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Message
re: Moving to the northshore, need advice
Posted on 10/6/17 at 11:16 am to domesticengineer
Posted on 10/6/17 at 11:16 am to domesticengineer
I live in Riverwood with a 4yo, 2yo, and 3 week old (and accross the street from the same). We love the neighborhood. It has an aging population, so a lot of turnover to younger families. Also, they're starting better enforcement of HOA compliance as the old people seemed to have gotten relaxed on this. It has a pool, playground, and boat launch with an electric gate. You get off of 190 right as all the brake lights start at I12.
As I mentioned, young families are buying old houses and spiffing them up. Most lots are 1/4 to 1/2 acre. It's a Covington address, but in Mandeville school district (Pontchartrain Elementary, Tchefuncte Middle, Mandeville Jr and Senior High). Don't think I pay Mandeville or Covington city property tax.
There's a Montessori School off the West service road between between 22 and Fairway. St. Timmothy's Preschool is close, too.
Franco's and PAC seem to be gyms where most people join. Franco's is on 22, though, which gets bad.
As I mentioned, young families are buying old houses and spiffing them up. Most lots are 1/4 to 1/2 acre. It's a Covington address, but in Mandeville school district (Pontchartrain Elementary, Tchefuncte Middle, Mandeville Jr and Senior High). Don't think I pay Mandeville or Covington city property tax.
There's a Montessori School off the West service road between between 22 and Fairway. St. Timmothy's Preschool is close, too.
Franco's and PAC seem to be gyms where most people join. Franco's is on 22, though, which gets bad.
0
Posted on 10/6/17 at 11:21 am to domesticengineer
quote:
need advice
Slidell is nice, has good schools and quality of life baw.
Posted on 10/6/17 at 11:45 am to GreatLakesTiger24
quote:
covington and madisonville public schools are very subpar, despite what you might be told on here.
You're a stuipd frick in accordance to what's been known on here.
Posted on 10/6/17 at 12:14 pm to domesticengineer
quote:
-two small kids, 2yrs and another 7mos
Sorry.
quote:
-enjoy outdoor activities, parks, concerts, biking, running, etc
Tammanys good for that. Lots of well maintained parks. Abita Opry is all the time. Good stuff. I think its free. St. Tammany trace is long as shite and well-maintained with lots of shade. Lots of unmolested and unknown white sand beaches along the Lake if you have a watercraft to get you there. Some of the best canoe/kayak rivers and bayous in all the State.
quote:
-pros and cons of Covington vs Madisonville vs Mandeville?
Covington spans a huge area so its a mixed bag. There are gated communities, builder grade track housing, rural land, waterfront villas, suburban hell and a really beautiful historic old town/downtown that rivals anything NOLA has to offer without the filth and crime. $$ is about the same though.
Madisonville is a small, sleepy river town with an equally beautiful old district.
Prices are more reasonable but the commuting in and out can be a challenge at times so relation to job location should be a consideration. Going in and out west or north isnt much of an issue. Going in and out to and from the east is a problem many times of the day.
Be aware that most properties in Madisonville are sadly, in a flood zone.
Mandeville. People are fairly stoic and stuck up for the most part. At least by St. Tammany standards so theyre still not as bad as equivalent types in NOLA. Mandeville epitomizes NIMBY culture as many are transplants there from the south shore who got sick of the bullshite so I cant really blame them. They are active in politics, keeping the locals czars in check.
Its mostly suburban-style housing and neighborhoods but the old town area is really nice and has beautiful but expensive houses. Some deals can be found on real estate but again, watch out for flood zones.
The Lakefront in Mandeville is top notch. Has a jogging path, several playsets, people hammock between the oaks, has a small and gross lakefront beach but has a beach, restaurants(Rip's is really, really good), boat launch and dock. Small, decent beach to chill at at the mouth of the river. I go there with my kayak and eat lunch.
Mandeville is the most convenient, out the your listed options, for moving around the Parish and getting to NOLA but youre leaving out some other options.
Pearl River can be nice and isnt that hard to get in and out from. $ can be reasonable. No historic areas.
Folsom/HWY 40/Military Rd. Area is way out of the way but has the nicest land in all the Parish. Trace doesnt reach there yet I dont think and there is only one navigable river(Bogue Chitto) but the rolling hills arent found anywhere else in the Parish.
Posted on 10/6/17 at 12:14 pm to mikelbr
GreatLakes speaks as though he is an authority, but he sounds quite ignorant. I guess if you are a troll artist, shiny bait works best.
Posted on 10/6/17 at 12:16 pm to jimmy the leg
Just move to Mandeville schools already baw.
Posted on 10/6/17 at 12:18 pm to domesticengineer
In St. Tammany you have quite a few choices.
West:
Fontainebleau- currently the highest rated. It's ACT scores have the best the last two years IIRC. It has the kids from Abita and portions of Mandeville. Solid sports teams...esp. girls. The black kids are mainly from Abita and the white kids are suburban types. In short, they do have some hood rats to be aware of, but the population is only about 5% of the student body. When Lakeshore opened it really hurt athletically as they went from strong statewide to average to good locally.
Mandeville- the most exclusive in the area. There are very few minorities except for a small group of black kids from Mandeville. It is probably no more than 2% of the population. The sports teams are pretty good except Football, which was quite strong, but now seems in disarray. Every other sport is pretty solid though...especially the girls side. It's almost like a "private" public school and as such sports like golf and tennis are quite strong.
Lakeshore- The "new" school in the area. It has a small minority population from the Lacombe area. It's the most "middle class" of the three. It has good athletic programs but is in a smaller classification (for now). It is set to move up in classification soon. Even then it will probably be competitive but it will take time to adjust in all sports. The girls side, like the other Mandeville schools, is really good.
Covington- it has the largest minority population in West St. Tammany (15% of the student population) and the most rural (equestrian team). It's diversity can be a positive (the student of the year was from CHS two years ago), or a negative (hood rats and hillbillies). Basically, it's a microcosm of the real world. Athletically they can be good or bad. Country Club sports aren't the thing. Football looks quite strong. Academically the honors program is strong, but the SPED population is large so test scores will never match the other three.
East:
Northshore- basically the Mandeville of Eastern St. Tammany (minus the yacht club crew). The academics are strong but unlike Mandeville, athletics are average on most years. They are quite strong in soccer on the boys side and baseball has been good too. The girls programs are the best on this end of the parish. It is also the most "middle class" on this end. Minorities make up 3-5% of the student population. Most of them are middle class though.
Slidell- The school with the most clout on this end of the parish historically. A ton of multi-generational students . Academically it's solid. It has a minority population of about 10% of the school plus some Chalmation transplants (think saying "Hey bra" in front of every sentence). In short they have hood rats and wanna be hood rats. Don't let that fool you, the majority of the student body is middle class. Athletically they are solid in most sports and may be the best football program on the east side in 5A.
Salmen- The "inner city" school of St. Tammany. Yes, there is a large minority population (30%), but it isn't an Orleans parish public school. Academically they are okay, but their honors program is solid. Athletically the country club sports are weak, but, like Covington, they have a great football history. In short, if the sport requires athletes, they have them. Being in a lower classification magnifies that situation.
Pearl River - The most rural of the schools as a whole. Like Covington though, the demographics are changing. More and more subdivisions are being built meaning more and more middle class students. Academically it is average so, once again, its honors only. Athletically it is also average, but, being in a lower classification, one great athlete can make a season.
In short, you can't go wrong imho, it just depends on what you are looking for. All of them have negatives but all of them have positives too. Basically, public school is St. Tammany is going to be what you and your children make of it. The huge numbers of successful students at the university level attest to this.
Private schools in St. Tammany are excellent. In short, think of Mandeville but more exclusive and better athletically for the most part. The hood rats that are their are specifically for athletics. I have heard kids at St. Paul have refer to their school as "the plantation". Basically, the black kids aren't there for diversity. In short, you are paying for exclusivity, and it can be had. If you are Catholic, all of those schools (St. Paul, SSA, Hannah, and Pope John Paul II all offer you an excellent opportunity to pursue your faith. In my experience, that makes up the bulk of the students at these schools. Yes there are some "money" people, but it isn't as prevalent as one may think. If you are Christian, Northlake is more non-denominational and middle class. The names let you know about 1st Baptist of Slidell and Christ Episcopal of Covington...both quite small. Christ Episcopal has some "money" people and I believe is the most expensive school in the parish.
Basically, with the private schools you can't go wrong either. Like the public schools, all of them have positives and negatives. But also like the public schools, there are more positives than negatives. If you are a good family with a good kid, the families that you will meet through their association will probably be similar to you and your family. Be active in your kids life and the rest will take care of itself.
Sorry for the book but you asked for it.
Good luck!
West:
Fontainebleau- currently the highest rated. It's ACT scores have the best the last two years IIRC. It has the kids from Abita and portions of Mandeville. Solid sports teams...esp. girls. The black kids are mainly from Abita and the white kids are suburban types. In short, they do have some hood rats to be aware of, but the population is only about 5% of the student body. When Lakeshore opened it really hurt athletically as they went from strong statewide to average to good locally.
Mandeville- the most exclusive in the area. There are very few minorities except for a small group of black kids from Mandeville. It is probably no more than 2% of the population. The sports teams are pretty good except Football, which was quite strong, but now seems in disarray. Every other sport is pretty solid though...especially the girls side. It's almost like a "private" public school and as such sports like golf and tennis are quite strong.
Lakeshore- The "new" school in the area. It has a small minority population from the Lacombe area. It's the most "middle class" of the three. It has good athletic programs but is in a smaller classification (for now). It is set to move up in classification soon. Even then it will probably be competitive but it will take time to adjust in all sports. The girls side, like the other Mandeville schools, is really good.
Covington- it has the largest minority population in West St. Tammany (15% of the student population) and the most rural (equestrian team). It's diversity can be a positive (the student of the year was from CHS two years ago), or a negative (hood rats and hillbillies). Basically, it's a microcosm of the real world. Athletically they can be good or bad. Country Club sports aren't the thing. Football looks quite strong. Academically the honors program is strong, but the SPED population is large so test scores will never match the other three.
East:
Northshore- basically the Mandeville of Eastern St. Tammany (minus the yacht club crew). The academics are strong but unlike Mandeville, athletics are average on most years. They are quite strong in soccer on the boys side and baseball has been good too. The girls programs are the best on this end of the parish. It is also the most "middle class" on this end. Minorities make up 3-5% of the student population. Most of them are middle class though.
Slidell- The school with the most clout on this end of the parish historically. A ton of multi-generational students . Academically it's solid. It has a minority population of about 10% of the school plus some Chalmation transplants (think saying "Hey bra" in front of every sentence). In short they have hood rats and wanna be hood rats. Don't let that fool you, the majority of the student body is middle class. Athletically they are solid in most sports and may be the best football program on the east side in 5A.
Salmen- The "inner city" school of St. Tammany. Yes, there is a large minority population (30%), but it isn't an Orleans parish public school. Academically they are okay, but their honors program is solid. Athletically the country club sports are weak, but, like Covington, they have a great football history. In short, if the sport requires athletes, they have them. Being in a lower classification magnifies that situation.
Pearl River - The most rural of the schools as a whole. Like Covington though, the demographics are changing. More and more subdivisions are being built meaning more and more middle class students. Academically it is average so, once again, its honors only. Athletically it is also average, but, being in a lower classification, one great athlete can make a season.
In short, you can't go wrong imho, it just depends on what you are looking for. All of them have negatives but all of them have positives too. Basically, public school is St. Tammany is going to be what you and your children make of it. The huge numbers of successful students at the university level attest to this.
Private schools in St. Tammany are excellent. In short, think of Mandeville but more exclusive and better athletically for the most part. The hood rats that are their are specifically for athletics. I have heard kids at St. Paul have refer to their school as "the plantation". Basically, the black kids aren't there for diversity. In short, you are paying for exclusivity, and it can be had. If you are Catholic, all of those schools (St. Paul, SSA, Hannah, and Pope John Paul II all offer you an excellent opportunity to pursue your faith. In my experience, that makes up the bulk of the students at these schools. Yes there are some "money" people, but it isn't as prevalent as one may think. If you are Christian, Northlake is more non-denominational and middle class. The names let you know about 1st Baptist of Slidell and Christ Episcopal of Covington...both quite small. Christ Episcopal has some "money" people and I believe is the most expensive school in the parish.
Basically, with the private schools you can't go wrong either. Like the public schools, all of them have positives and negatives. But also like the public schools, there are more positives than negatives. If you are a good family with a good kid, the families that you will meet through their association will probably be similar to you and your family. Be active in your kids life and the rest will take care of itself.
Sorry for the book but you asked for it.
Good luck!
Posted on 10/6/17 at 12:21 pm to jimmy the leg
quote:
Slidell- The school with the most clout on this end of the parish historically. A ton of multi-generational students . Academically it's solid. It has a minority population of 10% of the school
This post was edited on 10/6/17 at 12:22 pm
Posted on 10/6/17 at 12:24 pm to domesticengineer
Avoid southwest St. Tammany like the plague. Madisonville, Mandeville, Covington - all crime-ridden shitholes. If you want the best place possible to raise a family on the northshore, I'd move to Bogalusa.
Posted on 10/6/17 at 12:25 pm to domesticengineer
Francos is a nice gym. The Saintsations used to practice there. Not sure if they still do. I also saw a man die of a heart attack while working out there. After the paramedics hauled him away, I used the machine he was on.
The Target in Covington attracts lots of hot pussy.
The Target in Covington attracts lots of hot pussy.
Posted on 10/6/17 at 12:28 pm to OceanMan
quote:21 is a breeze now bro.
West of river and north of 12 have the traffic issues, to varying degrees.
Posted on 10/6/17 at 12:29 pm to mikelbr
Sorry, sometimes the truth hurts.
Posted on 10/6/17 at 12:29 pm to jimmy the leg
quote:
GreatLakes speaks as though he is an authority, but he sounds quite ignorant. I guess if you are a troll artist, shiny bait works best.
The lowest grade elem or Jr High around there is a B according to the Louisiana Education site. Most the HS's have an A. For 2016.
Posted on 10/6/17 at 12:36 pm to Jason9782003
quote:
What are some good Catholic schools for KDG to 7th grade. I'm already aware of Hannan for high school.
KDG to 7th Our Lady of the Lake and Mary Queen of Peace in Mandeville and St. Peters in Covington. I would look at OLL or MQP. St. Pauls is all boys and St. Scholastic is all girls in Covington and you already know about Hannan. Hannan draws a lot of the St Bernard ex-pats.
Posted on 10/6/17 at 12:39 pm to mikelbr
A "B" public school in Louisiana is like a "D" most places.
Louisiana public schools
Louisiana public schools
Posted on 10/6/17 at 12:44 pm to GreatLakesTiger24
quote:
A "B" public school in Louisiana is like a "D" most places.
Im not sure about that. After moving from Covington to Prairieville, Ive noticed a HUGE difference in the schooling. I do have to say that its pretty nice that my 2nd grader doesnt have hours of homework now but I do wonder how that will work in the longrun over time.
Posted on 10/6/17 at 12:45 pm to BRgetthenet
quote:
I can say that the Kinderhouse Montessori in Lewisburg is poorly run. It’s understaffed, has had multiple violations with DOE over the last few years, and even had employees there that had not gone through the mandated background check with LA State Police.
It also isn’t being run as a true Montessori school. They’ve deviated so far from that model it should just be called a daycare. When they fired Miss Julie for complaining about it, then subsequently ran her daughter off, we took our child out.
Damn. I almost sent my kid there. Glad they fought me on their ignorance of State law concerning vaccinations. Penned a letter that made them change their policy. That left a bad taste in our mouths about how poorly that "school" might be ran. Good to know this. Thanks for posting.
Posted on 10/6/17 at 12:48 pm to nola000
quote:
nola000
Great post. Except for this part.
quote:
(Rip's is really, really good)
Posted on 10/6/17 at 12:49 pm to domesticengineer
WOW. Cant believe I forgot to add Abita Springs! One of my favorite little towns in the State and my second favorite in St. Tammany.
Small, quaint, historic, NOT stuck-up at all. Little hippie town that takes pride in their little piece of small town America throw-back, Louisiana style.
Real estate prices are varied. Can buy historic, rural, track or upscale rural-suburban. Traffic is mixed depending on time of day and direction but even the worst traffic still isnt too bad.
Wow. Shame on me for forgetting Abita.
Small, quaint, historic, NOT stuck-up at all. Little hippie town that takes pride in their little piece of small town America throw-back, Louisiana style.
Real estate prices are varied. Can buy historic, rural, track or upscale rural-suburban. Traffic is mixed depending on time of day and direction but even the worst traffic still isnt too bad.
Wow. Shame on me for forgetting Abita.
Posted on 10/6/17 at 12:56 pm to atom1505
quote:
I grew up in Mandeville and now live in Covington. Also lived in Madisonville for two years. Living in Covington/Madisonville is infinitely better than living in Mandeville, but Mandeville has better schools. Mandeville is a pretty pretentious area as a whole. Downtown Covington is pretty cool for a small town. You can catch music on most Friday and Saturday nights at least one bar. Good restaurants too. Madisonville doesn't have much in the way of nightlife or food, but being close to the river is cool. You can also get a good bit of land for fairly cheap heading out towards Bedico. I wouldn't want to deal with bridge traffic.
This is the most real post I've read about the NS.
Also OP, people who say the Covington/Madisonville schools are shite have likely never been outside the NS. You'd think they were inner city schools to hear them tell it.
This post was edited on 10/6/17 at 12:57 pm
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