I was thinking of transferring there for a job in the near future with the company that I work for. I currently reside in Dallas Texas, but I heard the same rumor.

Is crime really that extremely high in New Orleans? Or is it like every other big city where there are problem areas but most of the city is nice?

Comment/Question I heard the same thing

Here's a link to the NOPD's website.

http://www.nopd.com/

There's more crime in the Quarter than there is in other areas of the city, but then, there's a high concentration of people there, many of whom are tourists who are paying little attention to those around them. So saying that you basically can't leave the French Quarter is nonsense. Some cities have bad AREAS. Others are more block by block. New Orleans falls into the latter category. Good block, bad block, good block. I remember observing this for the first time years ago in NYC.

I believe UNO is in the 3rd (police) district. Check that district on the crime maps in the link above.

There are some things you can do to protect yourself, not just here, but in any city that you don't know well. Never walk alone at night. Take a taxi at night instead of a bus if you're not driving. Be aware of your surroundings at all times. If you see someone "menacing" approaching you, cross the street. Carry pepper spray on your keychain. Keep it accessible, or even, if you're feeling fearful, in your hand. Don't carry a lot of cash. $20 and an ATM card will serve you well. If you carry a purse, make sure it has a shoulder strap, strap over neck, purse under one arm. Carry money/wallet in front pocket. I know of one woman, who was confronted at a bus stop with a thug carrying a gun a few years back. She used her head. She acted as if she didn't even see the gun, looked him square in the face and with a big smile said, "Hey! I know your momma? How's she doing?" The guy was confused...maybe she DID know his momma, AND him...and ran away. Good save!

Question Uptown Lady: You say take a taxi home at night if you're not driving. What about people who don't drive and have to get home from work every night. Are we supposed to pay for taxis every night? Get real, please. But, then, of course, I forgot "everybody drives in New Orleans". Some people actually don't.

Comment/Question Question for Uptown Lady

Concerned, I was responding to Eileen, who was planning on transferring to UNO. From reading her post, it seems to me that she also plans to live in that area. She stated that she doesn't know the city very well. She says nothing about working outside that neighborhood. Knowing nothing more about her circumstances other than what she wrote, my advice to her stands.

Now, if I worked nights and had no private transportation, I think I'd be looking for a place to live close to where I worked...or a job closer to where I lived. Come to think of it, that's exactly what I DID do.

My advice to you...carry pepper spray. Think I told her the same thing.

I'm a single woman who works in the Quarter and takes a streetcar to the Lower Garden District every night home, walking three blocks to my apartment. I've lived here 7 months and have never had any problems. A lot of my co-workers live in bad areas (near Louis Armstrong Park) and have never been mugged or threatened either. I think if you don't make yourself look like a victim and stay streetsmart you'll be fine.

Keep in mind that N.O. has the highest per capita murder rate in the nation.

I am not going to go into horror stories for you, except to say that the person who suggested above smartmouthing the robber would be indeed dead if that were tried. Check out the news reports...here they tend to shoot first and remove the money off the body. Best way is to travel in groups at night or just don't travel. Do the research and make your decision after balancing the + and -.