Leaving N.O. (1 Viewer)

BWFoster78

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The movers are at my place packing up as we speak.

I've seen a few threads about native New Orleaneans wanting to come back or not coming back or moving away, so I thought I'd give my perspective of someone not born here who moved to Metaire after Katrina.

I grew up in Shreveport, and my wife grew up in Baton Rouge. Both of us always thought "New Orleans is a great place to visit, but I wouldn't want to live there." I think that that attitude is fairly common for La. residents not from here.

In the summer before Katrina, I accepted a position as a construction manager on a renovation project in downtown New Orleans. We weren't thrilled with the assignment, but there were a lot of positives - mainly, I could get Saints season tickets for the first time ever and she would be close to her family.

The job got delayed, and I ended up making my house hunting trip the weekend before Katrina (the weekend prior to it being on the radar, not the weekend it was bearing down on the Gulf Coast). I was lucky enough to sign a lease that weekend. Katrina obviously delayed the job further, and we ended up moving here in Oct 05. Like I typed, it was very lucky that I signed that lease. The townhouse received almost no damage, and the rental agency honored the much lower rent from my pre-Katrina signing.

The first few months here SUCKED! It was mainly minor inconveniences, but they all added up quickly. Stores had very abbreviated hours, and there were always long lines everywhere. I had to bribe a Cox guy to come after hours to hook up cable/internet. Trying to set up a household and an office was challenging to say the least.

Slowly, things returned to what I assumed was a more normal state, and we settled into a routine. We really enjoyed Mardi Gras, and even my wife became excited about the Saints games. Overall, however, we pretty much maintained our somewhat negative view of New Orleans.

The people in the area seem a little bit more rude than what we had experienced in other places. The drivers are absolutely horrible; I really think that some of them go out of their way to not let you in. Maybe that's why no one, not even cops, use turn signals down here. The weather is not to my liking at all. It always seems dirty here. Tonti management goes up on our rent literally EVERY time that it comes up for renewal.

All that being said, we were prepared to accept if my company decided to keep me down here (assuming, of course, that enough compensation were offered). I had heard crime was bad, but it didn't seem to have a direct impact on me. Then, one of my coworkers was killed on his way home as a result of an apparent carjacking.

As my project drew to a close, my company had several projects down here to which they very much wanted to assign me. My wife and I decided that, given all the negatives and the general feeling of unease we now feel in the city, we just could not accept.

Now, we're moving to Honolulu for a project there. I'd say that it worked out for us!
 
Now, we're moving to Honolulu for a project there. I'd say that it worked out for us!

You think people from NOLA are rude? Wait until you get to Hawaii...
 
Good luck.
 
You never know which way life's choices take you. That's too bad about your timing even if y'all weren't ok with NOLA. I'm sure none of your experiences helped in the matter either. BUT, now y'all are off to Hawaii. Is that a good move for y'all? Do y'all wanna go there? If so, you two have ultimately made the right decision in the first place. It has worked well for both of you, so take the positives with you and learn from the negatives.

IMO, NOLA no where near has the worst traffic. Just spend a few days driving in NYC and get back to me on that one.
 
The people in the area seem a little bit more rude than what we had experienced in other places. The drivers are absolutely horrible; I really think that some of them go out of their way to not let you in. Maybe that's why no one, not even cops, use turn signals down here.

What's your definition of rude?

If it's that people you don't know come up and talk to you and ask personal questions, then I can see that impression. New Orleanians can be a bit "in your face."

Can't argue with you about the drivers....
 
IMO, NOLA no where near has the worst traffic. Just spend a few days driving in NYC and get back to me on that one.

I was chuckling as I read that comment also. Try driving in Houston for awhile.

Everyone here thinks and drives like they are Dale Earnhardt Sr. reincarnated, except they are all trying to run you over in over-sized pickups and Suv's....

Blinkers! That is that a joke....
 
i dont use signal lights cause i dont think its any body's business where im going but mine lol
 
No one uses turn signals anywhere, unless they want to merge and they can't get in front of you by forcing themselves in.
 
There are pretty much worse drivers in NYC, Chicago, DC, Baltimore, etc. I think people every where are retarts [tm] when it comes to driving.
 
While I understand your leaving, most of your reasoning is petty and simple. It's funny that you are moving to Hawaii. Great weather and everything but if you think New Orleans is trashy, people can't drive and are rude. Just wait until you settle there.

Out of curiosity what were the other places that you experienced a city full of Leave it to Beaverites? Besides Shreveport of course.
 
I can't think of one big city that doesn't have rude people and bad drivers.
:shrug:
 
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New Orleans is all what you make of it and you either hate it or you love. I can see how an outsider wouldn't love it as much because the locals know all the ins and outs of this great city which I think makes it so wonderful. You're leaving at the wrong time of the year with the french quarter fest, jazz fest and all the other thosaund festivals getting ready to kick off. Good luck to you but you might watch what you say cause being a local, we take serious offense to negativity against our home.
 
There are pretty much worse drivers in NYC, Chicago, DC, Baltimore, etc. I think people every where are retarts [tm] when it comes to driving.

They are everywhere, but particularly evident in New Orleans.

Everyone I have ever brought down has commented on it, especially before Katrina. There is a tendency to run red lights that is greater than elsewhere. Excessive speed in residential areas also.

And nowhere have I ever seen so many jalopies on the road with wobbly wheels and missing quarter panels...
 
I was chuckling as I read that comment also. Try driving in Houston for awhile.

Everyone here thinks and drives like they are Dale Earnhardt Sr. reincarnated, except they are all trying to run you over in over-sized pickups and Suv's....

Blinkers! That is that a joke....

I grew up in the NO area, lived in the NYC area for 14 years, and now Houston for almost 4 years....NYC has by far the rudest drivers...can't say they're technically the "worst" since they're actually quite talented at cutting people off, zipping into small spaces at high speeds, LOL...I was amazed at the skill level, honestly. But yes, NYC has the worst drivers, and traffic, by far. Houston drivers aren't so bad, honestly, at least to me...guess living up in NYC made Houston an easy transition, LOL. They drive fast here like in NY, so I'm used to it, and they're not nearly as rude. As far as New Orleans, many NO area drivers, sad to say, have always been sort of clueless-type drivers to me...not aggressive like in NY, but they simply don't pay attention and do some really dumb things as if they don't know how to drive. I want to scream, "JUST GET OUT OF MY WAY UNTIL YOU LEARN TO DRIVE!!!". It's a real contrast in style to the NYC area drivers who obviously know how to drive well, but who use their skills way too aggressively and are downright mean.

Traffic...worst in NYC area by far. No contest. Try putting thousands of mean, cranky people in cars, trying to get into the city via 3 avenues (from our NJ side). Add in an accident in one of those avenues (2 tunnels and a bridge), and all the traffic builds up at the others. At least in Houston you can always take the back roads to get downtown. Last I checked there were no backroads over the Hudson...

New Orleans, IMO, is the least stressful place to drive out of the three. Everybody is late to wherever they're going...that's the way life is there. You're late to work? That's okay, the boss was late too. Besides, 10 minutes late = on time, right? :9: Somehow my bosses in NJ didn't subscribe to that way of thinking...:hihi:
 
I am sorry your experience was not positive -- New orleans is a city that gets into your soul or it doesn't -- if it doesn't the downsides you mention could easily become unbearable -- if it does any other city in the world will never seem like home -- there will always be something missing --

I will make this prediction though -- you will find that there are many things you will miss when you are gone -- things that you just did not realize how much they moved you -- or how important they were --
 

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