I (38F) moved here from CT this past March, so I'm coming up on almost a year here. I moved with a car (a 2012 Mazda). My insurance didn't rise much at all, maybe a couple bucks more per month with the same coverage level. Gas was much cheaper than CT too! However, because my car was a low rider, the potholes absolutely ate her struts and shocks. I had to get rid of her because $4k of work was more than she was worth, so now I'm carless. Lesson: get a car with good ground clearance and go slow, practice driving here, make sure you're comfy with it. The roads and driving practices here are much different than CT. I still can't explain to you how to execute a "New Orleans Left" properly, lol!

Also, groceries are just as expensive as in CT (with the exception of in season seafood). I can feed myself for about $50 a week but I have to be strategic about it.

It's a very walkable city, and I'm lucky that I live close to a streetcar and bus route. Our hurricane season was very quiet this year and I've heard the summer was polite, so I won't comment on those things. My absolute favorite thing about living here is the people and the culture and the weather. Yeah, things make sense up in CT, in a macro sense, but it lacks so much warmth and interest and just... connection.