Griff985

I just combed through every page on this section, and unless I am missing something, I appear to be the only Brit in Louisiana, I know that can't be right! where is everyone? I'm in Lafourche parish, in between Houma and New Orleans.

P.S I sure am jealous of those Texas folks

PhilG

I'd like to know where they are too. Here in New Orleans, there's a British pub that never seems to have any British customers apart from me. There's also a grocery store with a huge British food section, selling things like Hobnobs and overpriced Heinz salad cream ($6.99), but I've never seen anyone else buying anything from it.

Griff985

Hey Phil!
I assume you're talking about the Crown and Anchor? I've thought about going there a few times, but never actually acted on it... I guess you just confirmed my suspicions LOL.
The store you mention... I assume World Market? I'm in there quite a bit, and yeah it's very expensive, I seldom get out of there for under $200. What kills me is I was in Florida last year, and they have a whole British section, selling Daddies Sauce and everything... So I know they are able to get them, but it's something we don't see here.
How long have you been here? and where from originally?

PhilG

Actually the Crown and Anchor is a really nice place just as a bar, even without the draft bitter and (very overpriced) Walker's crisps. I particularly like it because it's dog friendly - sometimes there are more canines than humans - and I take mine there on a Saturday morning to get out from under my wife's feet.

And yes, I was talking about World Market.

I've been here for six years now, and it feels like home. I'm from Blackheath in southeast London, and I still have a house there. What about you?

Griff985

Nice one,
I'm in Houma, so about an hour - 1.5 hours out of New Orleans. Been here for 15 years, since 98. Originally from the W Midlands. Might end up making a World Market run at some point this weekend, in a crisis at the moment, as I ran out of mushy peas, lol. I enjoy it where I am now though, out in the sticks living in a small community. I find it's a great place to raise kids.

Rambette

Y'all aren't the only ones! Bristol girl here, living in Baton Rouge with my spouse who is from Eunice (!).

Dan_hals

hey!

My wife and I are moving to Baton Rouge, LA in July.

Really looking forward to getting there and getting settled in, what are your experiences?

Rambette

Hi! Have you been to Louisiana before? or Baton Rouge? What are your interests? Y'all's ages? etc? I don't want to end up telling you things that are not relevant or that you already know.

You will be moving here during one of the hottest, most humid months of the year, but do not fear, it will get nicer in, oh, late September?

As for myself, I love Louisiana. Baton Rouge has its positives (most of which are to do with Louisiana as a state, not BR specifically) and its negatives, which I won't dwell on too much unless you want me to. Haha.

What is prompting the move? Oh and do you have a place to live lined up? Location of living is so, so critical in BR!

Rambette

Deleted.

Dan_hals

Hey thanks for the reply.

I worked in the US in 06 but only around Virginia, Pennsylvania etc. So total newbie to Baton Rouge & Louisiana. Both my wife and I have jobs in a school there. We love to travel and it has always been a goal for me to return as i loved it when i was there before.

We have done stacks of research but obviously that only take you so far. We are both late 20's no kids.

We have been looking at apartments in-between siegen lane and blue bonnet blvd. That is close to the school so we can easily walk, very short drive as I've heard traffic can be a pain.
Also heard it can be a bit rough in parts so want to avoid that but its like anywhere it'll have its good and bad bits. We are pretty easy going and laid back to be honest we want to make sure we can meet likeminded people to socialise as that is important to us. We like going and doing things, music, sports etc and hopefully we can settle in quickly.

Yeah I heard the weather can be humid! Its all good we'll cope. there is always air con.

Looking to spend around $800 on a place to rent, that realistic?
What are ball park utilities per month?
is there stuff to do in Baton rouge?
are there adult sports clubs (soccer,squash,golf for example)
what do you find to be the best things?
what are the worst?


Any info would be great, its not gonna sway my decision as we are already coming but its always nice to know. We will make the most of it regardless, if it was that bad no one would live there right? :-)

Rambette

Nice! I actually moved here in 05. Oh, we are in our 30s by the way. Well, Louisiana is quite unusual and unique. People probably say that about every state, but I have been to a lot of states and Louisiana really feels separate and turned inward - in a great way: culturally rich, doing its own thing, especially New Orleans which is not far from BR. You will feel like you have a secret, like you're living somewhere special. Haha.

Ok, here is where I can offer some very useful advice. BR is almost impossible to get around without a car (hence the terrible traffic). Siegen/Bluebonnet is a congested and built up area with lots of businesses but little in the way of walking humans. Looking at a map, things might seem walkable; in reality, you will probably want to drive. As an example, I live closer to LSU, where I work as an instructor, near quite walkable areas such as the lakes. Looking on a map, you would think I could walk to The Bulldog, a pub-ish kind of bar not far from me, and yet in reality it's not possible. The sidewalk ends, and there is a very busy road. I could navigate a walking route, but even then it's kind of scary. I remember I tried to walk to my husband's workplace many years ago, and people kept pulling over to ask if I was ok. That's how unusual walking is! Lol.

I say all this for a couple of reasons:

1. it's hard to get across to people how drastic this "everyone drives" and "public transport doesn't work" thing is. I knew this before coming here, and even I was unprepared. I took a bus to Wal-Mart once, and the total trip took six hours. I lived here for a year with no car, and when I returned home for my two years after the J visa, I got my driver's license in preparation for living in BR. NOLA (what people call New Orleans for short) is a whole different story. Park, walk, cycle, enjoy life.

2. the area you're choosing to live in is not all that conducive to feeling central and a part of things, depending on what you're after. There aren't neighbourhoods in the friendly kind of way you'll get in the garden district, mid-city, southdowns, spanishtown, or the readers & writers district. If the only reason you're moving to that area is the walking, I would suggest a rethink.

Basically, if you want wide streets lined with oaks and cute individual housing and walkable distances, the south side of the city around LSU is the place to be; if you're more interested in access to work and cheaper housing, then the area you're talking about is better, but it looks something like a motorway lined with strip malls and apartment complexes. This is not necessarily a bad thing - it's just down to what you're into.

That rethink needs to incorporate prices though...and 800 a month is far more feasible for an apartment on that side of town than it is for a house on my side of town. I am extremely lucky to have the house I have, in this area, for this price. It's basically unheard of. I don't earn enough to live in some of the neighbouring houses. Most houses on this side of town go for about 1200-1400 a month. Apartments are a lot less though - you could manage one for 800-1000 I reckon. Feel free to ask me about specific locations, as you can live on the same street where one end is very dangerous and difficult to live in, while the other end is very nice.

Indeed. One of the top murder capitals, unfortunately (along with NOLA, although both cities have seen a slight decrease over the last couple of years). Per capita, BR is higher than many other big "dangerous" cities for murder and violence. However, when you live here, you get street smart and simply adapt. I don't go about my life in fear, but I am aware. I don't want to scare you - you shouldn't be afraid. But I do want to just make sure you understand you're moving to a city where, unfortunately, you must be on your guard. I learned the hard way in my first semester.

^This right here = happy in Louisiana! You basically just described the culture. Haha. Be sure to start loving the Tigers and the Saints! WHO DAT!

You got it. Getting from front door to car is a little like something out of Superman II... Just learn to embrace it, and listen to all the native Louisianans complain.

The other thing is hurricanes and tropical storms. They are quite regular. You will be arriving a month into hurricane season, so brace yourself. If you want any veteran hurricane advice that avoids hysteria but is also realistic, ask me. I have been through approx. five (yes, you lose count but remember the rough ones - the first semester I moved here, Katrina hit...).

Storms are regular through summer, and they are an epic spectacle. I love them...until I lose power.

As noted above, there's always the aircon...which is pricey. In an apartment complex, they often offer some utilities for free, water and internet in particular. Our entergy bill (entergy is the main electrical company here - some would say the only one, but that's another story...) runs at about 150-200 a month in the summer. Cox (cable, internet) is about 180 (but, my husband must have ESPN and you will too if you like sports), and water is about 70-100, more in the summer when I run the water outside for my poor wilting plants.


Uh....yes and no. I hate to keep saying it, but NOLA is just down the road for a quick getaway and lots of fun. In BR itself, there is no real downtown, which is the worst thing. There is a physical downtown area but it is not functional and is empty most of the time in the evening. The Manship Theater has good stuff on offer, and there are some nice bars and restaurants around the city, but you have to drive everywhere. For this reason, lots of people drink and drive (a huge problem here).

Yes! Look up BREC and discover the awesomeness. BREC really is one of the highlights of BR. My friend is a huge "soccer" fan and is part of a league, if you want to get involved. It's co-ed too, if you're wife is interested.

To summarize...

Best: BREC; Louisiana culture; short distance to NOLA.
Worst: inability to walk around the city; no cohesive culture; sprawling strip malls; violence.


I also encourage you to step out of the bounds of BR and NOLA. There is so much on offer in the North and West of the state. I can give you a list of stuff to do that even native Baton Rougians probably haven't bothered to visit. That's one of the many benefits of having a husband from Eunice!

Dan_hals

BE JAYSUS! thanks for all that. Really good insight and advice and truly valuable.

The housing thing is a really interesting area of thought. I chose the area between bluebonnet/siegen as it was walkable to work. Gonna get on google street view and see what the walk would be like. The basic plan is to rent a small/1-2 bed apartment for a year to see if we settle, like the school etc and get to know the area then if/when we are ready step up to a house in a different area where there is stuff/people we like. But it is all fluid we are not totally sure.

moving is expensive and don't want to buy a crap car (all we could afford) and then have to change it to a better one as soon as we can. But if we have to then I guess we will have to. renting or leasing one might be an idea short term but again it is extra expense and won't allow us to save. Hmmm a pickle.

we will be planning on getting out and travelling as much as time and resources allow us to! already made a list of places we would like to visit and i went to the book shop yesterday trying to find a book on louisiana to have a look at what is there. I love history/culture/nature/hiking/mountain biking alongside my sport so hoping there are some good things to go and see.

Rambette

Thanks! Lol, sorry I write for a living.

The housing thing is a really interesting area of thought. I chose the area between bluebonnet/siegen as it was walkable to work. Gonna get on google street view and see what the walk would be like. The basic plan is to rent a small/1-2 bed apartment for a year to see if we settle, like the school etc and get to know the area then if/when we are ready step up to a house in a different area where there is stuff/people we like. But it is all fluid we are not totally sure.
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I think this makes sense. A few people I know have done this - some ended up getting kind of stuck out there, and some ended up moving to a more central area. I think renting an apartment nearby work that is less costly makes sense. Then, like you say, get to know the area and figure it out from there.

Do you mean you don't want to buy a new car? or don't want to move house? Sorry, not sure what the pickle is in reference to. If you're worried about the expense of moving, I wouldn't. I am not very well off and we managed it with a U-haul. Also, you would be surprised how willing people are around here to help out a person. I went and helped my friend move house on Saturday, and it involved two minivans, a truck, and two little hatchbacks. Haha. There's always a cheap way to finagle things. If you're worried about the cost of a car, crappy cars are all I know so I can't really help you with that! I wouldn't rent/lease a car for the reasons you mention. Just spend a little time looking for a decent cheap vehicle.

Oh definitely! I recommend a trip to Avery Island to see the bird sanctuary when the birds are nesting/babies are hatched (and yes they also used to make Tabasco there but that's not the reason to go - it's all about the gardens and birds).

I'd love to hear what other attractions you're interested in checking out. I enjoy it when people come here to stay and I can pretend to be a tourist for a bit - tour vicariously, if you will. Lol.

Dan_hals

Thanks for all this.

gonna do some more research into housing areas, cars and what not and then see.

If I have any more bits I will DM you, pretty sure i will be able to do that right?

Rambette

Absolutely! I would love to help. Feel free to DM.