Moving to Shreveport in 3 weeks! (Jackson, Atlanta: apartment, rental, crime)

[Myssa]

My advice is don’t do it!!!
DO NOT move here!

Shreveport sucks bad.

I know I am going to catch flack for this but I am only being honest.
I moved here from Houston Texas 2 years ago because my fiancé is in the military and each day we mark off the calendar counting the days down until his service is up so we can move back home to our beloved TEXAS where they have class, culture, service, respect for their community , education and know the definition of luxury. Youree is a joke-TGIF, CHILIS & Olive Garden? pleaseeee
Superiors Steakhouse is ok but seriously it’s not that great but its just about all this town has that makes me forget I am in Louisiana for a few hours.

On a positive note---Louisiana’s crappy education system did wonders for my GPA!

Peace

[SBCmetroguy]

Originally Posted by Myssa

My advice is don’t do it!!!
DO NOT move here!

Shreveport sucks bad.

I know I am going to catch flack for this but I am only being honest.
I moved here from Houston Texas 2 years ago because my fiancé is in the military and each day we mark off the calendar counting the days down until his service is up so we can move back home to our beloved TEXAS where they have class, culture, service, respect for their community , education and know the definition of luxury. Youree is a joke-TGIF, CHILIS & Olive Garden? pleaseeee
Superiors Steakhouse is ok but seriously it’s not that great but its just about all this town has that makes me forget I am in Louisiana for a few hours.

On a positive note---Louisiana’s crappy education system did wonders for my GPA!

Peace

Wow, such hostility!

There is, of course, Superior's Steakhouse... if you want the most bland, overpriced steak you'll ever eat. But if that was the pinnacle of your dining experience in Shreveport-Bossier, of course you would think we don't have any decent restaurants here.

For a truly high-class dining experience, particularly with a little thing called flavor, we have the following, which are just a number of well-respected high-end establishments:

Chianti
Village Grille
6301
Jack Binion's
Ernest's
University Club
Cambridge Club
Petroleum Club
William B's

Youree Drive is the same crap you'll find lining every suburban area of your beloved Houston or any other Texas city, for that matter. Were you expecting something different? Surely you didn't drive down Youree Drive and see Golden Corral, Krispy Kreme, and Olive Garden and think to yourself "I'll certainly find something unique here." If you did, that's your own fault. I've never heard anyone say that Youree Drive is a sight to behold. It's typical suburban trash... but the fact is, a lot of people shop and eat there because they are familiar with the restaurants and stores. People do not go there with the notion that they're shopping or dining in Uptown Houston.

Shreveport-Bossier has overcome a lot of depression over the past decade. If you think it's crap now you should have been here during the 80s when it looked like... well... any other washed up oil town in your "beloved" Texas. The oil business, at the time, was what kept this area going. When it died out, so did this entire area. The region has a lot of making up to do.... we were on top of the world in the 70s-early 80s. We had highrise construction going on at a record pace, lower crime, and the economy was overall excellent. One small thing changed the next 10 years for Shreveport and put us 10 years behind the rest of the nation, so DO NOT blame this area for being so far behind. No one is claiming otherwise...

But there is a lot to do here, and if you can't see that then I suggest you get out more. We have more public festivals than most cities in the country, and one of the largest arts festivals you'll find anywhere (Red River Revel.) Mardi Gras season ended at midnight last night. Did you go out and have a good time at Mardi Gras? If not, again... your fault. You missed out on an awesome party. If you did go out to Mardi Gras and have a good time, then appreciate it. We have one of the largest Mardi Gras parties anywhere, drawing upwards of 750,000 people (for comparison, New Orleans typically draws about 1 million people.)

Louisiana has a crappy education system, no doubt. Has anyone ever disputed that fact? I think not... we understand it and we deal with it. This is why we have Magnet schools, private schools, etc. Children do not have to go to the cruddy inner-city schools... you have choices. Louisiana's University system compares to anything nationally. It doesn't struggle with the same problems as our public schools, mainly because 40% of all Louisiana public school students drop out and never go to college.

Please tell me how Tyler, Longview, Beaumont, etc fit into the following statement: "class, culture, service, respect for their community , education and know the definition of luxury." Those cities are just a handful of examples of the fact that Texas has problems as well.

There are a lot of transplants here who have come to love this place and call it home. Many people CHOOSE to live here, contrary to what you might want to make everyone believe. It's not for everyone... clearly it's not for you. That's great, you know what you like and it's not Shreveport-Bossier. So when your husband's service is up you can pack your stuff and head back to your "beloved" Texas and get back to pretending that Texas is the greatest state in the Union... when in fact it's really no dfferent from any of the states that surround it. It just has a few larger cities.

Houston is a nice city... no denying that. I visit there often, and I would even live there, but I'm too busy trying to make a difference in Shreveport-Bossier and trying to help this region overcome having fallen a full decade behind the rest of the country. That's a big problem to try and overcome, but it's happening... slowly but surely. You really just can't appreciate that, because being an outsider you weren't here during that decade and you really don't understand the depth of the issue.

It's easy for you to sit back and complain about how bad it "sucks," but what are you doing to help? Not a thing. Instead, here you are trying to run a decent city with decent people into the ground. How nice of you to not only talk bad about the city, but about the people.

[Myssa]

Thank you for the dining suggestions. I will check them out but I wont hold high expectations.

Oh did I forget to mention that Shreveport stinks? Literally the entire town stinks like dead bodies and the water stinks too. Gross!!

[Myssa]

By the way I have eaten at Jack's and that place was not good!
Perhaps it deserves a second chance but niether of us were impressed with our meal.

University club eh I was actually excited about this one because I am familiar with it but it just wasnt that great either.

Like I said the service industry here sucks bad. They dont know what service means in Shreveport!

Petroleum isnt even that great in Houston so I will pass.

I have heard good things about Ernest and Chianti but have yet to go.
Dont worry I will keep you updated on my reviews!


Dont get me wrong I would love to be proved wrong about Shreveport--I have to live here for another 18 months!

[SBCmetroguy]

Originally Posted by Myssa

By the way I have eaten at Jack's and that place was not good!
Perhaps it deserves a second chance but niether of us were impressed with our meal.

University club eh I was actually excited about this one because I am familiar with it but it just wasnt that great either.

Like I said the service industry here sucks bad. They dont know what service means in Shreveport!

Petroleum isnt even that great in Houston so I will pass.

I have heard good things about Ernest and Chianti but have yet to go.
Dont worry I will keep you updated on my reviews!


Dont get me wrong I would love to be proved wrong about Shreveport--I have to live here for another 18 months!

Your restaurant reviews mean nihl to me, or to Shreveport for that matter. Most of those establishments have been around longer than you and I have been alive, and will continue to be around for a long time. They have served locals, outsiders, and dignitaries alike.

Your husband is in the Air Force, and for someone on an Air Force salary (even on the chance that he's an officer) you certainly act as if you're high on the social chain and that anyone will care what you think of Shreveport.

As I've said before, you're welcome to go. You don't have to stay... he does. You are welcome to leave him here in the pits of hell while you go live your awesome life in Texas or California, or wherever you wish to go. My next-door neighbor is from California and from my conversations with him he would be happy to let you take his place in that state.

You do realize that outright bashing of one's city for no apparent reason is against the rules here, don't you? Of course so is this post... but one bad turn does deserve another.

You can feel however you want, but that doesn't give you the right to come on that area's forum and outright bash it just because you can't make the best of it. Anyone who is thinking of moving here should be intelligent enough to make their own decisions, should they not? Or are they just as stupid as the rest of Louisiana since they want to live in a state with the worst education and a city that stinks?

[hindsight2020]

I second SBC's comments. As an Air Force member (officer) I would qualify myssa's comments as unbalanced considering the overlapping comparison continues to be with respect to Houston, TX. A lot of AF people complain about Shreveport-Bossier, but when it comes time to leverage their distate with the alternative (Minot ND, in the case of many Barksdale folks) then Youree Dr. doesn't look so bad now. So you have to make an apples to apples comparison, otherwise all your distaste proves is that you don't like living in places the SIZE of Shreveport. Me and my fiancé HATE the winters, therefore we would hate Minot ND, but that doesn't disqualify Minot from being a place where people with other tastes might find a satisfying quality of life. Hence, your implication that anyone who enjoys living in Bossier-Shreveport must by association love crime, sub-par educational K-12 system and foul smells (huh?), is a flawed argument.

As to Houston, you couldn't pay me enough to move there and make a daily commute to work in that city, no thanks. Houston could not provide me and my finacé's current commute to work, that's as good as money in the bank in our book. As to the entertainment, it's all relative once again; I don't have the Houston Astros within driving distance (which ironically could still be hours even if I lived in Houston), but then again I don't have to pay a premium on housing, increased cost of living, gas and miserable hours upon hours in traffic so I can have them accessible twice a year when it itches me to see an MLB game. Does that make Houston a crappy place to live? Of course not, their entertainment resources are unconstested, but Houston in general would not satisfy my household's desires. Hopefully that doesn't bruise Houston's ego too much considering I'm an officer with post graduate education, and yet (gasp) choose to live in the state of Louisiana, and I'm not even from here..

As to the luxury argument, come on, we all know what we all make here on base, and unless you're the spouse of a flag officer, you're no more qualified to speak of the luxury lifestyle than any other joe schmoe civilian blue collar guy in shreveport or houston for that matter lol.

[Keeper]

Please get back to the orginal question. The OP asked about places to live and not for a restaurant review.

[Myssa]

Shreveport smells bad this is a fact. I have still yet to find out why. Everyone seems to agree it smells bad but when questioned they just shrug thier shoulders cluelessly. This is a prime example of the mentality and attitude of most people that reside here. Good luck getting an answer from City Council! lol

How is this bashing?

Dont even get me started on how not green this city is.
Look I could on about the faults of this city , but as you pointed out I am not sticking around to try and change it. Whatever issues this city has are deep rooted and I like to choose my battles carefully. Besides it looks like you are up for it.

I think its cute how you two keep referring to my husbands position in the military as some sort of basis for social or economical class.
Seriously people how many people do you know that's sole income is from thier job?

Oh wait I forgot this is Shreveport--eye of the blind tiger lol

Minot---yeah he always threatens me with that.

I suppose it could always be worse, but it doesnt make living here any easier.

[SBCmetroguy]

Originally Posted by Myssa

Shreveport smells bad this is a fact. I have still yet to find out why. Everyone seems to agree it smells bad but when questioned they just shrug thier shoulders cluelessly. This is a prime example of the mentality and attitude of most people that reside here. Good luck getting an answer from City Council! lol

How is this bashing?

Dont even get me started on how not green this city is.
Look I could on about the faults of this city , but as you pointed out I am not sticking around to try and change it. Whatever issues this city has are deep rooted and I like to choose my battles carefully. Besides it looks like you are up for it.

I think its cute how you two keep referring to my husbands position in the military as some sort of basis for social or economical class.
Seriously people how many people do you know that's sole income is from thier job?

Oh wait I forgot this is Shreveport--eye of the blind tiger lol

Minot---yeah he always threatens me with that.

I suppose it could always be worse, but it doesnt make living here any easier.

How not green this city is? You're kidding right? Shreveport is not trying to be "green." That's Austin's thing... let those hippies over there be "green." It's one thing if the city claimed to be "green" but I've never heard that claim.

As for your social status, you're correct in that I really don't know it. But given the fact that your husband is in the Air Force, regardless of where else his pay may come from, if you were wealthy he wouldn't be in the military.

Again, this smell you keep referring to... it's non-existant. I would admit it if there was a stench in the air. I was very vocal against the dog food plant, and I have even made the case that the cities try a more modern approach to their sewage treatment plants. But outside of these two smells, I haven't noticed anything else. I guess if you get close enough to that nasty river, you're kind of asking to smell it. But the smell from the river doesn't go more than a few feet beyond it.

[Myssa]

I have no idea where the smell comes from but it does exist some days are worse than other. I am not imagining things. Perhaps it is the river and if it is that is gross too.

Why do you laugh at the green comment? I think it is really sad that this community has no pride and that no one cares. It is pretty embarassing how filthy this town is.

I am curious as to why someone who is wealthy wouldnt serve in the Military?
The only reason I can come up with is if it became a conflict of interest or something. I think they have a name for it but I am not very familiar with military terms or procedures. Even then I am assuming you would have to be extremely wealthy otherwise people would be seeking discharges soley based on wealth.