So How Bad is the Area Around Tulane?

Colleges and Universities A-Z Tulane University
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<p>When I told the manager for the store I work at that I was considering Tulane in New Orleans, he flipped. He told me how NO is a completely ghetto and run-down city -- that it has nothing to offer but parties and such. He compares it to downtown Las Vegas. So how bad is it? Since I probably won't have a chance to visit, what are your opinions on it? </p>

<p>I keep telling myself that I will base my college decision on primarily academics, but I don't know if I could live somewhere where everyone is in a frat (don't think I want to participate) and parties all the time. I am going into engineering, so that environment might hinder my education. </p>

<p>Also, is the city like a huge slum? I currently live in an urban enviroment, but I would be uncomfortable staying where the standard of living is very low. Are there a lot of big companies nearby that hire students? </p>

<p>Sorry if I offended anyone, I am just going by what I heard. Please let me know the truth about Tulane.</p>

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<p>Tulane is in a lovely area of the city called the Garden District. It is a nice residential area. The French Quarter has some sections that are a bit "lively", honky-tonk etc., but nothing that I would call ghetto (in that section). Of course, all big cities have their impoverished areas. Other parts of the French Quarter are very picturesque with wonderful restaurants etc. I have no problem walking around there.</p>

<p>Your boss does not sound particularly informed.</p>

<p>"Everyone" is not in a frat. It is a minority. Several parents on cc have kids in Engineering/honors who are serious students. My S is going to attend Tulane next year and will be in that category.</p>

<p>Hope this helps.</p>

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<p>My husband and I have spent several weeks in NO for Cardiology and Heart meetings, and we have spent most of our free time in the French Quarter and the Garden District, which is the area around Tulane. I personally wouldn't walk around the Quarter alone at night, and I'm advising my son not to, either (not that I expect him to listen, necessarily!), but I don't see any problem with the Garden District. It's beautiful.</p>

<p>Tulane is not in the French Quarter, nor is it in anything one could call a ghetto.</p>

<p>I'm sure others who are better informed than I will tell you more, but perhaps your manager is unaccustomed to living in an area where there is a substantial non-white population?</p>

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<p>just a small correction (nothing important): tulane is actually in uptown, not the garden district. generally, the garden district is considered the area further to the east, past napoleon ave.</p>

<p>uptown new orleans is lovely, (i used to live about 5 blocks east of tulane up until 2 yrs ago). right opposite the campus is the audubon park, which is a beautiful place to go running, sunbathe, or study. also right by the university is the audubon zoo, also a nice place. the area directly around campus is not the most upscale neighborhood (especially the frat houses), but is passable and certainly not dangerous. also, there is definitely a sizable college kid population, since loyola is literally right next door. a couple streets over is maple ave which has a bunch of unique restaurants, bookstores, boutiques, and coffeehouses. if you go slightly farther around campus, you'll find mostly residential areas; if you cross st. charles (the road on which the uptown streetcar line runs) and go towards the river, it'll still be residential until you hit magazine street, which is another artsy little street with a whole bunch of little shops (and a whole foods). then there's more houses and finally tchopitulous (i know i spelled that wrong), which has some grocery stores etc. that neighborhood isn't as safe at night, but its doubtful that you'd be running around there at midnight anyway (although closer to downtown, there are some bars/clubs on the street). </p>

<p>if you cross the street on the north side of the tulane campus (the name is eluding me right now), the neighborhood gets a bit rougher. obviously to the east is the garden district, a lovely area with very expensive houses (and where the main parade route for mardi gras starts). then you have downtown and the quarter.</p>

<p>i'm not particularly big on the french quarter; its great for tourists, but if you're a local (or a college student in town), its doubtful that you'd spend all your time down there anyhow. there are some fantastic restaurants (some expensive, others not so), a lot of street entertainment, and interesting historical sites. yes, the quarter is grimy, yes you should not walk around by yourself at 2 AM. however, it is relatively safe if you exercise good judgment, stay in a large group, yada yada.</p>

<p>one of the biggest things i'd actually worry about in new orleans is the drivers; the state must have the worst drivers in the country. tailgating is common, and make sure you never let road-rage take over - that could be bad =). and a quick word about where the malls and large shopping areas are located: esplanade and lakeside (the big malls) are are in "suburban" areas, and canal place (an upscale mall/group of boutiques) is right outside of the quarter, beside the aquarium, which is believe is one of the largest in the united states. </p>

<p>if you don't like dirty, don't go to tulane. new orleans is a big run down, not in the sense that its one big slum, but that it is a big tourist city. it almost adds to the charm. lol. but the city is certainly not ghetto; it has poorer areas as the moms have pointed out, but so does every place.</p>

<p>i hope this long rambling post helps. anyone who has questions, please feel free to PM me.</p>

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<p>
[quote]
He compares it to downtown Las Vegas.

[/quote]
[ul][<em>]First, if he means The Strip, there is Nothing like the Strip. [</em>]Second, the Strip is full of new, expensive, upscale hotels. [<em>]"Ghetto" is the last thing you would call the Strip. It is Money, money, money, MOOONNNEEY.[</em>]There are throngs of tourists walking up and down the strip. There are throngs (smaller or larger depending on the day) of tourists walking up and down Bourbon St. This is where the similarity lies. As others have said, as a Tulane student, you will be spending very little time on Bourbon St. [/ul]</p>

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<p>I just came back from Tulane, and the surrounding area is actually very pleasant. Very, very pleasant.</p>

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<p>Just wanted to say thanks to twinkle. Great info!</p>

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<p>To be fair, the comparrison to Downtown Las Vegas is probably more apt that comparing the Strip to Bourbon Street. Downtown Las Vegas (where the 4 Queens, the Goden Nugget, and other older casinos are, was very seedy for a long time. Then they built the Freemont Street Experience and it cleaned up in recent times. But, cheap bars, low stakes casinos, wer what downtown Vegas was about. And to be sure, there are areas of N.O. that are very much like, that.</p>

<p>The comparison I have always made is that Canal Street in N.O. feels exactly like Market Street in SF: Classy hotels, retail, street performers and street people.</p>

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<p>There's some great info on here, thanks guys. Like concerneddad said, the comparison to downtown Vegas was with Fremont Street and Golden Nugget. </p>

<p>So what do you think about the general job opportunities in NO? Are there a lot of big comapnies nearby for co-ops or are they pretty much non-existant. </p>

<p>NO is not predominantly white? Isn't Tulane predominantly white? What does NO consist of ethnically?</p>

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<p>NO is predominantly black. Tulane is predominantly white. The area isn't bad. Just stay on major uptown streets at night. (Broadway, Maple, Freret) You will figure out the rough areas pretty easily and early on.</p>

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<p>predominantly seems to suggest that the entire city is african-american; its a bit over 60% black. tulane is definitely quite white though, as rico has said.</p>

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<p>Basically the whole premise of this thread is: Are there a lot of black people in New Orleans and will they rob and/ or rape me? It's simple, don't go anywhere where you don't feel safe and if you don't like urban environments then don't go to Tulane. Jeez.</p>

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<p>If you are really concerned about crime you can read the Crimewatch column in the school newspaper and check the NOPD website. There is crime in NO but there is crime everywhere. If you read your own local papers crimewatch columns and checked the local police reports you'd be afraid to go to the mall. I think you just need to use some common sense wherever you. Don't assume everybody is a saint but don't assume just because they don't look (or in some cases even smell) like you they are a criminal either. You would be surprised how many people act the way YOU treat them.</p>

<p>Tulane is in a pretty nice part of NO. I'd say it is a better neighborhood than Johns Hopkins is in in Baltimore or U of Chicago in the Windy City. Pretty similar to WUSTL only. And a lot safer than U Maryland in College Park. Property crime is probably a bigger risk personal injury crime.</p>

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<p>Actually, I would not compare the area around Tulane to WUSTL. I grew up and still live about 5 minutes walking distance from WUSTL (when I'm not at school), and my brother went to Tulane, where I visited frequently. The area asround WUSTL is A LOT safer. This is not to say that Tulane is dangerous...in fact, my brother always felt pretty safe. But Clayton has almost no crime except for drunk high school and college kids. Indeed, the cops really do have nothing better to do than to hassle kids about speeding or drinking, etc.</p>

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<p>Walk west from WUSTL and you go into the suburb of Clayton but walk east and you go into St Louis. You don't have to go very far into St Louis or very far off the main drag before the neighborhood deteriorates from waht I saw. Tulane is somewhat similarly situated. Uptown is nice and the Garden District is even nicer but start heading off the back side of campus and things get a little rougher pretty fast.</p>

<p>That said I didn't feel uncomfortable on or around either school. The worst parts of NO I say in my travels were well away from Uptown.</p>

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<p>my brother went to tulane and loved it. i didnt read all the posts above so i may repeat stuff already said. their are definitly some streets that very ghetto and kinda shady, but there also areas of the city that are old-cute and they are fixing up areas by the water with malls and such. the city is very mixed but most the college kids hang out in home near to the campus which is a nicer area. any city will have its ghetto parts, so new orleans does too.</p>

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<p>well, actually, if you go directly east of Wash U, theres Forest Park with multimillion dollar homes across from it...if you go east of the vast park, theres the central West End, a rather safe and affluent area where all the twenty somethings hang out...St. Louis doesnt start to get dnagerous until youre at about Grand, and even there I feel completely safe during the day time. The Lopp, just north of Wash U may be less safe, but it is still safe btoh day and night...just don't go past the Pageant theatre/Church's Chicken on Delmar at night. The nieghborhood around there does deteriorate.</p>

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<p>BTW where is the Forest in Forest Park? I never saw a park with so few trees, so many roads, and so much construction when we were there a couple years back. </p>

<p>Also what is that ice cream place they tout? Ted something? That place was good. I'd drive half way across the continent again just to go there again.</p>

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<p>yeah, actually, Forest was a person. Also, theres A LOT of trees, but you mightve just driven through the wrong part, i.e. the golf course. the construction really made the park even better. I think its an amazing park, and it was just named the best public park in America. Ted Drewes is what youre thinking of. It's on Chippewa in South St. Louis...i reccomend the Oreo concrete. Also hit up Imo's Pizza.</p>

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<p>Yeah concretes that is what they called them. I'd make Michael Moore look like Karen Carpenter if I lived near Ted Drewes.</p>