|
Many of you know that my family spent the last week evacuated from our New Orleans home due to Hurricane Gustav. We originally planned to go to Memphis, but since we were just there last summer we decided to drive a little further and explore Nashville, Tennessee. What a wonderful city, with so much to do! No worries about hearing "I'm bored" from the kids with the jam packed days we had - a great way to take our minds off of what might be happening at home, making lemonade out of lemons :) We started our trip with the drive from New Orleans - the further north we got, the more hills, mountains in the distance and rocky terrain on the sides of the road. This is a big deal to someone who has lived their entire life in south Louisiana, where we are as flat as flat can be :)
Our first stop was downtown Nashville, walking the streets and visiting the Country Music Hall of Fame. Designed to look like a keyboard on the outside, the Hall of Fame was a cool respite from the heat and an education in country music history for us all that tied in nicely with our visit to the Gibson showroom where you could watch guitars and mandolins being made on site.
Of course, there was the obligatory visit to the Hard Rock Cafe, so hubby could get a hat and the kids could get their Tshirts.
There was a river front music festival going on, but we were too late to attend :( We took a day trip to Lynchburg TN, home of the Jack Daniel Distillery and toured both the distillery (very cool!) and the local town square, where we had some of the best BBQ pulled pork I've ever eaten and topped off our meal with cones from the local ice cream shop.
Who could visit Nashville without going to the Grand Ole Opry? Not us! Fortunately, we were there for the only weeknight performance of this long running, live radio show. The audience was filled with other evacuees and we felt right at home with the opening act of Joe Newman, who played a combination of country and Cajun zydeco. It was good to hear some sounds of home! He was followed by Jean Shephard, a bluegrass band (can't remember their name, but they were terrific), Chris Young, Little Texas, Billy Currington, Little Jimmy Dickens and Bill Anderson. The time flew by and even the kids who "don't like country music" had a great time. We couldn't leave Nashville without getting a little history lesson in as well, so we visited The Hermitage, the plantation home of the 7th U.S. President, Andrew Jackson. There is a wonderful museum to visit along with the house itself, which has many of the original furnishings since the property remained in the family until it became a museum. The grounds and garden were just beautiful and I could have stayed all day just taking photos of flowers and butterflies.
There was so much more to see and do that we are sure to visit Nashville again. Thank you to the wonderfully hospitable people that we met everywhere we went and thanks again to everyone who checked in on us and for all of your prayers for my family and city.
When walking through the streets of Algiers Point, I'm always enthralled by the amazing architecture that's in the area. To find a newly built home that blends in perfectly with the history surrounding it is a rarity....
For more information or a private showing of 139 Alix Street, contact Lisa Heindel.
Video copyright 2008. Lisa Heindel and West Bank Living. All rights reserved. With another storm moving into the Gulf of Mexico and taking aim along the coast, the real estate business for me has just ground to a screeching halt. Everyone is busy stocking up on their hurricane supplies if they plan to stay or making hotel reservations if they plan to evacuate to. In my case, I'm doing all of the above - preparing for any possibility while hoping none of it is necessary. In addition to taking care of my family, I have to go visit all of my listings tomorrow and pull up the signs. Somehow, I don't think the neighbors would be at all amused or understanding if a big wooden stake with my name and phone number attached to it was the cause of damage to their property. Then I have to clean out the fridge (don't want a repeat of that nasty shrimp filled one after Katrina) and freezer (ditto). We'll be eating really well for the next couple of days as we watch the weather updates!
While the track for the storm can, and probably will, change over the next couple of days, I encourage everyone who lives along the Gulf Coast to take the necessary precautions - including evacuation if that is called for in your area. Many hotels north of New Orleans are already completely booked, so don't delay in making your plans now!!
IF YOU LIVE IN THE NEW ORLEANS AREA AND NEED HELP EVACUATING, DIAL 311 TO ARRANGE FOR TRANSPORTATION ASSISTANCE
In the event we do end up leaving, we have reservations at a hotel in Memphis. Any suggestions for kid and teen friendly things to do while we are there?
I found myself between appointments today - not enough time to head back to the office but enough that heading to the next property meant sitting in the car waiting...and waiting. Instead, I stopped in at Parrot Pete's for an afternoon snack. After all, they do have a very nice selection of sandwiches and salads and it was past the lunch hour rush so I knew I could get in and out pretty quickly. My intention was to get a salad. What's that old saying? Oh, yeah. The road to hell is paved with good intentions.
I decided today that my favorite part of being a grown up is being able to sit outside, watch the fountains and have triple berry cake with strawberry-kiwi iced tea for lunch.
Parrot Pete's Gourmet Bakery is located at 1901 Manhattan Blvd in the Fountain Park Centre and is open from 7 am - 7 pm.
Copyright 2008. Lisa Heindel and West Bank Living. All rights reserved. There is more exciting news for the Algiers business community! The Algiers Community Foundation and the Algiers Economic Development Foundation will be awarding a total of $50,000 in grants to business owners along General Meyer Avenue in Algiers in a project that has been named Operation Facelift. Individual grants of up to $2,500 are being offered to improve exteriors and facades including:
With the proposed Federal City moving one step closer to reality in Algiers, this is a great opportunity for business owners in the area to use their new and improved appearance to entice new customers to come in and take a look around. Interested business owners must submit application for the grants by September 16, 2008 at the AEDF office in Algiers. Some Important Notes About the Program
More information about grant guidelines and application If you or someone you know is a business owner along General Meyer, I encourage you to attend the meeting being held on Tuesday, 8/26/2008 at 6:30 pm at the Delgado Community College West Bank campus on General Meyer. The meeting will be held in Building 1, Room 130 and foundation officials will be on hand to answer specific questions and explain the entire grant process. Since I drive along General Meyer every morning, I'm looking forward to seeing those improvements happening soon!
Copyright 2008. Lisa Heindel and West Bank Living. All rights reserved. Not everyone is ready to take the plunge into home ownership. And not everyone wants to live in an apartment or townhouse. Solve those problems by renting a single family home on the West Bank of New Orleans! Just listed in Marrero LA, 5437 Tusa, in the Oak Cove subdivision, is ready for a new occupant.
Features
Applications for tenants are now being accepted. For more information, contact Lisa Heindel. Copyright 2008. Lisa Heindel and West Bank Living. All rights reserved. Belle Chasse is growing again! Take a drive down Woodland Highway and you'll see the signs. Slow down enough and you can see that just behind the tree line there is a flurry of clearing activity happening. A new residential development, The Parks of Plaquemines, is in the works and awaiting approval from the Parish Council. Since Belle Chasse continues to be one of the highest demand areas to live in on the West Bank, especially for military relocations to NAS JRB New Orleans, it's a relief to see some new construction on the horizon.
I had a chance to sit down with the developer this week to take a peek at what's in store at the newest exclusive West Bank community. Encompassing over 200 acres of wooded land, I truly expect The Parks of Plaquemines to be the latest feather in the cap of David Waltemath (who also helped develop the prestigious English Turn community in Algiers). Over 25 buyers have already placed their deposits on their chosen lots in Phase I - a sign that the area is ripe for the type of neighborhood amenities that will be offered in this new gated community, which includes the creation of nature trails, neighborhood parks and tot lots. Although the clearing of some trees is taking place to provide space for streets and homes, a large portion of the land will remain untouched. A 15 foot wide walking trail will circle in and around the development, with some lucky home owners facing or backing up to green belts, parks and waterways. As the number of residents grows, a community pool, cabana and tennis courts will be added (the target right now is 50 completed homes) and HOA dues will be reduced until all of the amenities are up and running. I'm very excited about this addition to the West Bank real estate market and can't wait to watch the building and development unfold! For more information about covenants and restrictions, pricing on available lots and pre-sale discounts being offered, contact Lisa Heindel.
Copyright 2008. Lisa Heindel and West Bank Living. All rights reserved. From West Bank Living come the most recent absorption reports detailing supply and demand for real estate on the West Bank of New Orleans. Algiers Algiers LA 70131 Home Sales and Real Estate Absorption Rates for August 2008 Algiers LA 70114 Homes for Sale and Real Estate Absorption Report for August 2008 English Turn Home Sales and Real Estate Absorption Rates for August 2008 Algiers Point Home Sales and Real Estate Absorption Rates for August 2008 Gretna and Terrytown City of Gretna LA 70053 Home Sales and Real Estate Absorption Rates for August 2008 Terrytown and Gretna LA 70056 Home Sales and Real Estate Absorption Rates for August 2008
Belle Chasse LA Home Sales and Real Estate Absorption Report for August 2008 Harvey LA Home Sales and Real Estate Absorption Rates for August 2008 Marrero LA Home Sales and Real Estate Absorption Rates for August 2008 Westwego, Avondale and Bridge City LA Home Sales and Real Estate Absorption Rates for August 2008 For a report on your West Bank neighborhood, feel free to contact Lisa Heindel for a complimentary market analysis of sales and trends in your area.
Copyright 2008. Lisa Heindel and West Bank Living All rights reserved.
There are enough things for the kids to do and ride and eat and play on that I could easily go broke in 3 short days, but we've learned to make them budget their money for the weekend to avoid that sad scenario. Since I belong to the Krewe of Choctaw carnival club, I spend the entire weekend at the Festival, alternately having fun checking out all of the art, crafts and jewelry and then working at the booth we sponsor, selling the best shrimp po-boys and crawfish pies and people watching - one of my favorite activities. The music line up for the 2008 Festival has been announced and it looks like another stellar year of entertainment, with both local and national acts performing throughout the weekend. Last year I ended up right at the front of the stage for Travis Tritt's performance...I wonder what this year will bring? Here's the lineup for opening day, Friday, October 3rd.
Did you notice the little blue highlight at the Market Stage? That's because I'm so excited that my husband's band, Chicken on the Bone, has been booked to perform. Playing rock n roll cover tunes from Elvis to ZZ Top, they are just a bunch of local guys that love to make music and have a whole lot of fun doing it with only one rule - no line dances! For the entire schedule, click here. I hope to see you there, celebrating with me on the West Bank :)
Copyright 2008. West Bank Living and Lisa Heindel All rights reserved. |
Lisa Heindel, New Orleans West Bank Real Estate New Orleans, LA More about me… Latter & Blum Inc. Realtors Office Phone: (504) 616-6262 Email Me ;) Links;) Tags (Tag Cloud);) Archives
|
Other West Bank Communities
Disclaimer: ActiveRain Corp. does not necessarily endorse the real estate agents, loan officers and brokers listed on this site. These real estate profiles, blogs and blog entries are provided here as a courtesy to our visitors to help them make an informed decision when buying or selling a house. ActiveRain Corp. takes no responsibility for the content in these profiles, that are written by the members of this community.
© 2007 ActiveRain Corp. All Rights Reserved
