New Orleans, Louisiana

NOLA2Cincy
Living in New Orleans
5mo ago
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What's it like living in New Orleans?

I'm a native who moved back home this past summer so I have a unique viewpoint. The soul of New Orleans is as strong as ever. People and the community are the strong bonds which make so many of us stay despite the obviously hardships - super expensive insurance, hurricanes, inept government, etc.

But the eclectic, diverse population is incredibly welcoming and happy (while remaining cynical and aware of our issues) that I can't imagine living anywhere else. Food, music, architecture, and passion are available in high-quality and served with passion. If you want great authentic culture, this is the place but it's not Disneyland - there are issues.

GreenVisorOfJustice
Living in New Orleans
5mo ago
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New Orleans is… well it's a little of everything and nothing at all.

As Emeril Lagasse put it in the Soul Rebels song (Down for my City) "We got food, we got love, we got taste, we got bam(!)"

The other reality is that we got a lot of poverty, there is a certain degree of segregation (it's sort of a legacy of the South sort of thing, but also a lot of socioeconomic factors too), we got crime (more violent crime than anyone should), and, well, worst of all, we're part of Louisiana (which outside of the I-10 corridor is an absolute shithole of a State). And, well, the City itself is… not great for City services and such either. As my wife (not from here) puts it, it's some hard fucking living here when it comes to stewardship of the City and its people (because Louisiana politicians are famously stupid/ignorant, clout-chasing, self-enriching doofuses).

I'm from here and, quite frankly, I'm going down with this ship when the waters come for us if they come in my lifetime. I tried living somewhere else and it was fine… but my community is here, my life is here, and I feel whole here.

So, basically, I would encourage two strategies:

A) Visit here often; tourists are the lifeblood of our economy and we appreciate folks who want to come here and pump money to our local businesses and otherwise the folks who make life here great (artists and service workers in particular).

B) Move here, but come with a sense of purpose in terms of how you can find a cause to support here because, well, I think every little bit of help residents of means can chip in is very meaningful.

tyrannosaurus_cock
Living in New Orleans
2y ago
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It can be difficult, often, but the freedom and culture are worth it, for many.

If you're type a, you'll have a rough time. Everything takes forever and people work to live, so it's not uncommon for a worker you've hired to just not show up because they have enough to pay the bills this month. Or they got hungover. Or there's a festival.

If you have no self control, you'll have a rough time. See my other reply to you. But it is nice to be able to bring a beer when you walk your dog, or take a beer on your walk to the next bar. Or do coke in the streets on Mardi Gras day. Or maintain half a dozen friends with benefits. There's a lot of freedom and very little judgment when it comes to vices here. It's really and truly wonderful, but use that wisely. There are few guardrails to keep you safe and sane too.

If you're a weirdie needing a community, you can find it here. If you're really extra fucking weird, you might not find many like-minded folks (this is a fairly small city after all), but you'll still be treated like a human.

It's fucking expensive, maybe not compared to NYC or San Fran, but in terms of real wages paid here. On top of that, everyone from the lowly street scam artist to the utility companies to the mayor herself is a grifty fuck wanting their cut.

The food in south Louisiana will spoil you (seriously, why does nobody else in the rest of the country know how to season anything?) and I love being able to find good live music any night of the week.

neuro_turtle
Living in New Orleans
2y ago
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In many ways it’s different, in many ways it’s the same. Just some major things that come to mind:

Don’t expect anything in a timely manner. You want your garbage can? Four months. You need your water turned on? Maybe. There is an interesting public service dynamic here where people get paid like absolute shit, and their silent form of protest is to be as slow as reasonably possible. A lot of people are also just overworked. Being nice and patient will get you far.

Social and racial disparities are incredibly high and obvious here. As I said, a lot of people get paid like shit. And it’s expensive to live here. Sometimes the amount of injustice is overwhelming.

On the whole, people are kind, neighborly, and accepting. The general temperament is that, as long as you aren’t hurting anyone, have at it! It can be hard to break into social circles, though.

Crime is bad, yes. But if you’ve lived in other cities, instead of say bumfuck nowhere, it won’t be too shocking. I personally experienced a lot of crime in the city where I lived previously, but have experienced none here. There is an absurd amount of carjackings, though.

In general, I would recommend trying it out. We moved here because we had to (not because we were a couple of people who took a week vacation and “fell in love with your city”). It took about 2 years to really adapt to it and, honestly, got significantly better once we started making more money. I don’t feel like I have to live here the rest of my life, but I certainly wouldn’t be upset to.

Pros & Cons of Living in New Orleans 2022