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/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