Skateboarding on the West Bank – Ramp Age Ramp Park Harvey LA

Anytime we visit another town, one of the first questions that my 13 year old asks is “Do they have a skateboard park?”. He fancies himself as the next Tony Hawk and lives to skate.  So he was thrilled to find out that we have a ramp park right here on the West Bank of New Orleans.

Ramp Age doesn’t look like much from the outside, clustered among other warehouses, but the owners have built ramps, half pipes, grinds, rails and more to accommodate both the skateboarders and bike riders and their need to have a safe place to ride.

For only $10, my son can spend an entire day or just a couple of hours perfecting his “skills”. The on site pro shop features enough parts and accessories for both bikes and boards to keep even the most demanding rider tricked out and rolling in style.

Ramp Age is located at 721 Grefer Avenue in Harvey LA (just off the Westbank Expressway) and is open for bike night on Thursdays from 6-10 pm, general admission on Fridays from 6-10 pm, Saturdays from  noon-10 pm and Sundays from noon-6 pm.  For more information, call (504) 363-5225.

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Are you relocating to the West Bank or to NAS JRB New Orleans?  For more information about the community and West Bank homes for sale, please contact the West Bank Living Team.  We are proud West Bank residents who would love to help with all of your real estate needs.

Real Estate Video – How to Choose a Realtor

You can always find the most interesting stuff on the net…I ran across this video today with some great tips on interviewing and choosing a Realtor.

Thinking about buying or selling your West Bank home?  Contact the West Bank Living Team for more information about how we can help you meet your real estate goals.

Let’s Go Shopping on the West Bank

I don’t know about anyone else, but if I was relocating to a new city one of my first questions about getting around would be “where can I buy ____?” Part of getting acclimated is finding out where to shop in your new community and the West Bank has plenty of choices.

Shopping Mall

Oakwood Center in Terrytown is the only true mall on the West Bank.  With department stores Dillard’s, JC Penney’s and Sears as anchors, the mall is still filling spaces left after the extended closure and renovations from hurricane damage.  Some of the stores that have returned are Old Navy, Victoria’s Secret and Forever 21.  I’m still waiting for someone to figure out that there is a lot of disposable income on the West Bank  – until then, if you want a Restoration Hardware, Pottery Barn or William-Sonoma, you’ll need to take a 15-20 minute ride to Lakeside Mall in Metairie.

Discount Shopping

Who doesn’t love a good bargain? In addition to Target (on Manhattan Blvd. in Harvey) there are multiple WalMart locations, a Sam’s Club on Manhattan and a KMart on Belle Chasse Highway.   If you enjoy the thrill of the hunt, check out Burlington, Marshall’s, Ross (all on Manhattan) and TJ Maxx on Lapalco Blvd.

Home Improvement Stores

Once you’ve settled into your new West Bank home, you’ll more than likely be making a few changes. Whether it’s painting a room or renovating the entire space, it’s handy to have Lowe’s on Manhattan and 2 Home Depot locations on both the Westbank Expressway (Gretna) and Lapalco Blvd. (Harvey, LA)  Of course, if you just need a few small items, look for your neighborhood hardware stores, since they are still alive and well and usually offer the best advice and customer service around.

Home Decorating

Nothing is more satisfying than putting those final touches on a room with the perfect accessories. West Bank choices range from Bed, Bath & Beyond to Pier 1 to World Market, all located on the corner of Manhattan and the Westbank Expressway in Harvey.  Then there are the boutique shops that feature decorative items with a local twist.  One of my favorites is Frames Inc in Algiers, because they manage to pack a huge number of unique items into a cozy, welcoming shop.

What are you waiting for?  Let’s go shopping!

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For information about relocating to or from the West Bank of New Orleans, please contact the West Bank Living Team.  It would be our pleasure to assist you with all of your real estate needs and help you sell your home or find the perfect West Bank Home for Sale.

Batture Cleanup in Algiers This Weekend

If you don’t have any plans for Saturday morning (March 28,2009), this is a great way to volunteer and help out the Algiers community.  For newcomers to the city, the batture is the section of land between the levee and the river.

This Saturday, Algiers’ residents will be cleaning up all the trash along the batture, going down river from the ferry terminal. The “fun” will start at 8am, weather permitting, until about noon or whenever you have had enough. *ALL* help gratefully appreciated!

If it is raining, we’ll try for Sunday morning. We also need to clean the batture behind Mardi Gras World. I spoke to “T.K.” Kern lunch time today and she will try and get her dumpster emptied by them so that we can throw all the trash in there, saving us a trip to the dump or leaving it piled up for the garbage men to pick up (or not…depending on their mood). We are also getting two guys from the Levee Board with a truck to help us. Al Schmitt will have his snowball machine there!

This effort will make Algiers look more attractive to visitors coming off the ferry and double as a beautification process before the two day Riverfest music festival and the APA’s Porch Sale of the Century the following weekend. This will be a community effort so we are relying on everyone from *ALL* organizations to help out.

As the tide is now higher that I would have liked, sensible footwear should be worn as well as long pants and long sleeves. Tough guys in shorts and T-shirts are also welcome! Please bring your own tools – rakes, spades, gloves, machetes. We are looking to clear some of the undergrowth on the batture so *particularly looking for volunteers with branch trimmers and chain saws* to carry out some of the heavier work. We will *_NOT_* be cutting down any trees!!! The APA will provide water and bags.

Look forward to seeing y’all then,

Many thanks in advance,

Kevin Herridge – “*Bat*(ture) *Man*”.

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If you are interested in becoming part of the Algiers community, contact the West Bank Living Team.  It would be our pleasure to help you find the perfect Algiers home for sale.

Tall Timbers | Algiers LA Real Estate Market Report

I was hanging out in Tall Timbers this week at a home inspection and realized that it’s been awhile since I looked at the home sales for just this neighborhood.  Let’s take a look at what’s been happening in this Algiers community lately.

Tall Timbers – Number of Homes Sold 2004-2009

Looks like a roller coaster, doesn’t it? After a huge jump in the number of homes sold in 2006 (post Katrina), sales have been dropping to a more normal level each year since.

The impact of tightened lending guidelines on sales cannot be underestimated here.  The harder it is for buyers to qualify for a mortgage, the fewer number of homes will be sold each year.

Tall Timbers – Average Home Sale Prices 2004-2009

Prices in Tall Timbers have held steady for the last couple of years, with no real appreciation being noted. These average sale prices do not include any seller concessions, so I reviewed the 2008 sales and found:

• 61% of the sellers paid for a home warranty at closing
• 40% of sellers provided an average of $5,619 in closing cost assistance to the buyers

Conventional financing is still the norm in the area, with over 50% of buyers using that mortgage option.  VA and FHA loans accounted for another 28% of the sales, with the balance of purchases using some other type of financing or paying cash for the property.

Tall Timbers – Average Days on Market 2004-2009

As the number of sales has dropped over the last couple of years, the days on market (how long it is taking the average home to sell) has increased substantially.

The homes that sell the quickest will always be those that are priced right, updated and move in ready.

Related posts:

• 5 Dos and Don’ts for Home Sellers
• Getting Your Home Sold in This Market – 10 Steps to Success According to Professional Home Stagers
• Are You REALLY Ready to Sell Your West Bank Home?

Statistics as of 3/26/2009.  Data provided by GSREIN and is deemed reliable, but not guaranteed.

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Whether you are buying or selling a home on the West Bank of New Orleans, feel free to call on the West Bank Living Team. We provide professional, local real estate services and have fun while doing it!

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