The thriving small town of Metairie, with a population of nearly 140,000, is the perfect suburb of New Orleans for those who are looking for lots of amenities. From stylish modern condominiums to well-built single-family homes on large lots, this pretty lakeside city offers a variety of housing options. Visitors to the city of New Orleans travel through Metairie along Interstate 10 or Veterans Memorial Boulevard, which has become the main and longest shopping boulevard in Metairie, extending from New Orleans to the city of Kenner. In 1989, a district in Metairie elected white supremacist David Duke to the Louisiana state legislature for a single term. Although not officially a city, Metairie has been named one of the 50 best cities to live in the United States.
Due to Spanish and French colonial influence, Metairie and its surrounding area have a mostly Catholic population. It is similar to New Orleans in many ways, but it is not located in Orleans Parish and is governed locally by the Jefferson Parish Council, not by a separate city council or police jury. Metairie Ridge was colonized by the French in the early 1760s, before the colony was ceded to Spain by the Treaty of Paris in 1763. Metairie is situated in the east of Jefferson Parish and is bordered by New Orleans to the east, Kenner to the west, Lake Pontchartrain to the north and the Illinois Central Railroad tracks to the south. Many years ago, a particular farm owned by the Chain brothers near Bayou Choupic was known as La Metairie.
Metairie Road is still one of the main traditional arteries (slow traffic in both directions) that connects Metairie to New Orleans. The Lakeside Shopping Center, one of Louisiana's largest and oldest malls, is located on Causeway Boulevard in the heart of Metairie. In the 1720s, French colonists became the first Europeans to colonize Metairie in an area then known as Tchoupitoulas and now as Metairie Ridge. This natural dam was formed by an old branch of the Mississippi River, Bayou Metairie, which flowed through River Ridge, Metairie, Gentilly and New Orleans East. The term 'Metairie' is derived from the French word 'Moitie' (half) and 'moitoire' (used in 12th-century feudal Europe to describe a particular type of French agricultural relationship).Major east-west highways (starting from north to south) include West Esplanade Avenue, Veterans Memorial Boulevard, West Napoleon Avenue, West Metairie Avenue, Metairie Road and Airline Drive (which is part of U.
S. Route 61). A number of stores, professional buildings and shopping malls have been developed on Metairie Road which is one of the most picturesque areas in Metairie.
