Metairie, Louisiana

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Metairie (local pronunciations /ˈmɛtəɹi/, /ˈmɛtɹi/) is an unincorporated, census-designated place (CDP) located in Jefferson Parish, Louisiana. The 17th Street Canal forms the border between Metairie and New Orleans to the east. As of the 2000 census, it had a total population of 146,136. Metairie is the largest unincorporated community in the Greater New Orleans Metropolitan area.

View of Veterans Higway, Metairie's main commercial thouroughfare, looking Lakeward
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View of Veterans Higway, Metairie's main commercial thouroughfare, looking Lakeward

Metairie ranks as the fifth-largest CDP in the nation, behind Honolulu, Hawaii, Paradise, Nevada, Arlington, Virginia, and Sunrise Manor, Nevada. The zip codes that serve the community are 70001-70006 and 70062.

The name comes from a French language term for a tenant farm which paid the landlord with a share of the produce (sharecropping), as this was the main activity of the area in the early 19th century.

It should be noted that Metairie Cemetery is not located in the town of Metairie, but rather within the city of New Orleans on Metairie Road.

Contents

Description

Metairie is located in eastern Jefferson Parish and its boundaries include New Orleans to the east, Kenner to the west, Lake Pontchartrain to the north, and Jefferson, Elmwood, and Harahan to the south.

Population History from the U.S. Census Bureau

Source U.S. Census Bureau

History

Metairie was first settled by the French in the late 18th century along an area known as Metairie Ridge, a winding bit of naturally higher land formed by a natural bayou levee. This became "Metairie Road". An electric streetcar was installed running along Metairie Road in the late 1910s, opening the area to greater development. Upscale suburban housing tracts were constructed off the Road in the 1920s; this area is now known as "Old Metairie". Most of the rest of Metairie was not developed until after World War II.

The wide straight avenue "Veterans Boulevard" was laid out along side a drainage canal, and became a commercial center of the region. The Central Business District of Metairie is located on Causeway Blvd. north of Veterans. Lakeside Shopping Center is the largest mall in Metairie, and the highest grossing mall in the New Orleans metropolitan area. In the 1970s and early 1980s an area of bars and nightclubs opened in a section of Metairie that is known as "Fat City" or "Metairie's Bourbon Street." Metairie has a thriving Mardi Gras season, with numerous parades throughout the season. Metairie's Mardi Gras is known as the cleaner, more family-friendly version of the New Orleans Mardi Gras.

Hurricanes and Floods

The 1947 Fort Lauderdale Hurricane with winds of 125 MPH directly hit Metairie. Much of the community was under six feet of water. Moisant Airport, to the west, was shut down because of two feet of flooding. Hurricane Betsy, a category three storm, hit the area in 1965, causing extensive wind damage and moderate flooding. The May 8th 1995 Louisiana Flood, which dumped upwards of twenty inches of rain into Metairie in a twelve hour period, flooded some parts of the region, especially areas south and west of Metairie, including Kenner, Harahan, and River Ridge.

Hurricane Katrina

On August 29, 2005, Metairie was hit hard by the devastating effects of Hurricane Katrina, including widespread flooding resulting from three causes. The first was rain water. Jefferson Parish President Aaron Broussard evacuated all pumping station operators from their posts to spots over one hundred miles away in Washington Parish in anticipation of the hurricane. Because almost all of Metairie is between two and seven feet below sea level, all rain water was captured in the Metairie "bowl." The second source of flooding was the backflow from the pumping stations. Unable to return for nearly two days, the pump operators could not turn the pumps on to prevent Lake Pontchartrain from flowing into the canals of Jefferson Parish. This largely resulted in the severe flooding of Metairie in most areas north of Interstate 10. The third source of flooding was waters from the 17th Street Canal breach. There was no breach on the Metairie side of the canal, however, water crept into Metairie through several streets, including Airline Highway and Metairie Road. This water largely caused the flooding in Old Metairie, which is the only part of Metairie above sea level. The majority of looting in Metairie occurred in Old Metairie. Between 1/3 and 1/2 of homes in Metairie flooded as a result of roof damage or rising flood waters. Many of these residents are joining a class action lawsuit against Aaron Broussard because he failed to follow emergency procedures in regards to his removal of pump operators.

There were 29 reported deaths related to Katrina in Metairie. The death toll and damage was less in Metairie than in New Orleans, largely because the Metairie side of the 17th Street Canal did not breach.

The Bucktown region of Metairie, at the very northeastern tip, bordering West End, New Orleans, was dealt a crushing blow. Katrina's storm surge swept away several area restaurants, including SidMar's, as well as a community of shrimpers and fishermen that has lived there for a century. The homes in the area received substantial (over five feet) flooding.

Residents were given a mandatory evacuation on August 28, 2005, the first time one has ever been ordered. Residents were not allowed to return until September 4. However, residents were only allowed to quickly visit their homes or business between 7AM and 6PM. Residents were not allowed to return after that until September 15, 2005. This period of over two weeks in exile angered many residents, especially those whose homes flooded because they were unable to empty the house of water and air out furniture, which led to worse damage.

See Effect of Hurricane Katrina on New Orleans

Geography

Location of Metairie, Louisiana

Metairie is located at 29°59'52" North, 90°10'39" West (29.997797, -90.177473)1.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of 60.2 km² (23.3 mi²). 60.1 km² (23.2 mi²) of it is land and 0.1 km² (0.1 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 0.22% water.

Transportation

The most common method of transportation within Metairie is the automobile; there is relatively little mass transit. Interstate 10 runs east-west through Metairie. Major east-west roads (starting from north to south) include West Esplanade Avenue, Veterans Boulevard, West Napoleon Avenue, West Metairie Avenue, and Airline Drive (which is part of U.S. Highway 61). Major north-south roads (starting from west to east) include David Drive, Transcontinental Drive, Clearview Parkway, Causeway Boulevard, and Bonnabel Boulevard.

Demographics

As of the census2 of 2000, there are 146,136 people, 63,741 households, and 39,073 families residing in Metairie. The population density is 2,431.0/km² (6,296.7/mi²). There are 67,225 housing units at an average density of 1,118.3/km² (2,896.6/mi²). The racial makeup of Metairie is 86.53% White, 6.83% African American, 0.27% Native American, 2.77% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 1.91% from other races, and 1.68% from two or more races. 7.25% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There are 63,741 households out of which 25.3% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.1% are married couples living together, 11.4% have a female householder with no husband present, and 38.7% are non-families. 32.9% of all households are made up of individuals and 11.3% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.28 and the average family size is 2.93.

In Metairie the population is spread out with 20.6% under the age of 18, 8.4% from 18 to 24, 29.6% from 25 to 44, 24.9% from 45 to 64, and 16.4% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 40 years. For every 100 females there are 91.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 88.1 males.

The median income for a household in Metairie is $41,265, and the median income for a family is $52,555. Males have a median income of $37,371 versus $27,057 for females. The per capita income for Metairie is $24,771. 8.9% of the population and 6.2% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 11.2% of those under the age of 18 and 7.2% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.

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