figured you were a construction worker with your truck and were working on one of the homes there. I shop at Fresh Market over there and I used to try to cut thru the side streets to go, now I just ride Kaliste Saloom after making a left turn from Ambassador, a little longer that way but no funny looks from anyone..........all I can figure was that they weren't used to seeing anyone driving a 10 year old KIA around there, maybe they thought I was casing out the homes there. Funny, but when it was all being built I had thought of selling our place and moving there, but the homes are too close together for me.
to be honest with you, Ive heard things about the construction quality of those homes. they are very nice and expensive, but the durability is awful. Id be much happier to live in an older, better built home that wasnt put up so hastily. My parents' home on the Northside of town (sorry, I meant Upper Lafayette) was built in the 70s, but the place is a fortress. It has survived several hurricanes and high winds, whereas my aunts huge house on the Southside near River Ranch actually lost its entire chimney in one of them.
So by all means, dont for one moment think those people are better than you are just because they drive a shiny new Audi. They are most likely in debt up to their ears.
Our middles sons former girlfriend bought a place over there and she has had problems with it, from leaking plumbing to doors not closing and other things that do equate to hastily put together construction. Hubby didn't want to move over there because in his opinion the places were put together cheaply yet priced high and he thought that in the case of a fire they would all go up together. Funny you mention Audi, that was our former vehicle.......I bought it for the interior room way back in the 1980's and it was passed on to our youngest son when he got his licsense, between us all the car lasted over 20 years and was still in beautiful shape when son got rid of it to buy a Honda.
River Ranch= nouveau riche for the most part. The real old money is around West Bayou or Country Club road/Vennard area. You'll probably get some odd looks, but if they know you're from Africa and not indigenous it won't be that bad. Lafayette has its race issues but after living in Alabama and Miss. for a while it made it seem pretty open minded.
to be honest with you, Ive heard things about the construction quality of those homes. they are very nice and expensive, but the durability is awful. Id be much happier to live in an older, better built home that wasnt put up so hastily. My parents' home on the Northside of town (sorry, I meant Upper Lafayette) was built in the 70s, but the place is a fortress. It has survived several hurricanes and high winds, whereas my aunts huge house on the Southside near River Ranch actually lost its entire chimney in one of them.
So by all means, dont for one moment think those people are better than you are just because they drive a shiny new Audi. They are most likely in debt up to their ears.
This is true. RR has more than a few of the flashy, no substance types unfortunately.
Reading this entire thread lead me to finally sign up here and join the discussion. So first, let me introduce myself and say a big hello!
I'm a long-time Lafayette resident (1963) currently living just at the western edge of Lafayette where it borders with Scott. I'm the IT manager and Pilot of a local oilfield service company since 2001.
Full resume upon request.
This racism issue is what prompted me to join. To the OP, I hope you are still reading, because I want to dispel some of what has been posted here, not to mention to give you some assurances regarding your valid concerns.
Reports of racism in Lafayette are BS to the core. Sure, human nature being what it is, it does exist to a small degree, but I haven't seen it here in the last thirty years, at least on any acceptable level.
I read all of our California guest's posts. And frankly, I am not quite sure with WHOM he's been associated, nor WHERE. But, wherever, and with whomever, I haven't had the displeasure of meeting his associates. But make no mistake about it, they do NOT represent, NOR do they fit in with the local culture! Folks like these quickly become outcasts. Period!
In Lafayette, and generally within what is known as "Cajun Country", or Acadiana, I have found that the cultural mix alone has set us apart when considering just how many cultures have been forced into the local equation. You've got indigenous Cajuns, Creoles, Caucasians, African-Americans, heck, you name them! In my own middle-class neighborhood alone, all of the above are represented including Jewish and Islamic!
Yet, we all look out for each other and our kids play together...
To address the River Ranch question, I know property owners in River Ranch, as some of them are clients of mine. Here's a suggestion. If you get a funny look when driving the back-neighborhoods in the rich sections, just wave, or even stop and talk with them. You might be surprised that they aren't much different from you. And no, not all of them are white...
Facts: The Greater Lafayette Chamber of Commerce, you know - that group of fat-cat white conservative males, elected Phyllis Mouton as their PRESIDENT back in the 70's or 80's (don't remember the year). And yes, she is African-American. Folks, this incredible woman commanded respect by all she accomplished, and they gave it back by electing her.
Greg Davis is the Cajun Dome commissioner. And an African-American that I would whole-heartedly vote for as mayor if he would ever decide to run.
I mentioned my local neighborhood. I should expound on that by saying that the housing prices in my subdivision fall between $240,000 and $400,000. We were looking to elect a president for the homeowners association. We all met, and a black gentleman, recently transferred from the Washington, DC area, and whose wife was former FBI, gave a compelling talk about neighborhood safety and maintaining property values.
All us white republican suburbanites elected him on the spot.
Folks, Lafayette doesn't give a whit about skin color. We just want you to join the community and become good neighbors of ours.
And just a lesson about discrimination. From where I sit, if I see a bunch of gang-bangers coming at me, whether black, hispanic, or white, I discriminate on the spot. If I see a herd of white-supremacists coming at me, I discriminate on the spot. In all cases, I'm grabbing my family and getting the hell out of Dodge!
My point being that I care NOT of your skin color, but I sure as hell WILL discriminate against those who appear to present danger to myself or my family!
My Uncle is actually the CEO of the Greater Lafayette chamber. If youve got anything you need to ask let me know and Ill tell him about it. Hes also definitely not the fat cat type. He is definitely very formal and respectable, but he lives in an older house on the North side of town in a nice old neighborhood and he is really down to Earth. He also LOVES his LSU football.
Another thing. regarding trash, its true that alot of littering happens here. Im not denying that. It isnt nearly enough to call any road a dump, but the problem is that Lafayette doesnt have a high amount of street sweepers or a good enough budget overall to keep the city as clean as you'd like. Ive been to other states, and seen just as much trash on the roadways, especially in Dallas, but the difference is that the trash was picked up sooner. Leftover mardi gras beads and thel ike are usually left hanging around because nobody really seems to mind, and in some cases mostl ikely enjoys being reminded of how much fun they had at mardi gras and the overall laissez faire attitude of the city. In all likelihood, they are probably too drunk to notice in the first place. Besides all of this, it has nothing to do with a lack of pride in the city or caring for environment. the roadway is not an environment anymore it is a means of transportation. anything littering it cannot be any worse than the various fluids and leftover rubber that falls from cars and trucks every hour of the day. We are also not a big wlaking community (for better or worse) so it exacerbates the lack of caring for the roads. they are just a means to get around and not really considered something that should be beautiful. Just ugly asphalt or concrete tributes to the automobile here. Who knows, that could change osmeday I suppose, with stuffl ike the Johnston Street project that aims to make it am uch nicer road, lined with trees and actual sidewalks. Maybe then, people might see it as more than just a street and treat it accordingly.
I grew up in Lafayette until I moved to Texas about 4 years ago. I now live in Connecticut....Lafayette is SO clean compared to where i am living now. The streets in certain areas here are littered with trash and FILTHY. In comparison to other cities Lafayette can hold its own.
"to be honest with you, Ive heard things about the construction quality of those homes. they are very nice and expensive, but the durability is awful. Id be much happier to live in an older, better built home that wasnt put up so hastily. My parents' home on the Northside of town (sorry, I meant Upper Lafayette) was built in the 70s, but the place is a fortress. It has survived several hurricanes and high winds, whereas my aunts huge house on the Southside near River Ranch actually lost its entire chimney in one of them.
So by all means, dont for one moment think those people are better than you are just because they drive a shiny new Audi. They are most likely in debt up to their ears."
I have heard the same...expensive homes and not very well built. You pay for the status of living there versus a good quality home.
Hes also definitely not the fat cat type. He is definitely very formal and respectable, but he lives in an older house on the North side of town in a nice old neighborhood and he is really down to Earth. He also LOVES his LSU football.
Yeah, my fat-cat reference was offered as a semi-sarcastic stereotypical label. The folks at the GLCC do great work that is way too often unappreciated.
I didn't have the option to edit my original rant, but I want to correct one statement I made (heck, quite a few actually), but when I wrote, "Reports of racism in Lafayette are BS to the core.", I meant to say, "Reports of WIDESPREAD racism in Lafayette are BS to the core."
Racism is a serious charge to make against anyone. But when made against an entire city whose history belies that notion, expect some of us residents to counter that ridiculous notion. I don't doubt that Skippydoo saw more than his share, but I can't help but wonder just who the heck he surrounded himself by, or was forced to by his employer. NOT acceptable here, nor has it BEEN acceptable for many years.
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