That's right. I'm going back. I'm leaving Chicago December 17th, driving to Tampa, flying up to New Orleans to look at apartments and sign a lease, then moving into the apartment at the beginning of January.
The school is being great. The only problem I'm having right now is finding an apartment. The landlords all want someone who can come down within the week, sign a lease, and hand over a deposit. I don't feel comfortable signing a lease without being physically at the apartment, and despite the fact that the majority of these landlords are renting to college kids who won't be able to start renting until January anyway, they're putting a lot of pressure on me to choose a place now. I'd fly down this weekend, but tickets are $235 each way on Southwest.
I can live alone if I want, or I can have roommates. Even male roommates! And honestly, I think I'd rather have a roommate than live alone.
So, I just thought I'd let you guys know. I'm going back to the South.
-pH
Posted by Miro (Member # 1178) on :
Good luck. Posted by El JT de Spang (Member # 7742) on :
I go to New Orleans every few weeks.
Let me know if I can do any of the legwork or anything else for you.
Posted by pH (Member # 1350) on :
Do you?? When will you be going there next?
-pH
Posted by El JT de Spang (Member # 7742) on :
Probably week after next.
Posted by pH (Member # 1350) on :
Question: what part of the city will you be in?
-pH
Posted by El JT de Spang (Member # 7742) on :
Airport, dropping someone off.
But I can be anywhere, as it'll be weekend and I'll be off work.
Posted by pH (Member # 1350) on :
Hmmm. Well, what I'm looking at is Uptown/University, but that's like a thirty-minute drive from there.
Where do you live?
-pH
Posted by El JT de Spang (Member # 7742) on :
From Williams? No way.
I live in Lafayette, but I'm from Hammond, and I'm there every couple of weeks. I'm in N.O. about the same.
Where at uptown? I also have a friend that lives in that area (I'm not sure where).
Posted by pH (Member # 1350) on :
Oh, I thought you were talking about MSY.
Most of the apartments are near Broadway (aka frat row), right by Tulane and Loyola.
-pH
Posted by El JT de Spang (Member # 7742) on :
If you need me to do anything, just email me and let me know. You won't impose on me by asking, and if I can't do it I'll tell you so. But if I can spare you some hassle then great.
[email deleted due to paranoia]
[ December 01, 2005, 08:36 AM: Message edited by: El JT de Spang ]
Posted by Shanna (Member # 7900) on :
Welcome back!
El, you're from Hammond? I'm from Mandeville but I work in Hammond (atleast I did, I'm quitting! woot!)
Love the topic title! I'm a reluctant state-resident but Mardi Gras won my heart. I'm glad to see that the krewes are refusing to let it die this year. I live to see Bacchus every year and now that I'm dating a local, I wanted to hit Zulu and Rex.
But its great to see people returning to the city. I haven't been in yet so I don't know the damage but I look across the lake at night and it stuns me to see only a few twinkling lights.
Posted by pH (Member # 1350) on :
I had to work through Mardi Gras weekend last year. 4 shows in a row, all down in the Quarter.
To tell you the truth, I prefer the city the rest of the year.
We should all get together when I get back to Louisiana.
-pH
Posted by Shanna (Member # 7900) on :
What kind of work do you do?
I've actually not been down to the Quarter yet. I can't say how much I regret not exploring the city before Katrina came through. I only moved here 2 1/2 years ago and I spend most my time on the other side of the state at school, but I don't have that many excuses. I want to look around during Christmas but my mom is so worried about the mold and sanitation that its not worth giving her a panic attack over it.
Posted by pH (Member # 1350) on :
I was a merch girl for about eight months, working for a publicity company. Basically, I sold tshirts and cds at concerts. It was an easy way to get more involved in the music scene around there.
But then I stopped doing that in May and started a marketing internship at a small recording studio/record label.
Also, from what I understand, mold is indeed still a problem. I'll see if I can dig up the article my mother quoted to me today.
It actually weird that I got sick while over for Thanksgiving and I don't have allergies but I was sneezing and coughing every other minute. My grandmother had come to visit and within days had a sore throat and had to go back to Missouri sick as a dog. Our house didn't flood inside (water came right up to the door) but we did have a missing chimney letting in moisture and the house was abandoned for a few weeks. My mom suspects the air vents are the culprits but all the companies within a 100 miles are refusing to clean them because there are more pressing concerns for other clients (understandable, of course.)
Makes me all the more certain that you should take a really close look at that apartment before you sign anything.
Posted by pH (Member # 1350) on :
Oh, I agree. I shall certainly send out spies who know more about apartment-hunting than I do.
But from what I understand, a great deal of Uptown didn't flood at all, which would make mold less of a concern, yes?
-pH
Posted by Shanna (Member # 7900) on :
Its probably travelling on the wind though. And alot of areas were without power meaning they sat empty without air circulation. Then there's the water/sewage problems.
*sigh* For every good story I hear, I hear another horror story. I don't know what's going on in NO.
Posted by pH (Member # 1350) on :
Well, not only am I not fond of Chicago, but I also found out that if I stayed here, I'd have to complete 50% of my business core and 80% of my major here. Since I only have 5 business classes left, that would mean a whole lot of retaking things.
The flooding was so seemingly random (some streets in Uptown flood badly during a normal storm, and some never do) that I'm not sure I'd be able to find ANYWHERE in the city that was mold-free.
-pH
Posted by El JT de Spang (Member # 7742) on :
Yeah, I'm from Hammond.
Where were you working?
pH, as for mold, I think finding a second story place or a place that isn't carpeted would cut down on your chances of mold significantly.
Shanna, when the city was up and running I went every month or so. We should definitely get a gathering going next semester.
I know Avadaru and the BR people would be down for that.
Posted by Shanna (Member # 7900) on :
I was working at the movie theatre.
A gathering could be cool. I'll have to look at my calendar for next semester and see when I'll be heading that way.
Posted by pH (Member # 1350) on :
I have invitations to hang out at both LSU and ULM. How close are the rest of you to these places?
Also, I could probably do Lafayette.
I get 2 days for Mardi Gras break and 3 days for spring break. Hmmmm.
-pH
Posted by Shanna (Member # 7900) on :
I'm at NSU in Natchitoches. That's two hours from Lafayette and three hours from Baton Rouge. I don't know where ULM is...that's Monroe right? Don't know even relatively where that is. ha
Going from home, I'm an hour from Baton Rouge so that's not too bad.
Our Mardi Gras break is Feb 25 - March 1. And Spring Break is April 8 - 16.
Posted by pH (Member # 1350) on :
Our Mardi Gras break is February 25-March 1.
Our spring break is April 13-April 16.
My twenty-first birthday is March 16, so if anyone wants to hit up Bourbon Street that weekend, let me know. Supposedly, I've got people flying in from Chicago, Arizona, and Vegas.
Monroe is about 5 hours from New Orleans. I-55 north to I-20 west. Although I think ULM itself is only four hours, but I'm not sure.
-pH
Posted by kmbboots (Member # 8576) on :
pH,
This Chicagoan will miss you!
Posted by pH (Member # 1350) on :
Awww! I hope we get time to see each other again before I leave!
-pH
Posted by El JT de Spang (Member # 7742) on :
Monroe and Natchitoches aren't that far apart, if I remember correctly.
Although, in my honest opinion North Louisiana is boooring.
I think Lafayette or BR might be the most central locations, with NO being the funnest.
I think we should figure out sometime next semester everybody can hang out. I'm available pretty much any weekend with some advance notice.
Posted by pH (Member # 1350) on :
I'm telling you, 21st birthday! Paaaaaarty.
-pH
Posted by El JT de Spang (Member # 7742) on :
I can definitely do the quarter for your birthday if you want.
Posted by Avadaru (Member # 3026) on :
quote: I have invitations to hang out at both LSU and ULM. How close are the rest of you to these places?
I'm at LSU. I don't mind driving an hour or so if we decide to have a gathering elsewhere.
Posted by pH (Member # 1350) on :
Hopefully, I can find a place for you guys to stay if you decide to come to New Orleans for my birthday. There are a bunch of places I want to go.
Also, I'll probably be coming out to LSU relatively soon after I get back to Louisiana. Maybe. My ex-boyfriend does comedy shows there.
-pH
Posted by Avadaru (Member # 3026) on :
quote: Hopefully, I can find a place for you guys to stay if you decide to come to New Orleans for my birthday.
My mom has a big old house in Algiers, a block from the levee to downtown - she could probably lend a couch or two.
Posted by El JT de Spang (Member # 7742) on :
Where does he do comedy at?
The funny bone? One of my friends does the occasional set there, and I've been wanting to go check it out.
Posted by pH (Member # 1350) on :
Let's see...*breaks out the last Myspace mesasge*
He says he's producing his own shows at the LSU union. They're called Crescent City Exiles...I guess their first show was last weekend.
He probably does other shows around the city, too. And I think he goes to Lafayette a lot, or at least, he did while we were dating.
![[Smile]](smile.gif)
I'm going back to the South.![[Razz]](tongue.gif)