As if you needed another reason to move to New Orleans, the Daily Beast just named the Crescent City the second top Aspirational City in the U.S.
The criteria for the cities recognized in the study was based 50% on the health of the economy, 25% on the quality of life and another 25% on demographic factors. Most of the cities that ranked as the top for attracting ambitious and aspirational individuals and business are located in the South, with New Orleans coming in at number two, just below Austin. They are not huge metropolises or conglomerates, but “culturally vibrant,” and “modest sized,” two characteristics that definitely describe New Orleans.
The factors that the study looked for to designate these top aspirational cities were largely economic indicators including employment growth, per capita income and unemployment rates as well as demographic information such as the “growth of domestic migration and the movement of college-educated people and the foreign born.”
Finally, another major factor that contributed to determining New Orleans as the second most aspirational city was “urban arbitrage,” which The Daily Beast defines as “places that provide not just economic and cultural opportunity but a cost structure that allows them to enjoy their success to the fullest extent.” Furthermore, New Orleans was noted as providing a rich cultural experience and possessing progressive social qualities while maintaining low costs, less regulation and lower taxes found in a “red state environment.”
More and more people are moving to New Orleans from all over the country, and with all the fantastic apartments in greater New Orleans that 1st Lake Properties offers, there’s no reason not to!
Pets are wonderful life and living companions and 1st Lake Properties recognizes this with their pet-friendly policies. But having a pet also means extra care must be taken to maintain the health and cleanliness of your apartment and also for your pet. To avoid having unwanted pet odor, make sure you’re following basic pet care rules. If you need a refresher, we’ve included them below!
Vacuum: This is essential for pet owners, and especially those with long haired pets. Invest in a quality vacuum cleaner to remove pet hair that is not only messy but carries odor with it. If your budget allows, a self running vacuum like a Roomba iRobot can virtually do the work for you. If you have hardwood floors, a Swiffer is a great and affordable option.
Litter Box: One of the biggest contributors to pet emitting odors is the litter box. To keep the air quality in your apartment unpolluted, make sure to either manually clean it daily and replace the litter weekly or invest in a self cleaning litter box.
Caretaking: A healthy and happy pet is synonymous with a clean pet. Make sure to bathe your pet, brush its teeth or provide it with dental chew toys and treats, and feed it a high quality diet. Besides cleaning what your pet leaves behind, cleaning your pet itself is crucial to avoiding unfavorable pet odors in your apartment.
Pet Area: Set up a designated spot for your pet, whether it’s a comfy crate or a pet bed. By keeping an area reserved for your pet to spend most of its lounging time, it will limit the other areas of the apartment where your pet could spread odors and you can clean that one area regularly to keep it fresh.
If you’re moving in to your first apartment or are starting fresh somewhere new, it’s important to plan ahead for how to set up your new digs, especially if you’re buying new furniture. We’ll take you through the essentials you’ll need room by room, starting with the living room, which is the primary common area of any apartment. Ensure that your apartment is fully furnished, starting with these living room ideas for 10 basic pieces, for a completely built out living room.
1. Couch or love seat – You’re going to want a comfy, cushiony couch or love seat to fit at least a couple of people, since the living room is intended for lounging and entertainment. To optimize your living room accommodations, look for a couch that has a pull out bed built in for when you are hosting guests.
2. Arm Chair – In addition to a couch or a love seat, make sure to have a comfortable lounge chair as an additional option for individual seating.
3. Coffee Table – A coffee table is another living room essential. Find a coffee table to match your style and budget, from a decorative iron coffee table with a glass top to a piece of salvaged wooden furniture found at a flea market.
4. Entertainment Center – While this isn’t a necessity, an entertainment center is a very nice companion to a living room. Whether your entertainment of choice is a stereo for playing music, a HD TV for playing movies and television, or a combination of both, you’ll need furniture to place it on – not to mention the equipment itself. Make sure not to get your wires crossed – see our cord control guide to avoid a cable catastrophe!
5. Lighting – Add some low lighting, like a table lamp to your living room when the ceiling light is too bright.
6. Extras – After you have all the living room essentials, it’s time to think about the finishing touches like framed photos, art and indoor plants to add some life and personality to your living room.
Don’t waste any more time looking for a great apartment! Check out all of the apartments in Metairie that 1st Lake has available right now!
1st Lake Properties is proud to announce the winners of last quarter’s Beautification Award. Each quarter, several properties that meet a set of distinguished criteria are recognized as part of the 1st Lake Properties Beautification Award program.
1st Lake awards first, second and third place in different categories to a selection of their New Orleans area apartment communities. Last quarter’s first place winners were the Brewster Commons apartments in Covington; Park Oaks, Windmill Creek South and Crossings apartments in Metairie; and Cypress Creek and Palmetto Creek apartments in River Ridge. These properties are honored to receive this highly esteemed and sought after distinction.
Each quarter, secret shoppers are sent to inspect and score each 1st Lake property, looking for excellence in areas like cleanliness of the grounds and common areas including pool and mail areas; landscaping; signage; and maintenance of stairwells, balconies and parking areas.
Each 1st Lake property who won the first place Beautification Award last quarter was very deserving. Brewster Commons is a relatively new addition to the 1st Lake family, and boasts beautifully manicured outdoor grounds features and extremely well kept common areas. The Crossings apartments in Metairie are surrounding by lush greenery that’s regularly tended to with care. The Windmill Creek South apartments in Metairie are adorned with elaborately designed landscaping including bridges arching over creeks and walking paths. Cypress Creek, Palmetto Creek and Park Oaks are also equipped with lovely pools and greenery.
The team at 1st Lake Properties would like to extend their congratulations to each of the Beautification Award winners and good luck to next quarter’s contenders!
Just because there is less space in some apartments compared to a house doesn’t mean that you can’t store as much stuff, you just have to be more creative and smarter about how you store it. There are plenty of clever storage solutions for less square footage. So if you have a studio or one bedroom apartment, you don’t have to worry!
Hideaway storage – Hideaway storage is a sneaky and brilliant way of storing household items. You can find stylish ottomans that function both as furniture and storage with tops that come off so you can keep storage inside.
Hang it up – When there’s no storage space left to be found, utilize the perfectly good available wall space by hanging up items using non damaging wall hangers. Keeping a monochromatic theme with the color of the storage material will make the storage unit blend in and be more visually appealing. For example, if you have white walls, use a white wall hanger for a cleaner, sleeker look. Wall hanging storage can be used in practically any room, from the closet for shoes to the kitchen for utensils.
Use furniture – If your bathroom has limited storage space, try adding a piece of furniture like an end table, chest of drawers or desk to keep towels and personal items like makeup and toiletries. In addition, don’t underestimate the usefulness of mantels or other interior features that can be used for shelving.
Room dividers – This is especially useful for studio dwellers who would like to divide their open space to create separation between different living sections. A large shelving unit can serve both as ample storage space and a division between where you sleep and where you entertain.
Check out the available New Orleans area apartments from 1st Lake Properties to find the perfect space with plenty of storage to fit your needs!
1st Lake Properties | P. O. Box 73709 | Metairie, LA 70033 | info@1stlake.com
