Metairie, Louisiana, is a suburb of New Orleans that has been named one of the 50 best cities to live in the United States. Although larger than most cities in the entire state, Metairie isn't legally a city and its residents have no mayor or city tax. The original spelling, Metairie, means tenant farm in French and it was first colonized by the French in the late 18th century along an area known as Metairie Ridge. At the beginning of the 19th century, the main activity in this area was sharecropping, through which the owners were paid with part of the products.
Being so close to New Orleans, Metairie has become a popular destination for tourists visiting New Orleans and, as a result, has been discovered for its own gems, such as excellent Cajun food, jazz and nightlife. If suburbs are your thing, then Metairie homes may be the right solution for your desire to be close to the city of New Orleans. The historic residential base of Metairie has gradually shifted from being a primarily suburban residential community to several mixed commercial uses, including malls, office buildings, nightclubs and entertainment venues. It connects Metairie to Covington, Mandeville and Madisonville, which are the cities on the north shore of Lake Pontchartrain.
Off-road homes were built in the 1920s and this area is now known as Old Metairie, which is actually the most prestigious area in Metairie today. Located just west of the city, Metairie is one of the largest communities in Jefferson Parish, with a great selection of shops, restaurants and places to live. While it lacks the history and architecture of New Orleans, Metairie is an economic center in the New Orleans metropolitan area. One of the largest and oldest malls in Louisiana, the Lakeside Shopping Center, is located on Causeway Boulevard in the heart of Metairie.
Many of Metairie's nightclubs are located in Fat City, which was planned and developed as the Metairie business district. It became Metairie Road, where an electric streetcar running along Metairie Road was installed in the late 1910s, opening the area to further development.
