Family Moving To NOLA - Advice/Tips Welcome (New Orleans: crime, houses)

[CoconutPeach]

Hi! My husband and I are in our mid-twenties and we've been living on the East coast of Florida, but he just got a job in NOLA so we're preparing for a move. ( :stress: ) I've been there once before and I LOVED it; it was amazing and I had so much fun, but I never imagined living there.

But now that we're moving there, I have a few questions. Any advice or input is appreciated!

We're looking for a safe neighborhood/area (I know there is crime everywhere, even in areas that are considered to be 'nice' or 'safe', but as safe as possible). We have 2 little ones, a boy and a girl both under 2 years old. I've found a few houses I've liked in the Audubon area. Are there safer areas than Audubon? Our budget is basically anything below/around 450k.

Also, any tips on schools, restaurants, parks, shopping, kid-friendly things to do would be appreciated. Thank you

[Neworleansisprettygood]

Originally Posted by CoconutPeach

Hi! My husband and I are in our mid-twenties and we've been living on the East coast of Florida, but he just got a job in NOLA so we're preparing for a move. ( :stress: ) I've been there once before and I LOVED it; it was amazing and I had so much fun, but I never imagined living there.

But now that we're moving there, I have a few questions. Any advice or input is appreciated!

We're looking for a safe neighborhood/area (I know there is crime everywhere, even in areas that are considered to be 'nice' or 'safe', but as safe as possible). We have 2 little ones, a boy and a girl both under 2 years old. I've found a few houses I've liked in the Audubon area. Are there safer areas than Audubon? Our budget is basically anything below/around 450k.

Also, any tips on schools, restaurants, parks, shopping, kid-friendly things to do would be appreciated. Thank you

As far as the neighborhood around Audubon, it is about as safe as you can get within the older parts of town. But at $450 you'll have to look pretty hard to find a nice 3br. That area is pricey. Another option would be Lakeview. There are some beautiful neighborhoods out there, and you might be able to find something in Lakeshore or Lake Vista... two upscale neighborhoods that directly abut the lake. Lake Vista especially is really nice, most houses back up onto their linear park system.

[SouthernBelleInUtah]

Ummm, that's $450K or $450,000. Has Uptown gotten that expensive? Sure, Audubon Place is out of reach but nothing in Uptown?

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[CoconutPeach]

How's English Turn? I see pretty nice looking places for 435-480,000...I'll look into Lakeview as well, thank you!

[rburnett]

It all depends on what you're looking for. English Turn and Lakeview are very different from the Uptown neighborhoods. Lakeview is very suburban area most of which was built after WWII and English Turn is very exurban, almost rural with even newer housing. $400k will get you quite a house in Lakeview and will get your foot in the door over in English Turn.

English Turn is very posh and has an pro-quality golf course, but it's also very isolated and you're going to be at least 30min from downtown. The Lakeview and Lakeshore neighborhoods are near the lake and have more commerce close by and a much easier commute downtown. These areas are probably similar to what you're used to over in Florida.

The best areas of Uptown are certainly doable for $450k. This is a much more urban area with excellent walkability, transit, 100+ yr old houses and a high density of shops/restaurants. There are a handfull of areas that demand a higher price, but for the most part you're good to go.

Here's a map I drew up that shows the safest area based on crime stats.


Check out this thread: //www.city-data.com/forum/new-o...hborhoods.html

[Neworleansisprettygood]

Originally Posted by SouthernBelleInUtah

Ummm, that's $450K or $450,000. Has Uptown gotten that expensive? Sure, Audubon Place is out of reach but nothing in Uptown?

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Yeah, it's what I meant. Just didn't add the K. All I know is that I was over at a friend's house the other day, and they had paid almost $500k. It was close to Audubon, on a small lot, and maybe had two bedrooms. It might even had only one, a kitchen, a small sun porch, and a little room in the front. I really had expected a much, much bigger house than that when I found out what they paid. But apparently yes, it has gotten that expensive, at least in the area around Henry Clay/ Nashville.

[Neworleansisprettygood]

I think English Turn would be less than 30 min to downtown on a good day. Even though it's isolated, that's because of the Intracoastal and if there isn't traffic on DeGaulle it should be fairly quick to get downtown. At least in 97-01 when I was at Jesuit, the DeGaulle-bridge rush hour really peaked at 7:15-7:45.

[CoconutPeach]

Thank you so much rburnett!! That is very helpful!

Thank you all for all your responses; we appreciate all the suggestions! We found a nice place in English Turn but it was about 30-40 minute commute for my husband to get to work, but we found a house in Lakeview that looks pretty much perfect and it's only a 15 minute drive so we're going to check it out. I'm excited!

[Neworleansisprettygood]

Originally Posted by CoconutPeach

Thank you so much rburnett!! That is very helpful!

Thank you all for all your responses; we appreciate all the suggestions! We found a nice place in English Turn but it was about 30-40 minute commute for my husband to get to work, but we found a house in Lakeview that looks pretty much perfect and it's only a 15 minute drive so we're going to check it out. I'm excited!

Yes, listen to rburnett. I'd rather be wrong about the prices Uptown and be ignored than think somebody wrote off the area. It is really nice and quintessentially New Orleans.