Seeking Info for Potential Move to New Orleans (extended stay, apartments)

[Waikiki Kimo]

Hello!


We are an active couple in the 35-45 age range considering moving to New Orleans, but we need a little more information to determine if it’s a good move for us. We’re past the college-age party scene, enjoying more adult hangouts, festivals, live music, etc. I know the city hosts a lot of events and live music is everywhere, but we’re not big drinkers and partiers. Are these places and events as wild and crazy as they appear on television, or are there a lot of options for people looking to have fun without all the drinking and craziness?


Also, we prefer to live in an area where we can walk to most everything, but we don’t want to blow our budget by renting a place in the Quarter. I know there are some nearby neighborhoods, such as the Marigny. Can anyone tell me if any of these neighborhoods are safe and/or appropriate for a white couple to live in and walk around a great deal in? Are parks and cemeteries generally safe to walk in?


We previously lived in Honolulu and experienced what can only be considered blatant racism against white people, which affected not only the jobs we could get but also places on the island where we could go without fear of violence and hostility. We’re easy-going people and don’t have any issues with people of other races. We just don’t want to be on the receiving end of such hostile attitudes towards us again. What types of attitude and safety concerns should we be aware of before further considering this move?


Thanks to all in advance for your honest input.

[annie_himself]

What's you budget and do you want an apartment, shotgun, condo, etc..
The Marigny is safe overall, I don't think you would run into many problems there at all. You would be able to walk to the Quarter and CBD. The new streetcar line will be running on N Rampart and loop around I believe on Esplanade.

[Waikiki Kimo]

Originally Posted by annie_himself

What's you budget and do you want an apartment, shotgun, condo, etc..
The Marigny is safe overall, I don't think you would run into many problems there at all. You would be able to walk to the Quarter and CBD. The new streetcar line will be running on N Rampart and loop around I believe on Esplanade.

Thanks for the response! Are you a Realtor? We are looking for something sub-$1000/mo, though we could pay more if all utilities are included. More than price, we are concerned with finding a place that will allow multiple cats and have flexibility of rental terms (in case the place we move into isn't as nice as we thought, don't want to be tied into a long-term lease), not shotgun-style, though.

[annie_himself]

I am not a realtor at all. You should be able to find a place somewhere to allow cats and flexible term leases.

Moderator cut: can only site reealtor.com

You can give the addresses of places your interested in to see if the area is safe. Generally if you're Uptown the areas between St. Charles and Magazine are the best and close to Audubon Park and Tulane. For dowtown I believe it's generally south of N Rampart and St. Claude.

[rburnett]

The French Quarter and Marigny would be tough to do on less than $1000. Bywater is getting more expensive every day, there might be some places for under $1k/month.

You might want to look at other neighborhoods if you want to keep your housing costs down. Bayou St. John, Mid-City, Lower Garden District are all very walkable, close to the FQ and have cheaper rents.

Algiers Point is also an option if you don't mind riding the ferry to get to the FQ

[SouthernBelleInUtah]

Originally Posted by Waikiki Kimo

........................, we are concerned with finding a place that will allow multiple cats and have flexibility of rental terms (in case the place we move into isn't as nice as we thought, don't want to be tied into a long-term lease), not shotgun-style, though.

That is going to be tough to find as most LLs don't want flexibility in a lease.Too expensive and more trouble to have to re-advertise. Bettter to stay in an extended stay place until you find "the" place.

[polizzio]

I'd tell you to keep on looking. I grew up in NO, have lived in the area for 52 years. I have lived just west of the city for the last 31 years. While the city has many positive attributes: culture, food, music, people, history, scenery, Lake Ponchartrain, the river, nice parks.....it is a violent city. Gangs are on the upswing, lots of shootings. There were 17 people shot in the last 24 hrs in NO. Now I'll grant you 90% of it is within one culture but if you happen to be in the wrong place at the wrong time, watch out. They do not discriminate when it comes to spreading lead. City leaders and officials are trying to get a grip on the crime but its a daunting task. It is of epic proportion, like many large, metropolitan cities. Nice place to visit but I wouldn't want to live in NO today, no way. Really a shame but it is what it is (the best food and music in the US). And yes the drinking and parties and Mardi Gras are as carefree and wild as depicted. But that is mostly confined to central NO/French Quarter.

http://www.nola.com/crime/index.ssf/...ounded_in.html

[denofhc]

Originally Posted by polizzio

I'd tell you to keep on looking. I grew up in NO, have lived in the area for 52 years. I have lived just west of the city for the last 31 years. While the city has many positive attributes: culture, food, music, people, history, scenery, Lake Ponchartrain, the river, nice parks.....it is a violent city. Gangs are on the upswing, lots of shootings. There were 17 people shot in the last 24 hrs in NO. Now I'll grant you 90% of it is within one culture but if you happen to be in the wrong place at the wrong time, watch out. They do not discriminate when it comes to spreading lead. City leaders and officials are trying to get a grip on the crime but its a daunting task. It is of epic proportion, like many large, metropolitan cities. Nice place to visit but I wouldn't want to live in NO today, no way. Really a shame but it is what it is (the best food and music in the US). And yes the drinking and parties and Mardi Gras are as carefree and wild as depicted. But that is mostly confined to central NO/French Quarter.

New Orleans police sort out details of bloody chaos in eastern New Orleans | NOLA.com

What a shame. N.O. has so much potential and is so beautiful....Except for the human element. I wish ever so much this wonderful city could get it crime under control. It scares away not only potential residents but, more importantly, potential business.

[riotpoof]

I love New Orleans. I am a 33 year old single white female and feel very safe walking around. Use common sense. It is a city and like all cities, there is crime. Avoid dark alleys and research on line about where to avoid. It is considered a checker board city so one block can be safe and the next not. Treme is one to avoid I've heard. If you like live music then there is no better place to be. It is constant. The liquor laws here allow there to be an abundance of drinking but if you avoid Bourban St. you'll probably be ok. Frenchman St tends to be less touristy and has an incredible music scene. There is a great spot Uptown called the Maple Leaf that has great music every night. I live Uptown and feel very safe here. I looked all over this city for a place to live and felt the safest in Uptown for sure. And I rarely drive, especially if I am going out. I just hop on the Street car for $1.50 and ride down to the quarter and walk straight down Decatur to Frenchman. Places go fast here so if you see one you like, take it. Most of the people I contacted on craigslist were already taken the day it was posted. I do see a lot of for rent signs posted around so it shouldn't be a problem. A lot of places here in Uptown will be one huge house that's divided up into several smaller apartments. Depending on where you are moving from, prepare for humidity. I moved here from Colorado and it takes some getting use to.

[Btheexplorer]

If you already decided for New Orleans, I would look in the Uptown area.
I am also in my mid 30's, and don't like craziness but neither boredom. Moved from Chicago a couple of months ago, from a very walkable and safe area. Found the Lower Garden District/Uptown a good/acceptable area and easy to go to downtown when we want to go for some music in Frenchmen St. But you'll need to buy a car if don't have one because public transportation sucks (we did not have the need for car in Chicago).
Safety: it depends where you are coming from. Compared to my country of origin (Puerto Rico) New Orleans crime rate is the same or worst. Compared to where I lived in Chicago, New Orleans could be scary. I used to go for a walk in the evenings in Chicago parks and feel safe. Now, I simply don''t walk in the parks at night in New Orleans. I do walk around the neighborhood and ride my bike a lot for exercise.
As for racism, don't worry about that. The people is New Orleans are super friendly and open. That is one of the things that really impressed me.
As for lease terms, I found a lease for 6 months that helped me to really know the area before making full commitment for a whole year.