Gentilly Festival Will Be Held At Pontchartrain Park

 The Gentilly Festival is a three-day event full of music, art and food with  three stages located in Pontchartrain Park.   The festival is a free event that will run on Friday from 6pm – 9pm and on Saturday and Sunday from noon – 8pm.  The festival will be located at the playground at Press and Prentiss Drives.

This fall-filled New Orleans festival will also raise funds to support first responders and nonprofits that serve the Gentilly community.  “It’s going to be really exciting. We’re keeping our flavor, our flair of the community. We’re trying to unify and reunite the neighbors post-pandemic,” says chair and organizer of the festival Gretchen Bradford.

This year there will be over 25 food vendors and an eclectic range of entertainment.  There will be restaurants, caterers and food vendors from the area serving up their dishes at this year’s festival.  Many local caterers that are starting a business will introduce themselves through the festival. There will also  be veteran Gentilly food fest vendors that will also provide delicious assortments.  “We’ve got a little Latin, a little hip hop, brass, funk……….We got a little bit of that New Orleans bounce. We can touch many different audiences,” says Bradford.

The festival is a great event for the whole family.  This year there will be a Kids’ Village which will include pony rides, an entertainment stage, pottery making, face painting and more crafts.  For the adults, there will be tons of local organizations which will provide services and tell about what they have to offer for Gentilly residents, and for an additional charge a VIP Champagne Experience.

The Gentilly Festival is not just for locals, as the festival also attracts tourists and those who used to live in Gentilly and are back to visit for the event.  The festival will kick off with “Jazz Under the Stars” with live music and DJ’s.  Performers include Brian Quezergue Quartet, Indys Blu, Quiana Lynell and DJ Juane Jordan.

This is a fun time for Gentilly and all of New Orleans.  “We promote happiness,” says Bradford.

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The Battle of the Bike Lane

 The bike lanes along Newton Street between Elmira and Behrman in Algiers are the battleground for many cyclists and residents. Several months ago District C Council member Freddie King wanted the city to reevaluate their position on the protected bike lanes in Algier due to neighborhood disagreements regarding the lanes.

Since the situation was brought to the city’s attention, minimum changes have occurred. The city has removed dozens of the flex posts and the ones that remain have been shifted closer to the bike lane. They said this should help with parking on the street and alleviate residents’ concerns that the flex posts could obstruct emergency vehicles from getting by.

Residents are still up in arms about the protected lanes while cycling advocates are afraid of what might happen if the lanes are removed. King suggested the city remove over 2 miles of protected bike lanes located on MacArthur Boulevard and Newton Street. If this passes and goes through, this will be a downfall for the citywide bike plan created by Mayor LaToya Contrell.

West bank residents voted for King over Kristin Gisleson Palmer when he said he would advocate the removal of the paths. Residents wanted to be heard and felt that the city did not survey enough residents regarding the installation of the bike lanes in Algiers. The city has defended its actions but does admit that it did not do enough outreach to the residents of Algiers.

“We did have a number of meetings in Algiers. Obviously we needed to have more,” said Sarah Porteuos, a city infrastructure spokesperson.

As of now, the cyclists’ lanes on MacArthur and Newton include plastic posts guarding the separate lanes and parking spaces closer to the main travel lane than the curb. Automobiles will be the second line of defense for cyclists. Those who are for the lanes say that the protected lanes not only increase the safety of cyclists but motorists as well.

Research has shown that cyclists’ lanes reduce accidents for drivers, pedestrians, and cyclists. Around the city, around 30 of the 75 planned miles already have cyclists’ lanes installed. According to city officials, there were 327 crashes involving cyclists between 2014 and 2018 on MacArthur Blvd before the cyclist’s lanes were installed.

“Please do not remove protected bike lanes, said Corinna Chaney, a resident who wrote to the City Council. ” This critical infrastructure is saving lives, drivers included. We should be slowing down traffic not tearing up what little safety we have here.”

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A Rise In The Number of Women In Construction

 In 2020 the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported 10.9% of the construction workforce were women. The number has since risen to 11% reported last year by the Bureau but only 4% of these workers are involved in skilled trades. Most of the women in the industry are in office and administrative positions.

The National Association of Home Builders’ Professional Women in Building (PWB) Week is coming up. This is an annual event that celebrates women in the residential construction industry. This is a time when the work done in the industry is highlighted as well as the good-paying careers that are available. There is a shortage overall of skilled trade workers in the industry and Tradeswoman Tuesday is the perfect time to reflect on this.

September 13, 2022, there will be an online webinar that can be joined for free. Leading tradeswomen will discuss how women can successfully be a part of the construction industry. They will discuss women in the industry and ideas on how to attract more women to the industry. Kristi Allen, UTAH PWB member and owner of Woodcastle Homes will be the moderator. Joining Allen will be Merideth Balmforth, a master electrician and Katy Higgins an experienced HVAC professional.

There will also be a PWB Week Toolkit which will have other activities to do throughout the day. One of these activities is reading The House that She Built book to children. This book was written and based on real-life tradeswomen that are featured in the webinar. The home she built is in Utah and is the home the book is based on.

“Now is the perfect time for women to explore the construction industry. There is a need for the unique talents and dedication that women bring to any field – including strategies for working smarter, not harder, and for giving their all to whatever they set their minds to. The demand for women in residential construction and service has also never been greater, and the opportunities are there to enter a career that promises great quality of life, earning a good living, having value in the work you do and pride in being a builder and contributor, ” said Balmforth.

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A New French-Style Deli in Faubourg St. John

 Fair Grinds Coffee House has been purchased by the owners of Cafe Degas. Cafe Degas, a restaurant that has served French cuisine in Faubourg St. John for almost 40 years, will convert the space into a new French-style deli. Co-Owner Jacques Soulas said the space at 3133 Ponce de Leon Street will expand the kitchen capacity for Cafe Degas.

Cafe Degas opened its doors in 1986 by co-owners Jacques Soulas and Jerry Edgar. The building was formally a babershop on Esplanade Avenue and even though the restuarant has expanded, the kitchen space has not.

The new concept is still in plans along with the name. There will be a casual cafe along with a counter service deli. The menu will focus on French style sandwiches and pastries serve with coffee drinks. Like neighbor Mayhew Bakery, the new sandwiches will be served with pate, French salami, and ham and Brie.

“We’re delighted that Café Degas is taking it on and excited to see what they’ll do there,” said Wade Rathke, who ran Fair Grinds from 2011 until the coffee shop closed this spring.

Fair Grinds Coffeehouse open its doors in 2000, replacing former True Brew Coffee, by owners Robert Thompson and Elizabeth Herod. The coffee shop closed its doors after Jazz Fest.

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The 2022 Gretna Heritage Festival Will Features John Fogerty, Beach Boys, and Revivalists

 his fall the 2022 Gretna Heritage Festival will be along the Mississippi River in downtown Gretna celebrating its 26th edition. It is a three day event from October 7th – 9th and will feature big artists like John Fogerty, the Beach Boys, the Revivalists, country singer Brett Young and Irma Thomas

The single-day pass will be just $20 which can be used on any of the three days. An all three day pass will cost $45 and will be free for children 12 and under. This will be the first year that the festival has happened since before COVID-19.

Along with live music, there will be the popular Italian Village which includes over 100 craft and clothing booths and dozens of food booths, Kid’s Corner which includes games and inflatables, Margarite Village and the craft beer section. The multi-block festival will be fun for the whole family.

The festival first took off in 1994 and has been a success ever since. Big artists have been featured at the festival in the past such as KISS, Kid Rock, the B-52s, Pat Benatar & Neil Giraldo, Earth Wind & Fire, ZZ Top, Huey Lewis and the News, Rick Springfield, KC and & he Sunshine Band, Hank Williams Jr., Lynyrd Skynyrd, Joan Jett and the Blackhearts, Melissa Etheridge, the Gregg Allman Band, Aaron Lewis and Poison’s Bret Michaels.

Revivalists, which was created 20 years ago in New Orleans, will be the opening night headliner. This year will have a vast array of genres including Thomas, Tank and the Bangas, Dumpstaphunk, Deacon John & the Ivories, Kermit Ruffins, Water Seed, Cowboy Mouth, Rockin’ Dopsie, Dwayne Dopsie, Amanda Shaw and Wendell Brunious. The Saturday night headliner will be Fogerty who was part of Creedence Clearwater.

The Gretna Heritage festival not only entertains locals but also benefits local businesses and organizations in Gretna. Proceeds from the festival have supported non-profit organizations like the American Cancer Society, Amigos Mexicans, American Heart Association, American Legion and much more. Sponsors of the festival include Bud Light, IMTT, West Jefferson Medical Center, Gulf Coast Bank & Trust Company, Where Y’At and many more.

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 Why have design trends for new communities changed so in the past few years?

Changes in what a new home buyer wants in a new community has stemmed from the COVID pandemic’s demands on what a home base should look like after stay-at-home orders. Developers are finidng ways to incorporate things like the latest techonolgy or shifting the look and feel of a community to attract new generations of home buyers.

The biggest way to know what future residents want in tomorrow’s communities is to survey current buyers. “Survey and consumer feedback has always been an essential part of developing and evolving Cresswind lifestyle programming,” shared Jennifer Landers, community director for Kolter Homes, which designed the Cresswind Georgia at Twin Lakes development. The housing market has definetly shifted due to the COVID pandemic.

Developers are creating new ways to fit consumer interest into new communities. The current market shows that they want flexibility, connection with nature, and sustainability. Some examples that developers are adding to communities include multifunctional spaces, community gathering spaces, community gardens, pet-washing stations, outdoor fitness centers, water activities and equestrian trails.

“Developers and home builders are working to make better connections with nature both in terms of amenities and within the homes themselves,” observed Carol Morgan, president of Denim Marketing. “For developments, the standards include wide sidewalks, walking trails, dog parks, fire pits and connectivity with any trails in the area.

“For home design, builders are including lots of connectivity to the outdoors with patios, porches, decks, etc.,” she added. “Many of these are covered to provide year-round protection from the sun and rain.”

Developers also want to keep it affordable to homebuyers and want to stretch their development dollar. Homes are more affordable if a developer can find ways to minimize the cost of the project. A great example of this is desiging road’s networks along the site’s natural contours. At the Tyler, Home on the Lake, development in North Carolina, they converted the developments 60-acre lake from a decorative feature to a usuable amenity.

“We installed paved sidewalks around the lake’s perimeter, worked with local experts to improve water quality and clarity, stocked the lake with fish, and constructed a fishing dock and kayak launch to allow residents to take full advantage of this incredibly unique community feature,” Fidler noted. “The dock is now so popular amongst the residents that we actually had a small community wedding take place there last summer.”

“Amenities are a great focus for marketing campaigns as they portray the lifestyle of the community,” Morgan stated. “We focus on amenities and lifestyle by creating a series of graphics and storyboards for social media and blogs. It is important to tell the story and help potential buyers see how the community will live.”

“Supply is rebounding, and potential home buyers will soon be back to having multiple options to choose from,” she stated. “This is when factors like community layout and design, amenities and location will come back into play and influence home buying decisions.”

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Reports have shown that inflation might have already peaked. This has caused the mortgage rates to start to fall back towards 5%. The week ending in August 18th showed 30-year fixed-rate mortgage at an average of 5.13% according to Freddie Mac. The week prior was an average 5.22% and the year prior the 30-year was 2.86%.

“Inflation appears to be beyond its peak, which has stopped the rapid increase in mortgage rates that the housing market was experiencing earlier this year,” said Sam Khater, Freddie Mac’s chief economist.

The higher mortgage rates hurt the housing market this summer which rose to a high of 5.81% in mid-June. Sales dropped on home sales for both new homes and existing homes causing a dip in mortgage applications. The last week in August 2022 mortgage applications were at their lowest levels since 2000.

“The market continues to absorb the cumulative impact of the large price and rate increases that led to a plunge in affordability,” said Khater. “As a result, over the rest of the year purchase demand likely will continue to drag, supply will modestly increase, and home price growth will decelerate.”

“Home purchase applications continued to be held down by rapidly drying up demand, as high mortgage rates, challenging affordability, and a gloomier outlook of the economy kept buyers on the sidelines,” said Joel Kan, MBA’s associate vice president of economic and industry forecasting.

If home prices slow in increasing and mortgage rates lower, then hopefully the housing market will bounce back. This hopefully will ring true as a year ago a a buyer could purchase a $390,000 home with 20% down on a 30 year-fixed rate mortgage and have a monthly payment of around $1,292. This same home today will cost a home buyer around $1,700 a month which is around $408 more each month.

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