Question about NOLA safety

[Thirtieschild]

I've heard that New Orleans is no longer safe, have no idea whether it's true or an urban myth. Our granddaughter has gotten a scholarship offer from Tulane ($24,000 a year, can apply for one paying $40,000 a year). My questions are - how safe is the city now, am I worrying excessively???? She already has a great college fund so can manage school without loans, though her college fund isn't big enough to also cover law school.

Btw, Tulane apparently costs $46,000 a year - I don't know how anyone but the very rich can afford college now.

Also btw, we lived in NOLA 1959-1960 (without air conditioning - we were young) and absolutely loved it. Hate what's happened there.

I'd appreciate any insight into how safe the city is now.

[datasuspect]

1. the funny thing about colleges in urban settings:

they are usually in expensive neighborhoods, but they are often the least safe.

criminals go to where the money is, so a college-type area with kids walking around with between 200 - 2000 worth of electronics on them (laptops, phones, ipods) are easy pickings. especially when the bars let out.

lesson to be learned: don't flaunt flashy stuff, conceal money when counting it, and walk with a purpose.

urban predators smell fear and profile their victims and will pick off easy targets.

[Thirtieschild]

2. That's what worries me

This child won't flaunt money, but that doesn't mean she won't be vulnerable. A couple of days ago I posted in GD that instead of Christmas gifts she wants donations to the Atlanta Food Bank.

[datasuspect]

3. it's more difficult with young people

especially when they go away to college and find all kinds of new freedoms.

in most cases, they will be alright, but bottom line: there is NOTHING good out there after midnight.

[pitohui]

6. NOTHING good out there after midnight? in new orleans?

please

[datasuspect]

8. i am speaking generally

please.

i didn't get the memo to qualify my statements with precision to please YOU.

[pitohui]

9. if by "generally" u mean you answer a question about new orleans with completely useless bogus info

nobody asked you to phrase the question to please me

but it might have been nice if you don't know butt-all about new orleans to allow someone who lives here or even someone who has once stepped foot in the place to answer the question

your "answer" to the OP was worse than useless

it's okay if you don't know the answer to a question to not answer it, you know

[datasuspect]

10. ease up there cowboy

i was SPEAKING GENERALLY about URBAN ENVIRONMENTS IN GENERAL, GENERALLY SPEAKING.

get it?

i wasn't even speaking about new orleans.

but tell me one place where it is not the case where criminals DON'T target people with money?

i can't remember if you are worth wasting bandwidth on. but i'm too lazy to search.

[pitohui]

11. i understand you didn't read the OP but had an opinion about what you didn't know anyway

look, you put your foot in it

you answered a question that wasn't asked -- the OP could get general scare mongering about how awful it is for a young girl to attend college from the freeper or anti-feminist hysteric of her choice, she doesn't need to come to DU for that sort of content

you don't know anything about nola or the kind of crime that happens here...so you just made stuff up -- as you admit, you just posted a lot of junk GENERALIZATIONS that are of no use to anyone

fine, your apology will be accepted as soon as it's offered

[Shakespeare]

13. Those generalizations ARE valid.

As someone who's lived in multiple urban areas and spent a LOT of time in NOLA, I'm agreeing with the other poster. It's good, general information for living in ANY urban area.

You seem determined to take offense RE New Orleans, and I'm baffled as to why.

[datasuspect]

14. it will get better for you

i believe in you.

[uppityperson]

19. To answer, no.

last sentence

[datasuspect]

12. i'm not trying to be "right"

i don't have that hangup, because i am actually somewhat effective in my real life and really do not derive a vicarious thrill in lashing out at complete strangers.

but i do know what it is like to hurt and i hope you can work through whatever issues you might be having.

good luck!

your words and the unprovoked nature of your diatribe against me betrays some mental instability.

i'll let you play with your own poop now.

[Shakespeare]

7. As long as she watches her back and doesn't stray far from the Garden District or the Quarter....

...she should be just fine.

[hippywife]

4. Don't forget

to piss yourself immediately upon being accosted. :hi:


:rofl:

[pitohui]

5. tulane IS for very rich people and she should be perfectly safe

new orleans was never safe, so i don't know what is meant by "no longer" safe, if you felt safe there in the past and have common sense, then i don't know why you wouldn't expect her to feel safe now if she has common sense

tulane is very well-regarded and despite the crime problem in the greater new orleans area as a whole, let's be real, if tulane kids were getting hosed down by armed bad guys, you'd know about it already, you must know that there is no real danger in the tulane area

MOST of the crime is either 1) drug related (crack just won't go away around here) OR 2) home/trailer invasions of folks in isolated areas and/or folks thought to have a lot of cash -- new orleans east has been having lots of these murders/home invasions but you can live your whole life in new orleans and never go to new orleans east, there's just no reason to, esp. for a college student living uptown

if she doesn't use crack and refuses to associate with crack users, then she reduces her risk of being targeted substantially

many of violent burglaries and robberies are gangs who are deliberately targeting those who are paid in cash, such as illegal immigrants in construction, again, this is not going to impact a college student with nothing but lint in her pockets

i'm scratching my head to see how a tulane student could be at much risk

anybody can have bad luck in any city but honestly it isn't scholarship tulane students who are being reported shot dead in the news every afternoon

if i were her, i'd grab the opportunity, a tulane degree and connections could mean some significant opportunities that will open for her in later life

if she's a ninny who can't be trusted, she'll find trouble in any city, but it sounds like she's a responsible and serious student who will do just fine

our murder rate is well above other big cities, true, but the risk of a tulane college student being murdered who is just an innocent bystander...well, in my humble opinion it's pretty nil

the person above who thinks our armed gangs are targeting college kids for iPods is out of his tree, our armed gangs are serious organized criminals who are targeting people who have CASH, hence stories of homes of vietnamese immigrants (who historically work in cash businesses like shrimping) and illegal immigrants in the construction trades (who are paid in cash by this industry for the obvious reasons) -- i'm sure there are college students who pickpocket other college student's iPods in ANY city but this is hardly the kind of crime that the OP is concerned about when asking about crime in new orleans -- you don't refuse to attend a top school because once some other kid in the dorm stole an iPod

[Thirtieschild]

16. Thanks for such a reasoned response

I suspected I was being a nervous granny but NOLA has such a bad - and apparently undeserved - reputation right now. As I said in my post, we lived there or a couple of years and loved it.

Tulane sounds about as dangerous as Emory - we lived a mile and a half from Emory and I'd have no concern about sending a child there.

[uppityperson]

20. Media gives reports on crime in NOLA more now.

Perhaps it is that more people are interested in NOLA, but the media keeps giving stories on crime there. Hence, someone who doesn't know may wonder how much is msm bs and how much is real. Thank you for this reply.

[MountainLaurel]

23. Not to hijack, but thank you

For that insider's report. We are trying to move to NO next year, as Mr. Laurel is applying for law school there. He has family there, and it would be a great area for us to settle.

[alarimer]

15. $46K pays for a whole 4 years someplace else.

Just something to consider. I would avoid student loans if at all possible. Right now (without the 40K scholarship- if she gets that, I'd go ahead and go there) she would have to come up with $22K a year x 4 years. not including grad school. 88k is a ton of student loans, a heavy burden on any entry level job.

I don't know what the crime situation is in NO right now. It has never been the safest of cities but I doubt it was worse than most others. Now I have no idea.

[Thirtieschild]

18. I went to a state school and paid $40 a semester - back in the dark ages of course

My mother, in the really dark ages, paid $8 a quarter.

[Bossy Monkey]

17. There's a link on this thread to the NOPD where you can search for crime statistics

by zip code (and the poster provides the zip codes): http://www.city-data.com/forum/louisiana/188103-tulane-law-student.html
It's the fourth reply, poster with the screenname etland.

Good luck to you and to her. I went to Penn 20-odd years ago, a very expensive school in what's considered to be an iffy neighborhood at best. I never had any trouble with the neighborhood; the high-priced investment never paid off however, though that probably reflects more on me than on Penn.

[AngryAmish]

21. NOLA was safe before?

[SacredCow]

22. I wouldn't overly worry about safety....

I've been down to New Orleans many times in the past few months, in all areas of the city, and haven't really noticed to to be much different than pre-katrina.

[Lady President]

24. My Aunt Works at Tulane

First, congrats to your daughter on her scholarship!

My aunt, who is now divorced from my uncle, works at Tulane. She stayed at my cousin's during Katrina, but returned as soon as the school re-opened. Our side of the family really doesn't speak to her any longer due to the divorce, but if the campus was dangerous I don't think that she would be there. Also, her job requires to attend a lot of functions in the evening.

As other posters have mentioned, all urban schools have safety concerns. However, I have always felt safe visiting schools in large cities. For the most part schools are very good at mitigating risks-- shuttles from campus to events, guards checking ids at the dorms, campus police always visible. I do think that she should be cautious if she wants to live off campus her first year because it will be hard to find safe and cheap apartments without being familiar with the area.

Personally, I would call the school. You certainly won't be the first parent with concerns.