Jefferson Town/Area (New Orleans, Metairie, Old Jefferson: real estate, apartments, crime)

[Jwilliams6877]

My wife and I are considering a move to New Orleans. We live about 40 minutes from the metro, so we are familiar with the general area. We checked out some different areas, and Jefferson (the area, not parish) really caught our eye due to its proximity to both the city and Metairie. Can anyone give any info on the area (schools, safety, overall vibe, etc.)? We mainly looked at neighborhoods near Labarre Rd. and Shrewsbury Ct.

We have one young child, so we are looking for a safe family friendly area, but not necessarily suburbia, which is why the area appeals to us. It seemed like a nice in-between. Would that be an accurate statement? Thanks in advance for any information!

[rburnett]

It's dense suburbia with some commerce close enough to walk to, but everyone drives there anyway. The area between Jefferson Hwy and the river is decent, but the area on the lake side of Jefferson Hwy is hit and miss. It's very much a blue collar vibe especially on the lake side. There is more crime than the "nicer" parts of Metaire, but not as bad as the rougher parts of the west bank.

The public elementary school for that area is Jefferson Elementary which is ranked 874 out of 1317 schools in the state. Not so good. The magnet school (Metairie Academy) is highly regarded, but you'll have to test in and it's far from a guarantee. There are much better public school districts in Jefferson Parish.

St. Christopher is the closest parochial school if you want to go that route.

[Dream34]

I live in Old Jefferson and most of what rburnett is saying is accurate. I've lived in the area for just about 5 years and have no complaints. As stated above the area between the river and Jefferson Highway is pretty nice. The nicest of those areas are going to be adjacent to Oschner, between Coolidge and Jules Streets and the area between Central and Jefferson Heights Ave( Suburban Terrace). On the lake side of Jefferson Highway The neighborhood between Tucker and Hyman Streets (I believe it's called Jefferson Park) is OK, but definitely a very blue collar neighborhood.


The neighborhood I live in is between St. George and Central Avenue (Orleans Parkway) and it's very nice. The front part of the neighborhood is a bit more upper middle class, with larger homes and the back of the neighborhood towards the railroad tracks is a bit more blue collar. Nice neighborhood with great neighbors, a fairly active Neighborhood Organization (Orleans Parkway and Suburban Terrace have the same Neighborhood Association) and lots of other families with children. As far as the schools go we have one in a charter school and the other at St. Christopher (He's daycare age so I'll likely have him in the same charter as the other child once he's old enough) so I don't have either in the neighborhood schools, nor do I plan to.It is generally accepted that in the Metro Area charters or private schools are a must and I knew that going in, so really a non issue for me. If you are planning on neighborhood public schools as your education option, you might want to reconsider relocating.


You are also in close proximity to Elmwood and only 3 miles from the Orleans/Jefferson Parish line, and Uptown is easily accessible via River Road or Jefferson Highway. Getting to the CBD is also a bit easier than it is from Metairie via either Earhart Expressway or Airline Highway. I work in Mid City and my wife works in the CBD and it's about a 15-20 minute commute for each of us either way (and we don't have to get on I-10). In addition we are in close proximity to the MRT (Mississippi River Trail) a bike/pedestrian path which runs along the top of the river levee through Orleans and Jefferson Parishes. Depending on where you live in Old Jefferson it is quite easy to bike to Uptown. For us its about 3 miles from our door step to New Orleans (Oak Street) and about 5 miles for us to bike to Audubon Park/ Audubon Zoo. We regularly bike uptown to have breakfast, shop on Oak Street and take the kids to the Zoo. If I'm going solo I actually take my skateboard and stop off at the Rivershack and Cooter Browns for a few beers along the way. You are also only a few miles from Clearview Mall via Clearview Parkway, Lake Side mall via Causeway Blvd and can easily access the Westbank via the newly expanded Huey P. Long bridge. Honestly, I never have to get on I-10 unless I'm headed out of town to Texas or Florida, which is really nice.


The biggest problem I have with the area goes to what rburnett was saying about everyone driving. That is largely because outside of my neighborhood, Suburban Terrace and the MRT the area is not very pedestrian and bicycle friendly. The best way I can illustrate it is that I live about 1 - 1 1/2 miles from Elmwood and I would not dream of trying to walk, bicycle or ride my skateboard there, it's just too dangerous and not designed with bicycles or pedestrians in mind. There is some talk that Jefferson Highway may see some improvements such as sidewalks and bicycle lanes as a result of the massive expansion of Oschner, but I'm betting it will be minimal at best. So far as crime is concerned, there are not many issues in my neighborhood or Suburban Terrace (a few vehicle burglaries of unlocked cars every couple of months) and most of those occur in the back of the neighborhood. In Jefferson Park they have a few issues, but again mostly limited to auto burglaries and the occasional domestic issue. All in all I really like the neighborhood and have no desire to move, I have a number of the amenities of Uptown (in terms of proximity and feel) without the headaches of crime, excessive taxes, and crappy streets and Metairie (right around the corner from Elmwood, lots of retail and the movie theatre) without the headaches of traffic and congestion.


So far as the vibe of the neighborhood, it's described by most of the residents and a few relators as Uptown light or Uptown on a budget. Lots of older homes, some of which have old New Orleans charm and others that are new construction.


Also, avoid anything on Central Avenue (which is home to some really crappy apartments) or St. George as it faces a light industrial area.


If you have any other questions shoot me a PM and I'll be happy to help.

[Jwilliams6877]

First, thanks for the incredibly detailed response. I look at some crime maps, and as you said, much of it seemed like nonviolent. Its reassuring to hear a positive impression from a local. I will be sure to check out the areas you pointed out. Thanks again!

[jamesducote]

On the real estate side of things, Jefferson has been seeing an uptick in redevelopment and there are some very nice houses that have been traded in the last 9 months, much of it on the lake side actually.