Moving To The Monroe Area (New Orleans, Baton Rouge: to rent, insurance, condo) - Louisiana (LA) - City-Data Forum

Clouds_Connect · 08-04-2015, 10:25 PM

I have accepted a job offer that is based out of Monroe, Louisiana and will be moving there come September. I'm originally from Florida so I'm familiar with the climate (for the most part).

I've read through some of the forums on here and most have negative comments and views towards the city of Monroe itself, so my question would be: What areas close to Monroe would be "best" suited for a soon-to-be-married couple? We have no children (minus our two golden retrievers) but will want children eventually. We both enjoy the outdoors and I'm big into bass fishing.

The job I will have doesn't require us to stay permanently in Louisiana but we will be there for a few years; whether we buy a house or just rent the entire time we're there depends on the area, her finding a job (in the nursing field), and other factors.

I appreciate any help or information that is given.

Clouds_Connect · 08-05-2015, 09:26 AM

To be a little more precise with details, I'll be working out of the Monroe Regional Airport and do not mind commuting to/from work while living outside of the Monroe district/parish/city. I haven't had much luck (thus far) while looking for housing to rent. Ruston has been mentioned within the forums as a good place to reside, but my search for housing in the area has yielded no results.

It seems fairly easy to get to the airport, whether by I-20 or US Highways 80/165, so any areas relatively close to those corridors would be ideal.

Again, not to be a nuisance of the forums, I just thought I'd revamp my situation a little more in-depth.

annie_himself · 08-09-2015, 06:05 PM

Not many people here are from Monroe, maybe 2.

Rental properties are going to be harder to come by in such a small metro area.

gymtime101 · 08-10-2015, 10:33 PM

Very few members from NoLA.

Best bet is to watch 'Baby-baby-baby' by TLC, which was filmed at Grambling State University.

gymtime101 · 08-10-2015, 10:34 PM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q2H6pTtEVlo

USERXXXX · 08-12-2015, 01:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Clouds_Connect

I have accepted a job offer that is based out of Monroe, Louisiana and will be moving there come September. I'm originally from Florida so I'm familiar with the climate (for the most part).

I've read through some of the forums on here and most have negative comments and views towards the city of Monroe itself, so my question would be: What areas close to Monroe would be "best" suited for a soon-to-be-married couple? We have no children (minus our two golden retrievers) but will want children eventually. We both enjoy the outdoors and I'm big into bass fishing.

The job I will have doesn't require us to stay permanently in Louisiana but we will be there for a few years; whether we buy a house or just rent the entire time we're there depends on the area, her finding a job (in the nursing field), and other factors.

I appreciate any help or information that is given.

It sounds like Chase..

For a young couple (especially not married yet), I do not recommend you stay here too long. Monroe is a very boring and small community.

19Spud55 · 02-22-2017, 04:10 PM

Here's the best advice anyone can give you; just don't do it! Run away, fake your own death, do anything but please, for your own sake(s), don't come here. My wife and I moved here 2 1/2 years ago and it has been one disaster after another right from the start.

Here's what we've found since moving here.
* The very first thing we experienced when we contracted to buy a home is that we were sued for breach of contract. I won't bore you with the fine details but there was no breach of contract. Finally the fifth attorney we talked to could represent us, all the others had conflicts of interest, and told us it was going to cost us to settle the matter. Either we were going to pay the plaintiffs or we were going to pay him. It ended up costing us about $7000 and that was as cheap as we figured we were going to make it go away. Interestingly, we were told that we weren't the only ones this had happened to. Apparently there's some profiteering going on with the new move-ins.

* We've found that anything construction related is risky at best. We looked at a house to buy that had the gas furnace venting into the attic. We had a friend who rented a newly built condo and had to move three times because of leaking water and mold. Another friend spent two years in litigation because his home foundation sunk from under the structure. The walls and the foundation were several inches apart.

* A year and a half ago we arranged to have the liner replaced in our pool. We finally gave up and contacted someone else. Here we are waiting again.

* We were going to have a shop building built on the back of our property. I finally gave up on the idea because after several attempts I couldn't find an electrician who would commit to even giving me an estimate on wiring the building.

* Auto insurance is sky high here because of so many uninsured motorists.

I could go on but you get the idea. Oh, but one other thing, if you come here for a job and end up losing it, guess what? Unless you can get by on $10-12/hr the chances of you finding something else is slim to none. Another post script...that gawd awful smell will either be the paper mill or the landfill. People will tell you they never smell them, I will tell you they're full of crap.

Clouds_Connect · 02-22-2017, 04:43 PM

Thanks to all for the replies. I'm about 1.5 years late, but thank you all for the information.

My wife and I found a small little house to rent out in the Swartz area. Monroe itself blows. It's like this place decided it didn't want to advance with the times and stay in an indefinite archaic era. Everything from unclean, contaminated water, to the ****-poor roads and idiots driving among them, horrible infrastructure, to the housing market being a complete joke. Monroe has them all. One thing Monroe doesn't possess is a diverse genetic pool, because with how the folks are around here, you'd think they all came from the same inbred bloodline.

Perhaps we were spoiled living in Florida and didn't realize just how well we had it.

cBach · 02-23-2017, 05:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Clouds_Connect

Thanks to all for the replies. I'm about 1.5 years late, but thank you all for the information.

My wife and I found a small little house to rent out in the Swartz area. Monroe itself blows. It's like this place decided it didn't want to advance with the times and stay in an indefinite archaic era. Everything from unclean, contaminated water, to the ****-poor roads and idiots driving among them, horrible infrastructure, to the housing market being a complete joke. Monroe has them all. One thing Monroe doesn't possess is a diverse genetic pool, because with how the folks are around here, you'd think they all came from the same inbred bloodline.

Perhaps we were spoiled living in Florida and didn't realize just how well we had it.

In Louisiana, except for all of Cajun Country (I-10 corridor and south which includes Lake Charles, Lafayette, Baton Rouge, New Orleans) as well as Natchitoches, the rest of the state is a disaster. Alexandria, Monroe, and Ruston are really bad off. Sorry you found out for yourself too late. My suggestion is to do your time and then get the heck out of dodge.

annie_himself · 02-23-2017, 10:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cBach

In Louisiana, except for all of Cajun Country (I-10 corridor and south which includes Lake Charles, Lafayette, Baton Rouge, New Orleans) as well as Natchitoches, the rest of the state is a disaster. Alexandria, Monroe, and Ruston are really bad off. Sorry you found out for yourself too late. My suggestion is to do your time and then get the heck out of dodge.

Basically north Louisiana sucks and south Louisiana sucks much less.