**The Official Tour The Southern United States Thread**

ComeToTX

themessenger wrote:

shep wrote:

Kimmiebyrom

ComeToTX wrote:

themessenger wrote:

shep wrote:

riotgrl

Ready to kick off pre-Derby festivities!

shep

:wave:

loolooloo

Just stay away from Metairie![/quote]


I should have texted you, this has me nervous! I'm using a slew of hotel points and some change so it's dirt cheap. What's wrong with that city?!![/quote]

Ok, so... Anyone here feel free to jump in and correct any mis-information i'm about to give...

Prior to Katrina (yes, I'm going way back) a lot of the less-wealthy people evacuated NOLA and moved to Houston as a temporary safe location. When Katrina went nuclear and destroyed 3/4ers of the city (insert when the levee breaks here), many of these individuals pocketed their FEMA money and decided to stay in Houston... never even went back to survey the damage. They all centered in low-rent neighborhoods here in Houston where FEMA had put them up "temporarily"... their are complete sections of suburbia around here you stay the fuck away from now as a result... but I'm getting off topic....

Anyway, from what I have been told by many of the Louisianians that I work with Metairie was one of the worst hit areas, with a lot of damage and a lot of abandoned housing that has never been restored... and is subject to a lot squatters, low-lifes, etc, etc even to this day, 8-years later....

Now this may all be hearsay, but every time I'm headed to NOLA I seem to always be given the advice to not stay in Metairie if I can avoid it....[/quote]


Hey to all y'all that are scared to go to Metairie, it's for the wrong reasons! Although there are unsafe neighborhood EVERYWHERE in the Greater New Orleans Area, the reasons locals will tell you to stay out of metairie has nothing to do with crime! Metairie is the Walmart as New Orleans is the Boutique store! Metairie has better crime rates, access to all your big box stores, convenient to the airport, and perfectly suitable for a tourist to stay in a major hotel! However, you cannot visit Metairie and really have any sort of New Orleans experience.

The hardest hit areas during Katrina were the lower ninth ward and Lakeview, both of which don't have any hotels to stay at anyway:)

Best crime safety tips that I can give you - travel in groups, have a buddy system so if you get too drunk to take care of yourself your friend will take care of you. Call a cab instead of hoofing it, and be aware of your surroundings!!!

If you have any names of hotels you are looking at, PM me and I'll be happy to give you any personal knowledge of them!

riotgrl

Ready to kick off pre-Derby festivities!

shep

loolooloo wrote:

Hey to all y'all that are scared to go to Metairie, it's for the wrong reasons! Although there are unsafe neighborhood EVERYWHERE in the Greater New Orleans Area, the reasons locals will tell you to stay out of metairie has nothing to do with crime! Metairie is the Walmart as New Orleans is the Boutique store! Metairie has better crime rates, access to all your big box stores, convenient to the airport, and perfectly suitable for a tourist to stay in a major hotel! However, you cannot visit Metairie and really have any sort of New Orleans experience.

The hardest hit areas during Katrina were the lower ninth ward and Lakeview, both of which don't have any hotels to stay at anyway:)

Best crime safety tips that I can give you - travel in groups, have a buddy system so if you get too drunk to take care of yourself your friend will take care of you. Call a cab instead of hoofing it, and be aware of your surroundings!!!

If you have any names of hotels you are looking at, PM me and I'll be happy to give you any personal knowledge of them!

thanks for the heads up. I figured something like this would be the case.

Just like any major US city, there are pockets within every suburb that you just stay the hell away from...

callen

HOUSTON!!!!!

its just gish

shep wrote:

loolooloo wrote:

Hey to all y'all that are scared to go to Metairie, it's for the wrong reasons! Although there are unsafe neighborhood EVERYWHERE in the Greater New Orleans Area, the reasons locals will tell you to stay out of metairie has nothing to do with crime! Metairie is the Walmart as New Orleans is the Boutique store! Metairie has better crime rates, access to all your big box stores, convenient to the airport, and perfectly suitable for a tourist to stay in a major hotel! However, you cannot visit Metairie and really have any sort of New Orleans experience.

The hardest hit areas during Katrina were the lower ninth ward and Lakeview, both of which don't have any hotels to stay at anyway:)

Best crime safety tips that I can give you - travel in groups, have a buddy system so if you get too drunk to take care of yourself your friend will take care of you. Call a cab instead of hoofing it, and be aware of your surroundings!!!

If you have any names of hotels you are looking at, PM me and I'll be happy to give you any personal knowledge of them!

thanks for the heads up. I figured something like this would be the case.

Just like any major US city, there are pockets within every suburb that you just stay the hell away from...

That's what I'm assuming. I booked a refundable hotel so if all else, I can switch it.. but I'm excited!

callen

shep wrote:

loolooloo wrote:

Hey to all y'all that are scared to go to Metairie, it's for the wrong reasons! Although there are unsafe neighborhood EVERYWHERE in the Greater New Orleans Area, the reasons locals will tell you to stay out of metairie has nothing to do with crime! Metairie is the Walmart as New Orleans is the Boutique store! Metairie has better crime rates, access to all your big box stores, convenient to the airport, and perfectly suitable for a tourist to stay in a major hotel! However, you cannot visit Metairie and really have any sort of New Orleans experience.

The hardest hit areas during Katrina were the lower ninth ward and Lakeview, both of which don't have any hotels to stay at anyway:)

Best crime safety tips that I can give you - travel in groups, have a buddy system so if you get too drunk to take care of yourself your friend will take care of you. Call a cab instead of hoofing it, and be aware of your surroundings!!!

If you have any names of hotels you are looking at, PM me and I'll be happy to give you any personal knowledge of them!

thanks for the heads up. I figured something like this would be the case.

Just like any major US city, there are pockets within every suburb that you just stay the hell away from...

From my experiences in Houston, New Orleans and other major cities, its more about the Hotel one picks than the neighborhood and if you go to a good quality hotel, they generally will not be in really bad place. Hampton always a safe bet.

callen

HOUSTON!!!!!!!!!!

ComeToTX

callen wrote:

HOUSTON!!!!!!!!!!

its just gish

ComeToTX wrote:

callen wrote:

HOUSTON!!!!!!!!!!

Yes please!

NAUjackfan

To the 10th anniversary of PJ's last show in Phoenix

shep

:wave:

callen

ComeToTX wrote:

callen wrote:

HOUSTON!!!!!!!!!!

AUSTIN!!!!!

callen

shep wrote:

:wave:

Yo Shep :wave: :wave:

callen

riotgrl wrote:

Ready to kick off pre-Derby festivities!

Spent soem child hood days at Fort Knox....so will throw some love to the Blue Grass State...love to go back and visit...Fort Knox military museum, Bowling Green vette plant....

slingbladewyatt

TULSA! Everybody is doing it!

ComeToTX

callen wrote:

ComeToTX wrote:

callen wrote:

HOUSTON!!!!!!!!!!

AUSTIN!!!!!

Even better! Or both!