Speak to me of New Orleans

[linquest]

Just got a job offer in New Orleans. What's the horse scene around there like? *Is* there a horse scene, aside from racing? I'm going to need a dressage or jumping barn with schoolhorses to ride at.

[Seven-up]

Sent you a PM. :D



P.S. All the info I sent you was h/j related. I don't know anything about the dressage scene, but there are a lot of dressage shows in Folsom/Covington.

[jcotton]

Go to the region 9 website. Or USDF click on region 9.
Anne Hornbeak is in the Folsom area--one of the nicest people -not to mention a very effective nice rider and trainer.
There are others in the New Orleans area.

[iloverocky]

Tina Cope (http://tina-ann-cope.com/) is a dressage instructor in the Folsom/Covington area; she is very nice and great with horses from what I have seen.

[thatmoody]

New Orleans has always been one of my favorite cities - I used to spend a lot of time there back in the late 70's early 80's. I've been back a few times lately and still love it there.

Would you be bringing your own horses? If so, from where? I've noticed in Florida that a lot of horses from colder climates have a difficult time adjusting to the heat and humidity - there are fungal diseases and tropical issues that seem to plague them. So that might be a consideration, too.

[Delaneythehorsegirl]

The northshore (Covington and Folsom) has a great horse scene. Check out lhja.net.
Equest Farms, which is in New Orleans in City Park, has occasional shows, too.

[bort84]

Yeah, you're probably going to find the best horsie places on the northshore. I lived in New Orleans for 5 years and can't WAIT to move back. I never noticed my horse having any issues with the weather, but he was originally from the area and is pretty hardy anyway = )

So if you're going to be living in the city, you're certainly going to have to drive a half hour or so to see your horse. I kept mine at a boarding barn in the city about 5 minutes from my house, but there are no dressage or jumping barns really in the city that are serious show barns. The barn in city park (Equest) I think has some horses in training, but it's more of a huge lesson barn. It's kept pretty nicely though if you wanted to keep your horse in the city or just take lessons close to your house. I think it's mostly h/j though.

My old vet (Allison Barca) has her dressage horses at a BEAUTIFUL barn on the northshore, but I can't for the life of me remember the name of it... I can look into it though.

Anyway, it's a great city with a lot of stuff to do if you like music/shopping/drinking/festivals/etc. There are some slightly seedy parts of town, but I loove love it. Are you planning to live in New Orleans? Or outside of the city a bit?

Just have to say, thumbs up from me on the NOLA move = ) And though the summers are hot, the winters will probably convert you, haha.

[Woodland]

No horse info - but Yummy food Great Music - LOVE IT there!

[linquest]

No, I won't be bringing a horse, and probably can't afford to buy one anytime soon. I'm actually more into eventing/foxhunting but I hear there's none of that in NOLA (except maybe Lagniappe?). So I'm looking for a more low-key barn instead of a fancy show stable.

I don't know whether or not I'll live in the city or the burbs. If anyone has suggestions on areas to live (or stay away from), PM me.

Thanks!

[Gallop On]

This should help you find a barn and trainer. I have worked with many of them. If you have any questions, feel free to p.m. me.

http://www.sedariders.org/

[sneederstb]

Glad I came across this thread! I have always been wondering about New Orleans, I love it there and have always thought about a possible move but I had no idea what the horse scene was like. I know there is not one single answer to this and prices range but in comparison to other areas, is the horse world down there considered to be expensive? (ie boarding, training, etc.)

[Seven-up]

Glad I came across this thread! I have always been wondering about New Orleans, I love it there and have always thought about a possible move but I had no idea what the horse scene was like. I know there is not one single answer to this and prices range but in comparison to other areas, is the horse world down there considered to be expensive? (ie boarding, training, etc.)

It goes along with the general cost of living. Everything is cheaper down here. Trouble is you have to travel a little bit, since most of the horsey stuff is on the north shore (Covington/Folsom.) I think it's about a 30 min. drive?

But you can find full care board (not training/grooms) for about $400 and up.

[Hampton Bay]

I don't think I would ever board a horse in NOLA. Aside from the issues with hurricanes, there is just no turnout in the city unless you want to pay a premium, and turnout is not what many of us are used to. Turnout there is a small pen, usually dirt, that is sometimes crowded with horses. Some barns there will offer private turnout, and often times you pay additional for ANY turnout. It is usually limited to an hour or so a day.

That being said, on the northshore and the west bank there are more "normal" barns that so offer some turnout and some grass, and I have also heard there are some very nice barns north and west of the city. There is or used to be a big DWB breeding farm not too far away.

As for where to live, where will you be working? Do you plan to rent or buy? If you want to buy, keep in mind that it will be difficult and expensive to find homeowners insurance in that area. There are some nice condos and such in some areas though. With NOLA you really just have to be careful to check out the individual neighborhood. One street will be a nice area, and two streets over you shouldn't be driving down the road after dark. It is one of those cities where you have to know where you are going or you don't want to be out walking around. You can easily cross over into a bad neighborhood without realizing it.

I lived there for 4 years, and I did enjoy my time there. It is like nowhere I have ever lived. There are a million fun things to do that do not involve alcohol, and the food is just wonderful. There is so much history and culture there, and you really do get sucked into the whole experience after living there for a bit. I would not move back, but I also would tell someone who was interested to go ahead and move! You may burn out on it after a while as it is a very intense city, and it is certainly not for everyone. I am a farm girl at heart, so trying to be a tough city girl does not work for me for very long.

If you have any questions feel free to PM me. I do know that a lot has changed since I lived there (I left in 2003), but I can help you some. A couple of my favorite hangouts closed after Katrina :cry:

[Kate66]

I wonder how many people here who love it have lived/or live there post Katrina. Check out the crime statistics, it is now one of the worst crime cities in the country. I used to love going there, pre-Katrina, and it always had bad crime, but now you couldn't drag me there.

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/01/01/national/main3665137.shtml
------------------
New Orleans - the bloodiest city in the country in 2006 - got even bloodier in 2007, with 209 murders. That was 48 more than in 2006, when its 161 homicides put its murder rate far ahead of even such deadly cities as Gary, Indiana, and Detroit.

New Orleans population is currently thought to be 295,450, which would mean a rate of about 71 per 100,000 people. By comparison, Washington's homicide rate was about 30 per 100,000 people, still higher than those of New York, Chicago and Philadelphia, but lower than in Baltimore and Detroit.
---------------------------

A friend of mine recently went for a weekend. Walking down Bourbon Street in broad daylight she was mugged and ended up with 2 black eyes and severely beaten. This is a girl of about 29 who was with a friend!

[equest]

I lived in New Orleans for eight years, for college and graduate school.

(my screen name has nothing to do with Equest Farm in NOLA, though). I did not ride much while living there as a broke student. It's a very unique and fun place to be as a student or young person, IMO, but it would be hard for me to live there as an adult unless I was VERY well paid. It is true that crime rates are scary and if you have kids or plan on it, plan on private $$$ schools or a long commute to the north shore (the area close to barns, but a slow commute across the causeway to the city). My understanding is that salaries are still much lower than other cities, and housing prices skyrocketed post-Katrina. My brother just moved away due to these reasons. However, your job offer may be attractive enough to make it worthwhile.

[Weighaton]

I have to agree about the increase in crime. It has been terrible since the hurricane. No real explanation. We live north of New Orleans. Covington and Mandeville are lovely places to live with great people.

You won't regret moving south.

[linquest]

As for where to live, where will you be working? Do you plan to rent or buy?

I'm going to be working by the Superdome. I plan on driving in, although it might be nice to live near the streetcar route to have commuting options. I'm definitely only renting.

As to those of you who have expressed concern about the area, I'm well aware of the pros and cons and have done my research. In any case, it's my dream job, and that's all that matters to me!

[bort84]

I wonder how many people here who love it have lived/or live there post Katrina. Check out the crime statistics, it is now one of the worst crime cities in the country. I used to love going there, pre-Katrina, and it always had bad crime, but now you couldn't drag me there.

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/01/01/national/main3665137.shtml
------------------
New Orleans - the bloodiest city in the country in 2006 - got even bloodier in 2007, with 209 murders. That was 48 more than in 2006, when its 161 homicides put its murder rate far ahead of even such deadly cities as Gary, Indiana, and Detroit.

New Orleans population is currently thought to be 295,450, which would mean a rate of about 71 per 100,000 people. By comparison, Washington's homicide rate was about 30 per 100,000 people, still higher than those of New York, Chicago and Philadelphia, but lower than in Baltimore and Detroit.
---------------------------

A friend of mine recently went for a weekend. Walking down Bourbon Street in broad daylight she was mugged and ended up with 2 black eyes and severely beaten. This is a girl of about 29 who was with a friend!

I lived there before/during/and after Katrina. Crime went up. It's a city where you have to pay attention to your surroundings. I was robbed at gunpoint my freshman year in the Warehouse District with 3 other friends (guys). It didn't stop me from wanting to live there, just made me remember to be more cautious.

Still, you learn to watch out at night, and you don't wander around alone. I LOVE that city. I'm moving back as soon as it's feasible.

I lived Uptown by Tulane's campus and loved it, but I would also have enjoyed living near Magazine St. too. There are a lot of places to walk around on Magazine. I would consider living in the Quarter too, but again, you have to be careful when walking around at night, but daytime is great fun around there. And if you travel in numbers, you're usually totally fine.

The commute is pretty easy anywhere in the city because it's so small. I would certainly live in the city for at least a little bit to see if you like the feel of it. There are some lovely suburby areas too, but I'm still at a point in my life where I would choose to live in New Orleans.

Anyway, you can find some neat houses to rent on Craigslist, or there are the more standard condos and apartment complexes. The streetcar is a little hit and miss for a commute, but you could give it a try... The schedule is not so, um, consistent, haha. But the most you'd have to drive to Downtown from anywhere actually in the city would be 10 minutes, so not a huge deal.

As far as barns go, my roommate (an eventer/hunter) used to take lessons in City Park (Equest) and thought it was pretty well run. I would avoid the barn in Audubon Park because it's mostly saddle seat (they have some lesson horses that will jump but not really qualified h/j/dressage type instructors). So if you live in the city and are looking for a more casual lesson environment, you could give City Park a shot. If you want something more serious, definitely check out the SEDA website. There are a lot of nice barns outside of the city.

So yes, there are horses, and there is crime, but I love that city! Good luck, and enjoy. So jealous, haha.

[yaya]

For eventing, check out Equi-Best in Covington. The info is on the SEDA website (under Resources, Facility Directory).

Plan on about an hour to get to the horsey areas on the northshore from downtown. After all, it's 24 miles of bridge just to get from one side of the lake to the other! So whoever says it's only 30 minutes must have a lead foot (and a lot of speeding tickets).

[Seven-up]

So whoever says it's only 30 minutes must have a lead foot (and a lot of speeding tickets).

I think that may have been me. I've actually never driven over the causeway. That's just what people have told me, or maybe that's what I heard on the radio traffic reports or something. Quite possible the people I knew drove like bats out of hell. ;) I drive like a grandma. :lol:

[Rallycairn]

Ditto the person who noted horses in FL who are coming from colder climates may have problems with the heat, humidity, and fungal/skin issues. I think it'd be much the same if not worse in New Orleans. I realize you said you're not taking a horse, though, but here's what I'm getting at:

Now, sorry if this sounds silly, but do YOU realize how HOT and HUMID that city is? I love it and it is a great place to visit (though I haven't been in years and certainly not since Katrina, but I used to live in Memphis and we'd go down there all the time) but it is HUMID and hot _beyond all imagining_. Just be sure you are okay with that for yourself!~

[linquest]

No dissuading me, I already accepted the job offer! As I said before, this is my dream job. If they wanted me to go to Alaska, I'd do it :lol:

To get back on track- I'm hearing the Garden District and Uptown are good places to live. Any parts of those neighborhoods I should stay away from?

[kb]

My sister works right by the Superdome as well - that part of town is not that great so be careful when coming and going from work. I haven't lived there in over 30 years, but I will be there next week actually.

Uptown and the Garden District for the most part are nice, but like someone mentioned - one street can be great and two streets over is not so great. Or you can have to drive through some rough areas to get home. When you start looking for places, just driving around you can get a pretty good feel of what is what.

If you want, I can give you more details about a specific area when you start narrowing your options. Just PM me!

And as everyone has mentioned Folsom/Covington is quite the horsey area. And remember...humidity keeps your skin looking younger!!:D

[kb]

No dissuading me, I already accepted the job offer! As I said before, this is my dream job. If they wanted me to go to Alaska, I'd do it :lol:

To get back on track- I'm hearing the Garden District and Uptown are good places to live. Any parts of those neighborhoods I should stay away from?

So tell us - what is this dream job?

[Seven-up]

This was in my e-mail and I instantly thought of this thread.

Wild animal caught in Uptown... http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/29242160/

Too bad it wasn't a polar bear or something cool like that. ;)

[linquest]

Wild animal caught in Uptown

Saw that and thought, "What, aren't Tulane students usually crawling all over Uptown?" :lol:

kb- I'm going to be practicing law in an extremely small specialty. Just a handful of these jobs open across the country each year, thus the need for me to be geographically flexible. Can't be more specific than that...I like to preserve some anonymity on the Net :cool:

[imissvixen]

I lived all over New Orleans. The places I liked best were the Carrollton area which is at the very end of the St. Charles Avenue streetcar line, Constantinople St near the intersection of Prytania, and Henry Clay close to Magazine. Probably the best though and where I felt safest was on Constantinople because I was closest there to St. Charles. I don't know if you are a reader but that is where Ignatius J. Reilly lived in the novel Confederacy of Dunces, possibility one of the greatest works of southern fiction along with many of Walker Percy's novels and of course William Faulkner's.

As far as riding, I kept my horse in Slidell and Metairie. I liked Metairie much better but doubt that the place still exists. Slidell and Covington are painful drives. To get to Covington you have to drive over the Ponchartrain Bridge. It is very long and when you are in the middle of it all you think is that you are in the middle of a 20+ mile long bridge and what do you do if something horrible happens. I definitely would not live out there if you are working near the Superdome. I worked for years at One Shell Square which is down Poydras Street and loved taking the streetcar to work every day.

I got used to the heat and humidity. The heavy rains when the water got waste deep was a little weird. I think maybe the pumps are better now?

[Hampton Bay]

I lived there before Katrina, and while I have been back since, it has been 2 years.

I lived uptown near Tulane's campus, and most of that was a decent area to live. However, many of the more affordable places will be taken by college students. If you don't want parties and drunk people around, avoid the areas right around campus. Remember that Tulane is a private school with high tuition, and there are quite a few wealthier kids whose parents rent them some pretty nice places. So the parties are not just limited to cheap apartment buildings.

Another thing to consider, ground floor apts are cheaper, but then you have to deal with the risk of flooding from a heavy rain or a small hurricane. Also, as a single woman, I felt much less comfortable in a ground floor apt.

And the most important thing is to never be complacent when moving around the city. Always be aware of your surroundings, walk quickly, and try to stay in more populated areas. Keep your cars doors locked when driving around. If you don't feel safe, chances are you need to listen to that feeling.

[Seven-up]

Vixen-- where did you keep your horse in Metairie? I used to live right on the Orleans parish line in Bucktown. I only saw one place with horses, and it wasn't much more than a bunch of horses milling around someone's backyard.

[imissvixen]

I am having trouble recalling the name of the place. It was jammed in a subdivision but right on the levee -- quite a nice hunter barn from the standpoint of the horses and riders. The trainer was Jack Rockwell. Levee View? It's been awhile. We had one little place for turn out for about 20 horses. We would take turns putting our horses out. But it worked. I loved it there.

[Seven-up]

Oh, yeah yeah yeah. I know where you're talking about now. I want to say Jack's place was in St. Rose. But that might have been a different place. At any rate, I know of his place on the levee that you're talking about. We dropped off a horse once there. Jack's a trip! I used to ride with him when I was a jr, but never boarded with him. He's in BR now. He's much more colorful now that I'm an adult. ;)

[Renae]

I would avoid the barn in Audubon Park because it's mostly saddle seat (they have some lesson horses that will jump but not really qualified h/j/dressage type instructors).

Just wanted to note that there is no reason to avoid that barn :D Cascade Stables is the name, it is run by Barbe Smith and she is top notch (many National and World Champion Riders and Horses have come from her program). Here is the website http://www.cascadestables.net/ So if you are open to learning a new discipline there is definatly top end high quality instruction available there and very nice school horses to ride.

[Hampton Bay]

That's not the same Cascade stables that was there 5 years ago. Same name, yes, but NOT the same management. There is just no way.

I have been to the old cascade stables, and the barn was a hodge-podge of random metal and wood, with NO grass, horses packed into dirt lots and flies everywhere. They mainly did trail rides in the park, and the horses were just in awful health. Long shaggy coats, thin, no muscle tone, etc. Its not the same place at all!

[equest]

Congrats on the job , :) !

I also lived a few places in NOLA. Honestly, there is no "safe" neighborhood in the City - you have to keep your guard up at all times. While living there for 8 years in the Uptown and Garden District areas, I had friends robbed at gunpoint, friends with apartments burglarized, two roommates cars stolen, the list goes on. Not to freak you out, it's just important to consistently be aware of your surroundings and be security conscious when selecting a home or apartment.

Uptown/Garden district neighborhoods can be really hit or miss and have a high crime rate. If I was to move there now, I would probably choose to live in the Bayou St. John or Lakeview area, areas in the City and a short hop to your work, but more safe and pleasant than uptown/GD , IMO. If you like more urban living, the Warehouse District would be great, though pricey, it's a lot of controlled-access condo and loft-type buildings that attract professionals (many from out of the City).

PM me for more info if you need :) This thread makes me want to go visit NOLA.

[TBJumper514]

I echo what everyone said about the Northshore being the best place to find a barn to ride/lesson at. Nicest place to live in the area, too. Tons of nice barns and trainers up there even though the drive is about an hour. I never really cared for Equest(City Park) but haven't been around there in years(I know it is a much nicer place now than it used to be). Across the lake, Lagniappe was always nice and has a x-country course. Oak Haven is a wonderful Hunter barn(Genie Harper is an awesome teacher). And there are tons of others. When are you going to be moving down here?

Crime sucks, always be very careful in this area. Especially around the Superdome area, be cautious. Don't move to the Westbank, it sucks(except for having my horses in my backyard) and the commute really sucks...but you can come visit/ride my horses here if you want to venture over the bridges and come to my ghetto-barn, lol! The Northshore(if you want to commute) and Uptown/Garden District have nice places to live. Having a scary looking dog is definitely a plus around here(I have 3 that come with me a lot of places so they're a great deterrence...lol). The city has a lot to do, even things that don't require alcohol as one poster said. The food is like no other...you will not want to stop eating! There is no shortage of festivals, concerts and other events all year 'round...all of which feature our wonderful food! I am a NOLA native(lived here my whole life), and I STILL am not used to the heat and humidity(or the bugs, eww). The weather really sucks, and the winters are not cold or long enough. You probably don't want to walk or ride a streetcar to work in the summer, you'll feel gross! But parking in the city is crappy and expensive so you'll have to weigh your options. Our auto insurance rates are high too.

I also can't stand Mardi Gras anymore(just makes traffic horrendous and people stupid!), but King Cakes are awesome! We have some of the WORST drivers in the world all year 'round! I have terrible road rage from the drivers around here. LOL. Oh, and watch out for the red-light cameras and the decoy SUVs taking pics of speeders and sending tickets. The streets are terrible, my poor Camaro gets hell driving through the pot-holes, 4x4 trucks are a good choice for city driving(but not parking), lol! I definitely have a love/hate relationship with the city, it's not somewhere I want to stay forever, but it's a good place to visit and experience for a while.

[yaya]

That's not the same Cascade stables that was there 5 years ago. Same name, yes, but NOT the same management. There is just no way.

I have been to the old cascade stables, and the barn was a hodge-podge of random metal and wood, with NO grass, horses packed into dirt lots and flies everywhere. They mainly did trail rides in the park, and the horses were just in awful health. Long shaggy coats, thin, no muscle tone, etc. Its not the same place at all!

Same management, but not the same barn. They had a fund drive to build a new Morton barn with covered arena right after Katrina.

The previous barn was built in the forties, and even burned once when I was there in the 70s. It was time for it to go.

[linquest]

I've lived in the rougher neighborhoods of NYC, Chicago and Boston throughout the last 7 years, so I've got pretty good street sense by now. On the other hand, I guess there's nothing preventing me from living outside the city. I know Metairie... what other good burbs are there to live in, within an hour drive of the Superdome, that don't require me to cross a bridge? What do you think a 1BR apartment in a newer building will run me each month?

Thanks to those of you who PMed me with barn suggestions. I'll be contacting you when I move out in September :)

[yaya]

How much of a bridge do you not want to cross? Because everything is a bridge away.

Metairie, you have to go over the 17th Street Canal (one of the ones that broke in Katrina), but it's a very short bridge, more like an overpass; Gretna or Algiers are across the Mississippi River, and anywhere on the Northshore obviously is across a bridge. Slidell is a shorter bridge away than Covington or Mandeville, but still several miles of bridge.

There are ways to get to Metairie, Kenner, River Ridge, etc without going over a bridge, but would not be convenient for getting to/from the Superdome.

[TBJumper514]

When I say bridges, I mean you'll want to stay away from having to cross the Greater New Orleans(aka Crescent City Connection) or Huey P. Long Bridge. There is construction going on on the Huey P right now(until 2013), so it is hell to cross, and it makes the GNO traffic even worse than it usually is, so basically avoiding the Westbank will be your main goal. Also, $1.00 toll(0.40cent if you have a tag) on the GNO every day. Traveling from the Northshore isn't too bad, even with the 24 mile Causeway ride...and the area is much nicer. Of course, then you'll have to pay a $3.00 toll on the way in to town every morning. You're probably best living in New Orleans(wide variety of areas from Mid City to Lakeview to Uptown to Garden District, etc), Metairie, Harahan/River Ridge. Those will be the easiest places to come from for the commute for work. As for a 1BR apt, depending on the area, between $650-$1000, more if you are in the city. Glad you are moving in September, you'll miss most of Hurricane season!

[cloudyandcallie]

Heat, humidity, bugs and mold, but lots of character (and characters!) and great music and seafood and the other cuisine besides seafood. And you'll learn to suck the heads of crawdads.

Like all big cities, just be careful there. And remember to yell "fire" and not "help" if you get mugged, everyone runs to a fire, not everyone runs to help. (I learned that living in mug-me-at-8am St Louis.:lol:

[imissvixen]

I lived in Durham, NC, for ten years and New Orleans for five. I do believe that you learn where to live and how to deal but can still be in the city. Don't give up on living in New Orleans. If you want to live in a newer building maybe you can find a place that has security.

Meanwhile, if Jack Rockwell is still around, he was quite good when I rode with him. He showed my little mare and she ended up a reserve hunter champion in LA. She would periodically dump him in the middle of in-and-outs at horse shows and Jack was always a good sport about it. He never beat on her or got angry, would just say it was his fault and get it right the next class.

[Seven-up]

Meanwhile, if Jack Rockwell is still around, he was quite good when I rode with him. He showed my little mare and she ended up a reserve hunter champion in LA. She would periodically dump him in the middle of in-and-outs at horse shows and Jack was always a good sport about it. He never beat on her or got angry, would just say it was his fault and get it right the next class.

Jack's in BR now.

[linquest]

How much of a bridge do you not want to cross? Because everything is a bridge away.

Crud, I got sick of this while living in NYC. I don't want to cross a bridge longer than a mile, ideally, I'd be able to hold my breath crossing it when there's no traffic :winkgrin:

Yes, I'm glad I'm moving in September, so it'll be easier to ease my way into NOLA heat/humidity after living in the Northeast for so long. I just hope the college kids don't take all the good apartments by then!

[HeartsOrHospitals]

I have nothing horsey to contribute, but wanted to say I went to the Voodoo Music Fest in 2007 and LOVED New Orleans! The food - ohmygod. ;)

The bugs are the size of your head, though. I was walking along a street (in a not-so-great neighbourhood, lol) with friends and one of us was from there. I spotted a bug on the ground, giant, with wings...I was like "what's that?" in my naive, Canadian inquisitive tone.

"That's a cockroach".

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It was the size of my fist, no lie.

[Seven-up]

Most of the bridges aren't across rivers, so they're short. Sort of like a highway overpass. I want to say that the causeway is the longest bridge in the country, but that might not be right.


And yeah, bugs. Buy stock in mosquito repellent. And then get used to it not working. We do have some scary roaches. They are attracted to moisture and wood, so try to avoid a wood house, and keep your bug man visits up to date. Some roaches fly, but you can never tell until they're whizzing at your head. Sorry. ;)

When I was going to UNO, I was standing behind someone who was obviously from up north, and she was talking to another yankee. She said, "OMG, have you seen crawfish yet?? They look like ROACHES!" I had to interrupt and tell her that she had either never seen a crawfish or she had never seen a roach. Mini-lobsters, yeah, but a roach? What?? :lol:

[Seven-up]

Yes, I'm glad I'm moving in September, so it'll be easier to ease my way into NOLA heat/humidity after living in the Northeast for so long. I just hope the college kids don't take all the good apartments by then!

I hate to break it to you, but summer lasts until December here. :lol: September is hot as sh!t. The humidity doesn't go away. If we have 86% humidity level, we're in heaven. And winter is about 60 degrees, with occasional cold snaps of 40. Winter lasts about 3 weeks, but never more than a few days in a row. It's about 3 weeks total of cold weather.

Welcome to Louisiana!:lol::lol:

[southerneventgirl]

Yes, the bugs are huge and I think you are right about the Causeway being the longest bridge in the US.
Even in Sept when you get here, it will still be VERY hot for you!
There is a lady who just moved into our barn a few months ago, she lived in Maryland and she can't get over how warm it is here for winter time!
(tonight's low temp is 55! yesterday's low was 40 and the high today was around 62.)

Welcome to the hottest 'cool' place on earth!

[yaya]

Actually, the Causeway is the longest bridge of its type in the world. Really it's the longest and the second longest, because one span is like 6 feet longer than the other.

The cockroach is the state bird.

And there are two types of mosquitoes here: those small enough to go through the screen door, and those big enough to open it.

Ba-dum-bum!