West Bank $2.5 Million Road Upgrades Begin

The $2.5 million road upgrade projects began at the beginning of January 2020 and are scheduled to be completed by spring 2020. The city of New Orleans hopes the two projects will alleviate traffic problems.

Commuters that are affected by the areas of construction need to plan for additional travel time. Commuters also need to be aware of workers who will be working along the roads.

The $2.5 million comes from bond funding and will be completed by Hard Rock Construction LLC. The work to be done will be completed in phases. General Meyer Avenue will get new concrete panels which will improve traffic between Sullen Place and Bennett Street and take approximately two months to complete. Wall Boulevard will also receive new concrete panels and joints that will replace the existing ones between General De Gaulle Drive and Holiday Drive. The rest of the improvements will be along 11 miles of city and state streets and will include street repairs, striping and signage, signal improvements, and short shared-use trail connections. The streets will include Mardi Gras Boulevard, Florence Street, Newton Street, Lawrence Street, Holiday Drive, MacArthur Boulevard, Wall Boulevard, Westbend Parkway, Woodland Drive, Garden Oaks Drive and Odeon Street.

The work that will be completed along Wall Boulevard between General De Gaulle Drive and Holiday Drive is in preparation for future work that will be done under the New Orleans Moving New Orleans Bike Initiative.  This $4 million project includes protected bike lanes, bus stop improvements, high visibility crosswalks, bike boulevards and pedestrian signals.

The $2.5 million projects are in conjunction with three other projects the Department of Public Works began on the West Bank in December 2019 on Hershel Drive and Tullis Drive (completed) and Garden Oaks Drive (will be completed this month).

Click Here For the Source of the Information.

Click Here For the Source of the Information.

A Look at What $300K – $400K Will Get for a Home in New Orleans

Local New Orleans residents are familiar with the famous city’s unique buildings and niche communities. When purchasing a home in the area the price is based on many variables such as size, building type, and location. The $300,000-$400,000 price range affords many great homes in New Orleans.

If you want the best bang for your buck, look into purchasing a home in an up-and-coming area. Homes that are in up-and-coming neighborhoods tend to sell at a lower price point which means they will rise in value within a few years.

There are several New Orleans neighborhoods that are deemed up-and-coming. Broadmoor, the area east of Napoleon Ave, has seen many renovations and new construction. Housing prices are rising to the $400,000-$500,000 range. The Upper 7th Ward, from Esplanade Avenue to Interstate 10, is another area on the rise. In recent years the area has seen major changes, expansion, and construction. For $300,000-$400,000 you can purchase a 1,850 sqft home that has three bedrooms and two bathrooms. In Uptown you can get a 1,300 sqft home with two bedrooms and two bathrooms and in Mid-City a three-bedroom, two-bathroom home with 1,600 sqft is in the $300,000-$400,000 price range.

If single-family is not the way you want to go, try a condo. Out of towners, young couples with no children and singles would rather purchase a condo. They like to live within walking distance to nightlife, entertainment and cultural events. The Garden District offers two-bedroom, two-bathroom condos in the $300,000-$400,000 price range.

For those families seeking a larger single-family home, they can find one in the $300,000-$400,000 price point in Lakeview and Gentilly. There is more single-family inventory in these two areas. For an average three-bedroom, two-bathroom home in this price range you can purchase a 2,000 sqft home in Gentilly and a 1,800 sqft home in Lakeview.

“It really just depends on what you’re looking for in a project, in my opinion,” Realtor William King says. “If you are looking to have something fully renovated and turnkey, the price is going to be fairly similar across the board, especially in the $300,000 to $400,000 price range. I think you can find a lot of stuff, but it will ultimately come down to how many bedrooms and bathrooms you want.”

Click Here For the Source of the Information.

Padua House Gets A Visit From Dozens of Santas

The Padua House located in Belle Chasse is a residential program of Catholic Charities Archdiocese of New Orleans for those with “profound disabilities and intellectual challenges”. The licensed Intermediate Care Facility is the home to residents from birth to 35 years of age. Along with Children’s Hospital, the home ensures a great life and individualized care meeting the specific needs of each resident.

The Louisiana Hospitality Foundation, which represents the local hospitality community, decided to spread holiday cheer to the Padua House. Members and friends dressed in holiday flair and brought the residents gifts that were specialized for each of the recipients special needs.

The dozen Happy Santas and their elves rode atop the Drago’s Seafood Restaurant fire truck and was escorted by the Plaquemines Parish Sheriff’s deputies to Padua House. The Happy Santas tagged the day as Happy Santas Day.

Once they arrived they were greeted by the “Mayor” of Padua, Russell, who officially welcomed the crowd. Russell, who has been a resident for over ten years loves to help other residents.

Not only did each resident receive a bag of gifts, Santa and his helpers also sang holiday songs with the residents. Elf, Maggie Boasberg was moved as she sat and sang songs with resident Ronald Leblanc.

This will be a great holiday memory for many of the residents such as Russell, Nicholas, Jermiah and Felix and also for those that gave the holiday cheer.

Click Here For the Source of the Information.

Click Here For the Source of the Information.

The Louis Armstrong Is New Orleans’ Newest Riverboat

When thinking of New Orleans, visitors and residents alike will always picture the grand riverboats. The New Orleans Paddlewheels riverboats can be seen running along the Mississippi River any given day or night. These floating venues host many events but are limited on space. New Orleans is now home to the newest riverboat the Louis Armstrong which is large enough to host weddings, conventions, parties and concerts.

Emily Blackburn, director of sales at New Orleans Paddlewheels, found a boat capable of hosting these larger events all the way in Indiana. The 3,000 passenger vessel was a casino riverboat called the City of Evansville. Built in 1995, the boat was completely rebuilt into a floating music, wedding, convention and party venue.

The multi-million-dollar renovation took place on a drydock in Morgan City and then moved to Algiers behind the Mardi Gras World where it will be docked when out of commission.

To create this great venue, the first mission was to remove all the gaming machines, walls, ceilings, floors, bathrooms and the casino boat’s cashier counters. Once that was complete the transformation could begin.

Throughout the riverboat new electrical, a security system, high-tech audio system, new stage, new bars, new lounges, and digitally controlled lighting were installed. The air-conditioning system was also upgraded.

The three enclosed decks and the  promenade were all redesigned with specific functions in mind. They also were redesigned to be versatile so the venue would be a clean slate. The first floor can be subdivided for meetings and dinners. The second floor is the main concert hall with a standing-room-only capacity of 1,000 and a seated show of 400. The third floor will hold weddings, banquets and other events and includes a lounge.

Since there are so many bridges in New Orleans, the huge smokestacks were also taken down, refurbished and reinstalled. The exterior was also redone by sandblasting and repainting the entire riverboat. The engines were overhauled, safety equipment updated and the pilot house was updated.

The Louis Armstrong will board at 1 Poydras St. behind the Hilton Riverside Hotel where the Flamingo riverboat casino used to dock. The riverboat will host functions remaining dockside or sailing. Every Sunday patrons will enjoy a gospel jazz brunch. The riverboat will also hold concerts.

Even though the Louis Armstrong has not made its official debut, the boat is already booked for dozens of events for 2020. One big event is the College Football Playoff National Championship weekend in January. The riverboat will be docked alongside Woldenburg Park for ESPN and CFP committee private parties.

“It’s going to be very exciting,” Blackburn said. “I might cry happy tears.”

Click Here For the Source of the Information.

Actor Bryan Cranston Monarch of 2020 Orpheus Mardi Gras Parade

It is almost that time of year! Mardi Gras 2020 is just around the corner. February 2020 marks NOLA’s Mardi Gras season. One of the best known parades for beautiful floats is the Orpheus parade. The Orpheus parade, founded by Harry Connick Jr., Sonny Borey and Harry Connick Sr. in 1993, “is led by a cadre of Riding Lieutenants and the Orpheus Trojan Horse float followed by the 1,400 male and female krewe members enjoying their prestigious ride on one of 38 floats, including the Signature eight unit Smokey Mary ‘Steam Locomotive’ float and the Leviathan, a three unit 139 foot ‘Sea Monster’ float.”

The parade has seen many famous monarchs which include Quentin Tarantino, Sandra Bullock, Stevie Wonder, Joan Rivers, James Brown and Sean Payton. This year ‘Breaking Bad’ actor Bryan Cranston will reign.

Bryan Cranston stars in Breaking Bad as character Walter White, a high school chemistry teacher who is a meth lord. Cranston has earned not only an Emmy but also a Golden Globe, SAG, Tony and Olivier Award.

Other famous faces who will ride in the parade are “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia” stars Charlie Day and Mary Elizabeth Ellis and country musician and Dancing with the Stars finalist Lauren Alaina.

To top the parade off, there will be the krewe’s “Orpheuscapade” party and concert with a line up including Alaina plus appearances by D.J. Jubliee, Choppa, and Cupid. The concert will honor the late New Orleans funk pioneer Art Neville who passed in 2019.

Click Here and Click Here For the Source of the Information.