Black middle class?

[gentillyboy]

New Orleans is a great unique place, but we have problems just as any other city.The problems are deep rooted with crime,corruption,failing schools,and institutional racism.Despite that we have hard working and educated African Americans in this city.You will never know it, because the media,Katrina coverage,and nola.com will always put us in a negative light.

I'm almost amazed by the comments on here about there "used" to be a black middle class or doesnt exist anymore lol.So you mean to tell me that in an African American majority city, there isn't not one black middle class enclave ? So for the people who dont know we exist , we are here and we are not going anywhere.We are in Walnut bend and Aurora in Algiers,Paris Oaks,Gentilly Terrace,Gentilly Woods/Pontchartrain Park,Milneberg,Filmore in Gentilly and ,Lake blvd,Lake Forrest estates,Eastover in New Orleans East.

[NOLAJim]

I relocated here right after Katrina from suburban Chicago, and the lifestyle is a significant change. I'm currently living in suburban New Orleans (Northshore Slidell), but work in the city, and spend many of my weekends there. In my experience over the last four years, my quick-fire response would be that the bulk of the population of the metro area is an even split white/black. Now obviously there are other ethnicities and cultures represented here, but this is what I'm experiencing out in my day-to-day lifestyle as a mid-20s middle class caucasian, and so I hope that may answer the question for you personally.

I work in a white collar job, and I believe if any "area of highest concentration" of my black middle class coworkers could be determined, it'd be houses on the west bank (particularly algiers) or apartments/condos uptown. In contrast, if I were to try to pinpoint the same for the caucasians, it would likely be houses in Slidell & Metaire, apartments/condos uptown.

Uptown itself is probably where the highest concentration of 20-somethings are. It's a mixed racial series of communities, starting with the college area furthest west, and working it's way roughly up the economic scale through Uptown-St. Charles, Irish Channel, Garden district, to the Warehouse District. The whole stretch is likely the relaxed, hip, lifestyle you're seeking, though there are definately other areas of the city worth checking out (there are portions of mid-city, Metaire, etc. that are middle-class as well).

Please take this as opinion based on perspective, and not as hard truth. As I've said, I'm just a middle class white guy, and I'm only hoping that my answer jives with where you're coming from.

That being said, I would certainly say that New Orleans is a wonderful change of pace from what I considered the stuffy northerns, and yes, there is a thriving black middle class community.

[gentillyboy]

Hey Jim, good post.I'm glad U didnt give us blanket a statement, you merely commented from a perspective from white middle class guy and nothing is wrong with that.Uptown does not have a black middle class enclave.Most of the blacks there are lving in poverty(central city,Hollygrove,Calliope,Magnolia,Melph).It is usually an affluent subdivision,followed by a impoverished one.Uptown is very transplant heavy with very few local ties to the city who tend to turn their noses up to "non-uptown" sections of the city.Thats why I always pick on them.With that being said there is more to New Orleans than just Carrolton,Garden District,and the French Quarter.Don't be afraid to venture out to the other side of Canal st(Downtwon)

[knoxgarden]

That's enough. Thread is closed.