Farmers markets have been part of the Louisiana way of life for centuries. All across the state, these markets feature a wide array of seasonal produce, flowers, local delicacies, and arts & crafts.
Autumn is a great time of year to check out the farmers markets in your area. The weather is lovely, and there is a strong sense of community surrounding these weekly or monthly gatherings.
Read on for some of our farmers market recommendations.
There are dozens of farmers markets in the New Orleans area, and each one features a variety of items including produce and local arts & crafts. The French Market Farmers Market and the Crescent City Farmers Market have regular hours and are well known throughout the city.
This is a historic market that features full-service eateries serving breakfast, lunch and dinner and a variety of fresh produce and seafood.
Two weekly fresh food farmers markets can be found here: The Wednesday Crescent City Farmers Market and the Artisan Saturday Market.
The Crescent City Farmers Market offers items from local farmers, fishers, and food producers, as well as cooking demonstrations and occasional live music performances.
The Artisan Saturday Market offers handmade arts & crafts including clothing, candles, and many other locally made and carefully selected items.
This marketplace boasts “produce, crafts, and culture.” Its mission is to help revitalize the local community by increasing access to “fresh, local, and affordable food, and enhance economic viability” for its vendors.
Metry Market at the Park offers family fun in Metairie’s Lafreniere Park, and offers a weekly community event for all ages. Its mission is to “provide a source of fresh fruit, vegetables and local goods to residents, highlight more of what Metairie, LA can offer to their residents and encourage residents to get in the habit of buying local goods.”
This market also features artisans from all across Louisiana selling handmade jewelry, crafts, and more.
Baton Rouge is also a great place to find locally sourced produce and other goods, and there are two major markets you should definitely check out.
Main Street Market is located in downtown Baton Rouge, and features locally owned restaurants and shops inside of a marketplace setting. It is open Monday through Saturday and serves breakfast and lunch, as well as coffee.
On Saturdays, Main Street combines with the Red Stick Farmers Market to create a community market that offers cooking demonstrations, as well as other standard farmers market fare.
Red Stick Farmers Market has been in operation for nearly a decade, and only offers produce that is locally grown. Depending on the time of year, Red Stick operates in up to 7 locations across Baton Rouge, and has over 50 farmers that regularly participate.
Red Stick offers a fantastic variety of “fresh fruits and vegetables, meats, seafood, artisan breads, homemade pies, honey, milk and cheese, native plants, herbs, and specialty food items.”
For those of you staying in one of our Northshore communities, don’t worry! Both Mandeville and Covington have great farmers markets that aren’t far from your apartment.
The Covington Farmers Market takes place every Wednesday and Saturday morning, and is a community gathering featuring fresh produce, prepared food and music. All produce offered at the market is grown locally, and what’s available will depend on the season.
You’ll also find “jam, jelly, bread, pastries, pies, and candy” as well as a “broad selection of live native, ornamental and culinary plants.”
Since 2002, the Mandeville Trailhead Farmers Market has brought the local community together to buy local goods and enjoy local entertainment and educational activities.
The market features over 50 vendors offering “food of all types, wood-crafted items, artwork, pottery, children’s toys and clothing, soaps & lotions, and more.”
Contact us today to learn more about our private gated apartment communities!
Have you ever craved a delicious, complete lunch for a great price? We’ve got you covered.
We’ve put together a list of happy hour and weekly specials in the Metairie, Kenner, and River Ridge areas. These spots are close to our properties, making all of them as convenient as they are delicious!
Read on for our list of food happy hours in the New Orleans area:
Andy’s Bistro is a restaurant, bar and event space located on Veterans Blvd. They were also recently voted the best pizza in Metairie.
From 4:30 – 6:00 p.m., Andy’s offers a “Prime Time” menu — a fantastic 3-course meal for only $29. For the main course, you’ll be able to choose between filet mignon, fresh fish, pork chop, and paneed veal.
Despite being featured on our Happy Hour List, Loft18 offers more than just food and drinks. It is an indoor golf and entertainment center, designed for year-round indoor golf simulation and relaxation.
Loft18 is a great place to spend time with friends, and their weekly specials make group gatherings even better. Loft18 offers a different food and drink special every day of the week, including discounted sliders on “Lazy Saturdays” and “2 for 1” Tuesdays, which features any two select menu items for the price of one.
Check out their full list of specials here.
Drewski’s is another restaurant that offers daily lunch specials well worth checking out. Daily items include Shrimp, Tomato and Basil Pasta Topped with Bronzed Catfish and Garlic Bread and Southern Fried Chicken.
Check out their full menu here.
Boulevard American Bistro is an upscale establishment located at 4241 Veterans Blvd. in Metairie that offers a fantastic “Social Hour” menu from 3 – 6 p.m., Monday – Friday. $7 small plates like Tuna Tartare, House Made Guacamole, Fried Lousiana Oysters, and a Petite Ribeye Steak Sandwich complement their great drink specials perfectly.
Heads & Tails is a fantastic seafood restaurant in Harahan with an incredible happy hour menu Monday – Saturday at 3 – 6 p.m. that offers discounts on oysters, BBQ shrimp, boudin stuffed mushrooms, and more.
Taste of Tokyo offers delicious Lunch Combos from 11 a.m – 3 p.m. Monday – Saturday. Try this spot for great hibachi and sushi dishes.
Copeland’s in Kenner offers great lunch discounts on their delicious appetizers, including, Seafood Stuffed Mushrooms, Crab Stuffed Beignets, and Artichoke and Spinach Dip Monday – Friday from 4 – 7 p.m.
Check out their menu here.
Stingrays in Kenner offers delicious lunch specials from 11 a.m. – 4 p.m. that vary from day to day. Specials include fresh fish filets, shrimp & sausage jambalaya, and stuffed bellpepper for incredible prices.
Every Tuesday at Chilangos in Kenner, you’ll get great discounts on tacos and quesadillas, as well as margaritas.
Check out their great deals here.
Check out our website to find a 1st Lake residential community near you!
Summertime is in full swing in the Crescent City. That means the temperatures are quite high. But so is the number of fun things to do, whether you’re trying to beat the heat or enjoy it to the fullest!
Read on for our list of 7 things to do before the NOLA summer ends.
New Orleanians love snowballs. During the summertime, cooling off with a delicious snowball is a must, and there are spots to get one all across the city. If you’re Uptown, a particularly well-known and historic location is Hansen’s Sno-Bliz. Hansen’s has been open since 1939 and is known for traditional and innovative flavors like Thai Basil, Satsuma, and others. Check them out at 4801 Tchoupitoulas.
Click here for a list of the best snowballs in New Orleans.
New Orleans has plenty of fantastic pools to take advantage of this summer. If you live in one of our many properties in the New Orleans area, there’s a pool just steps away from your door!
If you’re looking to mix it up with a local crowd, spots like the Ace Hotel and Country Club are open to the public.
The Audubon Aquarium of the Americas is an awesome, relaxing place to see all kinds of sea creatures. Don’t miss the albino alligator!
The 16th annual Tales of the Cocktail is a “cocktail conference and family reunion” that features a schedule of over 200 different events, including seminars, tastings, competitions and networking events. The historic Hotel Monteleone will serve as the headquarters for this year’s conference, which takes place on July 17 – July 22. Visit the official website for more information on TOTC events!
On August 4th, join the crowds of people along Julia Street for Whitney White Linen Night, which takes places in the artsy Warehouse District. Galleries offer discounts, and there will be live music and refreshments. Just one week later, on August 11th, visit the galleries of Royal Street in the French Quarter for Dirty Linen Night! The streets will be filled with music and great food & drinks, as usual.
The annual Foundation Free Fridays summer concert series has begun! Every Friday this summer, the iconic venue offers free admission to concerts featuring great live acts.
August in New Orleans is Museum Month. If you’re a member of one of the 16 participating institutions in the city, you’ll have the opportunity to visit all of the other museums for free. World-class museums like the National WWII Museum, the New Orleans Museum of Art, and the Ogden Museum of Southern Art are taking part in this great celebration of art and history. Grab a membership today and start planning your museum itinerary!
Now that you know how to make the most of the summer in the Crescent City, check out our fantastic residential communities located in the New Orleans Area. Or, simply contact us if you have any questions or would like more information.
With so much to do in one’s own backyard, more locals are discovering the joys — and savings — of taking a staycation. Read on to learn about the best ways to be a tourist in your own city.
According to the American Automobile Association (AAA), only about 1/3 of Americans will travel more than 50 miles from home for a trip this year. That means the vast majority opted for staycations, which are just as enjoyable but without the stress of packing for the airport, waiting in security lines, or dealing with delayed or canceled flights. Instead, people are deciding to play tourists in their own town, or are taking day trips to locations within 50 miles.
In addition to saving on gas, hotels, restaurants, and other travel costs, there are many other benefits to vacationing at home. You can discover new things to do within your 1st Lake apartment community and get to know your neighbors. You can spend all day on one of our tanning ledges at our beautiful pools (just remember to wear sunscreen!). And best of all: you can explore the vibrant New Orleans-metro area.
If the whole point of a vacation is to kick back and relax, who needs the added stress of airports, rental cars, jet lag, and high travel costs anyway? There’s so much to do locally. You can fill your days reconnecting with friends, catch up on sleep, start a new exercise routine, or take advantage of the many amenities your apartment community has to offer.
Here are a few other staycation activities:
In addition to activities that are available all year long, there are some great events coming up in New Orleans. You can “run with the bulls,” New Orleans style on July 13-15 in Downtown New Orleans.
In August, you can take advantage of Museum Month, and attend most museums in New Orleans free of charge if you have a membership to any museum. Then, there’s Satchmo Summerfest in the French Quarter on August 3-5, where you can enjoy great local food, drinks, and music from acts including Ellis Marsalis, Irma Tomis, The Mahogany Brass Band and more.
Or, of course, you can spend each day in your pajamas and do nothing at all. Regardless of what you choose to do, a staycation is the best way to save money, relax, and discover something new at home!
The Louisiana summer is fast approaching, and you know what that means. Soon, temperatures will exceed 90 degrees, and everyone will be trying to beat the heat.
The most important part of battling the summer heat is preparation. Read on for several tips on how to prepare for hot weather this year!
The first step in servicing your A/C is changing your filters. Air filters that are obstructed by debris cause your cooling system to work harder, increasing the potential for malfunction. 1st Lake requires residents to change their filters every 30 days, and we offer filters free of charge.
If you have ventilation problems in your home, all the hard work you’ve done maintaining a clean air filter won’t matter. A simple check for drafts in windows and doors is the first step to addressing any issues. If you find any, notify management to take the next steps in protecting your apartment.
Finding cracks and drafts is also the first step to protecting against bug invasions. During the summer, bugs come out of hibernation and are more likely to find their way into your home.
It is recommended that thermostats be set between 75° – 78°. Turning the A/C below these settings only makes the unit run more and use more electricity. Also, turning your unit off during the day will only cause the unit to run longer that evening, as it will have to cool down the whole apartment before it reaches a comfortable temperature. This can also lead to higher energy bills and potential unnecessary A/C repairs.
Summer is a season to enjoy time with friends and family. Pool parties, outdoor cookouts, and leisure time will all be much more satisfying if your home is taken care of and prepared for the summer heat. Now that you have everything in order, enjoy the sun!
1st Lake Properties | P. O. Box 73709 | Metairie, LA 70033 | info@1stlake.com
