Bossier City,LA area? Help please!

[Tinkerbelle32]

Ok, husband has been officially offerd a job at Barksdale AFB, which means we are looking at moving to the Bossier City area. If anyone has any advice on housing, schooling, areas to avoid, etc. I would greatly appreciate it. We really are not to familiar with LA. We have untill 4:00 Monday to accept or decline. Thanks!

 

[momof3hboys]

Bossier City is a GREAT place to live. Very low crime and close to lots of shopping and dining. Almost all the schools in bossier are great. The 3 best elementary schools are Stockwell Place, W.T. Lewis and Legacy. North Bossier is a great place to live very nice family friendly neighborhoods. I have lived here all my life and would Definitely recommend you come here. BAFB is very nice and centrally located.

 

[Tinkerbelle32]

Thanks so much for the quick response. Another question for you, what is the housing costs like? I've looked on line a little and it seems a newer 3-4 bedroom is runnig 225,000-250,000. Is this about average? I think 250,000 would be a little high for us. Thanks for any and all advice you can share. Jennifer

 

[momof3hboys]

There are a lot of houses for sale in the area which I think will be very beneficial to you. 250,000 is on the high end....i think you will be able to find one a little less expensive. Stockwell Place (a subdivision) is a very good neighborhood where you could probably find a great house for less than 250,000. You could also try Dogwood (subdivision) it's an older subdivision but still most of that neighborhood feeds into Stockwell Place elementary. And the houses are very well kept. Because there are so many houses for sale right now I think you will be able to negotiate a good price.

 

[CruiseBoundnKY]

My brother lives there (military also) and I visit about once a year. They have a large facility there called the Centurytel of something close to that. It attracts lots of circus/concert/sport/rodeo shows.

From what I've seen of it and the base, I wouldn't have a problem living there. I think it's laid out a little weird and without my GPS I'd be sooo lost. You cross a bridge you're there, you go back another way, loopty loo a little to the left...I'm just lost. lol

They have a great Bass Pro Shop, lots of shopping (the Boardwalk is nice), casino's if you're into it and they are a quick shot away from Texas. Great for a good day trip.

If you do move there, there is a great little restaurant called Cafe USA. MMMMMMMMMMMMMMM is all I have to say.

My neice was in the jr. ROTC at her school and loved it. We don't have that around here. I know they got a good deal on their home. With the market being what it is, I'd say housing should be easy.

Good luck!!!

Karen

 

[Deb & Bill]

Across the Red River is Shreveport, which also has some very good schools = South Highlands is a very good primary. Caddo Middle Magnet and Caddo Magnet are very highly rated middle and high schools. Some excellent Catholic schools as well.

There are lots of great restaurants - Monjuni's is excellent for Italian. Copelands is wonderful New Orleans style food.

Hockey team. Minor league baseball. Arena football. College sports. Large running community. Lots of fishing, hunting.

Good hospitals. Lots of movie industry going on here - they are filming TV shows or movies all the time.

This part of Louisiana is called the Arklatex because Arkansas, Louisiana and Texas all come together here. Oklahoma is also very close. So the feel is a little more like Texas than Cajun/New Orleans. Probably more like you might be used to in Kansas.

We get snow occasionally. Some tornadoes - part of the Dixie Alley, rather than Tornado Alley. Lots of bad weather seems to miss us and either go north east or stay to the south. Even hurricanes are mostly worn out by the time they get here - just a bad thunderstorm with wind. Hot and humid summers.

Azaleas will be blooming soon. It's crawfish season (as well as Mardi Gras season - first big parade of the season is going on right this minute). Mardi Gras is family oriented here.

 

[LadyBeBop]

My daughter lives in the Shreveport area, and she likes it. I'd stay in the Bossier City area if he's working at the AFB.

The area has more of a Texas feel than a New Orleans/cajun feel. You'll be less than a half hour from the Texas border. Dallas is much closer to Shreveport/Bossier City than New Orleans...in fact I think Houston is closer than New Orleans.

There are a few good Tex Mex restaurants, and a few good Cajun restaurants. My favorite Cajun is the Blind Tiger in downtown Shreveport.

Somebody already mentioned the Boardwalk in BC. Very nice shopping area.

Let us know if he takes the job. My daughter works at the AFB from time to time. Maybe she can help.

 

[Deb & Bill]

It's really rather easy to go between Shreveport and Bossier City. There are at least four bridges that cross the Red River. The only time that is a problem is when there is ice on the bridge and that is a short delay until they sand them. And it doesn't happen all that often.

Shreveport is an older town, Bossier City has newer subdivisions.

 

[Leajess99]

We have been to Bossier many, many, many times over the past 18 years. I have actually gotten to see many of the changes to include the highway build up as well as the casino build up between Bossier and Shreveport.

Bossier is a nice area although like any other place there are some not so nice areas there as well. I have a Sister In law that lives in Bossier while the other in laws live in Shreveport. There are a lot of things to do in the area.

We are contemplating on another trip down there soon.

 

[Tinkerbelle32]

Wow, thanks for the great responses everyone. I really appreciate it. I have to admit I feel a little apprehensive about this move. I'm not for sure why, when we've moved around for the last 12 years being military. You all have made me feel much better, and for that I'm truly greatful. You guys rock!

 

[Deb & Bill]

Wow, thanks for the great responses everyone. I really appreciate it. I have to admit I feel a little apprehensive about this move. I'm not for sure why, when we've moved around for the last 12 years being military. You all have made me feel much better, and for that I'm truly greatful. You guys rock!

The community is very supportive of the AFB. Everywhere you go you will find military, retired military. Lots of AF retire to this area because they like it so well.

We'll welcome you with open arms should your husband and you decide this is the move you want to make. We moved here from Montana 15 years ago and have not regretted the move. My husband grew up in Texas and I moved to Texas to go to college. We left Texas in 1990 and found our way to this area in 1996. We were worried, too, because of living so long in Texas. Louisiana is a nice place to live.

 

[Tinkerbelle32]

Thanks for the kind reply Deb and Bill!

 

[PrincessTS]

As a mom to a 3rd grader and 5th grader at Legacy Elementary I can vouch for the great schools. We live in North Bossier and love it. I grew up in South Bossier and also love that side of town. Bossier is a great place to live!

 

[3LittlePirates]

I live in the North Bossier/Benton area. It is a great area with great schools! I think you will love the area!

 

[castaways]

Shreveport-Bossier area has many plusses. Like any large city, there are neighborhoods, schools, etc. to avoid. But you can find a great place to live in one of the least expensive areas of the country. When the kids get older, send them down the road to Louisiana Tech University, one of the best colleges in the South.

 

[TeaForTulips]

Just moved from Shreveport (across river from Bossier) 6 months ago after living there 15 years and am very familiar with BAFB as I have retired Navy parents. It is a really great area to live. I prefer Shreveport over Bossier personally with schools, neighborhoods, etc. It depends upon how close you want to live to the base. With the growing movie industry in the area it is really starting to be a booming town with lots of opportunities and things to do. There are a lot of magnet schools starting with elementary and into high school. It also is a college town with BPCC (Bossier) and LSUS and Centenary (Shreveport). There is lots of shopping, parks, festivals, concerts, etc that go on through out the year.

If you did accept the job I think you will be very pleased with the choice. I am going home this weekend even. I miss the area a lot and that is coming from a person who now lives right near Disney.

Feel free to PM me if you like. Good luck!

 

[dmccarty]

I lived in Shreveport when I was a kid. I could climb a Pine tree in the front yard and watch the air shows at Barksdale. Lots of military in the area. Had a B52 fly over the house once, they must have had problems because they were LOW and SLOW and they were turning back to the runway approach. The noise was AWESOME! I was vibrating and I could hear the windows in the house vibrating.

My parents drove through town a few years back. The neighborhood had changed very little. Many of the neighbors were the same as when we lived there! This was over three decades ago! My parents stopped in front of our old house. A man walked out and he was the person they sold the house to decades ago!

The pine tree was bigger though.

I looked at Google Maps after their visit and some things had changed. But others not so much. Our house was near LSU Shreveport. The schools and neighborhood were good when we lived there. And it sounds like they still are.

Later,
Dan

 

[TeaForTulips]

Oh another great thing about the area is the general location... 3 hours from Dallas, 5 hours from New Orleans, 8 hours from Pensacola. Weekend trips and little vacations are endless!

 

[Deb & Bill]

Oh another great thing about the area is the general location... 3 hours from Dallas, 5 hours from New Orleans, 8 hours from Pensacola. Weekend trips and little vacations are endless!

Only 14 hours from WDW.

 

[TeaForTulips]

Only 14 hours from WDW.

Haha! Indeed! SO important also! It is a lovely little roadtrip that my family has taken many many times and they are taking this September.