Considering Move to LAKE CHARLES, or that area. HELP

[cBach]

Originally Posted by AmericanGothiK

I AM NEW TO THIS FORUM, PLEASE READ THIS BEFORE ANSWERING

I also posted a new thread in TX (Beaumont, Orange, Lumberton area)

I know there is some info out on the web about this already but most of it is a few years old.

I currently reside in Pittsburgh, PA. I am from Wheeling, WV. I don't mind country, and as I said in the other thread, I kind of miss it. This post is going to be pretty much the same as the other, but as I am considering living in either Lake Charles, or a close bordering TX city, I thought I should post in both state forums.

My boyfriend and I are in the casino business and there is a new one opening in Lake Charles this summer 2014. We hate cold weather and we want to live near things, but not in a city on top of our neighbors. People in Pittsburgh aren't very friendly, either. We are pretty laid back, easy going, friendly people. We don't bother anyone and don't require a lot of entertainment, not like big city stuff anyway. I'm not going to die without Starbucks and Macy's, is basically what I am saying. We are open minded and get along with everyone.

We like to go out to dinner a few times a month, take out dinner sometimes, and movies are good. Thrift stores and antiquing, and a good hole in the wall bar are our favorite things (we had a great bar back in WV, here in Pittsburgh, city of 446 bridges and 1000 bars, and I can't find one I like). Like I said, we are simple people. I do like to shop, but I can do that online.

We don't have kids, so I don't care about schools, or anything kid related (we don't hate them either, we just don't want any). We were thinking of living in TX and commuting, and a coworker suggested staying in LA and going more east, toward Baton Rouge (but not that far). We would like to keep the commute an hour MAX (and preferably under). We aren't opposed to living right in Lake Charles, of course, but we know nothing of the area. We plan to check it out later, when we know more, but it isn't the only move we are considering. Any info would be much appreciated.

We are very likely going to be renting, as we already own a home that we will have to sell or rent anyway, and we don't want to get caught up in another commitment like that unless we end up really loving the area.

Obviously, crime is our main concern, and I don't want to live in a polluted area either. Please don't be insulted when I say that. There are a lot of threads on other forums talking about it being a toxic area and I don't know it that's totally true or not, which is of course why I am here asking questions. Hurricanes also scare the tap dancing bejesus out of me, but I guess that literally comes with the territory.

We are 30 and 31.

Help, please, and thank you.

I lived in Pittsburgh for college (went to CMU) and grew up in Lake Charles. I can answer any question you might have about the differences between the two cities.

The Southwest part of Lake Charles is where you want to be. Very close to the casino (<15 minutes), a very nice treed area, and on the lake. Look out around intersection of Prien Lake Road and Hollyhill Drive, that area.