Relocating to NO
 

I just received noticed I will be relocated to New Orleans from my life-long residence in Fort Worth.

Any comments on neighborhoods to research, avoid, etc?

I have visited the city several times but just for eating/drinking the fabulous fare the city offers.

I am a quite apprehensive about the move so any opinions are much appreciated.

There are many great areas around the city & outlying areas. Where will you be working? How long of a commute would be ok? What are your family needs- schools, shopping,etc. ? Give us a bit more to work with & we can help.

I think our newly married Dan lives in NO. TTT so he'll hopefully see this post.

Thanks, GoTravel! I do live in the Lower Garden District (just off of Magazine) and work in the CBD (downtown).

New Orleans is different than most cities in that neighborhoods tend to have good and bad parts rather than the entire area being "good" or "bad." New Orleans is very multi-ethnic, multi-racial, multi-income, etc., which is one of the charms of the city.

Benj is absolutely right that we need to know more specifics of your move and how much you want to spend. Without that info, my general suggestion is to focus on housing in a few neighborhoods: Lakeview, Mid-City, Uptown, the (lower) Garden District, the Faubourg Marigny, French Quarter and maybe Algiers Point. I think NO and FW are probably similar in cost with NO being a bit more.

We're not "suburban people" but I have co-workers who enjoy Jefferson and St. Tammany (north of the lake) parishes.

Where will you work? Commuting is obviously a big issue. The commute from St. Tammany to the city can be particularly grueling so keep that in mind.

If you have kids, forget Orleans Parish unless you want to spend the money on private schools. Jefferson schools are better but St. Tammany, and St. Charles are better. Not sure about St. Bernard Parish.

Dan, I know this isn't what the op is asking but I seem to remember a documentary a couple of years ago about the horribly corrupt police in NO. Is this still the case? I also recall a new police chief that is or was trying to clean up the force.

I think it depends on whom you ask. The general consensus is that NOPD has been cleaned up "for the most part" and the public has confidence in them again. Problem is staffing as the force is short several hundred officers!

Violent crime seems to be prevalent in the poorer neighborhoods which have drug problems. I'd definitely check the NOPD website for crime info before I secured a house!

My friend lives across lake ponchartrain in Covington and loves it.

Thanks for the response...guess it might help to know a bit more info. I will be working at the airport and do not have children or spouse, just a dog. I absolutely love the garden district but think it might be a bit expensive. Lakeview also looked a little out of my price range.

I love the old neighborhoods around the city and definitely want to purchase home with trees in the neighborhood. Love hard wood floors, claw foot tubs, etc.

I was looking at real estate and found a city near the garden district but now can't remember the name. Looking for a home in the price range of $150-175. What are the chances of finding something decent.

Yes, the real estate in NO does compare to that of FW. The company I work for will provide realtor for buying/selling.

I just know that when I've visited NO in the past (it's been about 8 yrs) I was sick of it after about 3 days...but one can only take so much of Bourbon St.

Thank you Dan and GoTravel, keep coming with the info. I know this is probably not the proper website to discuss all these items, but I greatly appreciate your input.

Yes, I would get sick of Bourbon Street after 3 days as well. But even then, the upper blocks of Bourbon are residential and totally different! That's typical of N.O. If you don't like the area, walk a few blocks and you'll be in a different one!

Assuming you want to live in the city, try Mid City first. Easy freeway access to get to the airport and less costly housing. Great area!

You might want to live with easy access to Airline Hwy since I-10 is often jammed with traffic going to the airport.
Old Metarie is nice and maybe you can find something small or a guest house to rent. Sorry I don't know how to go about finding that info though.

I lived in Kenner as a kid (which is where the airport is located) and went to school in Metarie. They were nice areas back then (seem okay when I've been to visit) and are convenient to downtown. Bourbon St at night can be a bit much for some, but I love wandering around the French Quarter during the day. Fabulous food, art, and great people watching. If you haven't experienced Mardi Gras before you're in for a surprise - it lasts more than a day in NO. I think you'll find you like New Orleans quite a bit. There really is a lot of culture and history. It is so unique and offers things that no other city can. Too many people associate New Orleans w/wild partying, but there is so much more. Lots of great festivals in the area too (strawberry, seafood, crawfish, jazzfest). Good luck!!

I live in Metairie, and love it. Your price range is a bit low to live anywhere in Uptown or Garden District (that would be safe!). The older parts of Metairie are also pricier. Lakeview is also out of your range. So...your choices are farther out in the burbs (St. Charles Parish), which has some great areas, but newer rather than older. You might want to consider the area around Bayou St. John & City Park (a previous poster mentioned Mid-City...same basic area). Within that area, there are several neighborhoods that are coming back, so there are some great buys in older homes. Feel free to email me ([email protected]) if you want more info. And welcome to our great city!!

Also, if you live in mid-city or toward the lake, a good traffic work-around is to go through Bucktown and out Esplanade
to Williams, then down Williams to the airport. I like mid-city myself, a lot cheaper than the Garden District, and the houses are a bit newer, and thus not so prone to major structural problems.

The thing to remember about NOLA is that there is effectively ONE interstate, not several. Traffic bottlenecks badly several times per day on I-10 most days, and can grind to a complete halt for hours if there is a serious wreck. Airline is the most common alternate route, but it is fairly popular anyway, so when it gets I-10 overflow it turns into a parking lot pretty quickly. You are best off not relying on either one of them for a daily commute route.

Thank you all so much for responding. I will be flying to NO Nov. 9 and will commute back to Ft.Worth on the weekends until Jan. I look forward to touring the city and the residential areas everyone suggested. I am most looking forward to experiencing the history/culture/etc. of the city. I've done the entire Bourbon partying scene and can't wait to see all the other "scenes" the city has to offer.

I know I will have many, many more q's as my relocation date nears and after I visit the city in November. Anne, thank you for your e-mail address, I promise not to bombard with q's daily....and again thanks to all. I'll keep checking this post for continuous information.

I was told today i would be relocated to NO beginning November 29. Thanks to everyone's opinions, I will first be looking in the Midcity area. However, I am being told I should rent and not purchase. (that's the kind of company I work for).....i may only be in NO for 3-5 years. However, I have dog that will need a yard, I do not wish to live in an apt and would love to have fireplace and trees in neighborhood.

I have noone to help look for residency and know not a sole who lives in the area.

All info is truly valuable....thank you again.

colleen

colleen, I was actually going to suggest a 6-12 month rental first anyway. When moving some place new it's always so hard to decide which area is best. How big is your dog?

You will have little trouble finding a place with a fenced yard and trees. Fireplace isn't as necessary (doesn't get very cold usually) but you may want it just for looks. Most old houses to have them but they may not work.

Some realty sites: tommycrane.com, latter-blum.com, fqr.com and noro.com come to mind. I rented my condo through Leslie at Tommy Crane Inc. and was very pleased.

After speaking with several people from work who have been through the relocation process, renting/leasing for a year sounds like the best option.

Birdie, my dog, is a 50 lb. lab mix. As long as she goes for walks daily, preferably in a park, she's just fine and doesn't stay outside anyway.

I just found out this morning I will fly to NO next Thursday to meet new boss and see work area.

Sounds traffic is as bad as the metroplex. Fortunately, the company I work for is not and "8 - 5" business, more like 4 a.m. and then late evenings.

Looking forward to visiting the city and thanks mcclaurie and dan for the info.

Only like a fireplace for the sereneness of one, but a chiminea in the LR will prob work just as well. So, it doesn't get too cold down there NO, i take it?! I've read that in the spring the smell of flowers in bloom is absolutely incredible.

The more I read, the less apprehensive I am about moving to the city. Looking forward to my visit next week. Not sure where I'll be staying, corporate room somewhere close to airport is my guess.

I will have more questions when I return....thanks again.

I think you'll find traffic is nowhere near as bad as D/FW. We have one major highway (I-10) that routinely backs up and locals avoid it as much as possible. (Unfortunately, it's also the fastest way to get to MSY.) Most of the streets in New Orleans proper seem to flow very well, if not very fast!

From my time in New Orleans, I think you'll have a fairly easy commute to the airport from New Orleans in the morning and an easy commute home (compared to DFW). If you had to go in the opposite direction that wouldn't be the case.

My sister is 27 and single. She's lived in NOLA for about 5 years now. She absolutely loves it. She only knew a couple of people when she first moved there but she now has a great crown of friends and they have a ball down there. They go on an annual skiing trip diring mardi gras--they hate the crowds. Otherwise, she really enjoys living there. Good luck!

I have a cousin who moved to NO several years ago and he absolutely loves it too.

I appreciate the words of encouragement.....makes the depression go away each time I read how someone enjoys the city. I think I will definitely find plans elsewhere during times of massive "celebration."

I have decided to rent for the first year and since I work for a transportation company travel time to work is pretty opposite of most people. I'm usually going to work when they're leaving.

Confirmed this afternoon, I will be spending the weekend of the 19th to have a look around....looking forward to experiencing the NO I've never seen.

Hi Coleen. My best friend and I moved to Kenner a little over 1 1/2 years ago. It was not for us, so after we got our jobs in the city (Computers and social services.) we moved to the edge of the Garden District off of Prytania. We are both very happy with our place and location. It can be a scary thing (we moved from Lexington Ky), but it can also be really exciting. And you have a job already. We moved without jobs, which was very scary, at least for me. The best thing you can do is investigate where you might want to live. We like partying, so Kenner didn't do it for us. You may love it, though. I would also suggest you go to www.nola.com/forums and click on the moving to N.O. forum. There is lots of help there and some very friendly people.

Good Luck,

Chazz

Good info Chazz. Can someone offer info on the River Ridge, Old Metairie, or Lakewood South areas. Chazz, I would ideally prefer to live in the garden district area but believe it is too exensive.

Instead of purchasing a home immediately I intend to rent either house/condo/town home for my first year in NO. I do have 50 lb dog that loves the park.

Thank you all for the info, I am actually flying in this Wednesday so I'll be throwing more q's your way!!

I may know someone with a guest house in the garden district for rent. What is your rent budget? Are you going this Wed?

yes, i will be there wednesday, but only for about 5 hrs. I work for UPS and will probably just tour the gateway I'm assigned to (will be working at MSY)and meet my new boss.

I'm looking to rent for 12 months in the range of $700-900....is that a feasible rent for the city, or even better, your friend's guest house.

I do have a home full of furniture but am looking for 2 bedroom preferably...will be donating several years worth of accumulated "stuff"

Thank you so much for info. How far is garden district from airport? I will not be working typical hours...more late afternoon into night.

Also, I have been continuously reading info on the city and the crime sounds pretty bad. Should I be worried? I am assuming it's being at the wrong place at wrong time and not knowing the city.

I'm thankful for all of you that I can count on for needed info.

Acutually went to NO yesterday afternoon and did see a little part. We drove from the airport over to our general office (hanaran).

I believe the River Ridge area is not somewhere I want to live. I am hoping to spend a couple of days during Thanksgiving weekend driving around the various areas around NO.

Most people from my company live across Lake Ponchatrain, mainly because of the school district. I am looking for a place to rent for the year 2005 for me and my dog.

Dan, mcclaurie...any other words of advice? Thanks again. colleen

Colleen, I'll follow up this weekend. I wrote to my friend (and sent a copy of this thread). The rental is her neighbor's. I think it's considered more uptown than garden district but it's really nice. I think the issue may be the dog. Will let you know.

Whatever you can found out would be great. Birdie, she stays crated while I am at work and then we go to the park so she can run around. She doesn't leave my yard and minds very well. But I do understand if the renters prefer not to have pets at all. Please let me know.

I will be staying in one of the 1st lake properties the three weeks in December while commuting back and forth. Then in January will look for some place to rent for the year.

Thanks again....colleen

After two months of corporate indecision, my promotion has been approved and my new position begins tomorrow morning at MSY.

Hopefully those who offered such great advice last October/November will continue pounding me with information.

Nothing has changed as far as requirements wished...still have the dog.

I have 90 days to find residence so company pays for the relocation.....I will definitely rent, not purchase, for first 6-12 mon., and still desire nice, small home in safe neighborhood.

Is the crime/corruption really as bad as I have read?

Many thanks to all for continued advice.

Don't be faint of heart. Things are looking up. Gee, you start right at Mardi Gras.. lucky you!

Review the advice we've posted before. Not much has changed. If you want to rent then you might try looking at apartments in Harahan off Jefferson Hwy. A friend's daughter rented in that area on Dickory, I believe. There were also homes to rent in the area as well.

Traffic seems to be a bit better now that most of the I-10 work is done. You are coming here at the start of the nice time of the year- crawfish & strawberry season. Sit back & enjoy it!

Crime is an issue in certain neighborhoods, and as in any large city, you should be watchful anywhere. I lived in NO for the first 30 yrs of my life and loved it so much...it is still home to me after being gone 5 yrs. I would highly recommend you re-examining the Harahan-River Ridge area. It is close to where you work, and a much safer residential area crime wise than the Uptown or Garden district areas. The Northshore would be quite a commute, also. With no children to educate, schools are not an issue- so I would also try the lakefront area. I lived there before I moved and loved it. You may be able to find a condo/townhouse/ house that will allow a dog that size. Lake Ponchatrain is close and there is lots of dogwalking space. Good luck! I hope you love the city as much as I did!

For what it's worth, I stayed in NO twice in the past few years - both times in the Fauberg area. The first time was quiet and uneventful at the Dauphine "residence d'artes" but the second time about 3 streets over (can't recall the name, unfortunately at the moment) about an hour after I arrived, 2 men were shot directly outside my room! They were a gay couple who fell in love with NO and were going back to North Dakota to pack up their things and move down there. Alas, they never made it. One died instantly - no one even stopped to help, a cab drove right around him in the street - and I don't know what happened to the other, he may have died also. It was a cold blooded senseless hate crime. Please use extreme caution when staying in this heavily promoted "charming little artistic neighborhood" as it was extremely traumatic for me to experience something like this (and I'm from Boston, not unfamiliar with violent crime). Now I plan to stay IN the quarter this time since I do believe the crime is down significantly in this tourist area and it's very sad to feel it necessary to stay somewhere out of fear of my life! (Five minutes don't go by in the F.Q. without seeing and hearing police cars racing around the narrow little streets, day and night.....) [email protected]

Goodness, that truly gets me pumped about moving there!! I do know that any major city you go to there is going to be crime; however, rumor is that NO is one of the highest crime areas in the country.

I thought long and hard about accepting this promotion...actually thought my company had a death wish for me (j/k).

And not to knock the city that will be my home, I have heard many positives about living there.

Hopefully, my experience will be a pleasant one and within 2 -3 yrs can move to my desired location....somewhere in the New England area.

Keep the info coming.....will need lots of advice on staying away from touristy/crime laden areas.

Hiladoc's hysterical post notwithstanding, there are many of us who have lived for years in NO and have never had a single crime problem. All crimes are stupid and senseless. Someone was killed last year on St. Charles during a parade with thousands of people around but it's not an indictment of the neighborhood.

I am not as familiar with Faubourg Marigny as I am with Uptown but I will tell you the Marigny has neat little bars/cafes and high property values.

Love7220,

Please don't rule out the North Shore. I lived in Mandeville (up at the lakefront) in a rental house for about 6 months and loved it. My husband drove the Causeway every day during Rush hour and actually used the time to "wind" down. The hours that you are working would be great for the little "extra" drive. Go over this week and drive along the lake front, move on back into the neighborhoods and then shoot up toward Covington. Coffee Rani has the best menu for lunch and the selection of restaurants is great. Dogs galore too! good luck. Let me know if you get interested in that area as I still have my best friends there. I am in Atlanta now.

Well, I have arrived in NO!! I'm still commuting weekly until I find a home. I have several homes in LaPlace and Desterhan to view this weekend...and looking forward to it.

I will take another look at the Harahan/River Ridge area...I've looked at over 100 pics of homes in Metairie and Kenner and for the money I can purchase a larger, nicer home if willing to drive 10 - 15 miles.

I have a friend coming in Saturday to househunt with me......any recommendations on where to dine Saturday and Sunday. I have been in NO for two weeks and haven't driven 5 miles from the airport....I hope my 16 hour work days soon pass.

As far as preference for dining....we like anything....cajun is a must for one meal, other than that, pretty open for a place with good food and great atmosphere.

I am truly excited about the move and can't wait to experience the culture and history of the city.

Depending on the area, I will need a good kennel.....any comments?

Continued thanks to all!