I think NOLA is on the rise again (New Orleans, Metairie: apartments, renter)

[imaterry78259]

Everyone I talk to who have been there in the last past year say that NOLA has a new positive vibe

[mhounit]

How many people have you talked to ?

[SouthernBelleInUtah]

Don't you live in Texas? and only visit occasionally?

[aab7855]

You are correct, but this has come at a great price. Anyone who was doing fine before the storm will tell you things are sooo much better, but that's not telling the whole story. Growing up here it seemed like so many people were down on the city, and there were so many problems. In comes Katrina and the city has the opportunity to address many of its problems and move forward. And yes, that is reason to be positive, and after moving back here from Lafayette, a place with great self-esteem and forward progress, I can tell you that you are correct. People who wanted change from the city have seen it, and many people think that we are in our best period of history in modern times.

HOWEVER, the progress isn't free. Everything is more expensive. I don't think this place should be called The Big Easy because it no longer carries a laid-back persona where survival here is so easy in spite of the limited opportunities for development. Now it seems like development is possible for some and survival is impossible for others. I'm moving overseas very soon, and when I get back in two years, I can tell you that I won't be considering New Orleans. How on earth can I 1.) own a house, 2.) have that house in a safe neighborhood, 3.) have access to good district public schools, 4.) live in an area that didn't/will not flood in hurricanes, all on a teacher's salary. Don't think that is possible. And moving to Metairie or the Westbank isn't an option, if I'm gonna live here I'm gonna live here.

To me in its efforts to make this city better, the area's leadership might as well have forcibly evicted the working class. I will be moving to Lafayette in two years to settle down. I'd much rather buy a $100,000 house in a safe area with good schools, no flooding, affordable property taxes/insurance instead of paying $200,000+ for a house in a shady area that may flood only to shell out for private school. So I wish New Orleans the best, and yes, things are going great for "them". Not so great for the rest of us. I don't want to rent for the rest of my life, sorry. I want a normal life that many places take for granted. My parents live very comfortably Uptown and things are working well for them, I chose to "benefit society" and this is the end result for me. You know the salaries in Lafayette are the same as New Orleans, but the cost of living is half? That's just insulting to us working folks. But I love teaching and Lafayette's a great place, so no worries!

[rpmgatech]

NOLA seems to have a positive vibe ever since the Saints won the superbowl and Mitch Landrieu has replaced Ray "Chocolate City" Nagin. I hope the city turns around, being a former resident who can't move back because their aren't any jobs in my industry there. I have a love for New Orleans, so seeing it revamp the Saenger, Orpheum, etc. is great news. I just hope they have the money to do it without raising taxes too much (forcing out business), I pray that it isn't just talk, and I hope that all these changes are done soon enough so as to stop the bleeding off of the population and businesses in New Orleans.

Another thing that I think must happen (this is just my opinion, and I know some may disagree with this) is: people who moved to the North Shore (for good reason: cheap and less crime) from Lakeview and the surrounding areas need to get back to where they previously lived for tax purposes. Those were some great sources of revenue for Orleans Parish that would be greatly appreciated if they are added to the tax pool again. Also, due to the large growth of the North Shore since Katrina, St. Tammany is receiving more tax income, but they will also begin to experience some burdens that are introduced by this new population boom. As long as they can handle it properly when the negatives of a large population present themselves (in ~10 years), they should be fine.

Finally, I think New Orleans has to become more integrated. If you look at a map of New Orleans on a race basis, it is VERY segregated. Link here: Race and ethnicity: New Orleans | Flickr - Photo Sharing! (http://www.flickr.com/photos/walkingsf/4981408757/in/set-72157624812674967/ - broken link) This segregation is not a good thing, IMO.

Overall, I think the people who are positive about New Orleans' future are right. The future is bright for that great city, and with Landrieu in office, things are looking even brighter. I just hope that the action begins to follow the talk, because as all New Orleanians know, talk is cheap.

Go Saints!
God Bless New Orleans!

[SouthernBelleInUtah]

That map is from the 2000 Census. It's different now, after Katrina.

[dal2aus]

Originally Posted by aab7855

How on earth can I 1.) own a house, 2.) have that house in a safe neighborhood, 3.) have access to good district public schools, 4.) live in an area that didn't/will not flood in hurricanes, all on a teacher's salary. Don't think that is possible. And moving to Metairie or the Westbank isn't an option, if I'm gonna live here I'm gonna live here.

I'd much rather buy a $100,000 house in a safe area with good schools, no flooding, affordable property taxes/insurance instead of paying $200,000+ for a house in a shady area that may flood only to shell out for private school.

My house must be bugged, because I have said the exact same things many times. We're in the process of moving to NO due to job relocation, and I think I'm about to become a renter for the 1st time in 5 years. It's not just the working class that's being edged out, it's the city's professional classes as well. I work for a Fortune 500 HQ'd in NO, and many of our employees live in the suburbs despite our CBD offices. We make at least twice the average LA teacher salary, and we still can't afford to buy a well-maintained house in a safe, dry neighborhood.

I saw on the news this morning, that the proposed city budget includes a property tax increase. While there are some great initiatives in the new budget, at some point, there has to be a limit on how much the tax base can bear.

[Prytania]

They are increasing property taxes by a tiny amount...and they wouldn't do it at all if they city didn't have a massive budget problem. The increase should be well below $100 for most people...

Streets are getting paved, construction is booming, one of the better job markets in the country...things could be and have been far worse.

[rcp11889]

New Orleans is definitely on the rise. I notice it every day. Every time I drive around the city I noticed new positive change going on. Streets are being repaved with all street users in mind (and just being repaved in general). New, high tech jobs and businesses are moving into the city with the city becoming a hub for entrepreneurial activity as well. Generally run-down neighborhoods are becoming revitalized with a new attitude (Oak Street, Freret St, etc.). Blight is being reduced at great speed. In fact, just today nola.com had an article about how blighted houses have dropped by 20,000 since March 2008. The city government is finally becoming less corrupt. The schools have been getting better every day. The CBD is seeing a huge influx of apartments and commercial development. Young professionals are moving to the city finally after years of educated people leaving.

These are just a few of the great things going on in NOLA right now. Anyone who doesn't agree either doesn't read the news or is just a pessimist.

[rcp11889]

Also, as for New Orleans being expensive now, that doesn't really mean the city is not on the rise. It's kind of what anyone should expect when living in an old, historic, big city. This isn't Lafayette or any other small town. Try finding a 100,000 home with a good school district, safe neighborhood, etc. in a city like San Francisco, Boston, Chicago.