Vanity: Should We Move to Central Louisiana?

I'm co-opting this idea from another thread I saw yesterday, so special thanks to 1stFreedom. I'm at a crossroads and could use some feedback and suggestions.

Now here's some background: I am a single working mom living in coastal Massachusetts with a 5-year-old child about to enter Kindergarten. I have been employed in the hotel industry for the past 10 years but now I'm really having trouble holding on. I've lost my job and I'm up to my ears in utility bills from the harsh winter we just had here.

I have been approached by various relatives who live in different parts of the country about relocating down to be with them. The most intriguing offer so far has come from my cousins in Deville, Louisiana, which is located east of Alexandria in Rapides Parish.

My daughter and I go to Louisiana on vacation and we really have a great time, but I know it's not the same thing as living there, especially when it comes to day-to-day things like employment, housing and education. My cousins are not actually "from" Deville. They deliberately located to this place from Southern California 13 years ago, and they're really happy with their lifestyle. Their eldest daughter who was raised mostly in California didn't seem to adjust that well, but the two younger children who were raised in Louisiana are happy, well-mannered, and appear to be getting a decent education.

* Should I be scared about all that violent crime mentioned in the Alexandria newspaper?

* When it comes to housing, is renting a 2-bedroom apartment relatively affordable? I know that rents are lower here than other parts of the country, but are they commensurate with wages?

* Will the cost of electricity for air conditioning be just as bad as the cost of gas heat up North?

* If I get in a jam and can't find a job down there, how easy is it for a single mother to apply for transitional assistance and housing in Rapides Parish?

Thanks for any comments you might care to contribute; I will be starting a similar thread for Fort Pierce, Florida and shall compare the results!

I'm south of Baton Rouge and have lived here just over a year. I'm originally from Tennessee and have lived in several places. I don't have kids and have no way of gauging how the move would impact them. I will make a couple of general comments.

My experience has been that the papers report the worst crime in whatever city the paper is published. I don't have any knowledge of Alexandria, but I wouldn't draw my conclusions based on the papers. If your relatives say that the area is rough, then it probably is. Otherwise, I wouldn't let the papers bother me.

The mosquito problem depends entirely on your lifestyle. If you spend most of your time indoors, you'll hardly notice it at all. If you plan to be outside a great deal, you might have to prepare for it. I go outside some in the summer, and I don't even own a can of repelant. I've found that they are often less likely to bite me than they are others, but the notion that you will be eaten alive every time you step outside is not true for most people.

Air conditioning will be expensive in Louisiana depending on your tolerance for heat and humidity. Living in both Houston and Louisiana, I've run my air conditioner from about February or March until well into November and sometimes December. In the summer, it has to run pretty hard. If you are willing to use fans and ventilate your place well at night, you might get away with running for fewer months, but humidity will be a problem. I don't know how the actual costs will compare to heating a place in Massachusetts.

I suspect that the cost of living is lower here than it is there, but I think moving would be risky unless you were certain of getting a good job. Ultimately, your standard of living will be determined more by what you do than by where you live. There are major exceptions, but I think that rule is pretty good. If you aren't sure of finding work down here, I can't recommend moving unless your family has promised to help you a great deal. Personally, I think your best bet is to start with the best job you can find and move to fit the job.

WFTR
Bill

Long time "lurker" - first time poster..

Born and raised my first 22 yr in central Louisiana - although have been gone for over 30, I still try to get back and recharge when ever I can. The people are great. Food is terrrific. Hardly any seasonal changes, there are four, spring - summer - football - hunting.. You really should have a positive lead on employment before you pack up and head south. Central Louisiana is not a big tourist destination point and there is not a volume of hotels/motels in the area to work with.

To try and answer a few of your questions..
Crime: Unemployment is high which in turn tends to generate crime. The media had a feeding frenzy recently with the police shootings. Most of the crime appears to be low level. Since you have relatives in the area, they would be more in touch with what is actually the true picture. You should be able to find some compartative local crime stats on some websites.
Housing: Relatively affordable - linked to the economy..
Electricity: City of Alexandria is power generator for the city. CLECO (Central La. Elec Co.) is power supplier for rest of parish and central Louisiana. If you can adapt to the humidity, and not use the A/C for 10 months, you should see some savings in this area.
Schools: See link to School Board.
Mosquitos: When you hear them talking about "eating the kids here or taking them back with them for a snack later".. It's time to go inside.. Certain areas will be bad, especially if water supplies near or you do not take pro-active measure to clean up around your home.. (old tires - standing water in buckets/cans etc.).
Assistance: Lots of programs - Am not familiar with specifics but again, you can surf around and find some details.
Employment: There are jobs in the area.. You have to be willing to work and show the employer you would be an asset to his business. Education and good past employment history will get you the nod.

Here are a few links to central Louisiana sites that will be of interest..

http://pineville.net/
City of Pineville, LA website.. You can e-mail the webmaster with any specific questions - he will respond.
http://www.thetowntalk.com/
The Town Talk - Alexandria, LA daily newspaper
http://www.rapides.k12.la.us/
Rapides Parish School Board website

Remember:.. "Louisiana has the best polititians money can buy..." was a catch phrase years ago and still has its applications..

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