LSU School of Public Health and New Orleans

No other city in America keeps its history as vital and accessible as New Orleans. House after house, street after street, indeed entire neighborhoods, exude a rich sense of place, and serve as touchstones for fascinating history and complex culture. Look for it. In New Orleans, history can strut as loudly as a Carnival walking krewe, or creep as softly as a green lizard on a courtyard wall. Thrilling. Colorful. Tragic. Inspiring. Discover a little about the sweep of the city’s history.

Operating in New Orleans since 2003, LSU School of Public Health has always had a close connection to the community. It is this connection that makes LSU SPH so unique as an option for starting your career in Public Health.  After all, New Orleans provides students at our school a unique learning laboratory no matter which discipline you choose to specialize in.

But more than that, New Orleans is a city that has inspired love from all who have visited.

For over 300 years, the city of New Orleans has been one of the nation’s cultural capitals.  Well known for Mardi Gras, there certainly wouldn’t be a shortage of things to explore in between studies the year through.  Whether you wander into a neighborhood block party, enjoy one of the many museums, stroll the shops of Magazine Street or enjoy weekend filled with music and food at one our many weekend festivals, you’ll never be bored living here.

Living in New Orleans

Visiting New Orleans is one thing, moving here is another.  What are the best resources to find apartments/rooms for rent?  Where in the city should I move?  The whole process can seem a little overwhelming if you choose not to go the on-campus student housing route.

Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered.

The LSU School of Public Health recently surveyed our students to get a better understanding, from their perspective, of what works best when moving to New Orleans.  This includes their favorite neighborhoods in the city to live in and explore as well as the best online sources for finding reliable housing.  More than that, we made sure to ask them for any advice they have for those who are new to the area, including their favorite restaurants and hangouts and what they wish they had known prior to living here.

For More information about Student Housing Options available through LSU Health Sciences Center:
https://sph.lsuhsc.edu/resources/student-resources/housing-dorms/

For a great map and detailed description of neighborhoods:
https://www.neworleans.com/plan/neighborhoods/

What are the best neighborhoods to live and explore in?

“Advice I would give someone moving here: Avoid living in the French Quarter. It is over-priced and can be less safe at times. Learn about the different neighborhoods. Most are safe, but some can be dangerous. Be careful who you rent from, especially near the other universities in the City as there are some landlords that do not maintain their property or assist their tenants.”

“I am new to the city, but Bayou St. John area is beautiful! I live Near the Lafitte green way that goes from about Mid City to the Quarter and it is a great green space to visit!”

If you relocated to NOLA, what resources did you find helpful? That you used to find housing? Transportation choices?

“For housing, I used Zillow, Trulia, Facebook marketplace, and craigslist. I did a lot of google searches to research different areas and find helpful information. The most helpful resource was Reddit though. More locals would comment on housing situations that were reliable.

For transportation I will bike or drive depending on the destination and roads I have to take. If you bike be aware of other drivers and install lights on your bike for dusk/night time. Due to potholes and bad roads bike with wider tires like a town or mountain bike. Always lock your bike too (use a U lock).”

“Honestly the New Orleans subreddit, going to volunteer events and finding groups that share whatever interests you have to make friends and learn about what other people like to do, Tulane classifieds/Zillow/craigslist for housing. I bike and drive – Bike Easy has good info for biking online.”

“For looking for topics such as apartments and furniture, I looked to the Tulane Classifieds Facebook Group. Trulia, Zillow (Zillow and Trulia apart of same company), and Apartments.com were my best friends for looking for apartments, too. Trulia especially because they show you the crime rate in each specific area (like you can see street to street crime so you know exactly how much crime would be in your potential neighborhood).”

“Get a realtor. It helped a lot especially if you have pets.”

“I used reviews from Apartment.com to find my place of residence. I also used this site to have ideas about what attractions I wanted to be near/ Discover. —> http://www.discoverneworleans.com/

Favorite places to eat in New Orleans

Top Three:
Juan’s Flying Burrito
Barracuda Tacos
Camellia Grill

“I love the food halls – St. Roch, Auction House Market”

“Eat Well Food Mart, it is a hole in the wall Vietnamese place off Canal with great Bahn Mi!! Mikimoto is also GREAT for sushi… but a little pricy!”

“Baffas (for their fried green beans); Parkway (Poboys); Seither’s (Seafood); Big EZ Seafood (Westbank- Viet/Cajun Crawfish); Ajun Cajun (Ramen); Shogun (Vets) or Yakuza House (Vets) or Daiwa for Sushi; Drago’s or Superior’s for oysters;”

What’s the best “hangout”?

Top three:
Tipitinas
Wrong Iron
Tchoup Yard

“Dat Dog trivia nights!”

“Great coffee: French Truck Coffee.
Great Bars with a View: Rosie’s on the Roof at the Higgins Hotel, Hot Tin”

“Places along Frenchmen St.”

“Blue Nile for music; any of the coffee shops really; Wron Iron; The Vintage; City Park when they have their “Evenings with Enrique”; City Park in general”

What’s the best thing about living and studying in New Orleans?

“It’s a lively city. It does not feel like you’re living in Louisiana because it is soooo different from all of the other cities in LA.”

“Perfect balance of work hard play hard atmosphere”

“People just are themselves here, it’s very refreshing.”

“cheap-ish rent and drinks, always something going on, LOTS of public health need”

“There’s so much life in New Orleans. Music, food, culture make the hard work worth it. There’s also so much work to be done, which makes New Orleans a fun Public Health playground.”

“Experiencing the culture of the city and foods from various cultures – especially on Magazine Street.”

“New Orleans is one of the most historical and diverse cities in the country. One of the very few with historical occupation by French, Spanish, and British colonists and immigrants from dozens of other cultures, creating a mecca of great food, culture, history, and architecture.”

“I love LSUHSC small campus, and smaller classes.”

“Activities – parades, festivals, art galleries, and overall creativity in NOLA residents”

What do you wish you had known about the city before moving here?

“After a major storm (hurricanes), power will be out for at least three days.”

“Housing options vary not only from neighborhood to neighborhood but also from block to block. If you can, check out any potential apartment in person.”

“I wish I had more knowledge and confidence about costuming! Force yourself to be crafty, it makes Mardi Gras and every other event so much more fun when you try being creative.”

“Potholes….everywhere”

“the inequality that exists within the city and how segregated the city truly is”

“I was also not exposed to so much homelessness before moving here”

Any other words of advice for those new to New Orleans?

“If you’re new here and looking for friends, PlayNOLA is a fun way to do it! It’s a laid-back intramural sports league–includes flag football, softball, volleyball, kickball, basketball, cornhole, and bowling.”

“Try something new each week. Restaurant, bar, museum, park etc. To relax from classes, go to Audubon park for a walk and then explore nearby restaurants or the zoo. Another day go to NOMA and look at the new art exhibits. Schedule a ghost/vampire/pirate tour in the quarter to explore it safely with a guide. The city is filled with culture, so try all the museums (Museum of Death, Pharmacy Museum). Pyrtania movie theater is a cute spot too for a movie night.”

“Best View of the City: Westbank River Levee Walk
If you’re a museum person: WWII Museum, New Orleans Museum of Art, Ogden Museum of Southern Art, Southern Food and Beverage Museum”

“The French Quarter is iconic New Orleans and beautiful in its own way, but it can be a lot and full of tourists. Venturing out to the slower paced Garden District, Uptown, and Audubon Park area will show you the true New Orleans.”

“Check to see if there’s traffic before you leave.”

“New Orleans has a lot to offer from French lessons, cooking lessons, and club sports. There is really something for everyone that will help you settle and feel right at home.”

“Learn about the city and surrounding Parishes from locals. Volunteer at community organizations to meet people outside of LSU Health.”

“Though people generally try to rent a house nearby, the dorms are convenient and affordable.”

“Be open-minded and try out new things; talk to strangers; Definitely be here for festival season (April-June — French Quarter Fest; Bayou Boogaloo; Greek Fest; Crawfish Fest; Oyster Fest; etc.). There’s more to the city than just Mardi Gras and drinking. It’s beautiful and so culturally rich whilst steeped in so much diverse history.”

Want to hear the sounds of the city?  Check out our Spotify mix! Compiled by students, staff and faculty here at the LSU School of Public Health, our Ultimate Mix will bring you the best music by Louisianans as well as some awesome hits with NOLA references! Laissez “the great songs” rouler!