I'm moving to New Orleans from Chicago in a few months to attend grad school at Tulane. I've never been to New Orleans and was wondering where is a good neighborhood to live. I'm looking for a young/trendy area to live. I'm looking for a one bedroom or loft and was curious how much these would cost. Any help would be appreciated. Also, how difficult is it to commute to the Tulane campus. Should I stay close to campus. I don't want to live on a college campus and would rather live in neighborhood where everyone isn't a student. Any help would be much appreciated. Thanks.

Allan

Allan,

The area surrounding Tulane, Uptown, is very much a neighborhood, mixed with people of all ages, races, marital status', gender, etc. You'll find a one-bedroom apartment in this area of town quite easily in the $600-650 range. Not so much 'trendy', but the Maple Street area tends to be hip with great restaurants, some bars, botiques, etc. If you are looking for 'trendy'...try the Warehouse District, BUT you'll find that the rental prices are a bit more. There you could find a loft, but around $800-1,000 on average. More information on both of these neighborhoods can be found on my website under 'neighborhoods'. Hope this helps! Please feel free to write me at EmilyInNewOrleans@yahoo.com should you wish to discuss further.

Em

Hey Allan, I am also moving from Chicago to NOLA for graduate study. I really like the rental company 899-rent (www.899-rent.com)Most of their propertites have pools, washer/dryers, central ac, and are gated. Check them out- good luck! j

Will you have a car when you move? I will not and have opted to stay within biking/walking distance for convience and saftey- but also don't want to be in the middle of drunken undergrads. The 899-rent apts seem to be in nice mixed neighborhoods and start at $550 for a one bedroom (way cheaper than Chi rents!) and that is with pool, gated entry, etc... Also,the St.Charles streetcar does stop at Tulane/Loyola campus. What program are you entering??? j

Jen,
Thanks for the info. I'll check out the apartments. I won't have a car when I initially move but I plan on purchasing one as soon as I get down there. I totally agree with you about not wanting to live among a bunch of drunken undergrads. I currently live in Lincoln Park and was kinda looking for a similiar neighborhood if it exists in new orleans. What area have you decided to move to? I'm entering the MBA program at Tulane. Thanks for the help.

Hello again. I am by no means an expert on NOLA but have been there quite a few times and have been researching the neighborhoods online as well. So in my opinion the Warehouse Dist would probably be your best bet. Known as an area for young professionals, nice loft apts, artsy, good restaurants. It is a bit more pricy than most areas but you get what you pay for. I don't think 899-rent has any property in that area but another company I have heard a lot about is Latter and Blum- you can find them on the web too. Also when you buy your car you'll want to invest in a nice loud alarm system. The amount of car theft in NOLA is legendary! Check out the Greater New Orleans Community Data Center. It is a nice resource for learning more about all the neighborhoods that make up NOLA. (try:www.gnocdc.org/orleans)
I won't have a car so I am moving to Uptown which is where campus is. I am going to live close enough to walk/bike but not too close. Well, good luck if there's anything else I can help you with just let me know. I bet you are as happy as I am to leave those nasty Chicago winters behind!

wow, im from chicago too. well orland park. planning on moving out there in august. im still undecided about the school or just job thing. i dont know if i just want to continue school there or get a job.. we will see. so same situation. im going down there to look at places and i agree with the website. i found some nice places on there. but lets see the neighborhoods when i get there. worried about hte car thing though because i might be bringing one... hmm that wont be good dont want to get that stolen so i dont know if i should bring one..... is it really that bad!??!?!?! well chi town people.. good luck down there.

Sarah

Yes, I am afraid the car theft situation is that bad. I'm not saying it's 100% that you will get your car stolen but to reduce the chances get a good alarm system, a club, and try to get an apt with off street parking. Another warning, the job market is not like it is up North so start your search soon. j

The best things you can do, use a club and/or an alarm. Keep the doors locked while parked and driving. Never leave anything of value in your car. Put your registration and insurance papers in the TRUNK, not the glove box (preferably in a ziplock bag so nothing gets spilled on them) Funny, but that's all I've ever had stolen from my car since I moved here, my papers...maybe that's because I never leave anything else inside it... Guess they were rifling around for cash.

Don't want to dampen your spirits but before you get all giddy about what you expect for the $ 600.00 you better wait and see.

Not only is car theft a big prob (insurance is NYC $$)but there is nearly no on site parking which is why it is so bad...so you best prepare for street parking.

A $ 1000 a month in the warehouse dist will get you a shoebox in an old building. Be prepared to look all over the city for a decent place. Lots of decent places in the Lakeview area, but it is a 25 min drive in. Good luck