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I will be moving to the Bossier City/Shreveport area in about a year or so for my job (Air Force Reserve) and I was wondering if anybody in the know would give me some feedback regarding the nicer areas of Shreveport I should look into for housing, shopping, etc, once I get settled. The opinions I have received from people so far range from the usual "don't live there" to "crime is so high" etc etc. One person in particular decided to move to NW Oklahoma (where I'm currently stationed for training) instead of settling in Bossier City. He admits this was in the early 90s, citing racial violence and high crime rate as the major reason for his decision. I took his perspective with a grain of salt, but being stuck here in NW OK for a couple months now I can tell you crime can't be THAT bad in Shreveport to make this dustfield a better choice to live! The downtown Shreveport area looks like the Vegas Strip compared to NW OK if that says anything. But I digress.
Bearing that in mind, I don't really have a choice in the matter, I have to live in Shreveport/Bossier for a while, so I'm trying to see if I can get more specific advice on how to maximize my experience. I have also asked several members of my unit and they seemed happy with Shreveport; I'm sure they live in nice areas (didn't want to ask specifics as I was still interviewing for the job back then).
What are the names of good neighborhoods to look into in Shreveport/Bossier? What neighborhoods to avoid?
I saw a cluster of decent shopping by E. Kings Highway, that's about the nicest I saw in my short time out-processing out of Barksdale for training. Also, the area around Barksdale is in rough shape, as well as an area in the north side coming from Texarkana; I hope Shreveport as a whole is not like that or I'm in bad shape myself LOL. Also saw Cross Lake, as I was driving off to training, seems like a nice place for boating and such.
Anyways, any heads-up on where to find nice areas in Shreveport would be appreciated; online searches for homes in the area result in fairly nice properties and reasonable price (love southern cost-of-living!!!!) but I can't quite put names with places as far as neighborhoods and such. Any help would be appreciated.
I am from Shreveport. Lived there all my life until last year. I am 40 something now (just FYI). I will start out by saying there are good and bad places in every city. But, my reason for leaving was so that I could raise my high school aged son in a better environment. Crime in Shreveport/Bossier is very high. Random acts of violence have taken the lives of children that my 15 year old son knew, and granted we never lived in a bad area. I am a registered nurse and have been able to live in the nicer areas of town. That is not the problem. Regardless of where you live in Shreveport or Bossier just be aware of your surroundings. Many of the people that I have known that have lost their lives were simply at the wrong place and wrong time. Now, to get to your question. The cross lake area is nice, but pricey and what you are looking at out there are mostly homes, but there are a couple apartments and some condos. I have friends who are ex military that live in Bossier around the Shady Grove area (that would be going out the main gate of BAFB and heading south on that highway). This area is mostly homes, but you can find some decent ones for lease or sale. Hands down, Bossier is better for crime. The police there are more strict and everyone knows it. If the speed limit says go 35 you should go 34. You will get a ticket there FAST!!! Also, in Bossier there is an area out Airline Drive. You can get that off either interstate (I-20 or I-220). That area is very nice and also a little pricey, but worth it. There are homes and very nice apartments in that area. Lastly, read the local newspapers online: Shreveporttimes.com. You will get more insight into the area as well. Good luck to you. Charese80
Quote:
Originally Posted by hindsight2020
Hi,
I will be moving to the Bossier City/Shreveport area in about a year or so for my job (Air Force Reserve) and I was wondering if anybody in the know would give me some feedback regarding the nicer areas of Shreveport I should look into for housing, shopping, etc, once I get settled. The opinions I have received from people so far range from the usual "don't live there" to "crime is so high" etc etc. One person in particular decided to move to NW Oklahoma (where I'm currently stationed for training) instead of settling in Bossier City. He admits this was in the early 90s, citing racial violence and high crime rate as the major reason for his decision. I took his perspective with a grain of salt, but being stuck here in NW OK for a couple months now I can tell you crime can't be THAT bad in Shreveport to make this dustfield a better choice to live! The downtown Shreveport area looks like the Vegas Strip compared to NW OK if that says anything. But I digress.
Bearing that in mind, I don't really have a choice in the matter, I have to live in Shreveport/Bossier for a while, so I'm trying to see if I can get more specific advice on how to maximize my experience. I have also asked several members of my unit and they seemed happy with Shreveport; I'm sure they live in nice areas (didn't want to ask specifics as I was still interviewing for the job back then).
What are the names of good neighborhoods to look into in Shreveport/Bossier? What neighborhoods to avoid?
I saw a cluster of decent shopping by E. Kings Highway, that's about the nicest I saw in my short time out-processing out of Barksdale for training. Also, the area around Barksdale is in rough shape, as well as an area in the north side coming from Texarkana; I hope Shreveport as a whole is not like that or I'm in bad shape myself LOL. Also saw Cross Lake, as I was driving off to training, seems like a nice place for boating and such.
Anyways, any heads-up on where to find nice areas in Shreveport would be appreciated; online searches for homes in the area result in fairly nice properties and reasonable price (love southern cost-of-living!!!!) but I can't quite put names with places as far as neighborhoods and such. Any help would be appreciated.
Where are you moving to? There will be a time where I'm sure commuting may become an option for me. But I'm looking at the area and for the purposes of hospitals, schools (albeit we have no children) and such, Shreveport is really the only metro area within an hour's drive in any direction. My girlfriend (I'm 24, she's 23) will be relocating with me and it seems as though for the time being, Shreveport would be best place to find a job for her (she's in the landscape/exterior design field).
Also, what places in Bossier City or Shreveport did you live through the years? Where do you see the most (positive) growth in the area, housing-wise? Are there proper suburban areas to Shreveport/Bossier?
We have lived in Bossier City a very long time..my husband since 1968 and I have been here since 1974.. We are in South Bossier...our neighborhood is an older area..but we like it..good mix of retired military and young families. We are in our 40's. Bossier has lots to offer..there are several gated communities, if you would prefer that life style.. the homes are very nice..but too pricey for our budget. You can check with real estate agents for Plantation Trace or maybe Sunflower..these are in South BOssier.. Hospitals are plentiful for shv/bossier...Willis Knighton (WK) has 4 hospitals one in North Bossier by I-220 and 3 scattered over shreveport. Commute time to any one fo these is not long..plus there are other hospitals as well. Bossier is growing..when we first moved here there were lots of cotton fields..not those fields are shopping malls and sub divisions. North Bossier is nice as well you will find lots of new and nice homes being built. The film industry has also taken interest in our area..as several films have been shot here and there are deals in the making for more. The crime rate is like any other growing city..good and bad places. Shreveport has built a new convention center and has several bookings now and is soon to have a Hilton Hotel built as well.. Of course we have the Gambling boats..they are located on both sided of the Red River...Also we have the Louisiana Riverwalk located in Bossier as well as the Bass Pro Shop. If the area was so bad..I do not think all these big name shops and stores would locate in the area. It seems maybe the bad is remembered and the good goes by the waiste side. It is a very nice place to live. The Air Force base is WELL RESPECTED here and we are so proud of our military...ALL BRANCHES !! Your girlfriend will not have any problems with the landscaping field...Lots of work for that around here !! There are several lakes and waterways..lots of hunting and fishing. If you are a biker..there are several local clubs for that as well. Bossier Police do have a reputation for being strict..but I like that..they do protect our city. The fire department in our cities rank very high..gives us a break on our insurance. Shreveport has a few Mardis Gras parades during that season.. Bossier Police had too many restrictions (which I like) and therefore they changed their parade routes to be in Shreveport. Let me know if I didnt mention any other ?'s or concerns you have. You can probably go to the Shreveport Travel site or chamber of commerce site and have pamplets or booklets sent to you.
Bossier is a beautiful area. Great hospitals. Good schools. Shady Grove area is good. In Shreveport, anything close to Southwood HS is good. Stay away from Highland area and Hollywood area. Highland still has historic value, and on many streets is beautiful, but it is falling into disrepair and a bad crowd is moving in.
You've got to be careful who and what you listen to. Shreveport-Bossier is an excellent place, and can be enjoyed thoroughly. The poster who mentioned they moved to give their child a better environment may have done what he/she believes is right, but not all schools here are bad, neither are all neighborhoods.
Crime here is relatively low, regardless of what you hear. The city is at 18 homicides right now, year to date. For comparison, on July 14 of this year, Little Rock recorded its 36th homicide... that's twice the number as in Shreveport for a city with a lower population than Shreveport.
If you want more peace of mind, however, then live in Bossier City or the suburbs like Benton, Haughton, Greenwood, north DeSoto, etc and commute to work. Bossier City, population nearly 60,000 had two homicides last year. Big difference, no doubt.
Anyway, if I can be of any assistance to you, please ask.
My family has lived in Bossier since 1862. It is a great place to live. GreenAcres Place in North Bossier is a good place to live. I lived there back in 1991 and my sister lives there now. Houses are in the mid to high range there but worth every penny. In south Bossier is Plantation Trace where there are some beautiful recently built homes also. Shady Grove is an older
neighborhood in south Bossier right by Barksdale AFB with some really nice older homes. I had to move to Houston due to my husband job relocation
but when asked where home is I always say I live in Houston and I like it very much, but Bossier is home. Good Luck.
The crime can be high here, but it's a lot of petty theft and muggings. Violent crimes are usually between people who know each other like gangs. The bad thing about Shreveport is that you are in a million dollar neighborhood, then you turn the block and your in a bad neighborhood.
I just moved BACK to Shreveport from South Louisiana because I love it so much here. I live on Cross Lake for the 2nd time in 5 years and absolutely love it. We've had a few minor things stolen from outside of our home and a pistol stolen from a vehicle when we lived in an apartment complex. But I have never really felt unsafe here. There are tons of things to do here and I don't think your girlfriend would have a hard time finding a job.
Bossier city is considered more safe than Shreveport, but usually a little more pricey in the middle class range but worth every penny
We are not military ,but are members of USAA and used their services to hook us up with a real estate agent when we purchased our last house. Spigener Century 21 works with USAA, so they have a lot of experience working with military personnel. We personally worked with Terry Rice and he was the best real estate agent we've ever had. I would definitely start there.
Broadmoore is the middle class neighborhood that has kept the most value with the least crime in Shreveport. Probably the area you are talking about off of Kings with the shopping area. You also may want to look into a gated community. It's a great city to live in, and the base is beautiful, don't let what others say scare you away. Best of luck~
Profile of Shreveport, national crime average score is 327. Shreveport's is 647.
Crime is downtown, ( not around casinos) central (fair grounds) and airport and west. South Highlands,Springlake, Broadmoor and Youree dr. areas are low crime areas. Best apts. are on Youree Dr. Lots of shopping on youree. I moved from west Shreveport to Broadmoor for best schools and safety
We moved here 10 years ago from southern OH. We have raised 7 kids here. We currently live north of Shreveport just a mile outside the city limits. Property taxes are low here. The city is growing...both S'port and Bossier. I have never felt unsafe here unless in certain areas that I don't usually frequent.
There are more hospitals here than you will ever need. Nearly all of my friends and acquaintances work in the medical field. LSU is a big part of that...both with a S'port campus and the medical center.
Bossier Parish Comm. College aka BPCC (bipsee) has just opened a brand new campus and has expanded courses to include those in the film industry. That is a new and growing area of the economy.
Bossier also has a new Boardwalk and it is very clean, nice and family-friendly.
A couple of years ago, South Shreveport (youree drive) boomed...Sam's Club moved there and now all the farmland is shopping centers and restaurants....really nice.
Shreveport is finishing up a new convention center and hotel, which has been an issue of disagreement for some, but will bring in some big conventions and such.
There is also, Century-Tel, which hosts concerts and other major sporting events......hockey, for one..
Independence Bowl at Independence Stadium draws crowds from all over.
There are ALWAYS, ALWAYS festivals of some sort going on.....all year long....so if you like that......
there are several museums......Sci-Port is a good one and has an IMAX theatre.......
North Bossier is growing leaps and bounds. They are building a super-target and expanding up and outward. There are tons of new houses there and will be building several more schools to keep up. That area seems to be the area of choice for young families and properties turn over there quickly.
We are considering a move and if we leave, we'll have a 3200+ sf house with 4b4ba and 2.3 wooded acres on a dead-end to sell.......
I can't say much about the schools b/c we have homeschooled our kids for 15 years. I know that the Bossier Schools (north Bossier) are well-thought of and I have friends who teach in the Stockwell Elem. and Cope Middle School.
Also, there are private schools here.......Evangel Christian Academy has a top-rated football team... and I know there is a Catholic school and several other Christian schools.
If you are going to be at Barksdale, there is a nice subdivision not far from there that has a quick turnover rate for military families. The friends who are not medical people are Air Force. My son-in-law is at Barksdale.
There are many, many great churches in the area. We go to church in Bossier at Waller Bapt. it's on Waller Ave very near the base. It only takes me about 15 min to get there. You can check out the website..www.wallerbaptist.org I think that is right. You can even listen to some sermons. There is a large church, First Baptist Bossier......they have a Day Care and lots to offer.....Also, in West Shreveport, Summer Grove Baptist Church bought the empty South Park Mall and have been re-modeling it and trying to build up that part of town again.
I-49 is supposed to go in sometime that will connect to AR.....when it does, I imagine (and hope) that this end of town will develop and property will go up. It's nice and quiet here though.
There are many interstates, etc so getting around is very easy.......except through Bossier where they are trying to build up or around the trains.
It does get hot in the summer......but you can wear shorts in December.....Spring comes early here.....Feb begins pollen season and things are beautiful by the end of March. Great place, I'd imagine for landscapers, etc.
Caddo Parish (Shreveport) has a good sheriff that is tough on crime.....and Bossier Parish seems to be on the job as well.
There are plenty of places I'd rather live since I am not suited to a hot, humid climate, but my son wants to come back here when he is out of the Army....he loves Shreveport.
Gee, from all of this,you'd think I love S'port......really, the people I have met have been really nice here.....everywhere......when I moved to TN once, they called me a Yankee and it wasn't a friendly term....
maybe I should get a job at the chamber of commerce, lol..
hope this helps
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Move to Shreveport
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