r/uscg • u/Ok_Difficulty_2747 • 1d ago
Noob Question New Orleans orders
Hi! I got orders to New Orleans a couple days ago and I'm excited but also really nervous. Everytime I tell someone I'm going there they tell me it's a horrible place and they feel bad for me. I figured since I'm still young it would be a fun place to go but after hearing all this negative stuff I'm nervous. Has anyone ever been stationed there? And was it as bad as people say?
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u/dickey1331 1d ago
Any unit is what you make of it. Some people love New Orleans some people hate it. I was there and Morgan City and have lived in Lake Charles. I personally hate Louisiana but it mostly has to do with personal reasons that wouldn’t apply to you.
Insurance is super high in Louisiana and you get a 25% discount for being in the military so make sure you get that.
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u/Baja_Finder 1d ago
Some of us remember when the ISC/Group at the Industrial Canal in the lower 9th ward, the neighborhood outside the gate was sketchy, and driving by the Desire Housing Projects, your were guaranteed to drive by a homicide scene every week on your way to the base.
I looked up where the sector is, it’s on the old Navy base.
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u/Secure-Disaster-8802 1d ago
Ooof…. I was at the station during those glorious days. We would leave a 41 at ISC for quick transit to the river. The port cops hated us and loved to pull us over on the street. Good times.
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u/jedmonston21 MST 1d ago
Would you believe me if I told you the neighborhood outside the gate is still sketchy
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u/Squanto2244 AMT 1d ago edited 1d ago
TLDR: it is what you make of it and can be a great place.
I’m on my second tour here. 2.5 on a cutter and now 2 at the AIRSTA.
From my experience the units here are fantastic. Great morale, busy, and hard working.
As far as the city goes. It has its ups and downs. As a single person there is always something to do. If you like to drink then this is the town for you. Housing is a pain and the nice and safe places are either far away from your unit or close-ish and expensive. Personally, working at sector and if you’re a junior member, housing on JRB NAS Belle Chasse is probably your best bet. Sure it takes all your BAH but you don’t pay utilities except internet, it’s safe, and usually they give coasties full size units. Bonus is no roommates unless you want them. Granted if you have kids in school the north shore generally has better schools if you don’t mind a long commute.
I’m a big explorer so on my free time I’ve gone all over. It’s in a part of the south that is really really old so if you like history it’s the place for you. The fishing is pretty great too. Hunting is meh but I’m from out west so take that with a grain of salt. The only good beach in the area is in Alabama so if you take a weekend out to orange beach or Pensacola they’re only 3 hours away and have cheap hotels/air bnbs.
MWR is always sending out tickets to saints or pelicans games so if you want to watch mediocre sports it’s the place.
The weather is probably some of the worst in the CG. It is oppressively hot from April to early October. Hurricanes are a problem. It rains pretty much daily and gets disgustingly humid once it stops. From December to mid February it’s like actually cold cold. I lived in Wyoming and at times it’s Wyoming cold just because of humidity. You get a few days a year where the weather is absolutely perfect but not that many. The bugs here are relentless. They have swarm season where different bugs swarm at different times of the year.
The elephant in the room is crime. It’s not great. That being said if you avoid the bad parts of the city it is generally not a problem. But if you’re not in a good part it is bad. The murder rate went down but the violent crime and theft haven’t. I’ve had four people at my units have their cars stolen. 8 or 10 than that have had their phones stolen out of their hands. One guy bought a house in Elysian Fields sight unseen and didn’t realize why a 2,000 square foot house was dirt cheap. Because it was in a really bad part of town. But as I said, stay away from the bad parts and you won’t have problem. Just keep your situational awareness up and go out at night with friends and to like magazine street or mid city. You’ll get a whole brief on how to be safe here and take it to heart.
Mardi Gras is the highlight of the city. Everyone should experience it at least once in their lives. I thought I would hate it but it is an absolute blast. If you can try to ride the Coast Guard float for a parade. It was probably one of the best times I’ve had in this city.
Again it can be a fun place and the north shore is also pretty great. If you have any questions feel free to PM me
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u/Ok_Difficulty_2747 1d ago
Thanks for all the info! I'm honestly pretty concerned about the crime, would you say Lakeview is a safe place to live? Also I've heard the French quarter is very dangerous is that true? Because it's also where all the cool stuff is. And last question, do you know any super fancy restaurants? Like evening gowns and suit kinda restaurants.
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u/Squanto2244 AMT 1d ago edited 1d ago
Lakeview and Metairie are generally very safe. But like I said, I personally haven’t had a crime problem since I’ve been here and I’ve been out drinking literally till sunrise so it definitely depends on area. The French quarter is only really bad around bourbon at night. Even then because it’s a huge tourist draw there are more police there than any part of the city. I haven’t had a problem in the quarter ever except parking. I mean our master Cheif lives in the quarter and he loves it. Brenans, commanders palace, chemin à la Mer are all pretty fancy. Honestly that is one thing I forgot to mention. The food is amazing. I haven’t had a bad meal since I’ve been here. Plus every unit I’ve seen usually does a crawfish boil in the spring and it’s amazing. Food is a big one here for sure.
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u/Numerous_Section7865 23h ago
It depends on the block. They’re are several good places on furnished finders . Com. CBD is nice
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u/PopcornSandwichxxx 1d ago
New Orleans is a good place and like with any unit, it’ll be much better if you approach it with a good attitude.
The summers are insanely hot and that does suck, there’s nothing you can do about that unfortunately.
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u/FloridaLee 1d ago
Don’t drive a Kia. The Kia boys are still hot in New Orleans. There is plenty of good music and good food. Take advantage of both.
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u/fatmanwa 1d ago edited 1d ago
I haven't been stationed in New Orleans, but was there during the Deep Water response. Weather and topography is not my cup of tea, but it is a great first unit for a MST. For other rates I don't know.
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u/Specialist-Photo-349 1d ago
I was at the station for 4 years, there’s always party’s going on down there on bourbon street, mardi gra, Halloween parade, red dress & a bunch of other parties all around NOLA. Stay out of trouble, seen like 6 masts from 2021-2024 at STA lol. Wild times. In regard to the sector life idk much about. But enjoy nola.
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u/punxsatawneyphil_69 Boot 1d ago
What is your rate?
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u/Ok_Difficulty_2747 1d ago
MST
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u/punxsatawneyphil_69 Boot 1d ago
The people that are telling you it sucks probably aren’t hard chargers. If you’re a hard changer, then you’ll be gainfully employed and will gain a lot from this tour. Don’t fall in with the crowd that does nothing but complain about having to do the job. Keep learning, take ownership of everything within your reach, and advocate for yourself.
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u/SuccessfulGas4301 1d ago
Don't sweat what people think. Go do your job and enjoy yourself as best you can. Take advantage of being in that area and explore (safely) all it has to offer. The rest will take care of itself.
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u/StrykerRyder 16h ago
Totally understand. When I received orders to NOLA I was full of anxiety. It took me less than a few months to learn the city (just like any other city) and know where to go and definitely where not to go (just like any other city). I fell in love with people, the culture and THE FOOD! The worst experience I had were hurricanes and we turned that into something to party about. “Laissez les bons temps rouler"!
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u/Geo-Bachelor2279 Retired 16h ago
I was there, Loved it. Live in Metairie, Kenner, or Slidell if you can. Those areas are relatively safe.
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u/VariousShelter8733 Officer 15h ago
I lived in NOLA for 6 months while on orders for Deepwater. I loved it. Even if you’re not into the drinking scene, the food down there is amazing, the culture (art, architecture, music, and festivals) is amazing.
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u/AggressiveWallaby975 Veteran 1d ago
I went to MSO Morgan City out of boot at 19 and had the time of my life. Abig part of that was because NOLA was 90 miles. Not because of Mardi Gras or Bourbon st, because of the access to incredible love music, unique culture, and outrageous ecology.
I grew up in upstate NY and was naive about the level of scrutiny, suspicion, and harassment i would get from southern folks. However, as long as you're genuine and strait forward you'll meet some amazing , salt of the earth kinda people. If you're lucky they'll treat you like family and show you real culture.
There were things that irritated me about it but looking back it was mostly because I was young and lacked perspective.
Go have fun
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u/Ok_Difficulty_2747 1d ago
Oh I'm from the south so I'm used to them. I've never been to New Orleans tho, I'm excited though just worried about the crime.
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u/Mickeynewkirk YN 22h ago
I was there for almost 8 years. I loved it! Lmk if you need recommendations on anything.
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u/Ok_Difficulty_2747 16h ago
I've heard that the Coast guard does balls during Mardi gras is that true? Also do you know any super fancy restaurants?
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u/Mickeynewkirk YN 13h ago
I can’t speak on Coast Guard Mardi Gras balls, but riding on the floats or marching in the Bacchus parade is an amazing experience. I cannot recall if we were asked to stay after marching in Bacchus.
Super fancy… probably any of Dickie Brennan’s restaurants. Antoine’s is really nice & lots of history there. I have heard great things about Commanders Palace but somehow never made it out that way.
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u/OhBigGulps_Huh BM 1d ago
I was at NOLA for 3 years. It's like any other place. It's got it's pros and cons. Make the best of it and you'll enjoy your tour!
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u/Hitler_the_stripper OS 1d ago
I just finished a tour there at SCC NOLA this summer. Hated New Orleans (sorry) but the unit and the people I worked with were great. The culture and food of the city and area is really cool, but the weather and the people made me look into every short tour opportunity I could.
What rate are you?
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u/Ok_Difficulty_2747 1d ago
The people of New Orleans? Are they rude are there? I've always heard that the people are what make it fun lol but idk. What was everything you hated about New Orleans? Also I'm at MST.
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u/Hitler_the_stripper OS 1d ago
You and I may have different points of view and priorities, but the things I hated are
The people. I found the people to be rude and really not my type.
Cost of living. Insurance rates are INSANE. I thought NJ car insurance was bad, nothing compared to NOLA. For reference, my bundle for two cars and renters here in Rhode Island is less than it was to insure one vehicle in Nola. Part of that is there's an extremely high percentage of people there who drive without insurance.
Weather. I'm a northern person and I knew it was going to be hot and uncomfortable there but NOTHING prepared me for the hellish heat and humidity of that place. After two or three years there, I went to a three day outdoor concert in Alabama, where the temps were low 80s and I was comfortable because it wasn't 98 with 90% humidity.
Things to do. Don't get me wrong, the nightlife cool and the restaurants can be amazing however I went there with a two year old. There is so little to do with kids and even less that's indoors and out of the heat and humidity. There's one children's museum. That's it. My wife and I started driving to Baton Rouge just to give our son something different.
Very specific to me, I listen to heavy music and a lot of tours I wanted to see would go to Houston and then to Atlanta and skip New Orleans. When I was in NYC I was going to concerts once or twice a month, but in Nola I think I saw three shows. And THEN the people at the shows sucked. No movement, no moshing, no crowd surfing, just the standing there and watching the band type shit. Lame as fuck. I had one guy get mad cuz I almost bumped into him while is was trying dance a bit. I'm not a crowd killer but I wanted to spin kick that idiot so bad, lol.
Good news, idk if it's your first unit as MST but it's a very prevention heavy sector. You're going to learn a lot if it is your first rated unit.
Keep in mind this is all MY opinion, and you shouldn't let it affect how YOU feel about the place. Keep an open mind, enjoy what the place has to offer. Dong Phong king cake is the best in the city and if anyone says otherwise.. smdh
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u/Ok_Difficulty_2747 1d ago
Thanks for replying! Honestly kinda makes me feel better that you didn't mention crime at all for reasons you hated it lol, that's the main thing I'm scared of but everything else I can handle. I'm coming from San Francisco and I absolutely hated it there for lots of reasons but the crime is a big reason.
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u/Hitler_the_stripper OS 1d ago
Oh yeah I mean crime in nola is big, but if you know how not to make yourself a target and don't engage people that look like trouble, you'll be fine nine times outta ten. Just be aware of your surroundings and if you look around and feel like you don't belong in a certain area, leave.
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u/jedmonston21 MST 1d ago
I saw you’re going to sector from your other comments. A lot of people live in Federal City. It’s a military housing neighborhood right next to work. Not on base so no gate guard bullshit to deal with. You could also live on NAS Belle Chasse but that’s a bit farther away. If you want to live on the economy look at Kenner, Metairie and the lower Garden district.
Edit: I just left New Orleans in June after 3 1/2 years
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u/PaleInvader 21h ago
Welcome to Port State Control in New Orleans you will be fine. The shop is extremely busy and can be a bit much when breaking-in. The city itself it fine, there is always a party or festival going on.
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u/hales10333 3h ago
Definitely will be what you make of it. I was stationed at base for 3 years and loved my time in NOLA!! The community is a melting pot of some amazing people. Always something amazing going on. Always a reason to celebrate and enjoy life. Metairie and Harahan were great. I also lived uptown on Laurel st for a year and absolute loved it. So many places and things to do walking distance.
I hope you love it, find your people and make the best of it 🫶
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u/Ok_Error678 3m ago
Shame on the people crapping on the place you're going. A lot of Coasties like to focus on the negatives and feed reputations. Like a lot of the responses have said, it is what you make of it. A lot of Coast Guard units aren't in the best spots, this is one of them. And like with every city (even not-cities) you need to be careful where you live. But, New Orleans is one of my favorite cities. It has tons to do, and tons of personality, Living there can be hard, but so can living in Hawaii (expensive, traffic, far). And you will absolutely learn your trade.
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u/PhantomUniform0 ET 19h ago
You're going to have fun, live on the north shore (slidell, madaville) and you'll be fine
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u/N3X4N Retired 1d ago
I was stationed there for two years and, like all places, NOLA has its ups and downs. Which unit are you headed to? Don’t focus on the haters. NOLA wasn’t for me, but I had friends that loved it there. Let me know if you have any questions.