It’s almost back to school time here in the New Orleans area, but summer’s not officially over until the fall equinox on September 22, 2017. Luckily, the greater New Orleans region offers plenty of opportunities for summer fun for the whole family.
Whether you’ve got kids that are going back to school in a few weeks or little ones that need entertaining no matter what the season, we’ve got a few ideas for summer activities your kids will love.
Our apartment communities are famous for their resort-like pools and water features. At Bella Ridge, located near the Elmwood shopping center, you can reserve a cabana at our large resort-style swimming pool. Relax, unwind, and catch some rays at our tanning ledge while the kids splash around. Our poolside delivery menu is available 7 days a week.
Residents of the Lake Towers, Regency Club, and Spring Brook apartments in Baton Rouge have a fun-for-all-ages water park right in their back yard with Blue Bayou. There are water slides, roller coasters, Ferris wheels, and plenty of ways to splish and splash all summer long.
Whether you have a book collection at home or would rather opt to check one out from the public library, reading a book together is always a fun family activity. Enhance the kid’s summer reading list by finding stories that fit their interests. If the kids are old enough to read on their own, let everyone pick a book of their own and read silently together.
The companionship of having your family in the room can make even this quiet activity a cozy and relaxing one. It can also be fun to read a book aloud. Perhaps the family can take turns reading parts, or an adult can take the lead and handle the reading duties. However you choose to do it, reading not only enriches minds but can also be a lot of fun!
Going on a road trip this summer? There are several services, such as Audible Kids that have a great selection of quality literature for children. Download a few to your favorite device and either give your child some headphones, or play the book over your car’s speakers while they play quietly.
A classic and time-tested family activity is building a blanket fort. All it takes is a few chairs, some blankets, and maybe a few pillows or cushions to create a magical world for your little ones! Once nestled inside, your kids can read a book, play with toys, or simply let their imaginations wander.
Your new blanket fort is a perfect place for an indoor picnic or tea party on rainy or extremely hot summer days. Lay a tablecloth on the floor and the family can enjoy a fun lunch or tea and snacks together. Your kids will get a big kick out of being able to eat their afternoon snack inside a blanket fort!
One of the great things about Louisiana is all the natural waterways we have that are perfect for summer activities like fishing. Residents of our New Orleans area apartments can enjoy fishing on Lake Pontchartrain, while residents of Audubon Gates in Slidell don’t have to go far to take advantage of the St. Tammany Parish fishing pier.
Residents of our newest apartment community, Artesia in Covington, can take advantage of the nearby Tchefuncte River for all their fishing and boating desires.
The greater New Orleans area offers plenty of spots for summer picnics, playing Frisbee, or flying a kite.
The Lafreniere apartments in Metairie are located right at the main entrance of Lafreniere Park, and all other Metairie, Kenner, and River Ridge residents are located just a short drive from the beautiful City Park and Audubon Park in New Orleans.
A great way to spend a summer evening is to enjoy a baseball game with some delicious grilled food and friends. The New Orleans Baby Cakes minor league baseball team (formerly known as the Zephyrs) play all through the summer at the “Shrine on Airline” which is conveniently located on Airline Drive in Metairie, close to many 1st Lake Properties apartments. The Baby Cakes partner with many local organizations for fun promotional events throughout the summer, like Harry Potter Night, Elvis Night, and Wayne’s World Night.
As the season of blockbusters, the summer is always a great time to go to the movies. It’s air-conditioned, the popcorn is hot and buttery, and the movies are action-packed.
There are plenty of great options to go to the movies near our apartment communities in Metairie, Kenner, and River Ridge. The AMC Elmwood Palace has 20 theaters showing all the best summer blockbusters as well as the Clearview Palace for another great nearby option.
After you’ve spent the day full of fun activities, your entire family can relax and recharge in one of our 9,500+ apartment rentals in the greater New Orleans area.
Our pet-friendly apartment communities feature elaborate landscaping and ample storage space. Find your perfect home today!
Recently, Travel+Leisure magazine named New Orleans as one of the Top 15 Cities in the United States, but people aren’t just visiting our vibrant city, they’re moving here!
The French Quarter is home to New Orleans’ live music scene and it hosts a multitude of unique and entertaining events year-round.
From 2010 to 2015, the number of millennial residents in the greater New Orleans area increased by 8.5%. This data comes from another recent article from Time magazine, which highlights the twenty-five cities millennials are migrating to.
While millennials are still moving to powerhouses like New York City and Los Angeles, there’s been a major uptick in the 25-to-34 age populations of America’s smaller major cities.
Come for the live music. Stay for the live music!
Many local officials believe the ever-growing entrepreneurial offerings and affordable housing market entice younger crowds to come. The area’s festivals and social offerings, culinary selections, and proximity to regional attractions also appeal to the millennial audience.
New business confidence has ignited the tech scene, bringing in annual conferences like Collision and boosting New Orleans Entrepreneur Week attendance and programming tenfold.
You can’t beat a skyline sunset!
With a festival happening almost every week, Mardi Gras, professional sports, and a world-class restaurant scene, New Orleans has it all! A decision to move to the Big Easy just got easier!
Check out all of our apartments in the New Orleans area.
A city known for letting the good times roll, New Orleans also knows how to take it easy — especially during the summer. Time seems to slow down in the balmy, summer months. With a little more sunlight and a lot more free time, summer offers lots of ways for you to enjoy the Crescent City. We’ve got a few ideas below!
Lounge by one of our many 1st Lake Properties pools.
With proximity to Lake Pontchartrain, Bayou St. John, City Park’s Big Lake, and the Mississippi River, Greater New Orleans just beckons for you to don your best nautical gear and hit the water. Whether you learn to sail on Lake Pontchartrain, rent a kayak for a tranquil afternoon along Bayou St. John, canoe in City Park (or maybe take a gondola ride), or traverse the Mississippi on the New Orleans Ferry or Steamboat Natchez, you’ll enjoy picturesque views and sea breezes.
Standup paddle boarding is a great workout, and it also offers some fantastic views when you rent through NOLA Paddleboards right on Bayou St. John. Paddle sessions are $37 (reservations required) and includes a short, complimentary lesson to help get you started.
Summertime and picnics just go hand in hand. And in Greater New Orleans, there are tons of awesome spots for a picnic. Try City Park, Lafreniere Park, or Kenner City Park, as well as quiet spots along Bayou St. John or Lakeshore Drive on Lake Pontchartrain. Need ideas on what foods to pack? Take a look at our recipe archives here. These easy, no-bake recipes are also great contenders since they can be served at room temperature.
Sometimes, a quick road trip is all you need to feel like you “got away.” We have a detailed list of nearby places that will have you back to sleep in your own bed! Take a look and get planning here.
It’s just not summertime without some hot New Orleans festivals. Check out ESSENCE Fest over 4th of July weekend; San Fermin en Nueva Orleans (Running of the Bulls) happening July 7-9; Bastille Day Fete on July 14; Satchmo Summerfest Aug. 3-6; White Linen Night on Aug. 5; and Dirty Linen Night and Red Dress Run on August 13.
As the song goes, it’s “summertime, and the livin’ is easy.” Take time out to relax and unwind. Sit by the pool. Read a great book. Add those extra little touches to your apartment to make it feel like home.
For the third year in a row, 1st Lake Properties received recognition as one of the top midsize places to work in New Orleans!
Since the inception of Nola.com’s “Top Workplaces,” 1st Lake consistently ranked in the top three workplaces. With a 1st place victory in 2015 and a 2nd place victory each year following, our team members continually prove their momentum and passion.
In addition to this achievement, 1st Lake also received the 2017 award for “the employer who encourages their team members to innovate new ideas.” Each quarter, team members submit company suggestions. Then at our company-wide quarterly meetings, we announce the top submissions, which become part of our business practices.
They say it takes a village to raise a family, and at 1st Lake we believe it takes a family to raise a company. Our 1st Lake family continues to grow, and we want you to be a part of what we’re doing.
If you want to join our team, visit our careers page!
Our 1st Lake team at the 2017 TopWorkplace Awards.
Our very best tips to stay cool in summer involve one of our sparkling pools and a snowball from your favorite local stand, but sometimes it’s tempting to simply run the A/C at full capacity, open the freezer, and stand in front of it to cool down.
While we certainly don’t blame you (the Gulf South gets hot!), we do think it’s important to conserve energy. Using the following energy-saving tips for apartment dwellers is important not only for your monthly utility bill, but also the environment in general.
Your A/C unit will actually have to work harder to cool down your apartment if you only turn it on when you’re at home. Instead, keep the A/C running while you’re gone at a higher temperature… read more below!
Did you know that for every degree below 79 degrees you set your thermostat, your bill will increase by as much as 3 percent? When you’re not at home, keep your thermostat at 79 for optimal energy use.
Keeping air filters clean is one of the easiest ways to not only save energy but also improve air quality at home. For best results, replace fiberglass filters monthly. The air filter keeps debris and pollutants out of your home’s air system, which improves overall HVAC performance and can even help mitigate allergy symptoms.
You probably spend long periods of time in a certain part of your apartment, whether it’s at your desk on the computer or on the sofa watching television. For these stretches, it’s great to have a small, portable fan you can take with you to keep you cool. Rather than waste energy (and money) cooling down the entire apartment, point a fan your way to stay cool and comfortable economically.
Like a portable fan, ceiling fans are a great way to stay cool. However, you’ll want to check to make sure that your bedroom fans are rotating counter-clockwise for maximum cool-down potential.
Most modern CFL lightbulbs no longer have that annoying buzz or hum, and they use about 70% less energy than incandescent bulbs, so there’s no excuse not to use them! Make sure that the CFLs you use are compatible with your lighting controls though, as most motion sensors and electric timers are not designed to work with CFL bulbs. Be sure to also only use bulbs labeled as dimmable on dimmer switches.
Use your lights in a smarter way. For more light, it’s better to use one large bulb rather than several smaller ones. For example, according to Entergy, one 100-watt bulb uses the same amount of energy as four 25-watt bulbs, yet it produces 50 percent more light.
In addition to our collection of cleaning tips, this one is simple: dust and clean bulbs and lampshades every so often – you’ll be surprised at the difference! You can get up to one-third more light from the same amount of money simply by keeping bulbs and shades clean.
If you like to sleep in, blackout curtains are a must. But they’re also great for keeping out the heat during the summer months. Pick up a cheap pair at Target, or line your existing curtains with blackout fabric available at retailers like JoAnn’s.
Ideally, your refrigerator temperature should be between 37 and 42 degrees; the freezer should hover between zero and five degrees. Leaving town for a summer vacation? Use up the foods that will spoil, then turn your refrigerator up two or three settings (but keep the freezer’s temperature steady at all times).
Don’t overcrowd your fridge, as it can interfere with air flow and efficiency. The opposite is true for your freezer, however; freezers are typically most efficient when fully stocked.
Use the oven rather than the stovetop whenever you can, especially during the heat of summer. Insulated ovens retain heat much better and use less energy than stovetop counterparts, but be sure to use a timer, as opening the oven door lets up to 20% of the heat escape.
If you need a little culinary inspiration, BuzzFeed has you covered with one-tray oven dishes.
Entergy offers a service called Level Billing to help you take control of your monthly utility bill. You can sign up for Level Billing on their website so your bill will be about the same price month after month.
1st Lake Properties | P. O. Box 73709 | Metairie, LA 70033 | info@1stlake.com
