Professional, dynamic family moving to Shreveport (Bossier City, Golden Meadow: real estate, insurance, mortgage)

[pinki]

We are a family of 5 - 3 kiddos 7,4, and 1, myself and my architect husband. After completing my gynecology residency, I've decided to move my family back to Shreveport from Columbus. The job offer is unbeatable - y'all need doctors! Plus there is the allure of moving back home, simplifying our lives, the cost of living, being amongst old friends.

Having grown up in Shreveport (Ellerbe Rd, Capt Shreve High), I know full well that while we aren't hippies, I'd say we probably don't fit within the typical demo. We shop at Whole Foods, I'm a FT working mother, we don't center our social scene around our church, esteem to spend our free time outdoors, whether it be working out, at the park or just BBQing around the pool with a couple of beers and some good friends. We'd like to be the "host" family, bringing together friends from our kids' school, work, etc together for quality time.

We were looking for a historic home either in Highland or S. Highland - think we'll find like minded folks in that area?

We are looking at the magnet schools (we'll be there testing in Feb) or Southfield for our children - any thoughts?

I am a true believe of wherever you hang your hat, that is home. But I'm curious if there is any progressiveness at all to be found these days, or if we're going to be viewed as such strange outsiders that those pool BBQs may be sparse...my friends there seem to think we'll be ok - but when I read this forum and other posts about S'port, I get a little nervous.

I so desperately want good things for my hometown, and when I see Moonbot studios, the downtown revitalization, the seedling art community, etc I believe that being there and reinforcing that, even by contributing to better women's health, I can help make it a better place.

Pie in the sky???

[annie_himself]

You're from there so you'll be fine I'd say. As long as you don't drive a SMART car and act snooty.

[hdwell]

You can pretty much do in Shreveport what you would do elsewhere. I don't have any great experience with many people here in the metro as I tend to live "in a circle", however I attend the church downtown FUMC and we are very connected with the local arts scene. There are many who don't attend church and I don't think it is prerequisite to do or not in Shreveport.

Most of the people I know in the circle I hang out in are liberal to moderately conservative. I don't know any hardcores although I will acknowledge their presence in the area. Seems like I can find more people who will take one issue at a time and form an opinion, rather than the whole package as in the past. There still are those like that, however, which must be taken with a grain of salt.

You are mostly likely to find like minded folks in the older Highland-South Highlands district. As you move toward the more edge of town sections, those people will be mostly conservative although Have yet to see anyone outright radically conservative. Bossier City has most of the conservative right in the area.

The Magnet shcools are still the best in the area. For elementary, check out South Highlands on Erie st. It is academically superior to most and for HS, Caddo Magnet and Byrd are the best. Caddo Middle Magnet is the best middle school; Youree Dr. is not too bad, but I understand Broadmoor is not what it used to be back in the 1980s. Another good elementary school in A.C. Steere on Youree. There are plenty of very good schools in the area.

Wish we had a Whole Foods and Trader Joes, but no such luck. There are a few specialty markets here and there but we still have the same old Krogers, Brookshire, Albertsons, Walmart, SuperTarget (the best of the bunch), SuperOne, etc.

I hope I have helped you a little bit.

[lizardspock]

Originally Posted by pinki

We are a family of 5 - 3 kiddos 7,4, and 1, myself and my architect husband. After completing my gynecology residency, I've decided to move my family back to Shreveport from Columbus. The job offer is unbeatable - y'all need doctors! Plus there is the allure of moving back home, simplifying our lives, the cost of living, being amongst old friends.

Having grown up in Shreveport (Ellerbe Rd, Capt Shreve High), I know full well that while we aren't hippies, I'd say we probably don't fit within the typical demo. We shop at Whole Foods, I'm a FT working mother, we don't center our social scene around our church, esteem to spend our free time outdoors, whether it be working out, at the park or just BBQing around the pool with a couple of beers and some good friends. We'd like to be the "host" family, bringing together friends from our kids' school, work, etc together for quality time.

We were looking for a historic home either in Highland or S. Highland - think we'll find like minded folks in that area?

We are looking at the magnet schools (we'll be there testing in Feb) or Southfield for our children - any thoughts?

I am a true believe of wherever you hang your hat, that is home. But I'm curious if there is any progressiveness at all to be found these days, or if we're going to be viewed as such strange outsiders that those pool BBQs may be sparse...my friends there seem to think we'll be ok - but when I read this forum and other posts about S'port, I get a little nervous.

I so desperately want good things for my hometown, and when I see Moonbot studios, the downtown revitalization, the seedling art community, etc I believe that being there and reinforcing that, even by contributing to better women's health, I can help make it a better place.

Pie in the sky???

Hi Pinki,

I don't think what you're looking for is unreasonable. At least I hope not. My wife and I are currently in the process of purchasing a home in S. Highlands and we are looking for exactly those same qualities in a community. What we liked about the area is that it's fairly walkable (close to shops at the intersection of Pierremont and Line, Southfield School and Betty Virginia Park), values range from 160s up to well over 1M, and it's conveniently located near I-49.

Outside of this area, I haven't seen anything that has all these qualities together. Not saying it doesn't exist, but I've been looking for 3 months and have only found it in this area. Broadmoor might get you what you're looking for, but IMO it doesn't have the same charm that we found in S. Highlands. This process was complicated by our real estate agent who was determined to sell us a cookiecutter house in Bossier (Dogwood, Golden Meadows, etc), which is precisely what we don't want. We found the place we're buying on our own, and feel that he probably never would have shown it if we hadn't taken the initiative.

One word of caution - the Broadmoor and S. Highlands areas contain a lot of high-risk flood zones. We were seconds away from making an offer on one such place. The problem isn't necessarily that you will flood, but rather that insurance premiums skyrocket in those zones and it's a disclosure item when you are ready to sell. That's something we wanted to avoid.

If this is important to you, and you're feeling adventurous you can use the resources below to get info about FEMA flood zones. This isn't terribly user-friendly site, but if you figure out how to use the maps, it will show you where those high risk areas are. Use the first link to get the sheet number for your area (11 digit code), then use the second link to find that sheet and view it.

" + theTitle + "

https://msc.fema.gov/webapp/wcs/stor...9&future=false

Or you can just ask your mortgage people, and they'll tell you.

[BeenThereDunThat]

Not to be a wet blanket but until the median income levels start to increase in Shreveport-Bossier area, it will be quite awhile before you see the types of amenities you're accustomed to (i.e. Whole Foods, more organic produce, better shopping experiences, more successful local restaurants, etc.) I know there are people who think that as long as there's a WineCountry Bistro or Superior's Steakhouse or Applebee's & TGIF's within driving distance, we're golden. But we do lack more of the slow-food / bistro dining experiences that accompany other cities our size, especially when you consider all the hype about luring the "creative class" .

If you are from here, you already know there are 3 or 4 "Shreveports" and never the twain shall they meet. Like someone said earlier....you have your "Circle" and if that works for you, great. You're right about the medical healthcare industry here, I believe after Gov't., Caddo Schools and BAFB, the healthcare industry is the 4th largest industry here. And considering that the majority of our population in Shreveport is older and Af American, that will continue. (Just check the Medicare Spending per Capita among 50 states and you'll note Louisiana is right up there). So you'll be busy no doubt.
Among the top 50 privately held companies in Shreveport-Bossier, 20 of them are automotive related, ranging from car dealers to auto repair & supply. Facts are stubborn things...but it's true. If you don't believe me, just contact any business / econ dev. office and get a listing.

Our higher education system is taking a tremendous hit as they've slashed budgets and done away with many degree programs forcing students to seek studies elsewhere out-of-state. Not a good plan for keeping our "best & brightest", don't you think?

As for most younger people with non-medical degrees, they wind up hitting the road for places like DFW, Little Rock, Houston, OKC or elsewhere because starting salaries here are just lower than in those places.

Housing is a bright spot, real estate values have held steady in the middle-income priced homes $150-$250K .... but executive homes higher than that have been staying on the market a lot longer. You can probably find something in the Highland area but water / sewer infrastructure will be something you'll definitely want to inquire about (flooding, old infrastructure badly need of repair).

As for "progressive"....hmmmmm.... that leaves room for interpretation. Like you, I grew up here ...but it was the late 1970's to mid 1980's. I saw the Oil Boom and then the Oil Bust and left. I came back here a few years ago with much hope and I also had a mission, to take care of elderly relatives. I see some good but I'm afraid I agree with Thomas Wolf in that you really can't come home again as you see things through different eyes. I am still amazed at parochial attitudes and pardon me but there's no other description: "Redneck thinking" even among degreed professionals. It's disheartening to hear someone you thought you knew say something completely inappropriate in social settings. I frown a lot.

As long as you like LSU Football, hate Obama and any attempt at fixing our nation's healthcare, you'll do well in this company. Shreveport-Bossier has a nice veneer to it and people wear blinders all the time. As long as there's gas in the SUV, deermeat in the freezer, LSU on the telly and beer in the coozie, life is good.

Yeah if I were a doc, especially a cardiologist .... setting up shop in NW La. would be a no-brainer. But...you'll either work for the state or Willy-K or Schumpert or have private practice.

As for me, it's only a matter of time before I say goodbye again. I wish I could get other relatives to help out but it's not in the cards and so I wait.
Good luck to you and I hope you find your circle.... I'm sure that being a doc, you and your family will be fine.