Please Help! Looking for a great place to move in New Orleans. (Many: cheap apartment, rental)

[LivingintheTron]

Hello,

My wife and I are going to be moving to New Orleans in the Fall as I am continuing my education at the University of New Orleans in their Doctoral program. I have never been to New Orleans and am researching places to live near the University, but I'm just looking for some input on where a nice/safe place to live is? It would be great to find a place close to the university, so the commute is short, but my main priority is making sure my wife feels safe in a nice neighborhood. From what I have read so far safety can differ from street to street in some areas. Anyway, any input would be gladly welcomed as I continue to research some areas! Thanks so much for your help!

P.S. Feel free to be specific with any street names if you have suggestions

[aab7855]

I would look in the Lakeview area to be close to UNO and be safe. I wouldn't move within walking distance to the campus, it's not very nice. Not necessarily that you would be in danger but it hasn't fully recovered from the hurricane.

[Pook77]

You'd be okay finding someplace by campus, but you could very well not have many neighbors. As aab said, it hasn't recovered well. Many of UNO's buildings still aren't great but they're using them. FYI - I'm allergic to mold and had to work in the Human Performance Center for 3 weeks. Sicker than sick, I was! Water lines were still visible 10 feet up on the ground floor bathroom walls. I'm sure, however, that that building is last on their list to fix it's just an example of how poorly UNO and the immediate surronding area has recovered.

Elysian Fields within a block or 2 of campus isn't bad, just destroyed. There are several nice places for rent along the way. Don't go too much further down that road, though. Lakeview could be expensive, but so is every other nicer area in the city.

Please come here and look before you move. It's a very bad idea to move without seeing it around here. Things may look good online and we can tell you if a general area is good or not, but things vary from block to block here. Just because we say one area is okay doesn't mean the cheap apartment you found in, say, Lakeview is on a decent block. I live in the 'burbs, but it's the same here. My ONE block is nice. The 2 immediate blocks are terrible. It doesn't make sense to an outsider, so that's why you have to SEE it to get it.

[rburnett]

Here is a similar thread //www.city-data.com/forum/new-o...e-student.html

I'm a UNO grad. UNO is located on the edge of Lake Ponchatrain in a suburban part of the city. Lakeview and Gentilly are both very safe but suburban areas that are close to UNO. You'll really need a car to get around. Unfortunately, these areas had some of the worst flooding due to the low elevation. Right new, population and commerce are still kind of sparse.

Gentilly is the closest to UNO (<1.5mi), and Lakeview is further away (2-4mi).

There is also the Lakeshore neighborhood, right on the edge of the lake, but it's a lot of expensive larger houses.

There are more urban, walkable places that are a little further away (~4mi), like Mid-City and Faubourg St. John that are not quite as safe, but still much safer than other areas of town and a lot more interesting than Lakeview and Gentilly.

If you find a place you like, give us an idea of where it is and we can give you a much better idea of what is in the surrounding area.

[LivingintheTron]

Thanks for your help everyone! I will let you know as I continue to research the area as best I can from the West Coast, if I see an area that stands out. I was entertaining the idea of visiting the area, but from your suggestions, it sounds like a must. Thanks so much once again, I very much appreciate it!

[Pook77]

The city visit IS a must. I cannot emphasize that enough. If you have to empty your bank account to do it just so you can live here, it's very much in your best interest.

[thepointykitty]

I would definitely recommend the visit. You also might want to make your first rental a short-term lease because you might find something you like better. I'm so glad we did that because we got to know the city in our first few months here and fell in love with an area that was even better (i.e. more suitable for us) than the great area we first lived in.

It's a relatively small city, so it doesn't take long to get your overall bearings and learn the places you probably want to avoid. (Just drive around a lot and study the map.) After a year here, though, we're still finding new things to fall in love with. There's no place like New Orleans!

[Abraham Walker]

I would like to second thepointykitty's recommendation to sign a Short term lease. Perferably around the school until you get your bearings. All of the reasonably priced neighborhoods change drastically block to block. If you find a place you love make sure you visit it at night and in the morning. YOu wouldn't want to become of prisoner in your own house.
Another option is to pay a premium to stay in area some people would call "safe". "Safe" is a very expensive word in our city.
Make sure you check out Columbia Parc on St. Bernard Ave. I reside there and I couldn't imagine moving to another location. Rent is relatively cheap. We pay $1400 for a 3br/2.5ba townhouse with 1350 sq/ft of living space and 2 porches plus a balcony off the master suite. It takes about 7-10 minutes to get to UNO (I like to time my most common trips).

Hope this information helps. Welcome to the Big Easy.

[LivingintheTron]

Thanks for the tip! Making a trip down in a few weeks to check everything out! We also have a realtor lady who is local to the area and helping us out as well... at this point I need all the help I can get!

[ChristiAustin]

Please post an update when you return. We are also moving to New Orleans in the next couple of months, from Colorado. We are in the exact same boat as you (looking remotely right now). Also let us know how you like your Realtor? Thanks!